The coming consistory is a chance for the new pontiff, Francis’s successor, to mark the beginning of a new Leonine era, but only if he lets his cardinals know – and give them really to understand – what his plans are.
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One of the big stories of the past week was that there is a consistory in the offing for early 2026. Scheduled for Jan. 7-8, 2026, the gathering is not for the creation of new cardinals, but to give the cardinals a chance to meet and talk together.
Such meetings were few and far between during the Francis pontificate, a fact many cardinals privately lamented.
