Pope Leo gathers cardinals to chart his vision for the Church

Pope Leo XIV is calling together the world's cardinals for two days in January — his first major gathering since taking office in May. The January 7-8 consistory, held immediately after the 2025 Holy Year concludes, signals a shift in how he plans to lead the Catholic Church.

His first months as pope have been consumed by Holy Year duties: receiving pilgrimage groups, presiding over Jubilee audiences and Masses, and resolving unfinished business from Pope Francis's pontificate. The January meeting marks the moment Leo can finally turn his attention to his own priorities.

What's striking about this gathering is its scope. Leo has summoned all the world's cardinals to Rome for consultation — a deliberate departure from Francis's approach. The Vatican described the consistory as focused on "fostering common discernment and offering support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and grave responsibility in the government of the universal Church."

This choice reveals something about Leo's leadership philosophy. Where Francis had relied on a small circle of hand-picked advisers, Leo is opting for broader counsel. It's a more consultative model, one that brings the full weight of the Church's cardinal leadership into the conversation about its future direction.

No new cardinals will be created at this meeting — the focus is purely on advice and collective discernment. That makes it a moment of listening as much as deciding, a chance for Leo to hear from senior church leaders across different regions and traditions about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The timing matters too. Holding this just as the Holy Year closes suggests Leo wants to mark a transition: from the ceremonial obligations of the Jubilee to the substantive work of governance. It's a signal that his pontificate is moving from the ceremonial phase into its defining work.