BOMBSHELL: POPE LEO ALLOWS CARDINAL ZEN TO SPEAK AT THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY AND HIS EMINENCE GAVE POPE LEO AND THE CARDINALS AN EARFUL ABOUT POPE FRANCIS FINAL “MAGISTERIAL DOCUMENT ON THE SYNOD ON SYNODALITY!” OUCH!

My most astute but extremely humble comments first:

Having had an audience with Pope Leo hours before the Consistory began, I can’t imagine that Cardinal Zen would not have informed His Holiness about his plans to say what His Eminence said at the Consistory. It is a bombshell in my most humble opinion that Cardinal Zen would have said all of this in the presence of Pope Leo and most of the Cardinals of the Catholic Church.

And again, it is unimaginable that Pope Leo would not have known this is what Cardinal Zen was going to say and that His Holiness allowed His Eminence to say it!

Of course many orthodox Catholics, including myself, agree with Cardinal Zen and I have written on my most humble blog that the pope or anyone in the Church saying that the Holy Spirit is the source of all the chaos of the synod on synodality is a grotesque manipulation of Catholics, especially those who are ill-informed about Catholic teaching and worse, those who wanted to change the Church into something that is not Catholic, more Bergolian than Catholic!

From the College of Cardinals Report. Press the title for their full article. I copy the Cardinal Zen portion of the article and print it below the titles:

Cardinal Zen Denounces “Bergoglian Synodality” as “Ironclad Manipulation” at Extraordinary Consistory

Full text of Cardinal Joseph Zen’s intervention at the two-day meeting of cardinals convened by Pope Leo XIV.

COLLEGE OF CARDINALS REPORT

JAN 09, 2026

Here below is the full text of Cardinal Joseph Zen’s intervention at the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals, published with the kind permission of His Eminence.

---

On the Accompanying Note by the Holy Father Francis 

 Pope Francis said that, with the Final Document, he gives back to the Church what has developed over these years (2021–2024) through “listening” (to the People of God) and “discernment” (by the Episcopate?).

(Cardinal Zen) I ask:

• Has the Pope been able to listen to the entire People of God?

• Do the lay people present represent the People of God?

• Have the Bishops elected by the Episcopate been able to carry out a work of discernment, which must surely consist in “disputation” and “judgment”?

• The ironclad manipulation of the process is an insult to the dignity of the Bishops, and the continual reference to the Holy Spirit is ridiculous and almost blasphemous (they expect surprises from the Holy Spirit; what surprises? That He should repudiate what He inspired in the Church’s two-thousand-year Tradition?).

The Pope, “bypassing the Episcopal College, listens directly to the People of God,” and he calls this “the appropriate interpretative framework for understanding hierarchical ministry”?

The Pope says that the Document is magisterium, “it commits the Churches to make choices consistent with what is stated in it.” But he also says “it is not strictly normative …. Its application will need various mediations”;“the Churches are called upon to implement in their different contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the document”; “unity of teaching and practice is certainly necessary in the Church, but this does not preclude various ways of interpreting some aspects of that teaching”; “each country or region can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its tradition and needs.”

I ask:

• Does the Holy Spirit guarantee that contradictory interpretations will not arise (especially given the many ambiguous and tendentious expressions in the document)?

• Are the results of this “experimenting and testing,” e.g. (of the “creative activation of new forms of ministeriality”), to be submitted to the judgment of the Secretariat of the Synod and of the Roman Curia? Will these be more competent than the Bishops to judge the different contexts of their Churches?

• If the Bishops believe themselves to be more competent, do the differing interpretations and choices not lead our Church to the same division (fracture) found in the Anglican Communion?

Perspectives on Ecumenism

• Given the dramatic rupture of Anglican communion, will we unite ourselves with the Archbishop of Canterbury (who remains with only about 10% of the global Anglican community), or with the Global Anglican Future Conference (which retains about 80%)?

• And with the Orthodox? Their Bishops will never accept Bergoglian synodality; for them, synodality is “the importance of the Synod of Bishops.” Pope Bergoglio has exploited the word Synod, but has made the Synod of Bishops—an institution established by Paul VI—disappear.

SERRE VARWEIJ HAS A LONG AND THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE NOW CONCLUDED EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY—IT IS WELL WORTH READING BUT OVERALL VERY HOPEFUL IN TERMS OF THE GENIUS OF POPE LEO AND HOW HE WILL GOVERN THE ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, NOT THE BERGOLIAN CHURCH!

 Rorate Caeli posts a great comment by Serre Varweij and you can read it by pressing Rorate Caeli’s title below. 

I had wondered how in the Name of God and all that is Holy that Pope Leo could have nearly 200 cardinals talk about so many topics in such a short time. I think the “messy” meeting opened his eyes to a  much needed longer meeting in June, thanks be to God.

But Pope Francis made a mess out of the College of Cardinals with His Holiness’ idiosyncratic selections of cardinals from the peripheries and in some cases the choice made, without asking the person, based upon like the person in a subjective way. 

And then Pope Francis sidelined them and ignored them to the point that when they came to the Conclave to elect a new pope, they didn’t know each other at all or how the Vatican works!

As progressive priest-Cardinal Radcliff said, many Cardinals were miserable and unhappy with Pope Francis and then he said this:

“A Church which is miserable, can’t preach the Gospel!”

Overall, this first meeting is a good start, although messy and maybe not bringing about revolutionary decisions on hot topic issues. It is a good start and off we go!

And I think the Cardinals are now content that they are being returned to their important canonical position by Pope Leo—continuing to reverse the messes of Pope Francis!

Pope Leo’s first extraordinary consistory: A messy learning curve and a handful of hints

by Serre Verweij

for Rorate Caeli

Pope Leo has just held his first extraordinary consistory with the College of Cardinals. The pope gave the cardinals a chance to perform one of their two key tasks, that is, to advise the Pope in governing the universal Church, even before he appointed any of his own cardinals. The meeting came to be viewed as more important when it was announced that it would deal with liturgy, with synodality, with Pope Francis’ controversial curial reforms and the late pope’s first important document Evangelii Gaudium.

Read more »

VATICAN NEWS CATCHES UP WITH SOUTHERN ORDERS AND REPORTS ON THE OBVIOUS OR NOT OBVIOUS NEW FERULA OF POPE LEO XIV…

 

PRESS THE TITLE FOR THE VATICAN NEW STORY:

A new pastoral staff for Pope Leo

Beginning on 6 January, Pope Leo XIV has made use of a new pastoral staff which, as explained by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, “stands in continuity” with those used by his predecessors, uniting the mission of proclaiming the mystery of Christ on the Cross with the glorious manifestation of the Resurrection.

WOW! POPE LEO XIV’S ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORE READS LIKE AN ENCYCLICAL! IT IS LONG, DENSE AND PROPHETIC AND HIS HOLINESS QUOTES POPE BENEDICT XVI TWICE

Pope Leo gives a great synopsis of Saint Augustine’s description of the City of God and the City of Man. It is well worth reading and in this context, His Holiness quotes Pope Benedict XVI. 

Then His Holiness goes on to describe the “dictatorship of relativism” not by using this term that Pope Benedict used, but rather describes it as “Orwellian”! 

The following are money bytes, but read the entire elocution. It’s well worth doing and indeed sounds to me to be a rehearsal for an encyclical:

We should also note the paradox that this weakening of language is often invoked in the name the freedom of expression itself.  However, on closer inspection, the opposite is true, for freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth.  It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking.  At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it.

Unfortunately, this leads to other consequences that end up restricting fundamental human rights, starting with the freedom of conscience.  In this regard, conscientious objection allows individuals to refuse legal or professional obligations that conflict with moral, ethical or religious principles deeply rooted in their personal lives.  This may be the refusal of military service in the name of non-violence, or the refusal on the part of doctors and healthcare professionals to engage in practices such as abortion or euthanasia.  Conscientious objection is not rebellion, but an act of fidelity to oneself.  At this moment in history, freedom of conscience seems increasingly to be questioned by States, even those that claim to be based on democracy and human rights.  This freedom, however, establishes a balance between the collective interest and individual dignity.  It also emphasizes that a truly free society does not impose uniformity but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian tendencies and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric.

In a similar way, religious freedom risks being curtailed.  As Benedict XVI recalled, this is the first of all human rights, because it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person. [7]  The most recent data show that violations of religious freedom are on the rise, and that sixty-four percent of the world’s population suffers serious violations of this right…

In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development.  Among these is abortion, which cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life.  In this regard, the Holy See expresses deep concern about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called “right to safe abortion.”  It also considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life, rather than being invested to support mothers and families.  The primary objective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective and concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life.
Likewise, there is the practice of surrogacy.  By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a “product,” and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.

Press the title for the long elocution, marvelous to read and behold. The papacy has its groove back after a long 12 years:

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE

Hall of Benediction
Friday, 9 January 2026

[Multimedia]

REVERSING POPE FRANCIS’ GOVERNING STYLE—THE ASSOCIATED PRESS…

 No nothing burger here! Fully loaded 💯 % 🦁 burger 🍔!

Pope indicates new governing style for Catholic Church with regular, annual cardinal meetings

By Nicole Winfield, 

Associated Press

Jan 9, 2026

|Associated Press

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From left, Cardinals Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Stefen Brislin and Luis Jose Rueda Aparicio arrive at a press conference at the end of Pope Leo XIV’s first Extraordinary Consistory, a special formal assembly convening the College of Cardinals from around the world, at the Vatican, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP.)

ROME — Pope Leo XIV said Thursday he intended to bring the world’s Catholic cardinals together annually, indicating a new governing style for the church that involves consulting its top leaders regularly and as a group.

At the end of his first consistory, as such meetings are called, Leo asked cardinals to return to Rome for a second session at the end of June and from then onward on an annual basis for three to four days each year, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

Cardinals said the proposed date for the second session would be June 27-28, before a big June 29 feast day.

Pope Francis had largely eschewed consistories and the College of Cardinals as a whole to help him govern. Instead, he had a hand-picked group of nine cardinals who met every few months at the Vatican to advise him.

Before the May conclave that elected Leo, cardinals had complained about Francis’ go-it-alone governing style and called for the new pope to convene regular consistories so the cardinals could gather as a group and advise the pope on pressing issues facing the church.

Leo made clear he had heard their complaints and was responding to them. He convened his first consistory the day after he closed out the 2025 Holy Year, which in some ways signaled the start of his pontificate after he wrapped up Francis’ Jubilee obligations.

Cardinal Stefen Brislin, archbishop of Johannesburg, South Africa, said this week’s meeting also allowed cardinals to get to know one another, since many rarely travel to Rome and hail from remote countries. During the pre-conclave meetings, cardinals had complained that they didn’t know one another, posing a problem for some about who they would vote for to be the next pope.