Cardinal José Luis Lacunza shares his experience after participating in the first Consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV. He highlights a close Pontiff, with great listening capacity and determined to strengthen the participation of the College of Cardinals in the government of the Church.

Leo XIV: a Pope who listens before deciding

Cardinal José Luis Lacunza returned from the first Consistory of Leo XIV’s pontificate with a very clear impression: the new Pope has begun to establish his own style of government, profoundly marked by listening, discernment, and ecclesial communion.

“I found him very well, physically very agile. He appears very relaxed and with great naturalness among the cardinals,” he affirms when recalling the working days in Rome.

Beyond the Pontiff’s personal closeness, Lacunza considers that there is a trait that summarizes his way of exercising the Petrine ministry.

“Pope Leo does not speak of ‘see, judge, and act.’ What he does is listen, think, and decide.”

For the cardinal, this formulation expresses much more than a terminological change: it reveals a way of governing in which listening occupies a central place: “He listens with full attention, as if the person before him were the only thing that mattered.”

A Consistory that strengthens collegiality

One of the aspects that Cardinal Lacunza values most is the Pope’s will to restore the prominence of the College of Cardinals.

In his judgment, the Consistory responds to the desire expressed by numerous cardinals during the General Congregations prior to the conclave, where the need to strengthen spaces for consultation and common reflection was manifested.

“He has expressed several times that he wants to maintain these meetings every year,” he explains, even proposing consistories of up to four working days.

On this occasion, nearly 170 cardinals of the 240 who form the College of Cardinals participated, a representation that Lacunza considers especially significant.

“It was a great opportunity to share, listen, and walk together.”

Continuity with Pope Francis

Although he recognizes differences in temperament and style between both pontiffs, Lacunza considers the continuity between the pontificate of Francis and that of Leo XIV evident. “It is evident that Pope Leo continues the line of Pope Francis.”

The cardinal explains that each Pope contributes his own personality.

“Each one has his way of being, his formation, and his temperament. It would be unjust to expect Leo XIV to be Francis or Francis to have been Leo XIV.”

However, he identifies a clear continuity in the great ecclesial priorities. “The Church going forth, the open, welcoming, and synodal Church continues forward, without any doubt.”

A Church where everyone has a place

During the work of the Consistory, Lacunza was especially impressed by the Pope’s attitude toward all people.

He describes him as an attentive, close pastor willing to welcome any contribution.

“He is always with all antennas raised to receive everything that comes to him, wherever it comes from.”

That attitude, he affirms, extends the great pastoral impulse initiated by Francis. “He is showing us the same thing that Pope Francis said: that in the Church there is room for everyone, everyone, everyone.”

Synodality, a challenge for the Augustinian Recollects

As an Augustinian Recollect religious, Lacunza considers that this new synodal impulse also represents a concrete call for the Augustinian Recollect Family.

He recalls that the Augustinian charism has common life as one of its fundamental pillars. “If anything should identify us, it is precisely the experience and practice of synodality.”

Citing the Rule of Saint Augustine, he recalls the ideal of living “one soul and one heart oriented toward God,” convinced that religious communities are called to become authentic witnesses of communion.

He even proposes opening communities more so that other people can discover how Augustinian fraternity is lived.

“We should be models of that common life.”

The Consistory reflected on human dignity and the synodal process

The cardinal also explained the structure of the sessions held during the meeting.

The first day was dedicated to meditation, followed by group work. Subsequently, the reflections focused on two major questions: the magnífica humanitas, presented by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the development of the synodal process in the Church.

For Lacunza, these themes reflect the pastoral priorities of the current pontificate: strengthening communion, promoting the dignity of every person, and continuing to deepen a Church where listening and shared discernment form part of the usual way of walking.

“In unity lies the reason for the life of the Church”

At the conclusion of the interview, the cardinal summarizes the spirit of Leo XIV’s pontificate in an idea that connects directly with his episcopal motto, In Illo Uno Unum (“In the One, we are one”).

“In unity lies the reason for the life of the Church.”

From that unity—he affirms—are born the defense of human dignity, the building of peace, solidarity, and the commitment so that all people can live with the dignity that God desires for His children.

“Because we believe that we are one in Him who is One,” he concludes.