Vatican News: Pope Leo XIV convenes his first Consistory of Cardinals
Pope Leo XIV convenes his first Consistory of Cardinals, which will take place on January 7-8 and will be marked by prayer, support, and counsel for the Pope.
Vatican News
The Holy See Press Office released details of Pope Leo XIV’s first Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals, which will be held in the Vatican on January 7-8, 2026.
“The meeting will unfold over two days and will be marked by moments of communion and fraternity, as well as times dedicated to reflection, sharing, and prayer,” read the statement released on Saturday.
As the Cardinals pray and reflect together with Pope Leo XIV, the encounter will seek to foster discernment and offer “support and counsel to the Holy Father in the exercise of his lofty and weighty responsibility in the governance of the universal Church.”
“The Consistory is set within the context of the life and mission of the Church,” read the statement, “and it intends to strengthen 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.”
What is a Consistory of Cardinals?
The Consistory will take place just a day after Pope Leo closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on January 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
A Consistory, which comes from the Latin “consistere” meaning “stand together,” is a formal meeting of the College of Cardinals.
They can be either Ordinary, which are largely ceremonial in nature and attended by Cardinals residing in Rome, or Extraordinary.
Extraordinary Consistories, such as the one held in January, include all Cardinals throughout the world able to travel, and allow the Pope to consult with the entire College on various issues that affect the life of the Church.
Listen to our report
Holy See Press Office PressRelease
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| Home > Bulletin > Pubblico > 2025 > 12 Holy See Press Office Press Release, 20.12.2025 As announced last November, the Holy Father has convened the first Extraordinary Consistory of his pontificate, to be held on 7 and 8 January 2026. The meeting will take place over two days and will be include moments of communion and fraternity, as well as times dedicated to reflection, sharing and prayer. These moments will be oriented towards fostering common discernment and offering support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and demanding responsibility in the governance of the universal Church. The Consistory is situated within the context of the life and mission of the Church, and is intended to strengthen the communion between the Bishop of Rome and the Cardinals, who are called upon to collaborate in a special way in the care of the universal Church. | ||||||
Where are the women?
Another exclusively male gathering for the governance of the church.
Fraternity yes, but no sorority as it remains unashamedly an entrenched patriarchal institution.
Soline, the Church is great at arranging assemblies of men, somewhat like some exclusive London Clubs. But when I saw the ranks and ranks of men at Pope Francis’s funeral, I thought of Wagner’s spooky final opera, Parsifal. In one of Canon Sheehan’s novels, some literary type exclaims that the Mass is just like Parsifal, drawing the riposte from the priest that no, the Mass is nothing like that. Parsifal is indeed a cringeworthy parody of the Eucharist (celebrated by a band of noble brothers) and of the priesthood (the sexual traumas of Amfortas and Parsifal and the castrated Klingsor brew up a fabulous psychodrama). The only female character, Kundry, is the eternal-feminine not in the joyful sense of Goethe but as the eternal temptress and source of rebellion against the all-male divine order. In the third act she is redeemed and speaks only one word: Dienen, to serve. Yes, it’s a ghastly parody. But the Vatican itself has become self-parodying. The homosocial arrogance of the processions of richly-clad males is arousing increasing incredulity in those who witness these spectacles. The pressure and stress of sustaining this system is increasingly palpable. Ordaining women deacons would alleviate this situation, whether or not female presbyters and bishops were added. Girl acolytes and female readers and ministers of the Eucharist have already done so partly.
Soline, in your struggle with the clerical establishment, did you feel that the resistance you met was really based on doctrine and not on psychological discomfort? No need to go into the quagmire of Parsifal — it’s enough to say that the Catholic clergy have been conditioned to a homosocial culture, and they look back to their all-male seminary days as the happiest in their lives. Introducing women into this club would upset all their habits. Isn’t the instinctive discomfort they feel at the thought of “women priests” more to do with this psychology than with doctrinal scruples?
Joe, I don’t really have a neat answer to your question: what you mention are undoubtedly some of the factors behind the resistance I have experienced.
That resistance has been painful, harrowing even, but it has made it crystal clear to me that it has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus, the one ‘born of a woman’.
For that I am grateful!
Beannachtaí na Nollag, Joyeux Noël to you and all ACP members and readers 🌟