Summary
Pope Leo XIV during his Wednesday General Audience on Ash Wednesday highlighted that the Catholic Church is a manifestation of God’s divine plan made perceptible. He explained this by referring to Lumen gentium, approved in 1964, where the word “mystery” was derived from Saint Paul’s Letters. Pope Leo clarified that using the term did not mean the Church is mysterious or incomprehensible; rather, it indicates a reality previously hidden but now revealed—God’s plan for unity among all people through Jesus Christ, who united them in His love and reconciling action on the Cross. The Holy Father emphasized the significance of liturgical gatherings, where differences are overcome as believers unite spiritually by being drawn towards Christ. Pope Leo also stressed that the Church is both a sign and an instrument of God’s plan, serving to unify humanity through its communal worship and proclamation of the Gospel.
Key Topics
Vatican City, Pope Leo, Lumen gentium
