At the time of writing, the Pope's lunch with the 170 cardinals present at the Consistory, who are preparing to face the third and final working session in the Aula, has concluded.
But the Vatican has leaked some words from last night, in which, in three minutes, Leo XIV comes out against a pessimistic view of the life of the Church, and responds to the question “if there is life in our Church. I am convinced that there is, without a doubt. But not everything is done. There is a way, and we are walking together”.
The exact words of the Holy Father's reflection were as follows: “Let us ask ourselves: is there life in our Church? I am convinced that there is, without a doubt. In these months, if I have not lived it before, I have certainly had many beautiful experiences of the life of the Church”.
“There is life, but not everything is already done.”
“But the question is there,” he continued: "Is there life in our Church? Is there room for what is being born? Do we love and proclaim a God who sets us on the way? We cannot close ourselves and say: Everything is already done, finished, do as we have always done. There is truly a way and with the work of these days we are walking together".
The second issue, or in chronological order, perhaps the first, was thanking the cardinals for helping him.
“I think it's very important the participation of all of you in this experience as the College of Cardinals of the Church,” said the Holy Father.
Searching for what the Holy Spirit wants for the Church
An experience that offers the Church and the world a certain witness of the will, of the desire, “recognizing the value of meeting together, of making the sacrifice of a journey - for some of you a very long one - to come to be together and to be able to seek together what the Holy Spirit wants for the Church today and tomorrow”.
The raison d'être of the Church: to proclaim the Gospel.
“We want to be a Church that does not look only to itself, that is missionary, that looks beyond, to others. The raison d'être of the Church is not for the cardinals, nor for the bishops, nor for the clergy. The raison d'être is to proclaim the Gospel,” said Leo XIV.
“Synod and synodality, as an expression of the search for how to be a missionary Church in today's world, and Evangelii Gaudium, to announce the kerygma, the Gospel with Christ at the center. This is our mission,” he added.
“I experience the need to be able to count on you."
The Successor of Peter considers that this accompaniment is very important for everyone, but in a special way for himself. He said:
“I think it is really important, even if it is a very short time, but it is a very important time also for me, because I feel, I experience the need to be able to count on you: it is you who have called this servant to this mission!”
“I would like to say that I think it is important that we work together, that we discern together, that we seek what the Spirit is asking of us.”.
He then advanced some reflections expressed in the homily of the Mass for the Church this Thursday morning, which has been reported early in the morning here".
“The Holy Spirit is alive and present also among us.”
For example, “the joy of the Gospel liberates. It makes us prudent, yes, but also audacious, attentive and creative; it suggests different paths from those we have already traveled”.
Opening his heart, Pope Prevost confided yesterday: “This meeting is for me one of the many expressions in which we can truly live an experience of the newness of the Church. The Holy Spirit is alive and present among us too; how beautiful it is to meet together in the boat!”.
Trust in the Lord
He then praised Cardinal Radcliffe's reflection, when he said, “Let us be together.” “There may be something that scares us; there are doubts: where are we going, how will we end up? But if we put our trust in the Lord, in his presence, we can do much,” the Pope concluded.
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