Based on the personal recollections of Toronto's Cardinal Francis Leo, the only period of his life when he didn’t feel a call to religious life was when he was a young child growing up in the Villeray neighbourhood near Montreal’s Little Italy.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, has the same advice for Toronto's new Cardinal Francis Leo that he would share with parishes seeking to carve its synodal path: do.

Longtime Montreal married Catholics John and Cecilia Zucchi’s road in life has more than 20 times led to Rome.

Describing the Papal Consistory that welcomed him and 20 other leaders of the Catholic Church into the College of Cardinals as “very profound” and “beautiful,” Cardinal Francis Leo of the Archdiocese of Toronto has deeply contemplated the prayers recited during the Dec. 7 ceremony in the Vatican.

Even as a student attending John F. Kennedy High School in Montreal, now Cardinal Francis Leo was called “Fr. Frank.”

Fr. Robert Gendreau said it does not take long for people to realize that there is something special about Cardinal Francis Leo.

A spirit of gratitude radiated out of Toronto's new Cardinal Francis Leo — as vivid as the red cassock adorning him — as he entered a Dec. 7 reception at the Spazio Vittoria event space several hours after being elevated to the College of Cardinals.

Standing in communion alongside brother bishops from Argentina, Ecuador, Iran, Serbia and a rich assemblage of other nations, Toronto's Archbishop Francis Leo was elevated to the College of Cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica today.

In the presence of cardinals, bishops, priests, laity, colleagues, friends and family, Cardinal-elect Leo pledged a Dec. 6 welcome reception and dinner for the Canadian delegation to live up to the vows he will take at the Papal Consistory on Dec. 7. 

Discounting the brief wave and greeting I directed to Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo when I viewed him touring The Catholic Register’s office on Yonge Street from the comfort of my remote workspace in Calgary, I first enjoyed a full-on interaction with the now Cardinal this past January.

Ontario’s Catholic bishops await learning which dicastery assignments Pope Francis will confer to new Cardinal Toronto Francis Leo with great anticipation.

In October, when he was invited to join the College of Cardinals, Cardinal-elect Francis Leo said he would discern how this elevation could help him become an even better servant for the Archdiocese of Toronto and beyond.

For the most part, we can say the Catholic Church has done its share to make this a better world, and done this very well despite a few hiccups here and there.

According to Vincent Veerasuntharam's tabulations, 100 delegates departed from Toronto Pearson Airport, and an additional 75 emissaries lifted off from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport to witness Cardinal Francis Leo being welcomed into the College of Cardinals at the Vatican.

Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo’s elevation to Cardinal this week gives added cause for the celebration of Thanksgiving this weekend.