No pre-consistory meeting between Pope, cardinals

November 18, 2016

Pope Francis is not holding the customary meeting with the entire College of Cardinals before he creates 17 new cardinals on November 19.

Before his previous two consistories, Pope Francis held two days of discussion with the members of the College. Pope Benedict XVI had also made it his practice to meet with all the cardinals at the time of a consistory—although he, too, decided not to hold such a meeting before the final consistory of his pontificate, in November 2012.

The Holy See Press Office declined to respond to a request from the National Catholic Register about the reasons for the decision. Vaticanist Marco Tosatti speculated that the meeting is not being held because some “cardinals, eager for a decisive word from the Pope,” were planning to resubmit the recent request for a clarification of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

 

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Further information:

• Pope Francis Decides Not to Hold Pre-Consistory Meeting of Cardinals (National Catholic Register)
• Four cardinals make public plea to Pope to clarify Amoris Laetitia (CWN, 11/14)