Pope convenes cardinals and asks their priorities for 2 years

ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday opened a new phase of his pontificate by gathering the world’s cardinals to Rome and asking them to advise him on key priorities for the next two years. They responded by indicating continuity with Pope Francis’ key aims of making the church more missionary and responsive to the needs of ordinary faithful.

Some 170 red-capped cardinals, or around two-thirds of the total College of Cardinals, trickled into the Vatican’s audience hall for the opening session of the two-day meeting...