The Pope and the cardinals will meet in a so-called consistory on January 7-8. According to the Vatican, the meeting “will be aimed at developing common assessments and providing support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his lofty and important responsibility in the governance of the universal Church.”
Leo XIV's successor, Pope Francis, relied mainly on a small group of 8-9 hand-picked cardinals as advisors. For Leo XIV, the consistory in January will be his first opportunity since he took office as pope in May to set the direction of the Catholic Church.
There are over 200 cardinals around the world, but only about 120 have the right to vote in the election of the pope. The Swedish cardinal Anders Arborelius was one of those who participated in the secret work of electing Leo XIV as pope.
