Pope Leon XIV is set to celebrate his first Christmas season as pontiff, balancing familiar Vatican traditions with emerging stylistic choices. The period will be marked by the conclusion of the Jubilee year initiated by Pope Francis and a key January meeting with the College of Cardinals, signaling a transition to a new chapter for the Catholic Church [[1]]. As the Vatican prepares for the holidays, the Pope’s planned liturgical observances and upcoming consistory will offer early insight into his vision for the Church’s future [[3]].
Pope Leon XIV is preparing for his first Christmas as pontiff, outlining a schedule that blends traditional Vatican practices with his own emerging style. As the Vatican prepares for the holiday season, the new Pope is also focused on concluding the Jubilee and preparing for a key meeting with cardinals in January.
The Pope will meet with senior members of the Vatican Curia on Monday to exchange Christmas greetings. This tradition, previously used by Pope Benedict XVI to explain strategic decisions and by Pope Francis as a forum for frank assessment, will now serve as an opportunity for Leon XIV to present his vision and approach, though he has so far expressed only gratitude towards his collaborators.
Liturgical ceremonies will see a shift in timing. The Christmas Eve Mass is scheduled for 10 p.m. on December 24, three hours later than Pope Francis’s recent practice of 7 p.m. and a return to a more traditional schedule; until 2009, the service often began at midnight, even during the papacy of John Paul II.
On December 25, Pope Leon XIV will celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica, echoing a practice established by John Paul II in the early years of his pontificate, and not observed since Christmas Day 1994. Despite the late night of Christmas Eve, the Pope is reinstating this long-held tradition.
Urbi et Orbi
The Pope will deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at noon on December 25, extending Christmas greetings to Rome and the world. There is anticipation within the Vatican to see if he will revive the practice of delivering greetings in numerous less-common languages, a custom observed by his predecessors. His continued activity on a language-learning app suggests he intends to do so.
Italy observes a public holiday on December 26, and the Pope will recite the Angelus at noon from St. Peter’s Square. He is expected to travel to Castel Gandolfo, at least until Sunday, and possibly until December 31. Pope Leon XIV will maintain the customary end-of-year tradition of reciting the “Te Deum” in St. Peter’s, a hymn of thanksgiving, specifically for “the graces received in 2025.” Following the prayer, he will view the monumental Nativity scene and the large red fir tree erected in St. Peter’s Square.
The start of 2026 will also see the Pope follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, celebrating an early morning Mass in the Vatican for peace and signing his annual “Message for Peace,” which will be distributed to world leaders by Vatican embassies.
Clausura del Jubileo y un consistorio extraordinario
A unique circumstance will see Pope Leon XIV close the Jubilee year with a Mass on January 6, symbolically sealing the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. This will mark only the second time in history that a Pope other than the one who inaugurated the Holy Year will preside over its closure; the last instance occurred in 1700, when Innocent XII began the Jubilee and Clement XI brought it to an end.
The conclusion of the Jubilee marks the end of the agenda inherited from Pope Francis. To discuss his future plans and assess the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leon XIV has summoned all cardinals to Rome for an “extraordinary consistory” on January 7 and 8, as officially announced by the Holy See’s press office. A Vatican spokesperson explained that the two-day meeting will include “moments of communion and fraternity, and time dedicated to reflection, exchange, and prayer.” The aim is to “facilitate a common discernment and offer support and counsel to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and weighty responsibility in governing the universal Church.” The announcement suggests a potential restructuring of the nine-cardinal council that assisted Pope Francis, with the plenary assembly potentially assuming its functions, as some had requested during the pre-conclave.
All 245 cardinals have been invited, with particular emphasis on the 126 under the age of 80, although four will reach that age before the consistory. In preparation, Pope Leon XIV has asked the cardinals to review Pope Francis’s programmatic document, the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and the constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which reorganized the work of the Vatican Curia. Both texts emphasize the importance of presenting the Christian message in a positive and accessible way to contemporary society, avoiding internal conflicts and secondary issues.
Liturgically, the Christmas season concludes on January 11 with the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. On that day, as have his predecessors, Pope Leon XIV will baptize the children of Vatican employees in the Sistine Chapel.
The Pope’s planned schedule reflects a desire to balance tradition with a personal touch, as he begins to shape his papacy. The upcoming consistory of cardinals will be a crucial moment for outlining his vision for the future of the Catholic Church.
