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.

“I don’t think it helps to worry much about being cardinal,” said the 78-year-old Canadian Catholic prelate. “Just do your mission and thank God for whatever extra help and grace being a cardinal brings and be a very attentive child to help the Holy Father.”

During his interview with The Catholic Register in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development headquarters in Rome, Czerny smiled slightly and joked self-deprecatingly about believing five years would be required to adjust to the cardinalate.

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“Now five years have passed and I guess it takes longer.”

The Jesuit has two specific hopes for Leo’s cardinalship in Toronto. First, Czerny hopes Leo is a good communicator who “applies the Gospel to every situation in society. Second, he inspires his archdiocese to realize the ideals and vision expressed in the Pope Francis encyclicals Lumen fidei (The Light of Faith), Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home) and Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship).

Complementing the inquisitiveness being expressed by a man about the imprints Leo will make in Toronto and across Canada is curiosity about how he will be deployed within the Roman Curia.

Czerny opted not to single out any specific dicasteries that he believed would benefit from Leo's participation. He stated that “each dicastery is in need of help.”

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While Czerny watches Leo’s efforts as cardinal from the Bishopric of Rome, Dr. Josephine Lombardi, the assistant dean for academic affairs and an associate professor of Pastoral and Systematic Theology at Toronto's St. Augustine's Seminary, will observe her friend and colleague’s initiatives up close.

Lombardi anticipates the relationship between the now Cardinal’s office and the seminary to continue on its path of flourishment. She said the collaboration during Leo’s 21 months has been very strong because of his presence, and she notices that Leo exhibits this trait with every group he meets.

“He’s very present to the faculty and leadership, and he is very present to all the seminarians,” said Lombardi. “He’s a great listener and has a great vision for us at the seminary. I also notice he has accepted so many invitations over the past year and a bit, not only to the seminary but to visit parishes throughout the archdiocese and meet his flock.”

It also helps that Leo thrives in different social settings, said Lombardi. Commending him as “a great conversationalist,” she has enjoyed bonding with him over their shared ties to Avellino, Italy.

“We just joke about the dialect, talk about the food and share different expressions,” said Lombardi. “There is one, ‘il sangue è sangue,’ meaning ‘blood is blood.’ There is something about that connection of being part of the family. We joke about that sometimes.”

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Throughout 2024, Lombardi has prepared Canadian Catholics for the 2025 Jubilee Year through her webinar series “A Great Symphony of Prayer.” She delivered eight presentations this past year. The first half centred around fostering a deeper appreciation of The Lord’s Prayer, and the second portion concentrated on other devotions such as the Rosary and praying to the saints.

The academic and published author said the “timing is anointed” that Leo oversees the Archdiocese of Toronto’s observance of this special celebration whilst manifesting a diocesan pastoral plan that will inspire Catholics in its 225 parishes.