Vatican News: Consistory: Focus on global situation, Magnifica Humanitas, Synod

In a letter to the cardinals who will take part in the meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the end of June, Cardinal Re outlines the themes of the four working sessions to be held in the Paul VI Hall and the Synod Hall.

By Alessandro Di Bussolo – Link to article

A reflection on the international situation and the life of local Churches, a discussion of key themes in the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, and an update on the implementation of the Synod will be at the heart of the Consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV for 26, 27 and 29 June.

The themes of the gathering were outlined by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, in a letter sent on 3 June to all participating cardinals. In the letter, the Cardinal explains that the Pope wishes the meeting, like the one held on 7–8 January this year, to serve as “a space of mutual listening, discernment and shared reflection on issues of particular importance for the life and mission of the Church today.”

Cardinal Re recalls that Pope Leo sees the Consistory as an opportunity both “to gather the experience and counsel of the members of the College of Cardinals” and to count on “the active assistance and support of each one in the various places and responsibilities in which they serve the Church.” For that reason, he writes, the discussions should take place in “a spirit of listening, freedom and parrhesia,” fostering a process of shared discernment.

The first session will focus on the international situation and the reality of local Churches. Cardinals will be invited to share the sufferings, tensions and challenges affecting the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to their care, as well as the signs of hope, fidelity to the Gospel and prospects for reconciliation that they believe should be brought to the attention of the College.

Magnifica humanitas

The second and third sessions will be dedicated to Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published on 25 May.

The second session will examine Chapter Five, entitled “The Culture of Power and the Civilisation of Love.” Cardinal Re recalls that in paragraph 182 of the encyclical, the Pope writes that in a world marked by “polarisation, violence and growing conflict,” peace “is not one issue among others, but a condition for the universal common good and a test of the moral maturity of peoples.”

A world wounded by war

Cardinals from regions affected by war will be invited to share how conflict has directly and painfully shaped their pastoral experience, while the others will be asked to reflect on the resurgence of “languages, logics and practices” that undermine reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. The discussion will also address how the Church can reaffirm today “the overcoming of the theory of the ‘just war,’ too often invoked to justify any war,” as Pope Leo writes in paragraph 192 of the encyclical, and what practical paths might help peoples and Christian communities preserve and build peace.

The third session will take up the theme of “building in goodness,” a perspective that frames both the introduction and conclusion of Magnifica Humanitas. Participants will explore the encyclical’s call to interpret the transformations of the present age in the light of the Gospel and to direct humanity’s search for happiness and fulfilment toward integral human development.

Implementation of the Synod

The first part of the final session will provide cardinals with an update on the implementation of the Synod, particularly in light of the recent document Towards the Synodal Assemblies 2027–2028: Stages, Criteria and Instruments for Preparation. The second part will be devoted to open dialogue between the cardinals and the Pope, with interventions limited to three minutes each.

Cardinal Re also notes that the Consistory sessions on 26 and 27 June will take place in the Paul VI Hall and the Synod Hall. The gathering will conclude on 29 June in Saint Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Leo XIV will preside at the Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, bless the pallia and impose them on the new metropolitan archbishops.

As previously announced, there will be no concelebrated Eucharistic celebration on 28 June.

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