Posted on 01/08/2026 8:22:23 AM PST by ebb tide
Progressive and pro-LGBT Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe delivered the opening meditation at the consistory in Rome by urging cardinals to remain “in the boat of Peter” amid global crises and Church divisions while suggesting “memory and openness to novelty must coexist in the life of the Church.”
On the afternoon of January 7, Pope Leo XIV opened a two-day extraordinary consistory at the Vatican, convening cardinals from around the world to reflect on four major themes – the mission of the Church in today’s world, synodality, the relationship between the Holy See and the particular Churches, and the liturgy – though only the former two were selected for detailed discussion, a decision that, according to off-the-record accounts reported by the Italian blog Messainlatino, prompted discouragement and concern among several participants.
READ: Pope Leo opens first consistory with strong emphasis on synodality, Vatican II
“I am here to listen,” Pope Leo XIV told the cardinals in his opening address, stressing that the meeting was intended not to produce documents but “to continue a conversation that will help me in serving the mission of the entire Church.”
According to the blog Messainlatino, multiple unnamed cardinals described the first session as poorly prepared and structurally restrictive, noting in particular that there were no free interventions scheduled for the opening day. Discussions were conducted in small, pre-assigned working groups based on language and curial affiliation, a format some participants reportedly said did not resemble the traditional consistory model of the past.
The same source reported that, for reasons of time, the theme of the liturgy was effectively excluded from substantive group discussion, despite being listed among the four initial topics. Several cardinals allegedly lamented what they perceived as a lack of interest in the Church understood as “mystery,” and said that the overall approach appeared to be in continuity with the synodal processes of recent years.
The opening meditation was delivered by Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., a progressive theologian who is publicly supportive of greater inclusion of LGBT-identifying people within the Church. In his reflection on the Gospel of Mark (6:45–52), Radcliffe urged the cardinals to “remain in the boat of Peter” amid contemporary storms facing both the world and the Church, including war, inequality, sexual abuse scandals, and ideological divisions.
Radcliffe warned against remaining “on the shore” out of fear or disagreement, arguing that unity and mutual charity among the cardinals were essential to supporting the Pope. He stated that “memory and openness to novelty must coexist in the life of the Church,” citing Evangelii Gaudium and Saint Augustine to argue that Tradition and renewal are inseparable.
Messainlatino also reports that upcoming sessions of the consistory are expected to open with reflections by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, both widely regarded as prominent progressive voices within the College of Cardinals.
In his address, the Pope emphasized the centrality of Christ and charity, stating that “it is not the Church that attracts, but Christ,” and warned that division weakens missionary witness. “This will be our way of proceeding: being attentive to the heart, mind and spirit of each; listening to one another; expressing only the main point and in a succinct manner, so that all can speak.” Leo insisted that the consistory was meant to assist him through shared reflection rather than legislative outcomes.
Luigi Casalini of Messainlatinotold LifeSiteNews that numerous questions remain about the organization of the consistory. “Who decided the program? Who chose who would speak?” he asked. “Why were the topics reduced from four to two, and who made that decision, announced by the Pope himself?”
Casalini also raised doubts about the selection of the nine “local Churches” tasked with reporting. “To whom did the Pope delegate this choice, and according to what criteria were these nine Churches selected?” he probed.
Indeed, in his opening address, Pope Leo XIV explained that while all 21 working groups would contribute to the choice of topics, only nine groups – from “local Churches” familiar to the Roman Curia – would formally report their findings. “It is easier for me to ask advice from those who work in the curia and live in Rome,” he said. This clarification appears to confirm that the Pope intended to streamline the reporting process, though some observers have questioned whether it might also shape the direction of the discussion.
READ: SSPX head says ‘catastrophic’ Pope Francis decisions would justify new bishops
Comparing the current format with previous synods, Casalini also noted: “Under Saint John Paul II, synods lasted many hours in plenary sessions. Here, however, we have only about 90 minutes for cardinal interventions, with 187 present and potentially wishing to speak. This raises the suspicion,” he added, “that the aim of this organization is to favour a certain direction of the agenda.”
Referring to the opening meditation, Casalini said: “Radcliffe gave an important interview to The Telegraph, coincidentally just before the consistory, discussing hot-button topics such as the female diaconate and even transgender rights. Cardinals more attentive to Tradition perhaps should have applied greater pressure and emphasized the importance of the liturgy in the life of the Church today."
He also added: “If it is true that the devil is in the details, in the past the order of agenda allowed plenary interventions first, followed by group work according to linguistic criteria, which also makes more logical sense; today, the order has been proposed in reverse. Why?”
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Ping
“...memory and openness to novelty must coexist in the life of the Church.”
IOW, the AntiChursh and the TrueChurch exist side by side as foretold.
Sounds a little creepy to me. Maybe they think they can legalize all the behaviors that they have had to move to other parishes for when found out.
“I am here to listen,” Pope Leo XIV told the cardinals in his opening address. Well, I guess a good leader will listen.
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