Pope begins cardinals’ gathering with anti-war message

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Pope Leo XIV speaks as he meets with bishops at the Parish of our Lady of Fatima in Luanda on the eighth day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa, on April 20, 2026. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

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Pope Leo XIV said people should “resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts” as he hosted a gathering of cardinals from around the world in the Vatican on Friday.

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The closed-door assembly — known as a “consistory” — ends on Saturday and is intended to discuss a variety of global challenges facing the Catholic Church.

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It started with a mass in St Peter’s Basilica presided by US-born Pope Leo, whose anti-war message has been harshly criticised by US President Donald Trump.

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“International tensions and conflicts seriously wound the human family,” the pope said in his homily.

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“War is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God,” he said.

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“Even if we are equipped with high-tech weapons, the Creator has endowed us with intelligence and free will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts.”

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This is the second time the pope has convened all 241 of the world’s cardinals since his election in May 2025.

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The regular gathering is emerging as a key instrument for Leo’s governance of the Church, reflecting a desire for more collegial leadership.

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The gathering will include prayers, workshops and plenary sessions.

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“There will be genuine sharing among us, it’s clear that Pope Leo wants us to form a college, to get to know one another… The more we have these meetings, the more united we will be,” Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, told AFP.

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AFP

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