CONCLUSION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY: January 7-8, 2026

At the end of this Consistory, I wish to reiterate what I stated in the homily of the Epiphany: “God reveals himself and nothing remains unchanged. His presence puts an end to that type of melancholic complacency which causes people endlessly to say, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ (Eccles 1:9)”. This is the hope that is given to us.

CONCLUSION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY 
[7-8 JANUARY]

CONCLUDING ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV

Synod Hall
Thursday, 8 January 2026

[Multimedia]

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When each one of us was elected Cardinal, the Holy Father called us to be “intrepid witnesses of Christ and his Gospel in the City of Rome and in the most distant regions” (cf. Rite for the Creation of Cardinals). This mission is truly the core, the essence of what we are all committed to doing. This Consistory has been a privileged moment to express the mission of the Church and to do so together, in communion. Over the course of this last day and a half, the Holy Spirit has manifestly and generously bestowed his manifold gifts. I am deeply grateful for your presence and your participation, all of which is aimed at supporting me in my service as the Successor of Peter. I am grateful to the elders among you who made the effort to come: their witness is truly precious! At the same time, I am also particularly close to the Cardinals from various parts of the world who, for various reasons, were unable to come. We are with you and we feel close to you!

This meeting is intimately connected to what we experienced in the Conclave. Even before the Conclave, before the election of the Successor of Peter, you expressed the desire to get to know each other and to be able to give your contribution and support. We had a first experience of this on 9 May. Then, during these two days, we used a simple but not necessarily easy method to help us meet and get to know each other better. Personally, I felt a deep communion and harmony with all of you and among the many contributions. We also had an experience of synodality, not as an organisational technique, but as a tool for growing in listening and in relationships. And, of course, we must continue and build on these meetings.

At the end of this talk, I will return more concretely to some ideas on how we might continue. But first, I would like to take up some of the points that have emerged over these days. Perhaps I will begin with words that have been repeated several times, even in this last session.

Finding Christ at the centre of our mission. Proclaiming the Gospel, as we all know well: Jesus Christ is at the centre. We want to proclaim his Word, and therefore the importance of truly living an authentic spiritual life ourselves, which can bear witness in today’s world.

The themes that were chosen were deeply rooted in Vatican Council II and throughout the journey that was undertaken by the Council. We can never emphasize enough the importance of continuing the journey that began with the Council. I encourage you to do so. I have chosen this theme, as you know – the documents and experience of the Council – for the public audiences this year. And this journey is a process of life, of conversion, of renewal of the entire Church. Evangelii Gaudium and synodality are important elements of this journey.

And I would like to say that, at the same time, the other two themes that have been proposed, but are not necessarily central to these two days of work, are closely connected to the other themes and to the Council. They have not been forgotten, nor will they be forgotten. Cardinal Semeraro has rightly recalled the link between synodality and the Eucharist. Among other things, a study group linked to the Synodal Assembly is currently exploring this theme in depth. Cardinal Castillo has now spoken about the 2028 Assembly. Certainly, the work in progress with the Synod Secretariat continues with the study groups.

The path of synodality is a path of communion for mission, in which we are all called to participate. This is why the bonds between us are important. You have emphasized the importance of the Holy Father’s connection, in particular with the Episcopal Conferences and with the local Churches, and the importance of the continental Assemblies. However, these too must not become “extra” meetings to be added to a list, but places of encounter and relationship between Bishops with priests and lay people, and between Churches, which greatly help to promote authentic missionary creativity.

Then we return to the other theme: the work of the Dicasteries in the spirit of Praedicate Evangelium, with their service to the Holy Father and to the particular Churches. Praedicate Evangelium highlights the need to “attune [the Curia’s] present-day activity more effectively to the path of evangelization that the Church, especially in our time, has taken” (I,3). From this perspective, I reiterate my commitment to do my part and offer you and the whole Church a structure of relationships and service capable of supporting and assisting you and the local Churches, so that together we can face the current challenges of the mission with greater relevance and incisiveness.

You have spoken, to continue this journey, about the importance of formation. Formation in listening, formation in the spirituality of listening. In particular, you highlighted, in seminaries, but also for bishops!

Here – even though it was not a specific topic of dialogue at our meeting – I would like to mention the problem, which even today is truly a wound in the life of the Church in many places, namely the crisis caused by sexual abuse. We cannot close our eyes or our hearts. I would like to say, also encouraging you to share this in turn with the bishops: many times the pain of the victims has been greater because they were not welcomed and listened to. The abuse itself causes a deep wound that may last a lifetime, but often the cause of scandal in the Church is that the door was closed and the victims were not welcomed and accompanied by authentic shepherds. A victim recently told me that the most painful thing for her was precisely that no bishop wanted to listen to her. So here too, listening is profoundly important.

The formation of everyone. Formation in seminaries, of priests, bishops and lay collaborators must be rooted in the ordinary and concrete life of the local Church, of parishes and of many other significant places where people meet, especially those who suffer. As you have seen here, one or two days, or even a week, are not enough to delve deeply into a topic in order to live it. It would therefore be important for our ordinary way of working together to be an opportunity for formation and growth for those with whom we work, at all levels, from the parish to the Roman Curia. One example of where we can grow ordinarily in a synodal style is pastoral visits; and all participatory bodies are also to be revitalized.

But all this is connected to the journey of the implementation of the Synod, which continues and will reach a fundamental milestone in the Ecclesial Assembly planned for 2028. I encourage you to be the leaven of this journey. It is a journey for the mission of the Church, a journey in the service of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.

So, dear Brothers, these are just my initial thoughts on what I have heard from you. The discussion is bound to continue. I invite you once again to send me your written assessments on all four topics, on the Consistory as a whole, and on the relationship between the Cardinals and the Holy Father and the Roman Curia. I too will take the time to read your reports and personal messages at my leisure and then, at a later date, to give you feedback, a response, and to continue the dialogue.

I would like to propose that our next Consistory be held around the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul this year. And I would like to suggest that, for this year, we do two days a second time, thinking then for the future to continue the meetings, but perhaps for more days, once a year: three or four days, as some groups have suggested. A first day of reflection, prayer, and meeting, then two or three days of work. But for this year, we would continue in this way.

Moving on, with regard to the help that I sincerely believe you can offer, let us think about the next Consistory in June. Here I would like to add that if any of you have difficulties due to, let us say, financial resources, please speak up. I think that I too, that we too, can show a little solidarity with one another, and there will be ways, with generous people who will help.

Good. At the end of this Consistory, I wish to reiterate what I stated in the homily of the Epiphany: “God reveals himself and nothing remains unchanged. His presence puts an end to that type of melancholic complacency which causes people endlessly to say, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ (Eccles 1:9)”. This is the hope that is given to us.

A hope that we feel we can pass on to our world. And with this, we all want to express the concern we have shared in our dialogues and personal encounters, and also in some interventions in the group, for all those who suffer in the world. We are not gathered here deaf to the reality of poverty, suffering, war and violence that afflicts so many local Churches. And here, with them in our hearts, we also want to say that we are close to them. Many of you have come from countries where you are experiencing this suffering of violence and war.

We are called to taken on this journey of hope also before the younger generations: what we live and decide today not only regards the present, but also affects the near and distant future.

It is the hope we experienced in the Jubilee, which has just come to an end. It is truly a message we want to offer to the world: we have closed the Holy Door, but let us remember that the door of Christ and his love always remains open!

And now, let us pray for each other, as the Holy Father prayed for us on the day on the day he created us Cardinals: “Grant by your grace what human weakness cannot achieve, so that these your servants, continually building up your Church, may shine forth in integrity of faith and purity of spirit” (cf. Rite of the Creation of New Cardinals). And may Saint Peter intercede for us as we seek, in a spirit of collegiality, to serve his Barque, the Church!

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