Pope Leon XIV calls for peace and unity at Vatican consistory

Pope Leon XIV addressed a special consistory of 178 cardinals in the Vatican, urging that “God wants peace for every nation and every people” and condemning violence worldwide. He criticised the European Union for applying moral principles selectively and highlighted the suffering caused by wars, poverty and injustice. In his remarks he emphasized unity through the example of the apostles Peter and Paul, urging Christians to become “builders of unity.”

During the ceremony the Pope bestowed palliums – white woolen bands with crosses – on three newly appointed Polish metropolitan archbishops: Cardinals Konrad Krajewski and Grzegorz Ryś and Archbishop Andrzej Przybylski. He called the pallium a sign of responsibility to care for the faithful, and appealed for solidarity with victims of recent disasters, including the earthquake in Venezuela.

The Pope also referenced contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, calling for the Church to protect human dignity in the face of technological change.