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encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, presented on May 25, Pope Leo XIV declared the traditional “just war” theory “now outdated”.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is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is … outdated.”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.

By inviting open debate on a long-established element of Catholic moral teaching, the Pope appears to be reopening questions about the authoritative status of previous papal and conciliar statements on just war. Traditional theologians have long treated the doctrine – developed by St Augustine, refined by St Thomas Aquinas and incorporated into the Catechism of the Catholic Church – as part of the Church’s constant moral tradition. The forthcoming discussion therefore raises broader issues about the weight and permanence of encyclical teaching, since the invited discussion opens questions about Magnifica Humanitas’s magisterial authority if the case is not closed on this moral and political issue within the Church.

The June consistory notably omits any discussion of the liturgy, despite earlier expectations. In January, four themes had been proposed: evangelisation in the light of Evangelii Gaudium, the reform of the Roman Curia, synodality and the liturgy. Only the first two were addressed, with liturgy deferred. Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, had prepared a strongly worded reflection defending Traditionis Custodes and criticising continued attachment to the Traditional Latin Mass. That text was circulated but not formally discussed in January.

Some traditionalist commentators on X and in outlets such as Messa in Latino have suggested that the liturgy was dropped from the June agenda to avoid a potentially contentious debate that might have highlighted divisions over Cardinal Roche’s approach – a move that, in their view, may signal a divergence between Pope Leo and Cardinal Roche on the liturgy.

Cardinal Re’s June 3 letter states that the consistory is intended “above all as a space for mutual listening, discernment, and shared reflection”. The final session will include an update on the Synod on Synodality followed by “a period of free dialogue between the members of the College and the Holy Father, with interventions limited to three minutes”. The gathering will conclude on June 29, the Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, when the Pope will bless and confer the pallia on new metropolitan archbishops. A concelebrated Mass previously expected for June 28 has also been cancelled.

Pope Leo has signalled his intention to make regular meetings with the College of Cardinals – of which June will be the second example – a feature of his pontificate, strengthening what he describes as its collegial and synodal dimension. The first extraordinary consistory in January focused primarily on synodality and mission.

Cardinal Re’s letter emphasises practical outcomes, asking cardinals: “What sufferings, tensions, and questions are today affecting with greatest force the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to your care? What signs of hope, fidelity to the Gospel and possible reconciliation do you consider important to place before our common reflection?”

The consistory will take place in the Paul VI Audience Hall and the Synod Hall. As of June 8, no further details on speakers or format had been released. The meeting is expected to provide an important indication of the direction Pope Leo XIV wishes to give the College of Cardinals in the early years of his pontificate.