On June 26, Leo XIV told an “extraordinary consistory” of cardinals that they “are called to be builders of Christ’s communion, a communion that takes shape in a synodal Church.” [1]
The construction of the Synodal Church, which accompanies the building of a new society called variously the “city of God,” the “new Jerusalem,” and the “civilization of love,” was a central theme of his recent “encyclical letter” Magnifica Humanitas.
Leo told the cardinals that during the consistory they would “explore Magnifica Humanitas in greater depth, examining the contribution that the Church can make to building up the common good,” which “(f)or the church takes on a very specific form: a synodal style at the service of the mission of the Kingdom.”
Leo explained that:
Synodality is not, first and foremost, a set of procedures; as I have said on several occasions, synodality is an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand.
He acknowledged that:
At times it has been interpreted as a diminishment of authority.
But insisted:
In reality, it helps us to understand more deeply the meaning of authority itself, which exists to safeguard communion, to foster the participation of all, and to guide the Church’s common journey.
In fact, synodality not only diminishes ecclesiastical authority, it destroys it. To understand why, let’s follow Leo’s own advice and examine Magnifica Humanitas in “greater depth.”
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