On June 27, cardinals from around the world concluded a two-day extraordinary consistory, stating that the initiative of the Leo XIV Convening the College of Cardinals twice in six months has already been a clear success: it has helped the cardinals get to know one another.

“For years and years, the cardinals didn’t know one another,” Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers (Algeria), told OSV News on June 27. “It is a very good initiative by the Pope and very helpful both for him and for the unity of the Church.”.
The format of the meeting held on June 26 and 27 brought the cardinals together in roundtable discussions, allowing them to hear the views of their fellow cardinals from every continent.

“Now, although I can’t say I know all the cardinals, we now smile at each other, talk, and chat,” said Cardinal Vesco. “And this is very important. I think it’s very important to the Pope himself.”.

“We’re starting to get to know each other. That’s what he wants. He wants us to get to know each other… I think it’s working,” the cardinal added.

Seeking God’s Will Together

In his closing remarks, Pope Leo stated that he hopes the cardinals will continue to meet annually, adding: “What matters is not increasing the number of meetings, but learning to have meetings in which, by listening to one another, we learn together to listen to the Lord.” He announced that he would announce the date of the next consistory later this year.

“Over the past few days, we have sought the Lord’s will together, convinced that Christ continues to act in his Church: it is He who goes before us, brings us together, speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, and guides us in our mission. Everything comes from Him and everything returns to Him,” he told the cardinals on June 27.

“Seeing cardinals from such diverse churches, cultures, and backgrounds listening to one another and seeking together what best serves the Gospel has been a source of comfort and hope for me,” the Pope added.

Pope Leo highlighted the topics discussed over the course of the two days—war, poverty, young people, the family, synodality, the Church’s social doctrine, and his recent encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas”— and entrusted the cardinals with the task of putting the synod’s teachings into practice.

“Synodality is not a series of meetings, nor is it a working method. It is a spiritual way of life. It arises from encounter, grows through listening, and matures through discernment. The real question is not how many conversations we will be able to organize, but what evangelical quality our encounters will have,” he said.