Starting the year 2026, Pope Leo XIV delivered a heartfelt appeal for global tranquility, particularly focusing on regions beleaguered by armed conflict and households afflicted by violence. On January 1, the pontiff conducted a solemn Mass at St. Peter 27s Basilica in Rome, taking advantage of a clear and crisp day filled with pilgrims and visitors crowding the square below.
Following the Mass, he led the church's customary noon prayer from his study that faces St. Peter’s Square, underscoring the significance of January 1 as the World Day of Peace within the Catholic Church calendar. He encouraged everyone to unite in prayer for peace both on the international stage, specifically in countries enduring bloody conflicts and suffering, as well as on a more personal level, for families coping with the fallout of violence and emotional wounds.
After concluding an intensive Christmas period, the pope benefits from a brief respite before marking another notable event of the church's liturgical year, the Epiphany on January 6. This day also represents the formal conclusion of the 2025 Holy Year, a special jubilee celebrated once every twenty-five years that has seen a significant influx of pilgrims to Rome.
Immediately following this, Pope Leo XIV will host a two-day meeting with the full College of Cardinals. This assembly includes the senior church officials who participated in his election and also the cardinals over the age of 80, who though not eligible to vote in the papal conclave, remain influential members of the College. The pope’s decision to convene these gatherings revives a practice largely set aside by his predecessor, Pope Francis, aiming to seek the counsel of the highest-ranking clergy on governance matters of the Catholic Church, which has a global membership estimated at 1.4 billion.