Pope Leo XIV to Cardinals on Liturgy: “Retain Sound Tradition while Opening to Legitimate Progress”
New details emerge about the Pope’s agenda for his upcoming meeting with Cardinals
ROME, 19 December 2025 — New details have emerged regarding Pope Leo XIV’s forthcoming meeting with the Cardinals, after reports earlier this week indicated that the sacred liturgy would feature prominently on the agenda.
Writing in Il Giornale on Dec. 19, Italian journalist Nico Spuntoni has confirmed that members of the Sacred College today received the Holy Father’s Christmas letter, which sets out the four topics to be discussed at the extraordinary consistory scheduled for January 7-8 at the Vatican.
Citing the letter, Spuntoni also presents the four themes in greater detail. They include: (1) reviewing Evangelii Gaudium for renewed momentum in the proclamation of the Gospel; (2) studying Praedicate evangelium regarding the relationship between the universal and the particular Church; (3) examining the Synod and synodality as “instruments of effective collaboration with the Roman Pontiff on matters of greater importance, for the good of the whole Church”; and (4) discussing the liturgy through an “‘in-depth theological, historical, and pastoral reflection ‘in order to retain sound tradition and yet remain open to legitimate progress.’”
The latter formulation is taken from the Second Vatican Council’s Sacrosanctum Concilium, art. 23, on general norms for the reform of the sacred liturgy.
“This passage appears to leave open the possibility of discussion among the cardinals regarding how to address communities of traditionally minded faithful, which are steadily growing, particularly in countries such as Italy, the United States, and France,” Spuntoni observes.
It is also noteworthy that in his letter Pope Leo indicates his intention to discuss “the synod and synodality,” rather than “the synod on synodality.”
While the merits and perils of the latter will undoubtedly be examined and debated at the January meeting, the Pope’s choice of language suggests that he is seeking a serious and in-depth discussion with the cardinals on the nature and meaning of these concepts.
Here below is the article, translated and published with the kind permission of the author.
Liturgy, the Pope’s Guidance to the Cardinals: “Retain Tradition while Opening to Progress”
by Nico Spuntoni
As anticipated by our newspaper, Leo XIV wants an “in-depth reflection” on the liturgical question at the Consistory.
In recent hours, the Pope’s Christmas letter has reached the cardinals—a letter whose existence and contents Il Giornale had already revealed and previewed. The missive sets the agenda for the extraordinary consistory of 7–8 January and is presented here in detail. The Pope described it as “a moment of communion and fraternity, of reflection and sharing,” fully aware that such occasions help support him in governing the universal Church. As previously reported, Leo XIV asked the members of the College to prepare by rereading the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium and by studying the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, with which Francis reformed the Roman Curia in 2022.
Cardinals involved
Among the four proposed themes are the Synod and synodality, which Prevost understands as “instruments of effective collaboration with the Roman Pontiff on matters of greater importance, for the good of the whole Church.” This clarification reveals Leo XIV’s desire to restore prominence to the Sacred College, whose role was diminished during the Bergoglian pontificate. The new Pope is aware that he can draw on the goodwill accumulated in recent months, precisely because he promised his brother cardinals greater involvement in decision-making than during the previous twelve years. Indeed, in the letter Prevost thanked the cardinals for “the expression of filial loyalty and for the prayerful support that, since my election, I have been able to perceive, both in personal meetings and on official occasions.”
During these seven months of his pontificate, Leo XIV has been able to address nearly all requests for audiences submitted by members of the College of Cardinals, devoting at least twenty minutes even to those over eighty. In these private encounters, the Pope spoke little and listened much, true to his style.
The liturgy
As we reported, the Pope included the liturgy among the themes of “particular relevance” proposed to the cardinals in view of the 7–8 January meeting. This preview generated considerable interest in specialized international media. Attention has long been focused on the liturgical question, especially in an effort to discern the approach the Holy See will adopt during the Prevost pontificate regarding celebrations according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite—the Tridentine Mass—which Benedict XVI liberalized in 2007, and which Francis has restricted since 2021.
In his letter to the cardinals, Leo XIV lists “the liturgy” as the fourth point (a rereading of Evangelii gaudium to renew momentum in the proclamation of the Gospel, a deeper study of Praedicate evangelium regarding the relationship between the universal and the particular Church, and the Synod and synodality are the other three), and proposes an “in-depth theological, historical, and pastoral reflection ‘in order to retain sound tradition and yet remain open to legitimate progress.’” The quotation is drawn from Article 23 of the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.
This passage appears to leave open the possibility of discussion among the cardinals regarding how to address communities of traditionally minded faithful, which are steadily growing, particularly in countries such as Italy, the United States, and France.
They have to SAY, "retain Tradition," but "open to legitimate progress" is the real agenda to destroy Tradition.
Just like when Cupich and others say they are pro life, but do everything to minimize it, obfuscate it.
Bugnini, at the direction of his Freemason leader in Rome, completely discarded Sacrosanctum Concilium, ignored every directive contained within it, as confirmed by Bishop Lazo. As far back as 1944, Bugnini had asked a Monsignor Arrigo Pintonello to translate some texts on the “renewal” of liturgy that had been written in part by German Protestants. His Protestant connection is highlighted in a sermon delivered by His Excellency Bishop Lazo of the Philippines on Ascension Thursday, 1998:
“I discovered the real reason for the illegal suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass. The ancient Mass was an obstacle to the introduction of Ecumenism. The Catholic Mass contained Catholic dogmas, which Protestants denied. To achieve unity with protestant sects, the Tridentine Latin Mass had to be scrapped, being replaced by the Novus Ordo Missae. The Novus Ordo Missae was a concoction of Monsignor Annibale Bugnini, a Freemason. Six protestant ministers helped Monsignor Bugnini in fabricating it. The innovators saw to it that no Catholic dogmas offensive to protestant ears were left in the prayers. They deleted all that expressed the Catholic dogmas fully and replaced them with very ambiguous, protestantizing, and heretical things.”
In the March 19, 1965 issue of L’ Osservatore Romano, Bugnini said, “We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling-block for our separated brethren … the Protestants.”
As to Bugnini's masonic connection:
In July 1975 the pope was forced against his will to learn of Bugnini’s affiliation with the Freemasons. Bugnini had attended a meeting at the Secretariat of State where he accidently forgot his briefcase. A dossier obtained from Bugnini’s briefcase was personally brought to the Holy Father by a reputable high cardinal who had obtained it from a monsignor who had opened the briefcase to see who it belonged to. The dossier contained private instructions from the Italian Masonic Grand Master to Bugnini, which convinced the pope beyond any doubt that he was a Freemason. The following is part of what Pope Paul VI read from the dossier and is dated June 14, 1964:
Dear Buan [Masonic code-name of Bugnini]:
We communicate the task appointed to you by the Council of Brothers, in accordance with the Grand Master and the Assistant Princes to the Throne. We oblige you to spread de-Christianization by confusing rites and languages and to set priests, bishops and cardinals against each other. Linguistic and ritualistic babel means victory for us, since linguistic and ritual unity has been the strength of the Church …. Everything must happen within a decade.
Note the satanic strategy proposed for defeating Christians: To divide is to conquer. The following now is a letter from Bugnini to the Grand Master of the P2 Lodge updating him on the progress of his mission. This is dated July 2, 1967.
Incomparable Grand Master: The de-sacralization is rapidly taking place. Another Instruction was published, which took effect on June 29. We can already sing victory, because the vulgar (vulgate) language is sovereign in the whole liturgy, including the essential parts…. The greatest liberty was given to choose between the various formulas, to individual creativity, and to chaos! In short, with this document I believe to have spread the principle of maximum licentiousness, in accordance with your wishes.
I fought hard against my enemies from the Congregation of Rites, and I had to use all my astuteness so that the Pope would approve it. By luck, we found the support of friends and brothers in Universa Laus [International Association for the Study of Liturgical Music], who are faithful. I thank you for the funds sent and am waiting to see you soon. I embrace you,
Your Brother Buan.
It is my hope and prayer that Pope Leo has been aware of all this and understands the satanic motivations behind Bugnini's creation of the Novus Ordo, and will restore Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum.