New details have emerged concerning the extraordinary consistory of cardinals to be convened by the Pope in June, with a revised schedule now set out in a letter sent to members of the College.

According to an exclusive report by Diane Montagna, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, informed members in a letter dated April 13 that the gathering will take place over two full days, on Friday and Saturday, June 26–27, beginning at 9am.

In the same correspondence, Cardinal Re said that both morning and afternoon sessions are planned. The adjustment brings the proceedings forward by one day, allowing two full days of discussion without extending into Sunday.

According to the internal communication, on Sunday, June 28, Pope Leo XIV will preside at the concelebration of Holy Mass with the cardinals. The following day, June 29, he will celebrate the Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul and confer the pallium on new metropolitan archbishops, as previously announced. According to Diane Montagna, the current programme leaves open the possibility that new cardinals could be created on June 28, although no such plans have been confirmed.

Cardinal Re added that “further details will be communicated as they become available”, indicating that the agenda for the June meeting has yet to be finalised.

The forthcoming consistory follows the first extraordinary consistory of the present pontificate, held on January 7 and 8, 2026, which brought together approximately 170 cardinals. That gathering marked the first time the entire College assembled after the election of Pope Leo XIV.

The January consistory had been confirmed by the Holy See Press Office on December 20, shortly before Christmas, although it had been anticipated beforehand. It provided an initial indication of the principal concerns raised by cardinals at the beginning of the new pontificate, which are expected to continue into the June meeting.

Calling an extraordinary consistory less than six months after the previous one appears to be, in part, a response to a sense among some within the College of Cardinals that Pope Francis had not convened them often enough.

The 2025 conclave brought together a diverse College, with Francis having made a habit of appointing cardinals in the farthest corners of the Church. However, as they had rarely met, it became apparent that there was a need for extraordinary consistories so that the College could function as a more united body.

Extraordinary consistories are called to discuss major issues facing the Church and are intended to gather as much of the College as is reasonably possible. They are larger events than ordinary consistories, which are more limited in scope and typically involve cardinals resident in Rome.