Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as they arrive in St. Peter's Square for the final Jubilee Audience at the Vatican on Saturday.
Gregorio Borgia/AP
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Gregorio Borgia/AP
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has convened cardinals from around the world for two days of meetings to help him govern the church, the Vatican said Saturday, the clearest sign yet that the new year will signal the unofficial start of his pontificate.
The consistory, as such gatherings are called, will take place on January 7-8, immediately following the conclusion of the quarter-century celebration of Christianity on January 6, 2025.
Leo's first few months as pope were largely devoted to fulfilling the weekly Holy Year obligations of meeting with groups of pilgrims and celebrating special anniversary audiences and masses. In addition, much of his time was devoted to discussing the unresolved issues of Pope Francis' pontificate.
As a result, the January consistory will in many ways be the first time Leo has been able to forecast his own agenda since his May 8 election as America's first pope. It is significant that he summoned all the cardinals of the world to Rome.
Francis largely eschewed the consistory tradition as a means of government. Instead, he relied on a small group of eight or nine carefully selected cardinal advisors to help him govern the country and make key decisions.
The Vatican said Saturday that Leo's first consistory “will be oriented toward promoting general discernment and offering support and advice to the Holy Father in the discharge of his high and serious responsibility in the governance of the universal Church.”
Other types of consistories involve the formal installation of new cardinals. But at this meeting, which is purely consultative, no new cardinals will be elected.
