Pope Leo XIV Urges the Church to Listen to Those Who Don’t Show Up — and Ask Why

At the Lateran, the pope gave Francis’s synodal reform a third dimension: a hard look at what worked and what did not. The cardinals who wanted the synod stopped now have their answer.

A couple offers testimony as Pope Leo XIV listens during the Diocese of Rome’s assembly opening the pastoral year at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Sept. 18, 2026. The pope asked the diocese to listen also to people who do not attend. (Vatican Media)

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