In a significant move signaling the formal commencement of his leadership era, Pope Leo XIV has called for an extraordinary assembly of all cardinals worldwide. The Vatican announced on Saturday that this pivotal gathering, known as a consistory, will take place January 7-8, 2025, immediately following the conclusion of the quarter-century Holy Year celebrations.
The upcoming summit represents a strategic shift in papal governance approaches. Unlike his predecessor Francis, who predominantly relied on a select group of eight to nine cardinal advisors, Leo XIV is embracing a more collaborative leadership model. The January meeting will focus exclusively on consultative dialogue rather than ceremonial functions, with no new cardinals to be appointed during the sessions.
Vatican officials clarified that the consistory aims to “foster common discernment and offer support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and grave responsibility in the governance of the universal Church.” This gathering marks a definitive transition from the initial months of Leo’s papacy, which were largely devoted to fulfilling Holy Year obligations and concluding outstanding matters from Pope Francis’s tenure.
The January summit holds particular historical significance as it will be the first opportunity for the first American pontiff, elected on May 8, to articulate and advance his own agenda for the global Catholic community. The convocation of all cardinals to Rome demonstrates Pope Leo’s commitment to collective ecclesiastical governance and signals a new chapter in modern papal leadership.