Pope Leo XIV Calls Cardinals for January Consistory

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, has summoned the world's cardinals to Rome for a two-day consistory on January 7 and 8, signaling the beginning of his own governance agenda for the Catholic Church after months focused on prior obligations.

The gathering, announced by the Vatican on Saturday, comes immediately after the January 6 close of the 2025 Holy Year, a major celebration of Christianity held every 25 years. Leo's initial months in office, since his election on May 8 following the death of Pope Francis in April, have been occupied with Holy Year duties, including weekly meetings with pilgrims and special Jubilee liturgies. He has also addressed unfinished business from Francis's 12-year papacy, which guided the church's 1.4 billion members toward greater inclusivity and attention to the marginalized.

This consistory represents a shift from Francis's approach to church leadership. While Francis often relied on a small council of eight or nine selected cardinal advisers for decision-making and largely avoided broader consistories as a governance tool, Leo's invitation to all cardinals underscores a more collective style. The Vatican described the...