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