In a significant two-hour meeting held in a small Vatican auditorium, Pope Leo XIV engaged with cardinals to discuss the future direction of the Catholic Church. This meeting was a radical departure from the usual routine. The impact of the newly elected pontiff was to promote frank discussion immediately following his prepared remarks.
Pope Leo XIV would pick his papal name in tribute to Pope Leo XIII, a vigorous defender of social justice. He praised the need to uphold the “precious legacy” his predecessor, Pope Francis, formation created. He called upon the cardinals to offer a witness of service and highlighted the Church’s commitment to engaging with today’s most pressing questions. He underscored the Church’s indispensable contribution in confronting novel dangers that workers face in our contemporary milieu. This is particularly the case when it comes to the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
The pontiff then offered those comments just one day after presiding over the Pro Ecclesia Mass in the Sistine Chapel. This ceremony happened soon after he was elected on May 8, 2025. Pope Leo XIV, née Cardinal Robert Prevost, immediately ascended to the papacy after being elected with 89 out of 133 voting cardinals in a two-thirds majority. In 2010, he was a relatively obscure figure on the global stage. He is an experienced former missionary to Peru. For the two years prior to his papal election, he was a senior Vatican official himself, giving him the skills and experience he needs to address both local and universal Church problems effectively.
During the meeting, Pope Leo XIV encouraged cardinals to renew their commitment to major reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. He made it clear that these reforms are as vital now as when they were pioneered.
“Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey,” – Pope Leo XIV
The mood at the gathering, as one participant put it, was “very cordial and communal,” in the words of Spanish Cardinal Aquilino Bocos Merino. Cardinal Brady of Ireland noted that Pope Leo XIV listened intently to the comments and concerns raised by the cardinals.
“He listened very carefully, but he knows he’s going to have to make the decisions,” – Irish Cardinal Sean Brady
When the discussion and formation were completed, each cardinal was personally greeted by Pope Leo XIV. This simple gesture created deep morale, camaraderie, and sense of shared mission in the Church’s leadership. This distinctly personal touch showed his true desire to develop relationships inside the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV’s commitment to social justice and the defense of human dignity is testimony to his prophetic role as pontiff. He articulated that there are “new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour,” which require immediate attention from the Church.
The gathering served to highlight Pope Leo XIV’s style of leadership—humbly confident, cooperative in practice, eager to listen, and deeply respectful. He fostered an atmosphere of dynamism where cardinals were unafraid to share their views. This moral framework arguably further enabled his papacy to embrace innovations that spoke deeply to modern society’s challenges, while still upholding age-old Catholic traditions.
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