Catholic News

For many Catholics, faith formation often competes with busy schedules and endless digital distractions. Fio, a Catholic audio streaming platform, hopes to change that by putting faith-filled content at listeners' fingertips.

Dubbed "the Catholic alternative to Spotify," the platform offers a growing library of podcasts, audiobooks, and music, giving users a way to stay connected to their faith wherever life takes them.

Currently, Fio is being used in over 100 countries, is host to over 100,000 hours of Catholic content, and has over 1,000 Catholic creators putting their work onto the platform.

Will Hickl, co-founder of Fio, has been in the music industry for 15 years as a musician and founder of the Catholic record label Novum Records. During his career, he realized that secular platforms were not built for faith-based work — it was difficult to stand out, there was no fair compensation, and there was no community around it.

With this in mind, Hickl, and co-founder Peter Buonincontro, launched Fio in 2023. The first version of the app hosted podcasts alone. The following year music was added, and the following year — thanks to a generous investor — the platform was able to host audiobooks and grow their collection of content. 

In an interview with EWTN News, Hickl shared that the platform's "North Star" is the fact that he cares deeply about the artists and content creators.

"We are a platform who, because we care, we're paying a penny per stream, which is already three to four times what Spotify pays," he explained. "We want to offer better exposure and tooling. In fact, we already offer better exposure because a musician doesn't have to compete with 10 million other musicians. There's only maybe like 100, maybe 200 artists on the platform right now…there's greater discoverability."

For creators, he hopes they would know that Fio "is the one that genuinely cares about them more than Apple or Spotify ever will."

Currently, Fio offers three subscription levels for listeners — free, premium, and audiobooks +. While users who subscribe to the platform for free will have to listen to advertisements, Hickl pointed out that these ads "are reserved and curated for Catholic businesses, Catholic ministries, and then Catholic artists on the platform."

He also emphasized that these faith-based advertisements can also serve as a "cultural safeguard" so that parents who may be listening with children present don't have to worry about inappropriate advertisements being played, as is the case with many secular platforms.

Hickl explained that Fio aims to serve three different cohorts: Catholic creators, consumers, and businesses.

"We are an artist first platform. We want to give you the best exposure, the best economics than any other platform," he said. "For consumers, we want to give you greater choice, a better experience in terms of what you find, what your kids are exposed to. The third would be Catholic businesses who can't target based on religion on Facebook or Google or YouTube or anything like that. So we're offering a greater targeting mechanism, greater value in that regard."

For those seeking to have their content on Fio, they must go through a submission and review process. Before their content is accepted, creators must affirm that they are practicing Catholics who accept the teachings of the Church. They must also verify that their work was not primarily created by artificial intelligence. Lastly, each creator goes through a manual review process by the Fio team before their work is allowed to be on the platform.

Looking to the future, the team at Fio is working on creating original content for the platform as well as being able to host video podcasts and music videos. Additionally, they are working to give Fio a more "liturgical feel." For example, if there's an important saint's feast day, Fio would make suggestions to listeners of a podcast that talks about the saint or a song inspired by the saint.

Hickl hopes that one day more artists will "be more excited about sharing their Fio link than the Spotify link."

He added that he hopes Catholics "would know I can trust this platform, it can and should be a part of my every day, because there's so much treasure to discover."

"That's something I say a lot, which is that the Church has an immense amount of treasure and we just don't know about it. And so I want people to know the treasure is here and Fio is a place where it's aggregated," he said.

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Data centers continue popping up across the country to fuel the growth of artificial intelligence in everyday life, and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to the densest concentration of these facilities in the world, known as "Data Center Alley."

"It's absolutely in people's minds to be thinking how to pastor and shepherd the flock," Anna Knier, coordinator for the office of the peace and justice commission for the diocese, told Mark Irons on "EWTN News In Depth" on June 26.

"It's coming fast and quickly, and it's kind of [like] we're building the plane as we fly a little bit in terms of all sorts of considerations, including infrastructure," Knier said.

The hub, dubbed "Data Center Alley," is located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., just west of the city. There are more than 300 data centers in Northern Virginia and more than 100 in development.

Data centers have become a focal point of the broader AI debate. They often receive government tax subsidies while employing few people compared to other facilities that often get similar incentives, like factories.

Data centers also consume an enormous amount of energy. According to a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, about 4-5% of national energy is consumed by data centers, but that will increase to between 9-17% by 2030.

Virginia is the only state in which more than 20% of energy is consumed by data centers, but that could increase to 39-57% by 2030.

In Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father warned about a "tendency to overlook the environmental impact" of AI, mostly caused by the energy and water consumption of data centers.

Leo discussed broader concerns about AI development as well, such as preserving the dignity of work, building up human solidarity, and not concentrating power in the hands of a few, but instead ensuring all people benefit from the innovation.

"We need to be with those who are on the margins," Knier said.

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"After nearly three years of questions, searching, silences, and a profound inner struggle, I have decided to permanently withdraw from priestly ministry," confirmed Damián María Montes, a former missionary priest who rose to fame after competing on the Spanish version of "The Voice," a singing competition show.

In a message shared across his active social media channels, where he has amassed thousands of followers, the former religious said that he made the decision "with immense gratitude for everything I have experienced."

Montes acknowledged that the journey leading to this decision "has been very difficult at times," though he said that he made it "at peace and with a clear conscience, having truly loved every mission entrusted to me, having blazed new trails, and having built necessary bridges of dialogue."

"There are compelling reasons, which I am keeping to myself, that underpin this decision and made my missionary service enormously difficult," Montes explained, adding that he views the future as being "in deep continuity with what I have lived."

In that future, "education, literature, poetry, theater, and cultural creations will be the realms through which I try to bring some beauty, thought, and humanity to the world," he added.

"I thank those who have walked with me throughout these twenty years of religious life. Thank you for your trust, your affection, and your presence especially during the hardest times. Wherever I make my home, its doors will always be open to you. I hope you will also want to accompany me in this new chapter of my life," he concluded.

In a video, Montes reflected on his life as a missionary priest in various locations and acknowledged that the final years of his ministry were a "very sad and very difficult" time. He said he hopes for new opportunities in the future, including the possibility of starting a family.

Who is Damián María Montes?

Born in Granada in 1986, Damián María Montes entered the Redemptorist postulancy at the age of 18. He completed his novitiate in Ciorani, Italy, where he professed his temporary vows. After studying at the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid, he was sent as a missionary to Kolkata, India, prior to taking his perpetual vows. He was ordained a priest in Granada in 2013.

In February 2024, it was revealed that he along with another Redemptorist religious had attended the irreverent show "La capital del pecado 2.0" ("Sin City 2.0") hosted by actor Juan Dávila.

Laicization among 'influencer' priests and religious

The announcement of Montes's laicization is not the first of its kind among priests and religious figures who have risen to fame on social media or television.

This was the case with Cristina Scuccia, who won the Italian edition of "The Voice" in 2014. Despite making her perpetual vows with the Ursulines of the Holy Family in 2019, she requested a dispensation in 2022.

Instagram post

In October 2023, Daniel Pajuelo, then a Spanish priest of the Society of Mary (Marianists), announced that he was seeking a dispensation from his religious vows and priestly ministry, following a career marked by controversy. Along with Montes, Pajuelo was one of the founders of iMission, a platform for Catholic evangelizers.

The following month, Salvadoran Samuel Bonilla, known until then as Father Sam, shared with his followers that he had made the same decision less than eight years after his ordination. The dispensation was granted in December 2024.

Frenchman Matthieu Jasseron, ordained in June 2019 in the Archdiocese of Sens-Auxerre, announced in October 2024 that he was leaving the priesthood after a period of absence from his social media channels, platforms where he had engaged in controversial activity, including videos in which he pretended to be a disc jockey atop an altar while wearing an alb and chasuble.

In February 2026, the Italian Alberto Ravagnani explained why he decided to leave the priesthood, a decision linked to his inability to live a celibate life: "I really wasn't able to live up to it," he stated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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LONDON - Following the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer on June 22, Andy Burnham, the main contender to replace him, could become the United Kingdom's first prime minister (PM) to enter office publicly identifying as a Catholic.

Previous PMs have had connections to the Catholic faith, although none have begun their terms in office as practicing Catholics. Tony Blair, PM from 1997 to 2007, converted to Catholicism after leaving office. Boris Johnson, PM from 2019 to 2022, though baptized a Catholic as an infant, entered Downing Street as an Anglican.

Burnham, who was sworn in on a Bible as a new Member of Parliament on June 22, has described his Catholic faith as "unshowy", telling The Guardian in 2009: "Three things are important in my life apart from family: Everton [Football Club], the Labour Party, and the Catholic Church - in that order."

The appointment could also raise a constitutional question concerning his role in episcopal appointments.

At play if Burnham becomes PM will be a landmark UK law known as the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 (also called the Catholic Emancipation Act). It grants Roman Catholics the right to sit in Parliament and hold most public offices, but does not allow them to advise the Crown on Church of England episcopal appointments. How this provision may operate in modern constitutional practice remains contested.

Jon Tonge, a politics professor at the University of Liverpool, told EWTN News: "Legally, Burnham would be prohibited from advising the Monarch on [Church of England] bishops. The law has not been repealed. The Lord Chancellor will provide the advice."

An 'a la carte' Catholicism

Tonge continued, "Even though he's not a regular at Mass, [Burnham] sent his children to Catholic schools … It is an 'a la carte' Catholicism, which ignores the social conservatism (opposition to same-sex marriage or to abortion, as examples) and attempts to apply Catholic social teaching principles to policy. Equality, fairness, justice, and help for those with least are at its heart — hence Burnham's commitment to tackle homelessness in Greater Manchester and donate some of his salary to the issue."

Burnham has said he was raised with a "live and let live" approach, something that has shaped his stance on policy. He supports abortion and same-sex marriage and is in favor of assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, positions that are not in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, told EWTN News: "I can't actually see anything that's obviously Christian in his [Burnham's] policies. A person that professes and confesses faith will always uphold marriage between one man and one woman, will not champion trans ideology into law and into policy … He's pro-assisted suicide, he's pro-liberalization of abortion. So that doesn't actually match with his faith."

In 2023, Burnham delighted Pope Francis at the Vatican when he gifted the pontiff a shirt signed by fellow Argentinian Lisandro Martinez, a player for Manchester United. Following Francis' death, Burnham described the meeting as the "most moving" experience of his life — despite having previously pressured the pope to bring the Catholic Church "into the 21st century" on issues including LGBT rights.

Growing up in 1980s in Warrington, Burnham attended St Aelred's Catholic High School and was raised in his Irish mother Eileen's Catholic faith. She said in a 2015 interview: "You should have seen the fights he and his brothers had on Sundays. They were all altar boys, but Andy had to be the one at the front holding the Communion plate." 

Burnham married Marie-France van Heel in 2000 after meeting at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam College in 1989, and they have three grown children.

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Cardinal Gerhard Müller has called the Society of St. Pius X's planned consecration of four bishops without papal mandate a schismatic act, while stressing that the dispute turns on authority, not the Traditional Latin Mass, which he affirmed remains valid.

In an interview with EWTN News In Depth, the former prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said episcopal ordinations carried out "without the pope are absolutely impossible, against the will of God," marking those who carry them out as "not Catholic or anti-Catholic." That judgment, he stressed, rests on "objective criteria," not "subjective judgments."

The Society plans to consecrate four priests, including American Father Michael Goldade, on July 1 at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland, echoing Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's 1988 consecrations.

Without a papal mandate the consecrations would be valid but illicit, carrying an automatic "latae sententiae" excommunication.

Müller likened the society to the Donatists, the schism St. Augustine fought in North Africa.

"They should learn from the way of the Donatists," he said, adding that St. Pius X, the society's patron, "will pray against these people who abuse his name." Pope Leo XIV, he noted, is himself an Augustinian.

The German prelate, a longtime professor of dogmatic theology, called devotion to traditional liturgy and the rejection of papal authority "two absolutely different questions," and faulted bishops who forbid the TLM as "authoritarian."

Asked what faithful drawn to SSPX Masses should do if a schism follows, Müller said they "shouldn't go, and cannot participate in the Masses of schismatic priests and bishops."

The Vatican's current doctrine chief, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, warned on May 13 that the consecrations would be "a schismatic act."

The SSPX rejects the charge, holding that such consecrations do not by themselves break communion; on June 24 it sent Pope Leo and the College of Cardinals a "Declaration of Catholic Faith." 

Superior General Father Davide Pagliarani has cited a "state of necessity," noting only two aging SSPX bishops remain to ordain its priests.

Müller also discussed the June 26–27 consistory, which he said he expected to take up atheism and artificial intelligence, and renewed his criticism of "synodality," which he said had been "abused" to push ideas against Church teaching on the priesthood and marriage.

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In an audience with representatives of Jesuit colleges and universities in North America, Pope Leo XIV proposed four ways to address current challenges.

In his address on June 25, the Holy Father referenced several of the major challenges facing humanity, which he said is undergoing an "epochal change." Specifically, he pointed to the secularization of societies, where many people are "seeking to push any mention of God out of the public sphere and beyond popular culture."

In addition, he pointed to the failure of political systems to address the needs of migrants and the marginalized, as well as the lack of hope among young people, the degradation of the planet's resources, and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

The pope encouraged representatives of Jesuit colleges and universities to confront these challenges by looking to the Society of Jesus' four Universal Apostolic Preferences, which are four focus areas that are to guide the Jesuits' mission worldwide from 2019 to 2029. They were developed through a two-year global discernment process involving Jesuits and their lay partners, then confirmed by Pope Francis in 2019.

The four Universal Apostolic Preferences are to show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; to walk with the poor, the outcasts, and those whose dignity has been violated in a mission of reconciliation and justice; to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future, and to collaborate in the care of our common home.

First, the pontiff reflected on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and the importance of discernment, encouraging members of academic communities to have the opportunity to participate in them and thus come to know "the One who is Truth."

"Those who conduct research, those who pursue studies and those who seek the truth are ultimately seeking God, whether they realize it or not," he emphasized.

He also referred to the "thirst for God" that is increasingly palpable among young people, something he noted he had witnessed firsthand during his recent visit to Spain. Consequently, he encouraged them to offer the Spiritual Exercises to young people on university campuses.

The pope also pointed out that it is essential to "walk with the poor and the outcasts of the world." For this reason, he urged them to "offer opportunities for immigrants, refugees and those of a lower socioeconomic status to have the benefit of an advanced education."

"The resurrection of Christ is the ultimate source of hope."

Pope Leo XIV

He emphasized that Jesuit schools and universities must be places where young people find "a hope-filled future," and thus must foster opportunities for dialogue, service, and prayer, "remembering always that the resurrection of Christ is the ultimate source of hope."

As another urgent duty, the pontiff underscored the need to educate about the care of creation, primarily due to the effects of climate change as well as "the exploitation of resources by a few at the expense of the common good."

Finally, in citing the advances in artificial intelligence, he appealed to the essential role of colleges and universities and noted that it is "important to begin now to address the consequences, both positive and negative, that come from these advances."

"With the help of the prayers of St. Ignatius of Loyola, may you continue the Jesuit tradition of forming those entrusted to your care to be 'men and women for others,'" the Holy Father encouraged.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 97, who was tortured by Albania's communist regime, climbed Apparition Hill in Medjugorje on June 23, the day before the 45th anniversary of the start of the alleged apparitions.

Six young people claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary for the first time on June 24, 1981, the feast day of St. John the Baptist, on Mount Podbrdo. Since then, some of those visionaries say they still receive messages from the Mother of God on a daily basis.

Following a lengthy investigation, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved a document in 2024 titled The Queen of Peace, which acknowledges the spiritual fruits that have been borne, finds no obstacles in the alleged messages received, and makes no pronouncement regarding the supernatural nature of the phenomena.

Assisted by young people from the Cenacolo Community, who carried the cardinal part of the way as he was seated on a litter, the Albanian cardinal traversed a portion of the rocky path on foot, though not without difficulty.

Along the way, he blessed those present who stopped to greet him. Upon reaching the summit of the mountain, he prayed the rosary beside the statue of the Virgin Mary and blessed the water with which he sprinkled the crowd before returning.

The footage of this pilgrimage, provided by María Visión Medjugorje, bears witness to the determination of the cardinal who, as a priest, endured the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, the man who proclaimed Albania to be "the first atheist state in the world."

A priest twice sentenced to death

Born in 1928 in the village of Troshani, the young Simoni underwent formation with the Franciscans from 1938 to 1948, until a bloody religious persecution eliminated the community's superiors and forced him to continue his formation in secret.

In 1956, he was ordained a priest at St. Stephen's Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult. Seven years later, after celebrating Christmas Eve Mass on Dec. 24, 1963, he was arrested by four agents and informed that he would be executed by hanging, accused of having celebrated a Mass for the repose of the soul of recently assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy at the behest of St. Paul VI.

According to his own account, an attempt was made to entrap him by placing another prisoner in his cell who began complaining about the Communist Party. News of his preaching about love for one's enemies while in prison reached the dictator, who decided to commute his sentence to 28 years of forced labor. During those years, he continued to celebrate Mass and exercise his priestly ministry clandestinely.

In 1973, he was once again sentenced to death, accused of inciting a rebellion. However, exonerating testimony prevented the immediate execution of the sentence, and he remained in prison for another 18 years until his release in 1981.

He continued his pastoral work in secret for another nine years, until the fall of the communist regime in 1990.

"The Lord has helped me to serve so many people and to reconcile many, driving hatred and the devil away from the hearts of men," he stated upon concluding his testimony before Pope Francis in October 2016.

A month later, Simoni was created a cardinal at the consistory held on Nov. 19, 2016.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The 2026 GIVEN Catholic Young Women's Leadership Forum, taking place in Washington, D.C., this week, exists to help women understand their gifts and how to share them with the world.

The five-day gathering is hosted by the GIVEN Institute – a nonprofit organization dedicated to activating the gifts of Catholic young adult women for the Church and the world through faith formation and leadership.

The forum, taking place June 24-28, features keynotes, leadership training, mentorship, adoration, prayer, and Mass.

"We hope women will take away an understanding, on a much deeper level, that they are a gift. They are a beloved daughter of God," executive director of GIVEN, Jennifer Cole-Schaefer, told EWTN News.

Women have "been given gifts that are specific to them, and God has a plan to use those gifts," she said. "It's all about receiving this idea that we are a gift, realizing what our gifts are, and responding in a way that only we can respond with our particular gifts."

The forum welcomes Catholic women, ages 21-35, who have been accepted into the institute's leadership program, as well as mentors, volunteers, exhibitors, and sponsors.

Acceptance into the program includes participation in GIVEN's forum, followed by a year of accompaniment with a trained mentor. Participants cultivate a personalized "action plan" designed to serve the Church and their community.

The "formation starts well before we get to the forum, but the forum is a really pivotal in-person experience," Cole-Schaefer said.

"It's after the forum that the real work begins – when women start to actualize their action plans, and they don't do that alone. They do that through mentoring," she said.

"So we have a whole army of women with some life experience who've stepped forward and been trained as mentors to walk with our young women as they discern all the steps," Cole-Schaefer said.

Cole-Schaefer said she hopes that after the forum, women walk "away inspired and ready to change the world in whatever way God is calling them to."

2026 forum kicks off

This year's forum welcomes a variety of presentations and keynotes, including talks from Sr. Bethany Madonna, SV, a Sister of Life, and Dr. Mary Healy, a professor of scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture.

The event is also featuring numerous panels on finding one's vocation and mission. Panelists include GIVEN alumni who attest to the formation they received through the forum.

President and COO of EWTN News, Montse Alvarado, will speak on June 27 about how young women respond with their gifts. GIVEN will also bestow Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV with its Fiat Award, which honors women whose lives embody the response of Our Lady through faithful leadership, service, and love.

Sr. Mary Madeline Todd, OP presented the keynote address on June 26. The Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Cecilia told attendees that God reveals "you are the gift" and "you are the love."

Todd told her listeners that contemporary culture tells women they were made for "comfort," "convenience," or "control," but, she emphasized, "you and I were made for communion."

"Every gift we've been given is to call others into the relationship with the Lord they were made for. It's to realize our relationship with the Lord, to grow in it, to let that love that fills us up" so we can then "pour it out onto the world," she said.

"My sisters, whatever gift he gives you, receive it. Whatever struggle you face, do not get discouraged. He's working in it," she said.

"Your story is a way he's bringing beauty into the world. But know that no matter what comes and goes with your gifts, the gift is him. His friendship, his presence, his love, is the gift he'll never take away," Todd said.

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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to cut tens of millions of teenage pregnancy prevention grants that don't align with the administration's goals.

The department's Office of Population Affairs, which designates grants for teenage pregnancy prevention, will divert $67 million to open new grants for prevention programs, a source confirmed to EWTN News.

The department will terminate 53 of 67 of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants following a department review, according to a Daily Signal report. The department reportedly described the current grants as "age-inappropriate," "sexually explicit," and in violation of the program's founding statute.

Some of the current teenage pregnancy programs teach teens how to access abortion, while others promote transgender ideology or sexually explicit material.

"Under programming favored by the Biden Administration, we saw too much emphasis on abortion and too little on protecting kids," said Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for Students for Life.

Hamrick referred to various instances of programming that instruct high schoolers with sexually explicit content.

"The kind of programming that tries to separate sexual activity from marriage or from babies, who are an important reality, misses the point," Hamrick told EWTN News. "Pretending in programming that the presence or absence of a baby is the only thing to discuss, or that contraception comes with magical guarantees, doesn't begin to educate teenagers."

"Young girls being groomed by older men; sexually transmitted diseases or broken hearts are all part of this reality, which makes pushing abortion as a 'solution' seriously off base," Hamrick continued.

The administration is opening up new grants for pregnancy prevention programming more aligned with its goals, promoting two new funding streams according to two notices the department listed on Tuesday, totaling $71.1 million in grants. Applications close July 26.

Andrea Trudden, spokeswoman for Heartbeat International, an organization of pregnancy help centers, noted that many pregnancy centers provide education that reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies.

"Pregnancy help organizations serve as an important resource for young women when an unexpected pregnancy occurs, offering practical support, compassionate care, and information about the resources available to help them continue their pregnancies," she told EWTN News.

"Many of these organizations also provide sexual risk avoidance education that encourages healthy relationships, responsible decision-making, and behaviors that reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy," Trudden continued.

"When a teen pregnancy does occur, the goal should be to ensure that no young woman feels she has to choose between her future and her child," said Trudden.

"Pregnancy help organizations have decades of experience walking alongside teens before, during, and after pregnancy, helping them build healthy futures," said Trudden.

"With the right support, education, parenting resources, and community assistance, teens can pursue their goals while welcoming the life of their baby," Trudden said.

"There are so many out there ready to help, at churches, at pregnancy care centers, and in the community," Hamrick added.

Hamrick noted that Students for Life lists resources at their webpage, Standing With You.

"A baby represents hope and a future, and for a family, whether by birth or adoption, and we need to help teenagers understand that they are not alone, that many will help, and that this is the beginning of another person's story," Hamrick said.

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Pope Leo XIV opened his second extraordinary consistory of cardinals on June 26 by defending his decision to conduct the gathering in a synodal format, acknowledging that the approach is unusual, but insisting that the Lord is leading the Church along this path so that she can "grow in communion."

Addressing 178 cardinals in the Paul VI Hall on the first of two days of discussions, Leo encouraged them to "engage wholeheartedly" in a synodal, working group structure, adding that he was "well aware that, for many of us, this is not the usual way of conducting a consistory."

Yet, he said this form is now part of "the journey along which the Lord is leading us," encouraging the cardinals to participate actively while assuring them that they can still make "personal contributions" and send him "any confidential observations or reflections."

"Enter into this ecclesial exercise with confidence," he said, adding that synodality is learned "by practising it" and that "we learn together to grow in communion."

The pope's comments came after some cardinals had expressed apprehensions about the consistory using a "synodal" round-table format for a second time — a structure they felt was "very controlled" when used at the first consistory last January, and left them with a sense that key decisions and framing had been set in advance.

Efforts made to address those concerns at this meeting include the introduction of a "free dialogue" session at the end of the meeting and a dedicated email address where cardinals can write directly to the pope to share their advice and concerns.

In his opening address, Pope Leo summarized the four themes the cardinals are to discuss. First, they were invited to contemplate the world "through the eyes of faith," listening and walking with others amid contemporary challenges. Secondly, they were asked to reflect on a "civilization of love" in a time of conflict, oppression and division, drawing on his social encyclical?Magnifica Humanitas, which explores human dignity and the common good. Thirdly, they are to explore that encyclical in greater depth by examining how the Church can build the common good through shared responsibility and adopting a "synodal style." Finally, they are to consider how to implement the Synod on Synodality "in the face of the world's wounds."

Synodality, a recurring theme in both his opening address and homily at the opening Mass, "points to a way forward: listening, discerning and jointly assuming responsibility," Leo said. It is not simply a set of procedures, he insisted, but "an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand." Nor does it entail a "diminishment of authority;" rather it serves to "safeguard communion" while fostering the participation of all and helping pastors exercise authority more evangelically.

The pope underlined that the consistory is not meant merely to address the internal life of the Church but to shape "our view of the world, peace, the common good, synodality," so that the Gospel may be proclaimed with greater fidelity and credibility. The goal, he said, is to improve the Church's witness and to become better heralds of the Gospel, which requires listening and the sharing of responsibilities.

"For this reason I wish to ask for your help," he continued. "I need your support: strong, explicit and public. I need to feel supported by you as by brothers." He urged the cardinals to accompany him in his service, to listen to what is emerging in local churches, to recognize signs of hope, but not ignore "struggles, misunderstandings and resistance."

Leo said he was convinced the Lord is "teaching us a more evangelical way of living out together the responsibility he has entrusted to us," and that the credibility of their witness and fruitfulness in mission depend on this.

The pope decided to reinstate extraordinary consistories after Pope Francis had suspended them in 2014, a generally unpopular move with many cardinals who, ahead of the conclave last year, voiced a need for the Holy Father to consult them more frequently.

In contrast to the approach of Francis, who rarely consulted his porporati except for a select few and his council of nine cardinals who advised him on Church governance, Pope Leo was emphatic on Friday about how much he valued their input, saying "sincere advice is always an act of communion" and that he needed their freedom, frankness and loyalty.

He thanked them for attending, saying their presence showed their "concern for the whole Church," and stressing that their dialogue with him, to assist him in the service and mission of the Church, is one of the cardinals' "most important responsibilities."

Leo underlined that they are to be builders of "Christ's communion" which, he said, "takes shape in a synodal Church in which everyone cooperates in the same mission, each according to their own charism and ministry."

"We are not guardians of particular interests," he reminded them, "but disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God, called to be, in Christ, the leaven of universal brotherhood," echoing remarks he had made to the Roman Curia last December.

Opening homily

In his homily at the opening Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday morning, Pope Leo said synodality and collegiality are "forms of Christian fraternity," which enables all the baptized to participate in the unity of the People of God.

Noting that the meeting is taking place just ahead of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, he urged the cardinals to follow the apostles' example of sharing the faith in freedom, to ask for the gift of peace and unity, and to "savor harmony through obedience."

The implementation of the synod, "to which we are committed, invites everyone to move forward in unity of faith, promoting peace, and in obedience to Jesus, the living Word," he said. As ideologies fade away, the Holy Spirit makes fraternal harmony, charity, and missionary zeal "flourish in the Church."

"Our working together in a collegial way embodies the synodality in which all the baptized participate in the unity of the People of God," he continued. "Synodality and collegiality are, in fact, forms of Christian fraternity, which binds us together as the baptized and as bishops."

Appearing to recast the way in which Petrine ministry is exercised, he closed by saying that in helping him in that task, "you will find in me one who asks, not commands."

"Moreover, the authority of primacy belongs to the one who listens and only then leads, to the one who learns and only then teaches, always following the one and only Teacher," he said. "May the intercession of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul accompany us on this enthralling journey."

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