Pope Leo XIV opens the Extraordinary Consistory, calling Cardinals to unity, dialogue, and renewal rooted in Christ’s love, not institutional appeal.
Newsroom (08/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) In the Vatican’s solemn halls, illuminated by the spirit of Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV opened the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals on January 7 with a call that reached beyond ecclesial formality: “It is not the Church that attracts, but Christ.” His words set the tone for a gathering of prelates summoned to discern the Church’s path in a fragmented age.
The Pope began by welcoming the assembled Cardinals from across the world, expressing gratitude for their presence and urging them to let the Holy Spirit guide their reflections. “I am here to listen,” he affirmed, emphasizing that the goal of the meeting was not to produce a definitive text, but to engage in dialogue and discernment that would help him “in serving the mission of the entire Church.”
The Light That Draws the Nations
Drawing inspiration from the feast of the Epiphany and the words of the prophet Isaiah — “Arise, shine; for your light has come” — the Pope connected ancient prophecy with modern ecclesial reflection. He recalled the opening lines of Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council’s seminal constitution, to underline that Christ, not the institution itself, remains the source of the Church’s radiance.
“Christ is the light of the nations,” he quoted, “and consequently this holy Synod ardently desires to bring all humanity that light of Christ which is resplendent on the face of the Church.” In these words, Pope Leo found the beating heart of missionary identity: the Church as a sacrament of communion and unity for all humankind.
Tracing this theological thread through history, the Pope invoked Saint Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis — his predecessors whose pontificates, he said, reflected “the vision of the light of the Lord illuminating the Church.”
Popes Benedict and Francis, he noted, both articulated this in a single word: attraction. “The Church does not engage in proselytism,” Benedict said in Aparecida in 2007, “she grows by attraction — by the power of Christ’s love.” Pope Francis, Leo observed, reaffirmed this truth repeatedly.
“Today,” Pope Leo added, “I joyfully revisit this theme and share it with you. The power that drives this movement of attraction is Charis — Agape — the love of God incarnate in Jesus Christ and given to the Church through the Holy Spirit.”
Unity Over Division
In one of his most poignant reflections, the Pope turned from theology to warning. “It is not the Church that attracts, but Christ; and if a Christian or an ecclesial community attracts, it is because through that ‘channel’ flows the lifeblood of Charity that cascades from the Heart of the Savior.”
He drew a stark contrast between the fruits of unity and the consequences of division: “While unity attracts, division scatters.” Even physics, he joked, bears witness to that truth “on the microscopic and macroscopic levels.”
Calling the Church to return to the commandment of Christ — “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” — Pope Leo reached for the words of Saint Augustine: “By loving us, he gave us the help we need to bind ourselves together in mutual love.” Only in this communion, the Pope insisted, can the Church embody its divine mission and witness the love that alone is credible.
Listening and Walking Together
The Pope described the College of Cardinals as “a diverse group enriched by a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, ecclesial and social traditions.” Such diversity, he said, is a gift to be received in dialogue. “We are called to get to know one another and to dialogue, so that we may work together in serving the Church. I hope that we can grow in communion and thus offer a model of collegiality.”
Over the day and a half of deliberation, the Cardinals will focus on two of four themes proposed by the Holy Father: Evangelii Gaudium (the Church’s mission in today’s world), Praedicate Evangelium (the service of the Holy See), the Synod and synodality as a method of cooperation, and the liturgy, described as the source and summit of Christian life.
Time constraints, Pope Leo said, should encourage rather than limit depth. The key question guiding their work: “Looking at the path of the next one or two years, what considerations and priorities could guide the action of the Holy Father and of the Curia regarding each theme?”
He urged the Cardinals toward brevity and listening: “Be attentive to the heart, mind, and spirit of each; express only the main point so that all may speak. The ancient Romans said: Non multa sed multum — not many things, but much.”
A Synodal Future
Pope Leo linked the Consistory’s spirit to the ongoing synodal journey launched by his predecessors. Quoting Francis’ 2015 address marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, he said, “The path of synodality is precisely what God expects of the Church of the third millennium.”
Listening, he reminded them, remains the key to this path. “Every moment of this kind is an opportunity to deepen our shared appreciation for synodality,” he said. Through listening, discernment, and friendship, Leo XIV believes the Church can rediscover the spirit of service that defines the Petrine ministry itself.
A Benediction of Hope
As the meeting began, Pope Leo entrusted the College’s work to divine guidance: “May the Holy Spirit always guide us, and may the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, assist us.”
In that invocation, his message came full circle — from the radiant light of Christ that first drew the Magi to Bethlehem, to the same light that now calls the Church to unity, humility, and love in an age longing for meaning.
“It is not the Church that attracts,” Pope Leo XIV repeated, “but Christ — the light that still draws all people to Himself.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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