Overview
- The extraordinary consistory met at the Vatican on June 26–27 and brought together 178 cardinals for liturgy, small‑group synodal consultations and plenary reports to discuss war, peace and church mission.
- In his opening Mass the pope said “war is never worthy of humanity,” and his May encyclical Magnifica Humanitas framed just war theory as increasingly strained by modern weapons, drones, nuclear arms and artificial intelligence.
- Cardinals worked in 20 language‑based small groups with strict time limits for interventions to encourage frank, loyal counsel and to model synodality as a way of governing and implementing church teaching.
- Session reports and the Holy See summarized a broad pastoral consensus to move away from normalizing war toward peacebuilding, nonviolent responses and talk of proportionate self‑defense, though no binding doctrinal change was announced.
- Pope Leo asked the cardinals to help implement synodality locally, said he intends to hold similar gatherings annually, and urged further theological and pastoral work that could shape diplomacy, parish life and the Church’s witness to suffering people.