• Home »
  • Canada »
  • Toronto’s Archbishop Leo elevated to College of Cardinals
hand and heart

The recent post office troubles have impacted our regular fundraising efforts. Please consider supporting the Register and Catholic journalism by using one of the methods below:

  • Donate online
  • Donate by e-transfer to accounting@catholicregister.org
  • Donate by telephone: 416-934-3410 ext. 406 or toll-free 1-855-441-4077 ext. 406
Archbishop-elect Francis Leo at his episcopal ordination in Montreal in 2022. Leo has been named the new Archbishop of Toronto.
Archbishop-elect Francis Leo at his episcopal ordination in Montreal in 2022. Leo has been named the new Archbishop of Toronto. Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Montreal

Toronto’s Archbishop Leo elevated to College of Cardinals

By 
  • October 6, 2024

Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo is among 21 new Cardinals elevated to the College of Cardinals. 

Pope Francis made the announcement this morning at the end of his Sunday Angelus at St. Peter’s Square. The Cardinals’ new roles take effect Dec. 8 when the Holy Father will hold a consistory at the Vatican.

“I am humbled and honoured to receive this appointment from the Holy Father,” said Leo, who was installed as Archbishop of Toronto March 25, 2023. “I pray and rely on the prayers of the faithful in Toronto that I will be a worthy servant of the Lord Jesus in fulfilling my responsibilities as a member of the College of Cardinals and to continue in my primary role as shepherd of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto. I entrust to the Blessed Mother Mary, myself and this new ministry of service to the Universal Church and to the Successor of St. Peter, the Pope.”

Born in Montreal to Italian immigrant parents in 1971, Leo was ordained a priest in his hometown in 1996. He served in a number of parish assignments for his first decade as a priest, before accepting the invitation to enroll in the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome and subsequently enter the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See (2006-2012), serving in different Apostolic Nunciatures across the globe. In January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Monsignor.

Upon his return to Montreal, he was named Moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Montreal. From there, he was elevated to Auxiliary Bishop on July 16, 2022.

Cardinals are close advisors to the Pope and participate in conclaves, as voting members, to select a new Pope. Following today’s announcement, there will be 256 Cardinals, including 141 Cardinal electors (Cardinals can vote in a conclave until they reach their 80th birthday).

Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto, remains a Cardinal elector until January of 2027. Other Cardinal-electors from Canada include Cardinal Gérald Lacroix of the Archdiocese of Quebec and Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Retired Cardinal Marc Ouellet reached the age of 80 earlier this year. 

Unable to display PDF file. Download instead.
Tagged under:

Related items

More in this category: « Project 'Echoes' the positive on palliative care Leo's red hat call came out of the blue »

Please support The Catholic Register

Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.

For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.

DONATE