The 245 cardinals recently received an invitation from the Pope to meet in Rome on January 7th and 8th. This will be the first summit meeting since the conclave in May last year. The invitation is “Extraordinary consistency”technical name of … The Cardinals’ Conference does not mention the issues he intends to discuss with the cardinals, but it does give clues as to how Leo XIV wants to govern the church.
First of all, dates are very important. On January 6, Pope Leo That Mass is the last rite he “inherited” from Pope Francis. He also “inherited” his first important document (the apostolic exhortation on the poor “Direxites” left by Bergoglio is almost complete) and his first trip to Turkey and Lebanon, scheduled for November 27 next year. The agenda now depends solely on the new pope He will then convene a plenary meeting of cardinals to begin this process.
Second, “by calling them under these circumstances, he is already sending a signal that he wants to combine both synodical and collegial styles of government,” French Vatican church member Camille Dalmas explained to the ABC. Leo XIV showed that he is not in a hurry and that he listens to many opinions and takes control of the situation before making a decision. So while it is foreseeable that he will advance some of the cardinals’ priorities, what will be most interesting is that he will explain to the cardinals what role they will play in government. During the pre-conclave, some called for the pope to hold such meetings regularly to exchange ideas with all, rather than hearing just a few in so-called “councils of cardinals.”
In the first closed-door meeting two days after the smoke, Pope Leo XIV confirmed that he had heeded the request, saying: He wanted to promote “unity and association.” That same day, he asked them to meet in small groups and finalize the proposals raised in the pre-conclave that he wanted them to keep in mind. “Now he wants to hear their stories, too,” says Dalmas.
the first balance of his pontificate
Together with them, he will also make his first assessment of his pontificate. If he was really chosen to stop the polarization of church and society, they will be satisfied because he is easing tensions in many areas. There are several other issues at stake, including the impact on world politics, communications strategy, and decisions about whether to retain or dismiss senior Vatican officials, and there is some impatience in Rome.
It cannot be ruled out that several new cardinals may be appointed using this structure, including Filippo Iannone, the new Prefect of the Bishop’s Palace. According to unwritten rules, new cardinals can only be elected if there are fewer than 120 electors, and there are still 122 in January. In that case, the cardinals would have to wait until January 2027, when there are only 116 electors. 20 new cardinals will be able to nominate 13 more cardinals. They will turn 80 in the next few months. Becoming a cardinal would make Iannone’s job easier, so it may come as a surprise, but for a pope who is in no hurry, this is the most plausible hypothesis.
Pope Francis has convened only three extraordinary conferences, such as the one scheduled for next January. Once in 2014 in preparation for a synod on the family. In 2015, another report was submitted on reforming the Holy See and combating human rights abuses. Another report will be published in 2022 to explain the reforms. Although Benedict did not technically convene cardinals, he did convene one-day conferences with all cardinals when he appointed new cardinals five times. John Paul II convened six extraordinary councils His pontificate lasted about 27 years.
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