The first extraordinary consistory of Leo XIV’s pontificate, held on January 7 and 8, 2026, at the Vatican, brought together nearly 170 cardinals in the Synod Hall.
Officially dedicated to defining the major orientations of the Church for the coming years, this event primarily confirmed the almost unanimous adherence of the College of Cardinals to the missionary and synodal approach, while once again neglecting the liturgical question, which is nevertheless essential in the current crisis of the Church.
A sense of déjà vu is unavoidable for the attentive observer.
The methodology adopted replicates the now well-established methods of recent synods: roundtables, language groups, and timed interventions.
More than the content of the discussions, it is the "process" that seems to take precedence.
The Supreme Pontiff, absent from the small group discussions but attentive to the final summaries, emphasized that the journey undertaken together was more important than the formal conclusions.
This statement has become a leitmotif of contemporary synodal discourse.
To open the proceedings, the Dominican Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe - hardly suspected of traditionalism - was tasked with delivering an inaugural meditation intended to guide the debates.
Calling upon the "princes of the Church" to courageously confront the "storms" of the modern world, from humanitarian crises to abuse scandals, the prelate carefully avoided addressing other storms that have been agitating the Church for several decades.
Priorities on the Chopping Block
The heart of the consistory rested on a crucial vote.
Four themes had been proposed by the Pope: evangelization, reform of the Curia, synodality, and liturgy.
Due to alleged "time constraints," the cardinals were asked to select only two, by majority vote.
The result is revealing. Synodality and mission were overwhelmingly favored, relegating liturgy - as well as the reform of the Curia - to the rank of secondary issues.
It is a decision with significant implications. For while the means of missionary action can be debated, it is at the very least worrying to note that the public prayer of the Church, the lex orandi intimately linked to the lex credendi, is considered a non-priority.
A Silence That Speaks Volumes
This silence on the liturgy did not go unnoticed.
Even before the opening of the consistory, several media outlets, including the Zenit news agency and the Italian press, indicated that a significant group of cardinals wished to place this very issue at the center of the discussions.
For them, the current liturgical crisis is inseparable from the crisis of faith.
They hoped for a serious reflection on the tensions caused by the restrictions imposed by Traditionis custodes, as well as a gesture of appeasement towards the faithful attached to the traditional liturgy.
Nothing of the sort happened.
The "breath" of the Church - its prayer - seems to have been sacrificed on the altar of synodality.
The Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, attempted to downplay the significance of this exclusion, stating that no topic was definitively excluded and that the Pope had been "informed of the perceived urgency" of certain issues.
By whom?
According to what criteria?
The wording remains deliberately vague.
It was also specified that the topics not selected could be "addressed within the framework of the chosen themes," an elegant way, some would say, of diluting the problems rather than confronting them.
A Strategy of Avoidance?
For some observers, this decision stems from a tactical calculation.
Elected less than a year ago, Leo XIV is reportedly seeking to avoid a direct confrontation on a liturgical terrain that has become highly conflictual, where two irreconcilable visions of the Church are in direct opposition.
By focusing on mission and synodality, he would attempt to build unity of action before reopening more sensitive issues.
However, this strategy carries a major risk: that of indefinitely postponing the treatment of a gaping wound.
Liturgy is not just one issue among others; it is the beating heart of the Church's life. As long as the liturgical question remains unresolved, any attempt at "lasting ecclesial peace" will remain illusory.
This consistory has therefore left fundamental issues unresolved.
The administrative reform of the Curia and, above all, the restoration of a liturgy faithful to the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Church are matters that the pontificate of Leo XIV will have to confront sooner or later if he truly wishes to guarantee the unity and vitality of the Catholic Church.