ROME — As the new year begins and the Jubilee Year comes to a close, Pope Leo XIV will hit the ground running with an extraordinary consistory taking place in Rome this week.
The Vatican confirmed in a Dec. 20 statement that the pope said the consistory would take place Jan. 7-8 in Rome and that it would "be characterized by moments of communion and fraternity, as well as times dedicated to reflection, sharing, and prayer."
"These moments will be aimed at fostering a common discernment and offering support and counsel to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and burdensome responsibility in the governance of the universal church," the statement read.
While providing no specifics, the Vatican said the consistory is taking place "within the context of the life and mission of the church, and intends to strengthen the communion between the Bishop of Rome and the cardinals, who are called to collaborate in a particular way in solicitude for the good of the universal church."
Asked by OSV News what the expectations and plans for the consistory are, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm said that "for us cardinals, this will be a unique opportunity to meet Pope Leo during the early period of his pontificate and to hear what he wishes to prioritize and what he expects of us."
He added, "We know that the pope assumes his office at a time of major conflicts in the world, and that the Church’s prophetic voice is more necessary than ever. Evangelization is, of course, an ever-present and enduring task."
According to the Code of Canon Law, the College of Cardinals assists the pope "through collegial action in consistories in which they are gathered by order of the Roman Pontiff who presides."
In the Catholic Church, there are two types of consistories: an ordinary consistory and an extraordinary consistory.
An ordinary consistory is largely ceremonial and attended by those cardinals residing in Rome. It is most commonly convoked when new cardinals are created or when candidates for sainthood are approved.
However, the extraordinary consistory requires the participation of all cardinals from around the world and, according to canon law, "is celebrated when particular needs of the church or the treatment of more grave affairs suggest it."
For context, St. John Paul II convoked six extraordinary consistories throughout his 26-year pontificate, while Pope Benedict XVI chose to hold consultative, all-day meetings with the cardinals on the eve of an ordinary consistory, holding three such meetings during his pontificate.
In his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis held only one extraordinary consistory on Feb. 20, 2014, that centered largely on family and marriage ahead of the Synod on the Family that same year.
Like Benedict, Pope Francis also held a consultative meeting attached to an ordinary consistory in August 2022 to discuss the implementation of his apostolic constitution on the reform of the Roman Curia, “Praedicate Evangelium" ("Preach the Gospel").
While all cardinals are expected to attend the consistory starting Jan. 7, one notable absence will be that of Venezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Porras, archbishop emeritus of Caracas, whose passport was confiscated in December and who was barred from traveling abroad.
The incident highlighted tensions between the Catholic Church and the government of President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, was recently captured by the United States in a nighttime military operation Jan. 3.
It is also unclear whether Belgian Cardinal Dominique Mathieu of Tehran-Isfahan will attend, as anti-government protests continue to escalate in Iran. OSV News reached out to the cardinal but, as of publishing, has not received a response.
Ethiopian Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel also confirmed to OSV News he is not attending due to Christmas celebrations in his Archdiocese of Addis Ababa. He also said he is not aware of what would be discussed during the meeting.
Outside of the Vatican's official statement, not much is known about the actual discussions that will take place at the consistory. Yet the statement's emphasis on its intention to "strengthen the communion between the Bishop of Rome and the cardinals" echoed sentiments expressed by Pope Leo two days after his election.
Meeting with the College of Cardinals May 10, Pope Leo highlighted the importance of closer collaboration with the cardinals, which he said "many of you had asked for" during the general congregations ahead of the conclave.
"You, dear cardinals, are the closest collaborators of the pope. This has proved a great comfort to me in accepting a yoke clearly far beyond my own limited powers, as it would be for any of us. Your presence reminds me that the Lord, who has entrusted me with this mission, will not leave me alone in bearing its responsibility," he said.
As of now, there are only speculations and rumors, particularly in the Italian media, on what's on the agenda. Nevertheless, the Vatican's statement hints that governance, with an emphasis on the "life and mission" of the church, will be at the heart of the pope's meeting with the cardinals.
Before Christmas, Pope Leo highlighted this, particularly the importance of "mission and communion" within the church, during his audience with the members of the Roman Curia.
Drawing from his predecessor's apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel"), the pope said communion within the church "always remains a challenge that calls us to conversion," especially when "at times, beneath an apparent calm, forces of division may be at play."
It is safe to say that the extraordinary consistory will be an opportunity for Pope Leo to advance his hope for a missionary and synodal church, in close collaboration with the entire College of Cardinals, a slight departure from his predecessor, who had established a group of nine cardinals to advise him on matters of church governance.
— Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News
As consistory begins, so does symbolic transition from Francis to Leo
ROME — Cardinals from around the world are gathering at the Vatican Jan. 7-8 for an extraordinary consistory called by Pope Leo XIV, an event seen as the first major step in his governance of the universal Church.
Before the consistory began on the afternoon of Jan. 7, the cardinals were tasked with re-reading Pope Francis' 2013 apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium." The apostolic exhortation is considered a programmatic document of the Francis pontificate, focused on the mission of the Church. It reflects on the Church's missionary transformation, on a crisis of communal commitment, on the proclamation of the Gospel, and on the social dimension of evangelization. The cardinals were expected to have a synodal discussion of the document as the meeting began.
When asked by OSV News why the cardinals were asked to re-read the document, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said "we'll see if the meaning will be made explicit in some way during the afternoon itself." Bruni offered his remarks during the press conference about the Pope's Prayer Network in the Vatican's Press Office.
According to a Dec. 20 press release, the consistory "is part of the life and mission of the Church, and aims to strengthen communion between the Bishop of Rome and the Cardinals, who are called to collaborate in a particular way in their concern for the good of the universal Church." It added that the meeting will be aimed "at fostering shared discernment and offering support and counsel to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and weighty responsibility in governing the universal Church."
While there will not be as many cardinals participating in the consistory as there were the events surrounding the May 2025 conclave, those who are in Rome were not eager to comment to the press, stressing that the meeting aims to help the pope govern the Church, and they were waiting for him to have the first word.
Asked by OSV News what the expectations and plans for the consistory are, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm said that "for us cardinals, this will be a unique opportunity to meet Pope Leo during the early period of his pontificate and to hear what he wishes to prioritize and what he expects of us."
In a rare comment before the start of the consistory, British Dominican Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe said in an interview with London's The Telegraph Jan. 6 that following the general congregation prior to the conclave "many cardinals think that there should be at least one [consistory] a year."
Pope Francis "formed a group with whom he met several times a year, part of a move towards a more radical form of consulting." It is vital that the cardinals are happy, Cardinal Radcliffe added: "A Church which is miserable can't preach the gospel."
Cardinal Radcliffe will deliver a meditation to cardinals at the opening of the consistory, OSV News learned.
The cardinals reportedly will discuss synodality as a means of effective collaboration with the pope, with discussion on the liturgy as an important part of the meeting. As for the Church governance, "Praedicate Evangelium," Pope Francis' apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia and its service to the Church in the world, released in 2022, will be on the table for discussion.
"The reform of the Roman Curia demands attention to, and appreciation for, yet another aspect of the mystery of the Church," the constitution said, adding that, "in her, mission and communion" are "closely united."
Pope Francis stressed in the constitution that "this life of communion makes the Church synodal; a Church marked by reciprocal listening."
With Pope Leo's closing of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica Jan. 6, the Jubilee Year of Hope that had been opened by Pope Francis Dec. 24, 2024, came to an end, symbolically closing the era of Francis for the universal Church, and opening an era of Leo -- of which the consistory is seen as the beginning.
The pope kicked off the new year of audiences with a new catechesis series on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, calling the Council's teaching "the guiding star" of the Church's journey.
While the Jubilee Year's focus was on the mysteries of the life of Jesus, now reflecting on the Council brings "a valuable opportunity to rediscover the beauty and the importance of this ecclesial event."
"I feel more than ever in duty bound to point to the Council as the great grace bestowed on the Church in the 20th century," the pope said, giving a hint as to the spirit he was taking into the meeting with cardinals that same afternoon.
— Paulina Guzik, OSV News