(ZENIT News / Rome 05.15.2025).- Only four days into his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has already received a pointed and public message from the Vatican’s Synod leadership—one that both welcomes and, subtly, instructs. In a move that has raised eyebrows in Rome, the General Secretariat of the Synod released an open letter addressed to the newly elected pope, simultaneously publishing it on its official website in multiple languages and promoting it across social media platforms.
The letter, signed by Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod; Sister Nathalie Becquart, and Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, both undersecretaries, carries a tone of fraternal support. Yet, beneath the pleasantries lies a clear agenda: to steer the new pope toward continuity with the synodal process launched under Pope Francis, and to signal an expectation that it not merely continue, but accelerate in implementation.
While the letter opens by expressing joy at the prospect of «walking together» under Pope Leo XIV’s leadership, it swiftly shifts into what reads as a primer—if not a tutorial—on what synodality is, how it functions, and why it must persist. The letter revisits key milestones of the Synod on Synodality, which began in 2021 and culminated last year in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops. The writers remind Leo XIV that he, too, participated in this process—though they proceed to summarize it anyway, in terms that some observers have noted seem more suited to an introductory seminar than a papal correspondence.
The document describes the synod as a “journey of the Church guided by the Holy Spirit,” with the goal of shaping a missionary Church in constant conversion. It stresses the inclusive nature of the process, emphasizing that every member of the faithful contributes to discerning the Church’s direction “according to the charisms, vocations, and ministries received.”
For many, this detailed reiteration of recent Church history—offered to the very man who lived through and helped shape it—strikes an unusual tone.
The subtext of the letter is difficult to ignore. While couched in deferential language, the message is clear: the Synod Secretariat expects the new pope not only to honor the framework established under Francis, but to actively implement it. “The indications of the Final Document,” they write, “can already be put into practice in local Churches,” as study groups prepare proposals for decisions that “involve the whole Church.”
This framing raises questions about where authority lies—and how it is being exercised in the early days of a new papacy. Is this an expression of collaborative momentum or an attempt to preemptively define the direction of a pope who has not yet fully revealed his governing style?
Perhaps most striking is the manner of delivery. While it is not uncommon for Church officials to communicate with a new pope, making such a letter public within days of his election signals a deliberate effort to shape public perception. The publication of the letter in multiple languages and its promotion online transforms it from private counsel to a public nudge, intended as much for the Church’s global faithful as for the Holy Father himself.
Some Vatican analysts suggest this may reflect unease within certain segments of the Roman Curia who fear a shift in direction under Pope Leo XIV. By going public, the Secretariat seems to be rallying support and entrenching the synodal agenda before the pope has had time to offer any detailed response.
Thus far, Pope Leo XIV has remained measured in his approach, signaling general support for synodality without elaborating on its future contours. His earliest remarks have emphasized communion and listening, echoing familiar synodal language. Yet, insiders note that his theological and pastoral instincts, forged over decades of diocesan leadership, may favor a more centralized or episcopally guided model of discernment—less horizontal than that championed by the Synod’s current leaders.
How Leo XIV chooses to respond—publicly or privately, directly or by omission—may offer the first real clue to how his papacy will navigate the legacy of Francis and the increasingly vocal institutions built during his predecessor’s tenure.
What is certain is that the age of quiet transition is over. In today’s Vatican, even a letter to the pope is no longer a private matter, but a public act of ecclesial diplomacy. And in this new chapter of the Church’s life, every word counts.
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