Montserrat, Spain — Pope Leo XIV made a pilgrimage on Tuesday to the millennium-old Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, near Barcelona, where he prayed the Rosary before the revered image of the Virgin.
Following the prayer, the Pope delivered an address blending Spanish and Catalan, in which he urged the faithful to accept the invitation of Our Lady at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you to do.”
Pope Leo went on to clarify that what He tells us to do is the Gospel command to “love one another as He has loved us.”
Recalling the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who laid down his arms of knighthood precisely at Montserrat to follow his vocation, the Pope reflected on the human tendency to put on armors of violence, aggression, and criticism as a form of protection against inner wounds.
In contrast, he invited the faithful to “put on the armor of God,” as described by St. Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians.
The Holy Father encouraged contemplation of Christ in His apparent vulnerability—either as a defenseless child in the arms of Our Lady, or as the crucified Lord—underscoring that divine strength is revealed in self-giving love.
Reiterating an expression that is very dear to him, Pope Leo described this force of love as “disarmed and disarming.”
The Holy Father is expected to continue his apostolic visit in Spain with a visit to the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, where he will crown and bless the tower dedicated to Jesus Christ in Antoni Gaudí’s iconic basilica.
The Madrid chapter of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit to Spain has come to a close.
With the pontiff now heading to Barcelona, attention turns to the messages that marked the opening days of his apostolic visit to Spain.
His days in the Spanish capital produced a number of memorable messages that helped set the tone for the visit, offering reflections on faith, society, and the challenges facing the Church today.
These are are 10 quotes that stood out from his time in Madrid.
June 6:
1.Greeting to Journalists on the flight from Rome to Madrid
“An Apostolic Journey is an opportunity to meet the faithful, to celebrate the faith and to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. But at the same time, it is also an occasion to greet everyone, the whole of society, because the Church has a message for all people, as you may have seen, I believe, very clearly in the Encyclical Letter that was published on the 25th of May.”
2. Meeting with Authorities, Civil Society, and the Diplomatic Corps
“Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated. This is why we need culture, interiority, and free quality education; we need transcendence.”
3. Visit to the Staff and Beneficiaries of the “Cedia 24 Horas Social Project”
“Madrid is also famous for the nativity scenes that adorn the city during the Christmas season. Their beauty, however, is but a pale reflection of an even greater and deeper wonder, which we find here today. The lights, voices and sounds that touch our hearts and bring tears to our eyes during the Christmas season are, in reality, carried within us, with us and among us throughout the year. Today they are more alive and radiant than ever in this place, around this simple and welcoming ‘nativity scene’ which, with God’s help, you continue to prepare day by day — or literally day and night — for Jesus, present in the people who come to the Center’s doorstep in search of help.”
4. Prayer Vigil with Young People
“I want to entrust all of you the mission to be truly human. Yes, be human: men and women of flesh and blood! Not mere appearances, but trustworthy faces. People who seek justice because they hunger for it, as for their daily bread. People who desire an honest and upright life, because they gladly do to others what they would like others to do to them. Be human as Christ is human, the perfect man, the risen One who shares history with us in every age.”
June 7:
5. Holy Mass in Plaza de Cibeles
“Herein lies the task of Spain today and in the future: to ensure that the religiosity which has shaped and defined this country for centuries is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today: A school that teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbor, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother; A school that teaches us of the gratitude of love that becomes a gift, so that it may flow among us and break the chains of all selfishness; A school from which we learn that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”
6. Meeting “Building Networks with the World of Culture, Art, Economy and Sport”
“The desire for goodness, beauty and truth is rooted in the very DNA of humanity. It is on the basis of this profoundly human aspiration and our centuries-old experience that the Church proposes paths toward a life of dignity and the common good. In this regard, Saint Paul VI affirmed before the United Nations that, whatever one’s opinion of the Roman Pontiff may be, his mission is well known. As an ‘expert in humanity,’ the Church does not turn a blind eye to anything truly human.”
June 8:
7. Meeting with Members of the Spanish Parliament
“If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just? The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization. Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence. When this certainty is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person. For this reason, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.”
8. Meeting with the Bishops of Spain
“Only by gathering all the good that exists in our own heritage, with each of us doing our part, can we build a new reality in which faith can take deep root. Naturally, to make this happen, we must begin by learning the language of the other, initiating processes and weaving bonds where we can sow the seed of the kingdom.”
9. Prayer and Devotion to Our Lady of Almudena
“This millennia-old Marian devotion, so cherished by all of you, is a sign of the Christian roots that characterize you and give you life, but also of the great hope which continues to motivate you to move forward. It was thanks to a collapsed wall that the Mother was reunited with her people. This event is providential, because it points to the path that Jesus, through his Most Holy Mother, invites us to follow. Initially, when a wall collapses, it makes a clamor, creating chaos and disorder. However, it also opens up spaces, restores possibilities and fosters renewal. In our societies today, there are still many walls that do not protect but rather divide, separate and isolate. At times, we prefer the comfort of merely shoring them up and, more often than not, simply ignoring them, because we fear that tearing them down will mean having to face situations that we would rather avoid.”
10. Meeting with the Diocesan Community at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
“There is, therefore, a special relationship between the Church and the city, one made even more important by the epochal change we are living through: a relationship that naturally takes shape among real people in workplaces and neighborhoods, but also within various communities, associations, and local realities. Increasingly, the distinctive nature of the Christian mission emerges within large urban settings, where ‘a new culture pulses and takes shape.’ Clarity on this point has matured greatly through the synodal journey, which has enabled us to know and listen to one another more deeply within the contexts in which the diocesan community lives and takes form”
Madrid—As more than one million pilgrims gathered in Plaza de Cibeles for the Corpus Christi Mass this Sunday, Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision of the Eucharist and its role in contemporary Christian life.
Reflecting on Spain’s deep Catholic heritage and longstanding tradition of Eucharistic devotion, the pope recalled the country’s historic Corpus Christi processions to show that Jesus “is not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us.”
“Jesus travels the streets, crosses the squares and visits our neighborhoods, dwelling in the settings of our daily lives. He is a God who is close to us, who walks with his people, the Lord of history. He is comfort to the weak, light for families, hope for the sick and peace for those who suffer”
Leo also cautioned against confining such processions to “wistful nostalgia.” Rather, religiosity is “not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today,” he said.
According to the pope, this “school of faith” teaches believers not only to kneel before God but also before their neighbors, “because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother.”
Leo further stressed that the Eucharist cannot remain enclosed “in a private devotion.” Its public dimension should inspire Christians to serve others, particularly those who are socially vulnerable and marginalized.
“[The Eucharist is a] school from which we learn that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”
To underscore this message, Leo pointed to Spain’s tradition of combining the solemnity of Corpus Christi with the Day for Charity.
“The Christ who processes through the streets in the monstrance is the same one who identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken,” he said.
Pope Leo is currently on an apostolic visit to Spain. He is scheduled to depart Madrid on Monday and travel to Barcelona.
Carlo Acutis’ canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27, during the Jubilee of Teenagers, but was delayed after the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
After his election, Pope Leo scheduled both canonizations to coincide on September 7, thus underscoring the similarities between Acutis and Frassati as examples of holiness for today’s youth.
Brief Lives, Lasting Holiness
Giorgio Frassati, born in the early 20th century, was a committed member of Catholic Youth in Italy and a staunch opponent of Mussolini’s fascist regime.
Carlo Acutis, born in 1991, became known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist. He created a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles around the world and used the internet to defend the doctrine of the Real Presence.
Both lives were cut short—Frassati by polio at 24, Acutis by leukemia at 15. Their untimely deaths secured their place as “young saints” for a new generation.
Words of Wisdom
In his homily during the Canonization Mass, Pope Leo described the canonization date as providential. The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, poses a central question: “Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?” (Wis 9:17).
Leo explained that the presumptive author of the Book of Wisdom, believed to be a young King Solomon, mirrors Frassati and Acutis—seeking divine wisdom early in life so as “not to waste it outside God’s plan.”
The Pope also recalled other saints who chose God in their youth. For example, St. Francis of Assisi abandoned worldly glory for evangelical poverty. From the Gospel of the day, Jesus Christ’ words rang out: “Whoever does not carry his cross cannot be my disciple. . . none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions” (Lk 14:27,33).
“Many saints followed this path,” Leo said. “It all began when, while still young, they said ‘yes’ to God and gave themselves to him completely, keeping nothing for themselves.”
As an Augustinian, Leo invoked the example of St. Augustine, who in his youth heard the voice of God within him saying, “I want you.” This eventually gave him “a new direction, a new path, a new reason, in which nothing of his life was lost.”
Simple Holiness, Made Young
According to Leo, both Acutis and Frassati embodied this wisdom through simple acts of love for God and their brothers and sisters—daily Mass, prayer, frequent confession, devotion to the saints and the Virgin Mary, Eucharistic adoration, and acts of charity.
Frassati famously called charity “the foundation of our religion.” Leo added: “Like Carlo, he practiced it above all through small, concrete gestures, often hidden, living what Pope Francis called ‘a holiness found in our next-door neighbors.’”
For Frassati, this path was lived in politics. For Acutis, it was found in the bosom of his family.
“If you have God at the center of all your actions, then you will reach the end,” Pope Leo concluded. “Conversion is nothing more than shifting your gaze from below to above; a simple movement of the eyes is enough.”
A Historic Moment
The ceremony included several moving moments. One of the highlights was Pope Leo’s proclamation of the Solemn Formula of Canonization, infallibly declaring Acutis and Frassati saints of the Church.
Another poignant moment came when Carlo’s younger brother read the first reading from the Book of Wisdom.
Later, when Leo spoke of Carlo’s family as a place where he found holiness, the Holy Father pointed to the presence of Acutis’ parents in the assembly, prompting sustained applause.
At the conclusion of the liturgy, Pope Leo called the faithful to pray for peace, especially in the Holy Land and Ukraine.
“Listen to the voice of conscience, instead of the pursuit of victory through the force of arms, which sows death and destruction,” he exhorted. “God does not will war, He wills peace.”
Castel Gandolfo—On September 5, Pope Leo XIV inaugurated the Borgo Laudato Si’, located near Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome.
The grounds date back to the pagan Roman Emperors and later became papal property.
Once reserved exclusively for pontifical use, Pope Francis envisioned it as a space “inclusive and accessible to everyone, especially to vulnerable people.”
The Borgo takes its name from Laudato Si’, Francis’ landmark social encyclical on the environment.
Inaugurated to mark the ten-year anniversary of the document, it embodies the Church’s vision of integral ecology, as articulated in that encyclical.
Spread over 55 hectares of extraterritorial land, the Borgo comprises 35 hectares of gardens and 20 hectares dedicated to agriculture, farming, greenhouses, and service buildings.
A “Natural Cathedral”
At the inauguration, the Borgo was described as a “natural cathedral, where nature becomes prayer,” urging “our conversion to take care of our common home.”
“Laudato Si’ reads the signs of times,” speakers told the assembled guests. “It does so while grounded in tradition yet open to the future.”
In a video shown during the ceremony, Engineer Antonino Erregio explained that the site incorporates cutting-edge systems in “renewable energy, water conservation, and carbon offsetting.”
In the same video, Father Manuel Dorantes, Managing Director, said that the Borgo “endures the legacy of Pope Francis, while ushering in the leadership of Pope Leo.”
During the inauguration ceremony, Cardinal Fabbio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center, said: “Here we are invited to pray together, so that anyone who visits may learn to praise and serve the Lord.”
He added: “Ecological conversion is possible,” noting that, inspired by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, it also “allows us to create a more just and fraternal world.”
A Pilgrimage Through the Gardens
At the start of the inauguration, Pope Leo XIV “made a symbolic pilgrimage through the grounds,” stopping at several key sites of the Borgo.
Highlights included the Garden of the Madonnina, where he paused for a brief prayer to Our Lady; the Garden of Mirrors, with its ponds and lakes evoking the oceans; and the papal coat of arms, crafted entirely from flowers and plants.
Along the way, the Holy Father greeted gardeners, educators, and their families, as well as entrepreneurs, encouraging the business community to commit to a greater support for environmental responsibility.
The Pope extended his greetings to animals as well, feeding fish in a pond and a horse from the stables, and gently petting a calf that had been born the previous day.
Leo also visited areas designed for educational programs, meant to raise ecological awareness among visitors and to foster a deeper sense of responsibility for our common home.
A New Liturgy for the Care of Creation
Following the visit, the Liturgy of the Word was celebrated using what was described as a “new liturgy” for the Care of Creation—one Pope Leo has now used at least twice.
The ceremony opened with a choir singing Psalm 148, a hymn in which all creatures glorify God.
The Gospel reading, from Matthew 6, reminded the faithful that “no one can serve two masters,” so that one can’t serve God and wealth. The Gospel also called on Christians to live like the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, who are provided for by God without anxiety.
After the homily, participants recited the “Prayer for our Earth” from paragraph 246 of Laudato Si’.
The liturgy concluded with famous singer Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo performing Dolce Sentire, with mentions to “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” and “Mother Earth.”
“The Vocation of Being Custodians of God’s Work.”
In his homily, Pope Leo underlined that “fauna and flora were often protagonists of Jesus’ parables,” teaching that “through the contemplation of creatures we can better understand the ingenuity of the Creator.”
“Every creature is a part of His project,” he said, stressing that humans are “creatures among creatures, not creators.”
While humanity holds a “special place in the creative act,” the Holy Father warned, this comes with the “grave responsibility of being custodians of the other creatures and respecting the Creator’s design.”
Leo concluded by saying that Pope Francis left the Borgo Laudato Si’ as both a “seed of hope” and an “inheritance.” Faithful to its mission, Leo said, the Borgo will “favor an ecological conversion through education and catechesis.”
With the inauguration of Borgo Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV brings to life the vision first imagined by Pope Francis, signaling his commitment to Church Social Doctrine—an emphasis anticipated by his choice of papal name.
His choice of name was the first clue. Breaking with Francis and John Paul (I and II)’s trend of selecting entirely new regnal names, Leo opted to honor a predecessor—Pope Leo XIII.
Sensing myself called to continue in this same path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.
In the same address, Leo reaffirmed his “complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for the decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.”
To help bring this vision to life, Leo turned to Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis’ programmatic exhortation, and highlighted several of its key points.
“We take up this precious legacy and continue the journey,” Leo told the cardinals, emphasizing the simplicity and outreach that marked his predecessor’s papacy.
We can still hear the faint yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome, the Pope who blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, the whole world, on the morning of Easter… Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!
In all of his major public appearances so far, Pope Leo XIV has consistently acknowledged his immediate predecessor.
Leo’s pontifical program can also be deduced from his first symbolic gestures. On his first visit outside the Vatican as pope, Leo visited the tomb of Pope Francis at St. Mary Major’s Basilica. There, he laid a single rose and paused for silent prayer.
His background reinforces the sense of alignment with Francis. Though US-born, Cardinal Robert Prevost served most of his ministry in South America, often among the poor and marginalized.
Later, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Card. Prevost also took part in both sessions of the Synod on Synodality, expressing strong support for Pope Francis’ vision for a more synodal Church.
This pastoral experience reflects Francis’ priorities and suggests a shared vision of a missionary Church rooted in justice and mercy.
While Leo XIV’s individual style will emerge with time, his first days suggest a pontificate marked by respectful continuity and deep admiration for those who came before him—namely Francis.
From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013, Pope Francis signalled a different kind of papacy, as he was the first pope in living memory to present himself to the crowds without the traditional red mozetta and stole.
His unique personality—with an openness to break precedent—and the unusual circumstances of his election quickly earned him a reputation as “the first pope to…” do many things.
Even when he wasn’t technically the first ever to do something, he often was the first in centuries—making it seem like a first for those born in the past 100 years.
Here are some of the most notable “firsts” that defined Pope Francis’ time as pontiff:
Francis was the first pope in 718 years to succeed a pontiff who had voluntarily resigned of his own accord.
He was the first pope to be ordained priest after the Second Vatican Council—meaning he was the first pontiff to have no experience of the pre-conciliar Church as a priest.
He was the first Argentinian pope. In fact, he was the first pope from the Americas and the first ever from the Southern Hemisphere.
He was the first pope to choose the name “Francis.” He was also the first since the 10th century to take an entirely original name (not derived from any predecessor).
He was the first Jesuit pope.
He was the first pope to take residence at the House of St. Martha.
He became the first pope to wash only the feet of women during a Maundy Thursday foot-washing ceremony.
He was the first pope to launch an Instagram account.
He was the first pope to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
He was the first pontiff to visit the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Myanmar, Mongolia, and East Timor.
During his Emirates visit, he also became the first pope to sign a declaration on human fraternity with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar—one of the leading authorities in Muslim Sunni world.
Under his leadership, women were appointed for the first time to high-ranking roles in the Roman Curia and also granted the right to vote in a Synod of Bishops.
He was the first pope to speak at a G7 summit.
His pontificate saw the release of the first Church document dedicated to artificial intelligence.
Finally, Pope Francis was the first pope since the 1600s to be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Pope Francis’ legacy is one of firsts—not for novelty’s sake, but as part of a deeper commitment to Church reform and outreach. His successor will be the first to inherit these breakthroughs.
Vatican City—The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled at 10 a.m. Roman time, setting a solemn tone as thousands gathered for Pope Francis’ funeral.
An estimated 250,000 mourners filled St. Peter’s Square and packed the entire Via della Conciliazione, with crowds spilling into the surrounding streets.
World leaders arrived an hour earlier, prompting authorities to close the streets surrounding the Vatican to accommodate the influx of dignitaries.
As the Mass began, pallbearers carried Francis’ coffin—sealed the day before in a special rite—into the square, in view of the crowd.
The first reading, delivered in English, recalled St. Peter’s speech during centurion Cornelius’ conversion. This episode underscored Francis’ own mission of reaching to the peripheries, as St. Peter concluded: “God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34—35).
The Gospel, read in Latin, featured the poignant passage where Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” followed by His command to “Feed my sheep” (Jo 21:15—17)—a fitting reminder of the late pope’s pastoral mission.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered a homily that became the emotional centerpiece of the ceremony. He praised Francis’ spontaneity, warmth, and deep sensitivity for modern challenges, as well as his charism of welcoming and listening.
Re also listed many of Pope Francis’ major achievements during his pontificate. He emphasized Francis’ “special vocabulary and language,” recalling his use of powerful metaphors, such as the Church as a “field hospital for sinners” and his deep concern for the modern “throwaway culture.”
In this vein, his groundbreaking efforts in interreligious dialogue were also noted, particularly his signing of the Document on Human Fraternity alongside the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. In fact, the call for universal fraternity, embodied in the encyclical Fratelli tutti, was a hallmark of his pontificate.
“Build bridges, not walls” and “no one is saved alone,” were also guiding principles of all his actions as pope.
In a touching twist, Card. Re turned Francis’ familiar request at the end of his speeches and meetings— “Pray for me”—on its head, asking the late pontiff to now be the one to pray for us, interceding for those he left behind.
Another emotional moment came at the ceremony’s end, when Eastern Catholic archbishops sang their own supplications in Greek, underscoring the Church’s universality.
After the Mass, Francis made one final journey through Rome in the popemobile, greeted by crowds and posters proclaiming, “The City of Rome hugs Francis with love,” as the Eternal City bid their final farewell.
In a symbolic gesture true to his legacy, the last to bid him farewell were a representative group of poor people—embodying the “peripheries” that were at the heart of his Magisterium.
As Rome and the world mourn, preparations now begin for the conclave that will elect Francis’ successor.
“From the ‘Synods’ held under Pope Francis, we can see that he wants to change the Church’s doctrines or disciplines each time rather than discuss how to safeguard these doctrines and disciplines.”
Considering these remarks, a review of the latest Synod’s outcomes, as well as those of previous synods, may clarify whether this claim is substantiated or not.
Francis’ Synods: Speculation vs. Reality
The following is a summary of Pope Francis’ synods, along with predictions of doctrinal and disciplinary changes widely circulated in conservative-leaning media beforehand.
2014-2015 Synods on the Family:
Pre-synod predictions: Pope Francis was going to allow changes for the communion of divorced and remarried couples (see here and here). Tensions heightened when Francis invited Cardinal Walter Kasper, a longtime advocate of a “penitential path” for these couples, to address the College of Cardinals ahead of the synod (see here and here).
Kasper’s “penitential path” proposed that, after sincere repentance and commitment to the Catholic faith, these couples might be admitted to communion after a certain period of time if reconciliation with their first spouse was unfeasible.
Outcome: Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia did indeed broaden the circumstances under which divorced and remarried couples could receive communion.
But unlike Cardinal Kasper’s “penitential path,” this change was grounded in traditional Catholic doctrine, specifically the distinction between mortal and venial sin, and the role of mitigating circumstances affecting full knowledge and consent (see footnote 351 and #301—305 to which it refers).
2018 Synod on the Youth:
Pre-synod predictions: The inclusion of LGBT terminology in the instrumentum laboris sparked controversy, leading to concerns that the Church might compromise its doctrinal stance on sexual matters (see here and here).
Outcome: The post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit did not delve much on homosexuality (#81) and reaffirmed both the unitive and genitive ends of sexuality between a man and a woman (#261), according to traditional Catholic teaching.
Outcome: In the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Querida Amazônia, Francis argued that focusing solely on increasing the number of ordained ministers (#92—93) or assuming that women’s greater participation in the Church depends on admission to Holy Orders (#100) are both “too narrow visions.”
Although each synod was preceded by speculation that Pope Francis would use them as platforms for changes in doctrine and discipline, only one disciplinary change occurred, and not as anticipated. All other predictions proved incorrect.
Conservative Pushback: Overstated?
In his statement, Cardinal Zen recognized that the predicted heterodox outcomes did not materialize. However, he attributes the failure of these agendas to strong opposition during the synodal discussions.
This explanation, however, appears to contradict another narrative circulated before each synod—that they were “stacked,” “rigged,” or “manipulated” by Pope Francis to ensure a desired outcome, effectively sidelining conservative voices in the process.
On the other hand, this explanation overlooks how Francis himself has repeatedly shown displeasure at ideological hijacking of the synods to discuss certain “hot topics”. In an in-flight press conference a few days after Amoris Laetitia was published, Pope Francis said:
Look, one of the recent Popes, speaking about the Council, said that there were two Councils: Vatican II, which took place in Saint Peter’s Basilica, and another Council which took place in the media. When I called the first Synod, the most of the media were concerned with one question: Will the divorced and remarried be able to receive communion? Since I am not a saint, this was somewhat annoying to me, and even made me a bit sad. Because I think: those media that say all these things, don’t they realize that that is not the important issue? Don’t they realize that the family, all over the world, is in crisis? And the family is the basis of society! Don’t they realize that young people don’t want to get married? Don’t they realize that the declining birth rate in Europe is enough to make us weep? Don’t they realize that the shortage of jobs and employment opportunities is forcing fathers and mothers to take two jobs and children to grow up by themselves and not learn how to talk with their mothers and fathers? These are the big issues!
During the Synod on the Family, public opinion, the fruit of our worldliness, [thought] that communion was going to be given to the divorced, and in that spirit we began the Synod. When we had the Synod for the Amazon, public opinion, pressure, [thought] that viri probati were going to be [ordained], and we went in under that pressure. Now there is speculation about this Synod: “What are they going to do?”, “Maybe ordain women”… I don’t know, those are things they are saying out there.
Cardinal Zen offers an alternative explanation for the creation of these commissions, suggesting that Pope Francis, unable to achieve the doctrinal and disciplinary changes he desired, established external bodies to bypass the synods’ decisions.
As an example, Cardinal Zen references Fiducia Supplicans, a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that permits blessings for same-sex couples in certain circumstances. Zen claims that it was issued following the removal of the LGBT acronym from the 2024 Synod on Synodality’s documents.
Furthermore, if study groups, like the synods, were meant to alter doctrine and discipline, they have been equally ineffective in reaching this objective. Two commissions, one in 2016 and another in 2021, were already tasked with studying the role of women as deacons, long before the Synods on the Amazon and Synodality.
In conclusion, the idea that Pope Francis is using the synods or other means to change doctrine or discipline in untraditional ways does not hold up to scrutiny.
On the other hand, the media frenzy before each synod was fuelled by fears that ultimately did not come to pass. These were soon overshadowed by new controversies, leaving the old ones behind.
It is still possible that Francis may pursue doctrinal developments and disciplinary changes—like any pope before him did. The new commission on women deacons is still studying the matter, for instance. Other topics may surface and require new strategies, within Church tradition.
Still, given the precedents of the past decade, we should be cautious not to be swept up in feelings of scandal or anxiety. In the end, God is guiding His Church, and the Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the synods.
Over the past months, there were concerns that the Synod would decentralize Catholic teaching authority to episcopal conferences, with many fearing that such a move could fragment the Church.
Behind these concerns was the influence of the German Synodal Way, whose calls for “doctrinal developments” on topics like sexuality and the ordination of women stirred apprehension about doctrinal divergence.
However, the Synod’s Final Document, released yesterday, takes a more cautious approach, asking instead that “the domain of the doctrinal and disciplinary competence of episcopal conferences” should be specified more precisely in the future.
According to the document, this should be done without compromising the authority of the bishop, but also without “putting at risk either the unity or the catholicity of the Church.”
Fr. Gilles Routhier, a theologian specializing in ecclesiology and the history of the Church, explained that discussing the doctrinal authority of episcopal conferences does not mean that different bodies can teach different doctrines.
An episcopal conference “is not autonomous and cannot behave in a light-hearted manner,” Fr. Routhier said, adding, “It’s not an absolute authority that can propose new dogmas. It is an authority that has some limitations.”
“You may fear fragmentation, the fragmentation of the Church, thinking that everybody is going to go their own way. But this is not what happens.”
According to Fr. Routhier, the episcopal conference’s doctrinal competence has to do with how best to apply the common faith to particular matters affecting each location.
He cited a recent letter from the Irish Episcopal Conference, which recently contextualized Church teachings on immigration, adapting the message of hospitality to the Irish context.
The Synod’s Final Document does indeed say that:
“The collegial exercise of such competence [doctrinal authority] can further the authentic teaching of the one faith in an appropriate and enculturated way within different contexts in addition to identifying fitting liturgical, catechetical, disciplinary, pastoral theology and spiritual expression.”
Another example raised during the October 23 press conference was the case ofFiducia Supplicans and the episcopal conferences of Africa. Fr. Routhier explained that African bishops were not rejecting “the teaching authority of Rome” but were highlighting their distinct cultural context.
“You have to remember that there’s still places in Africa that apply the death penalty for people who are living homosexual relationships. Episcopal conferences can say that this does not work for their territory. It’s somehow not compatible” with the concrete realities they’re living in.
“There always has to be a communion with the Church,” Fr. Routhier explained, adding, “and with Peter’s See.”
Primacy and Disagreements
Answering a question about synodality and the primacy of Peter, Cardinal Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops, said that the “whole understanding of synodality is not that all of a sudden there´s going to be a fully democratic assembly style way of exercising authority in the church.”
“The Primacy of Peter and the successors of Peter is something that enables the Church to continue to live in communion in a very concrete way,” he added.
The Cardinal cautioned against reading everything through a dynamic of power or authority. Although the Pope has full authority over the whole Church, he has also been very clear that his ministry is at the service of others.
“Synodality can have a great impact on how we’re living in the Church, but it certainly takes nothing away from what we would call ‘primacy,’” Cardinal Prevost said.
Fr. Routhier also explained that there were always disagreements in the Church, and that even in ecumenical councils there were diverging opinions. “But it’s precisely because of this that there is a synod,” he added.
He explained that we must differentiate between conformity and the universal Church. Since there are tensions, the challenge for the synod is how to establish dialogue.
“If you know how to listen, then you can go beyond divisions, you can overcome divisions and disagreements, while if you remain in your uniformity, then you end up becoming fragmented,” he noted.
Old Questions, New Misunderstandings
Fr. Routhier also highlighted that “the topic of the doctrinal authority of episcopal conferences is nothing new.” According to him, the doctrinal authority of episcopal conferences had already been a theme under discussion in the 1995 Synod and covered in other post-Vatican II magisterial documents, like Apostolos Suos and Evangelii Gaudium.
Cardinal Prevost explained that some of the controversy had to do with a difference in translation in English, making “it sound as if the episcopal conferences have, if you will, a specific doctrinal authority without defining what it is.”
In the Italian and Spanish versions, however, the meaning was different.
“There was a lot of discussion in the Synod Hall on this point and while some of that was cleared up, they actually found that in the official English translations of the respective documents the interpretation that would have to be given was much closer to what we heard in the expression from Fr. Routhier when he spoke about what that is really about. Bishop conferences are called to teach.”
According to the Cardinal, the Instrumentum Laboris was merely quoting from Evangelii Gaudium, which was quoting from a previous document, going all the way back to Vatican II.
Decentralization: Beyond Doctrine
It is also important to note that the synodal discussion on this topic was not solely about decentralizing magisterial authority to episcopal conferences, but mostly about decentralizing matters of governance.
Professor Myriam Wijlens, an expert in canon law who has contributed to the development of policies and guidelines to prevent abuses, explained that another domain of decentralization is accountability and transparency, in particular financial, sexual, and other forms of abuse that have impacted the credibility and effectiveness of the Church’s witness.
“It’s coming from a deep theological perspective. Transparency and accountability should not only be invoked with regards to safeguarding or financial matters. It is also required with regard to pastoral planning and methods of evangelization.”
“With the current Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis has invited the Church to enter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, into a process of reconfiguration of the acting subjects within the Church to optimize its missionary tasks,” Prof. Wijlens added.
Specifically regarding episcopal conferences, Prof. Wijlens explained that a “special fruit of the current synodal process” was a desire to gather a more permanent structure at the continental level, namely through provincial and plenary councils.
The Synod concluded today, with a Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
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