Vatican City - 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 criticized by President Donald Trump.

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

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"War is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God," he said.

"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."

This is the second time the pope has convened all 241 of the world's cardinals since his election in May 2025.

The regular gathering is emerging as a key instrument for Leo's governance of the Church, reflecting a desire for more collegial leadership.

The gathering will include prayers, workshops, and plenary sessions.

"There will be genuine sharing among us, it's clear that Pope Leo wants us to form a college, to get to know one another... The more we have these meetings, the more united we will be," Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, told AFP.