Pope Leo XIV has outlined an agenda for the extraordinary consistory of cardinals scheduled for June 26-27 that will concentrate on the international situation, his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and the implementation of the Synod on Synodality, with no mention of liturgical questions. The letter from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, sent on June 3 and made public on June 4, details the principal themes for discussion.
The shift is significant because, in his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, presented on May 25, Pope Leo XIV declared the traditional “just war” theory “now outdated”. In chapter five, the document states: “Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defence in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is … outdated.” The consistory will devote sessions to this encyclical, particularly paragraphs 182-192, on “the culture of power and the civilisation of love”, inviting cardinals to reflect on polarisation, violence and practical ways to promote peace.
