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Synodality, Ecumenism, and Liturgy in the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV

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“For Leo XIV, liturgy is not mere decoration or ritual, but the expression and enactment of ecclesial identity” – “Particularly impressive is the esteem Leo XIV shows for the Byzantine liturgy”. By Archimandrite Dr. Andreas-Abraham Thiermeyer

Vatican (kath.net) Spirituality as a Structural Principle

I. Introduction: The Church Between Structure and Spirit

In a time of global ecclesial upheaval and theological polarization, the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a spiritual compass. At the heart of his pastoral and theological mission lies the reclaiming of the Church as a spiritually structured communio. In doing so, he unites two dimensions of ecclesial life often considered separately: synodality as a spiritual mode of ecclesial decision-making, and liturgy as the source and summit of the Church's life (Sacrosanctum Concilium 10). Together, these form the foundation of his ecclesiological vision – a Church sustained not by strategies but by listening to the Spirit.

II. Synodality as a Spiritual Practice: More Than a Church-Political Tool

1. The Theological Depth of Synodal Action
Under Leo XIV, synodality is not interpreted in a functionalist way – as a tool for participation or democratization – but is grounded pneumatologically. The key phrase is auditus fidei: synodality is the communal act of listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (cf. Rev 2:7). This represents a decisive shift in perspective: not primarily processes or structures are emphasized, but the spiritual attitude of discernment within the community.

2. Synodality and the Conversion of Judgment
Pope Leo XIV repeatedly emphasizes the need for an “asceticism of listening” – an attitude that does not aim at asserting personal positions, but at discerning God’s will together. Synodality thus becomes a school of conversion: it requires a “conversion of judgment,” as described by Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises. Only those willing to be challenged by others and by the Spirit can truly participate in a synodal process.

3. Ministry as a Service of Mediation – Not Domination
In the Synods of 2023 and 2024, Leo XIV saw his role less as a figure of command and more as a spiritual moderator. For him, the Petrine ministry is not a centralist governing tool, but a place of spiritual discernment. He acts as a mediator among cultures, theological perspectives, and spiritual traditions – and in doing so, he gains authority through humility.

III. Liturgy as the Theological Anchor of Ecclesial Identity

1. Liturgy as the Church’s Sung Faith
For Leo XIV, liturgy is not mere decoration or ritual, but the expression and enactment of ecclesial identity. The Eucharist stands at the center – not merely as a memorial, but as presence and source of missionary sending. Following Augustine, he describes the liturgy as sacramentum unitatis – a visible sign of inner unity, which is not ideologically uniform, but spiritually convergent in its polyphony.

2. Song as a Spiritual Act of Incarnation
Particularly noteworthy is the theological importance Leo XIV places on singing. His intoned “Kyrie,” “Gloria,” “Pater noster,” or “Regina caeli” are not acoustic embellishments but bodily expressions of spiritual devotion. In the Augustinian phrase cantare amantis est – “The one who loves sings” – singing becomes an expression of the heart and an incarnation of faith.

3. Liturgy as a School of Synodal Participation
In Leo XIV’s view, liturgical participation is not about the functional distribution of roles but about spiritual inclusion in the mystery. Liturgy is where ecclesial participation becomes tangible – not merely through assigned roles, but through shared celebration of Christ. Thus, liturgy gains a synodal dimension: it becomes lived communio, not mere ritual.

IV. Synodality and Liturgy: Two Expressions of a Spiritual Option
In the interplay of synodality and liturgy, the spiritual profile of Leo XIV’s pontificate finds its depth. Synodality gives the Church structure – but not in an institutional sense, rather in the mode of spiritual discernment. Liturgy gives the Church direction – not through moralism or pedagogy, but through the experience of God and the call to mission. Together, they revitalize a Church that does not exist for itself but lives as a sacrament of salvation for the world (Lumen Gentium 1).

V. Ecumenism as a Spiritual Dimension: The Eastern Church as Sister and Teacher

1. Synodality as a Bridge for Ecumenism
Pope Leo XIV understands synodality not merely as an intra-Catholic structural principle, but as a theological category with deep ecumenical significance. Especially in dialogue with the Orthodox Churches, he sees a spiritual resonance that goes far beyond ecclesial diplomacy. The synodal structure of the Eastern Churches – with their deeply rooted traditions of conciliarity, spiritual discernment, and liturgical theocentrism – is not seen as a countermodel but as a fraternal complement to the Latin tradition.

2. The Eastern Liturgy as a Source of Western Renewal
Particularly impressive is the esteem Leo XIV shows for the Byzantine liturgy. In its expressive rites, the profound unity of word and icon, sound and prayer, he does not see a foreign form but a spiritual source that can offer guidance to the Roman Church as well. For him, Eastern liturgies are not exotic but exemplary: places where the presence of the Ineffable becomes tangible – not through rationality, but through mystery and beauty.

3. Spiritual Friendship Instead of Diplomatic Rhetoric
Leo XIV’s ecumenical approach is not shaped by interconfessional diplomacy, but by spiritual friendship. His encounters with patriarchs, monastic communities, and theologians of the Eastern Churches are marked by mutual respect – not in the sense of rhetorical unity, but as expressions of a shared search for the one Lord.

4. Synodality as a Possible Key to Unity
From Leo XIV’s perspective, synodality is not just a model for internal Church reform, but a possible key to future ecclesial unity – not through uniformity, but through synodal polyphony. The Eastern Churches, in their conciliarity, have preserved a living witness that unity does not require sameness. The West brings the element of universality and the Petrine office as an expression of unity in diversity.

VI. Conclusion: The Church as a Space for Listening, Celebration, Mission, and Reconciliation

In light of this ecumenical depth, the interplay of synodality and liturgy in the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV takes on an even broader dimension. The Church becomes visible as a space of spiritual processes – not an institution that defends itself, but a sacrament of unity in a fractured world. This unity is not the result of human consensus, but the fruit of the Spirit.
A Church that listens synodally and celebrates liturgically will also be capable of ecumenical reconciliation. In a time when many lament the loss of unity, Leo XIV offers a spiritual path: quiet, mystagogical, obedient to the Spirit. In this lies the hope for a Church that does not divide, but unites – not through power, but through love.

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