Vatican releases schedule for June consistory of cardinals

This gathering follows a similar consistory held last January. Then, the "princes of the Church" focused on synodality and the Church's missionary identity. According to the schedule for this second encounter, Leo XIV will open the proceedings on Friday morning with a 7:30 a.m. Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope will also deliver both the opening remarks and a concluding address.

The two-day session will follow the format established in January. Meeting in Paul VI Hall, the cardinals will gather each morning from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and each afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They will split their time between small-group breakouts and plenary reporting sessions.

Polish Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś will kick off the first session, titled "In What Kind of World Are We Called to Proclaim the Gospel?" The second session will be led by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The theme will be "The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love."

This particular segment is expected to draw significant attention. It centers on one of the most noted passages from the encyclical Magnifica humanitas: the document explores the possibility of moving beyond the traditional "just war" theory — a major development in Catholic social teaching.

South African Cardinal Stephen Brislin will open the third session, "Building the Good: The Worksites of Our Time." The final session will pivot to the practical implementation of the Synod on Synodality — a multi-year project originally launched by Pope Francis to foster a more "listening" Church. Cardinal Mario Grech, the Synod’s secretary general, will lead this discussion.

The program notes that the debate will be guided by the "sufferings, tensions, and questions" of modern humanity. It will also identify questions that “arise from the people whom the Church is called to listen to, but perhaps does not yet hear sufficiently."

The meetings will be held behind closed doors. Participants have been explicitly instructed to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the discussions and to exercise discretion with the media throughout the week. Despite these precautions, the schedule had already leaked to the press before the official Vatican release. This signals the high stakes and anticipation surrounding this pontifical summit.

Similar to the January meeting, the participants will be divided into nine groups of elector cardinals from around the world and 11 groups comprising members of the Roman Curia and non-electors (who number 124 in total). Cardinals serving in dioceses around the world will be given priority during the feedback sessions. “Open interventions” are also in the program, although speakers will have limited time.

Following a dialogue with the Holy Father on Saturday evening, the cardinals will join him for dinner. The event will conclude on Monday, June 29, at 9:30 a.m., when they join the Bishop of Rome for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the Diocese of Rome, in St. Peter's Basilica.