VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV signaled on Saturday he would continue with the vision and reforms of Pope Francis, telling the world's Catholic cardinals the late pontiff left a "precious legacy" that they must continue.

In his first meeting with all the cardinals since his election as pontiff on May 8, Leo also asked the senior clerics to renew their commitment to major Church reforms enacted by the landmark Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Leo said Francis, who died on April 21 and broadly had a vision of opening the staid 1.4-billion-member Church to the modern world, had left an "example of complete dedication to service."

"Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey," the new pope instructed the cardinals.

The pontiff also asked the clerics to "renew together our complete commitment" to the reforms enacted by the Council, which included celebrating the Mass in local languages rather than Latin and pursuing dialogue with other religions.

He cited Francis' focus on "courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities." REUTERS

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