Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV said the Church has a duty to speak clearly against everything that harms human life and dignity, while continuing its mission of guiding people towards salvation and hope in Christ. He made the remarks during his General Audience at the Vatican on Wednesday as he reflected on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council’s document Lumen gentium.
Pope focused on the Church’s role as a pilgrim people moving through history while always looking toward eternal life with God. He explained that Christians sometimes become too focused on the immediate concerns of daily life and forget the deeper spiritual goal of the Church, which is the Kingdom of God.
Pope Leo said the Church does not exist to glorify itself but to point people toward Christ and salvation. He stressed that the Church must always defend human dignity and stand with those who suffer.
“As the guardian of hope,” Pope said, the Church must reject everything that destroys life or prevents people from living fully. He added that the Church should continue to support the poor, the exploited, victims of violence and war, and all who suffer physically or spiritually.
Pope also reminded Catholics that Church institutions are made up of human beings and therefore require constant renewal and reform. He said no institution within the Church should ever be treated as absolute because all structures exist within history and must continue to grow and change in service of God’s Kingdom.
Pope Leo explained that Jesus Himself founded the Church by proclaiming a Kingdom of love, justice and peace. Because of this, Christians are called to measure every action and decision according to the values of that Kingdom.
Pope noted that the Church lives between what he described as the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s Kingdom. He explained that Christ has already begun the work of salvation, but its complete fulfilment will only come at the end of time. Until then, believers continue their journey through a world marked both by goodness and by suffering.
He encouraged Christians not to lose hope in difficult times. Instead, he said they should live with confidence in God’s promise to “make all things new.”
During the audience, Pope Leo also reflected on the communion between Christians living on earth and those who have died. Referring again to Lumen gentium, he said all Christians form one Church united in Christ, whether they are living on earth, undergoing purification after death, or already in heavenly glory.
Pope said this communion of saints is experienced especially during the liturgy and through prayers for the dead. He encouraged the faithful to follow the example of holy men and women who lived as disciples of Jesus before them.
He concluded by thanking the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council for teaching this important vision of Christian life and urged believers to deepen this understanding in their daily lives.