Pope Leo XIV opened the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals June 26 by urging the College of Cardinals to offer candid counsel, saying sincere dialogue is essential to the Church's communion.
"I count on you to help me discern what the Spirit is saying to the Church today,” the Holy Father said, according to Vatican News. “I need your support: strong, explicit, and public.”
As Zeale News previously reported, the two-day meeting of cardinals from around the world includes four working sessions focused on proclaiming the Gospel, fostering peace, and continuing implementation of the Synod on Synodality.
Pope Leo XIV opened his second Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals June 26 with an address to the College of Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/OIkWKnI8F0
— Zeale News (@ZealeNews) June 26, 2026
Pope Leo said he hopes the cardinals will keep the Church's mission at the center of their discussions and that the extraordinary consistories will help the cardinals "work together in the service of the Church," according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo called for honest dialogue and collaboration, saying genuine counsel strengthens communion through mutual trust, prayer, and honesty.
"I need,” Pope Leo told the cardinals, “your freedom, your frankness, and your loyalty. Sincere counsel is always an act of communion.”
Pope Leo also invited the cardinals to use Magnifica Humanitas as a lens for reflecting on the challenges facing their local churches, according to Vatican News.
The rest of the consistory will occur behind closed doors. Pope Leo said the final working session on June 27 will bring together the reflections from the previous discussions as the cardinals discern how the Church can better proclaim the Gospel "with greater fidelity, freedom and credibility," according to Vatican News.
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