Newly published texts from a January extraordinary consistory have offered rare insight into internal Vatican discussions on the liturgy, synodality, and Church governance, according to reporting by LifeSiteNews.
Italian media outlets, including Il Giornale and the blog Messainlatino, released the full texts of speeches delivered or circulated during the closed-door gathering of cardinals held January 7–8, 2026, in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall.
Among the documents was a written intervention by Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, defending the continued enforcement of Traditionis Custodes. According to LifeSiteNews, Roche argued that the liturgical reform mandated by the Second Vatican Council “constitutes a singular way of putting itself at the service of the Tradition.”
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In his text, Roche warned against separating tradition from development, writing that “without a legitimate progress the tradition would be reduced to a collection of dead things not always all healthy,” while also cautioning that progress without tradition risks becoming “a pathological search for novelty.” Although acknowledging serious shortcomings in liturgical formation, particularly in seminaries, he strongly upheld restrictions on the pre-1970 Roman Missal. He emphasized that the limited permissions granted by previous popes were “a concession that in no way envisaged their promotion,” and stated that the liturgical books promulgated by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II are “the sole expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.”
LifeSiteNews reports that Roche’s text was distributed to participants but not formally presented, and Vatican sources expect the liturgical debate to return at a future consistory scheduled for late June.
Another key document came from Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who addressed Evangelii Gaudium during the sessions. According to the leaked text, Fernández recalled Pope Francis’ teaching that “not all the truths of the doctrine of the Church have the same importance,” adding that evangelization should focus on “the core of the Gospel” rather than an “obsessive proclamation” of every doctrine and norm.
The second theme formally discussed was synodality, presented by Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. As cited by LifeSiteNews, Grech affirmed that the synodal process remains firmly under papal authority, stating that it “in no way” limits the Pope’s primacy. He also noted that synodality may be exercised at “multiple levels,” with varying participation depending on the issue at hand.
A fourth written intervention, prepared by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, focused on curial reform and Praedicate Evangelium. Though not delivered orally, the text was notable, according to LifeSiteNews, because Pope Leo XIV entrusted Baggio with reporting on reforms initiated under Pope Francis. In his remarks, Baggio described the reform as creating a structure of service capable of responding to modern missionary challenges and grounded in the “sound decentralization” outlined in Evangelii Gaudium.
Originally, the consistory was intended to address four major topics across multiple working groups. However, time constraints led the cardinals to limit oral discussion to only two themes. As a result, the texts on liturgy and curial reform remained unpublished until their recent release.
LifeSiteNews reports that the publication of these documents has renewed attention on unresolved tensions within the Church, particularly regarding worship, governance, and the future direction of Vatican reform.
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