Leo Meets With Cardinals To Further The Bergoglio Agenda

Sanitizing synodality and building consensus seems to be his goal.

This week, Leo will welcome the Cardinals to the Vatican for the first consistory of his reign. Scheduled for Jan. 7-8 the meeting will reportedly focus on four key areas:

1. Francis’ 2023 Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium

2. Francis’ 2022 Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia Praedicate Evangelium

3. Synodality

4. And the Liturgy

Over the past 8 months, Leo has opted to continue the Bergoglio agenda. Among other things, he has confirmed Kissy Fernandez as head of the DDF, approved a rule allowing women religious to run the Vatican City State, signed off on a “married” homosexual chef first appointed by Francis to oversee a restaurant at Castel Gandalfo, and has kept in place all the documents published by his predecessor.

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Leo has avoided ruffling feathers in other ways, too, presumably to avoid “polarization.” In September, he allowed an LGBT Pilgrimage to take place at the Vatican. He also met with Jesuit James Martin while speaking with Bishop Schneider in December. One might say Prevost has undertaken a “listening tour” while letting those who are most devoted to Francis to continue their ways.

This week’s consistory should give us a glimpse as to how Leo will govern the Conciliar Church going forward. That’s not to say we should expect a massive change. By asking the Cardinals to read two of Francis’ documents ahead of the meeting, Leo is clearly intending to take what his predecessor did and build on it. Said another way, he seems intent on putting his own twist to the Bergoglio/Vatican II revolution.

Leo’s efforts may well ensnare conservatives and semi-trads if he adopts the proposal for the Latin Mass recently put forward by Fr. Louis-Marie de Blignières. If you don’t know what his plan is click here to learn more about it. Then, read the Radical Fidelity blog and WM Review’s criticisms of it here and here.

It seems to me that one of Leo’s long-term goals is to sanitize Synodality by using it as a vehicle to obtain buy in from clergy who hold disparate views. He has already pushed back against the German Church for its own “Synodal Way” and Bishop Barron published a tweet this week calling for a more modest approach to synodality, one that focuses on pastoral reforms instead of doctrinal ones. This seems like the approach Leo will adopt. At the same time, don’t pastoral changes ultimately lead to doctrinal ones? And hasn’t Leo already outed himself as a dyed in the wool Modernist?

Given his constant singing in Latin and use of nice vestments, Leo does seem to be transforming into a Benedict XVII-type figure. It will be interesting to see how Trad influencers react to this, as well as to the consistory. I myself won’t be surprised if they spin it in the most positive way possible. I also won’t be surprised if Leo holds consistories on an annual and even bi-annual basis going forward. Again, as he has already stated, he wants to avoid “polarization.” Courting the Cardinals is the logical first step in accomplishing that.