Less than twenty-four hours after formally closing the Holy Year itinerary he inherited from Pope Francis, Leo XIV will host a meeting that will be pivotal for his reign.
The extraordinary consistory of cardinals scheduled for January 7 and 8 will be the first since August 2022. Francis held only three such meetings during his reign, but he also created the significant majority of the College and expanded the Church’s global reach by creating cardinals as far afield as Tonga and Mongolia.
The huge geographical distances between cardinals meant many of them never met outside these extraordinary consistories, and during the May conclave many said they felt more frequent meetings were necessary in order to address issues in the Church.
