Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called on Catholics to read the Bible with attention to history and human language, warning that rigid or purely spiritual interpretations can distort its true meaning.
Speaking at his weekly General Audience, Pope continued his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council and focused on the document Dei Verbum, which teaches about divine revelation and Sacred Scripture.
He said the Bible is a privileged place where people encounter God, who continues to speak to men and women of every age. According to Pope, God chose to communicate through human language and real historical situations, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by human authors.
Pope explained that Scripture shows God’s desire to be close to humanity, not only through its message but also through its language. Because of this, he said, the Bible should always be interpreted by taking into account the time, culture and literary style in which it was written.
He warned that ignoring these elements can lead to fundamentalist or spiritualist readings that betray the true meaning of Scripture.
Pope also applied this principle to preaching and teaching in the Church. He said the Word of God must be proclaimed in a way that connects with people’s real lives, their hopes and their sufferings. If the message becomes distant from reality or uses language people cannot understand, it loses its power.
He stressed that in every age the Church is called to present the Word of God in a language that can be lived in history and that reaches the human heart.
When Scripture is proclaimed in the liturgy, Pope said, it is meant to speak to believers today and to guide their daily choices and decisions.
He added that the Bible nourishes faith and love, but it must not be reduced to a simple social or charitable message. Instead, he said, it is the joyful announcement of the full and eternal life that God offers in Jesus Christ.
At the end of his address, Pope Leo invited the faithful to thank God for the gift of his Word and to pray that their own words and actions will reflect the love of God found in Scripture.