Pope Leo XIV is wasting no time charting his own path in the Vatican’s halls of power.

The newly elected American pope has called all the world's cardinals to Rome for a two-day consultative assembly on Jan. 7–8, 2025—signaling a clear departure from the governance style of his predecessor, Pope Francis, as CBS News reports.

This gathering, known as a consistory, will follow immediately after the conclusion of the Holy Year, a once-every-25-years celebration that ends on Jan. 6.

Pope Leo Invites Global Voices Into The Room

Unlike Francis, who preferred closed-door meetings with a tight circle of eight or nine trusted advisors, Leo plans to involve all cardinals—an inclusive move that suggests a desire to pull back the curtain on Vatican deliberations.

The Vatican announced the event Saturday, describing it as “oriented toward 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.”

That’s bureaucratic-speak for what looks like a head-on change in strategy: Leo wants the full bench of global Church leaders weighing in, not just a few handpicked confidants.

New Pope Steps Out After Transitional Period

Leo XIV was elected as the first American pontiff on May 8, and his early months have been all about wrapping up unfinished business from the Francis era while keeping pace with the ceremonial obligations of the 2025 Holy Year.

Thousands of pilgrims have visited the Vatican during this Jubilee year, and Leo has been front and center—leading Masses, meeting groups, and appearing at audiences that mark the end of a quarter-century cycle of Christian celebration.

Now, with the Holy Year wrapping, he appears ready to lead with his own voice instead of echoing someone else’s legacy.

Strategy Over Spectacle In Vatican Assembly

Make no mistake—this isn’t a flashy affair with red hats handed out or media spectacles. The Vatican made clear that the event is consultative, not a formal consistory where new cardinals are named.

In other words, it’s about ideas, not titles. For a Church often accused of being slow to respond to both internal challenges and global crises, a wider table and open dialogue could prove refreshing—if it results in action.

But it’s also a test. Genuine engagement requires more than a room full of robes nodding in agreement; it demands follow-through and the courage to make tough choices, especially ones that past leaders may have sidestepped under the banner of "pastoral" leniency.

A Possible Turn From Progressive Governance

There’s subtle significance in Leo’s approach. By inviting all cardinals into the discussion, the new Pope sends a gentle but unmistakable message: the days of centralized, selectively progressive Vatican governance may be numbered.

Francis often relied on a tight team, many of whom favored a more liberal posturing on social issues. Whether by intent or necessity, Leo is steering in a different direction, restoring a kind of intellectual federalism to Church leadership.

The real question, of course, is whether this method will bring about substantive reform—or simply delay the hard work behind layers of polite debate.

Papacy At A Crossroads Of Renewal And Responsibility

Still, the timing can't be ignored: closing the Holy Year with a full-scale council of global Cardinals offers Pope Leo a clean slate as he begins his own papal mission.

This moment is more than symbolic. It underscores the role of the papacy not as a lone pulpit for political one-liners but as a spiritual office grounded in shared responsibility and theological coherence.

“Support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and grave responsibility,” the Vatican said—and one hopes that advice will be rooted not in pressure to appease, but in conviction to lead without apology.