VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥� said war is 鈥渘ever blessed by God鈥� as he opened a meeting of the world鈥檚 cardinals on Friday by insisting the Catholic Church has a prophetic message of peace for a world ravaged by conflict.
Leo summoned the cardinals for the two-day meeting, responding to their demand to be consulted more frequently than during the 12-year pontificate of , who tended to govern alone.
Cardinals, the red-capped 鈥減rinces of the church,鈥� have two main jobs: advising the pope while he is living and, after he dies, electing a new one.
After an , known as a consistory, the American pope invited the cardinals back for Round 2 this weekend. The agenda he set for the closed-door meetings includes discussing the current international scenario, his recent encyclical on artificial intelligence and the church鈥檚 efforts to listen more to the needs of ordinary faithful.
The agenda initially had been set to cover other issues including tensions over the traditional Latin Mass, which has long been a source of division in the church. But the liturgy was taken off the agenda as the issue is when a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics consecrates four new bishops in defiance of Leo’s will.
Opening the session, Leo urged the cardinals to back him in his ministry.
鈥淚 need your strong, explicit and public support,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 need to feel myself supported by you as brothers.鈥�
Cardinals have been asked not to speak to the media while in Rome and only the pope鈥檚 opening and closing remarks will be made public.
During an opening Mass early Friday, Leo highlighted what he called God鈥檚 work defending human dignity, justice and the rule of law.
鈥淭herefore, war is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God,鈥� Leo said. 鈥淏ecause, 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.鈥�
During Russia’s and the U.S.-Israel , Leo has voiced a consistent message of peace, at times of U.S. President Donald Trump.
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