Holy Father’s Schedule For Consistory With Cardinals.

Vatican City; June 2026:  The Holy See Press Office has released the programme for the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals set for June 26th & June 27th this month which is just ahead of the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. It will be the second Consistory gathering of Pope Leo’s pontificate, following the meeting held in January, which brought together 170 Cardinal electors and non-electors from around the world.

As Pope Leo XIV meets with the Cardinals, they will discuss issues such as conflicts afflicting the world and how the Church should communicate through language and attitudes to build peace and reconciliation. At the close of that Consistory, the Pope announced the June meeting, telling the Cardinals: “I feel and experience the need to be able to count on you”.

According to the programme released by the Holy See Press Office today (Thursday – 25th June 2026; IST) the work will follow a “synodal” method, with prayer, silence, personal reflection, group discussion, and plenary sessions.

The Cardinals have been asked to maintain “confidentiality” regarding what takes place in the hall and not to make statements to the press during the Consistory, in order to preserve an atmosphere of fraternal exchange.

As per the press release, participants will be divided into 20 groups. 09 groups will be made up of Cardinal electors who are Ordinaries, including Apostolic Nuncios and Cardinal electors who have completed their service as Ordinaries. The other 11 groups will include Cardinal electors of the Roman Curia and non-elector Cardinals. Each of the group will have a president, who will moderate the discussion and keep time, as well as a secretary, who will gather the contributions and draft the group’s final report.

The Consistory will begin on Friday, June 26, with Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Pope Leo XIV.

The Cardinals will then move to the Paul VI Hall for the opening session, which will begin with the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus, an address by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and an introductory intervention by the Pope.

The first session will focus on the question: “In what kind of world are we called to proclaim the Gospel?” Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow, will offer a biblical meditation, followed by silence, prayer, group sharing, and reports in plenary session.

The same Friday afternoon, the second session will consider the theme “The culture of power and the civilisation of love”. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will introduce the theme, drawing on Chapter V of Magnifica humanitas.

On Saturday (27th June) morning, after Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by Cardinal Re, the Cardinals will resume their work in the Paul VI Hall.

The third session, entitled “Building in the good: the worksites of our time”, will be introduced by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Metropolitan Archbishop of Johannesburg and President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

The discussion will focus on the fractures that make it difficult to build the common good, the questions emerging from peoples and communities, and the support that local Churches and the universal Church can offer.

The fourth and final session will take place on the same day (Saturday, 27th) afternoon in the New Synod Hall and will be dedicated to “The path of implementing the Synod”. Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, will introduce the theme, beginning from the document Towards the Synodal Assemblies 2027-2028: Stages, Criteria, and Instruments for Preparation.

The session will include questions of clarification, a dialogue with Pope Leo XIV, and free interventions lasting no more than three minutes.

The Pope’s concluding address will bring the Consistory to a close, followed by the singing of the Te Deum and a dinner with the Pope in the Paul VI Hall. On Monday, June 29, Pope Leo XIV will preside at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Team Maverick.