Papa
Heat. Heat.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Your blessing.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
You have to go six.
Glory
to God.
Keep
going.
Go.
What's up?
Woo!
You are
That's awesome.
Okay.
Wow.
Come on.
Come on.
Thank you.
Come on now.
Uh-huh.
Let's
go. Let's go.
I love you, Papa.
Hallelujah.
Come on. Come on.
Chicago.
All right.
Praise be to Jesus Christ. A very warm welcome to you all on behalf of Vatican Media, Vatican Radio, and all my colleagues here at the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication. I'm Joseph Tollik, and I'll be providing the English-language commentary from this live broadcast of Pope Leo's general audience today, the 11th of March. Today the pope will be continuing with his cycle of catechesis on the Second Vatican Council. In the first couple of weeks he looked at the conciliar constitution Dei Verbum, and today he'll be continuing to look at the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium. So these two very, very important documents from this equally important council, the Second Vatican Council. The event is taking place in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. It's a slightly overcast day here in Rome. There's no rain for the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, but there's also not much of that famous Roman sun.
A very warm welcome to all of you, whether you're joining us via our Vatican News YouTube channel, via EWTN TV, Catholic Faith Network, Salt and Light TV, Radio Maria England, Shalom World TV, Madashian TV, Catholic TV, or Luminous Radio India. And welcome to all of our friends from the Deaf Catholic Youth Initiative for the Americas. You can visit our Vatican News YouTube channel to find a translation of the general audience in American Sign Language. And lastly, this broadcast is also available live right now on our Vatican Media audio app and our Vatican News website, which you can access at vaticannews.va, as well as on our Facebook page. So, Pope Leo is now approaching this raised area at the end of St. Peter's Square, which means he'll be getting started soon with the general audience. He's back in the office, if you like, on Tuesdays. He now normally goes to Castel Gandolfo, to the papal residence about an hour outside of Rome. He goes up on Monday evenings and comes back on Tuesday evenings. So this is, if you like, the beginning of his work week.
We haven't, because he's been resting in Castel Gandolfo, we haven't had that much news from him recently. The last update we had came on Monday evening. The Holy See press office told us that he was praying for a cessation, excuse me, of hostilities in the Middle East, and that he expressed his sorrow for the many innocent people who had died, including children and those who care for them, especially Father Pierre Al-Rahi. So now the pope has arrived on the stage, and he'll be getting started with the general audience in just a few moments' time.
Big round of applause.
It's being announced in Italian that Pope Leo is about to introduce the general audience with a liturgical greeting and the sign of the cross. And we're being invited to prepare ourselves to receive his word.
Leo says, "Peace be with you." And that's how the general audience gets started. We'll now hear a reading from the Gospel in various languages.
And excuse me, it's not a reading from the Gospel. It's from the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 31. That was the reading in Italian. And now we'll hear it in French as well.
French.
Par.
A reading from the prophet Jeremiah. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The word of the Lord.
And now we'll hear that same reading in German.
And now the same words from the prophet Jeremiah in Spanish. It's chapter 31.
And now we'll hear the same reading in Portuguese.
Excuse me. In Chinese.
Faithfully.
And now those same words from the prophet Jeremiah in Portuguese.
This is
Now we'll hear that same reading in Arabic.
And now we have the reading in Polish. It's taken from Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 33.
That was today's reading, and we'll now hear Pope Leo's catechesis, which he'll read in Italian. I'll provide an English-language translation.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome.
Continuing in our reflection on the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, today we will look at the second chapter, dedicated to the people of God. God, who created the world and humanity and who wishes to save every man, carries out his work of salvation in history, choosing a real people and dwelling among them. For this reason, he calls Abraham and promises him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. With Abraham's children, after freeing them from slavery, God makes a covenant, accompanies them, cares for them, and gathers them together whenever they stray. Therefore, the identity of this people is given by God's action and by faith in him. They are called to become a light for other nations, like a beacon that will draw all peoples, the whole of humanity, to itself.
The council affirms that all these things, however, were done by way of preparation and as a figure of that new and perfect covenant which was to be ratified in Christ, and of that fuller revelation which was to be given through the word of God himself made flesh. End of quote. Indeed, it is Christ who, in giving his body and his blood, unites this people in himself and in a definitive way. It is a people now made up of members of every nation. It is united by faith in him, by adherence to him, by living the same life as him, animated by the spirit of the risen one. This is the church, the people of God, who draw their existence from the body of Christ and who are themselves the body of Christ. Not a people like any other, but the people of God, called together by him and made up of women and men from all the peoples of the earth. Its unifying principle is not language, a culture, an ethnicity, but faith in Christ. The church is therefore, according to a splendid expression from the council, the assembly of all those who in faith look upon Jesus.
It is a messianic people precisely because it has Christ the Messiah as its head. Those who belong to it do not pride themselves on merits or titles, but only on the gift of being in Christ and through him daughters and sons of God, above any task or function. Therefore, what really matters in the church is to be grafted onto Christ, to be children of God by grace. This is also the only honorary title that we should seek as Christians. We are in the church in order to receive life from the Father unceasingly and to give life as his children and brothers and sisters among ourselves. Consequently, the law that animates relationships in the church is love as we receive and experience it in Jesus. And her goal is the kingdom of God towards which she walks together with all humanity.
Lord and Savior of every man and woman. The church can never turn inwards on herself, but is always open to everyone and is for everyone. If believers in Christ belong to it, the council reminds us that all men are called to belong to the new people of God. Wherefore this people, remaining one and unique, must extend to the whole world and to all ages, so that the intention of God's will may be fulfilled, who in the beginning created human nature as one and wants to gather together his children who were scattered. That's a quote from Lumen Gentium 13. Even those who have not yet received the gospel are therefore in some way oriented toward the people of God. And the church, cooperating in Christ's mission, is called upon to spread the gospel everywhere and to everyone, so that every person may enter into contact with Christ. This means that in the church there is and there must be a place for everyone, and that every Christian is called to proclaim the gospel and bear witness in every environment in which he or she lives and works. Thus, this people shows its catholicity, welcoming the wealth and resources of different cultures and at the same time offering them the newness of the gospel to purify them and raise them up.
In this regard, the church is one but includes everyone. A great theologian described it thus: the unique ark of salvation must welcome all human diversity into its vast nave. The only banquet hall, the food it distributes is drawn from all creation. The seamless garment of Christ. It is also, and it is the same thing, the garment of Joseph with its many colors. End quote. It is a great sign of hope, especially in our times traversed by so many conflicts and wars, to know that the church is a people in which men and women of different nationalities, languages and cultures live together in faith. It is a sign placed in the very heart of humanity, a reminder and prophecy of that unity and peace to which God the Father calls all his children.
That was Pope Leo's catechesis for today, and we'll now hear a summary and an exchange of greetings in various different languages. I won't translate the summary in the various languages, but I will be translating the pope's greetings to the speaker of each language. So now we'll hear the first summary and exchange of greetings, which will be in French.
Apostolic.
For
French.
Volunteers. For
Epoch.
Long France.
In particular
group
Catholic.
In particular
missionary.
We cordially greet the French-speaking pilgrims, especially those from France, the group of priests from the diocese of South with their bishop, and students from various Catholic schools, and finally the pilgrims from Belgium, especially the group of students from the European schools. Be missionaries of unity and peace, bearing witness to God's love for humanity. May God bless you.
And we'll now hear the summary and exchange of greetings in English.
Most Holy Father, the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors wish to express to you their sentiments of deep respect and esteem and to assure you of their prayers for your ministry as the successor of Peter. At the end of the audience, we will sing together the Our Father in Latin. His Holiness will then impart his apostolic blessing, which he extends in a particular way to the members of your families at home. He also intends to bless any religious articles you may have brought for this purpose. And in a special way, his blessing goes to your children, the elderly, and those who are sick.
Dear brothers and sisters, in our continuing catechesis on the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, we reflect on God's salvific work in history by choosing a people as his own. He makes a covenant with Abraham and calls his people to be a light for other nations. In this way, he foreshadows the new and perfect covenant in Jesus Christ. With his death and resurrection, Jesus gathers all peoples, men and women of different nationalities, languages, and cultures into his bride, the church. The church is the new people of God, who, united by faith and animated by Christ's love, proclaim the gospel to the whole world. We too, as members of the church, are called to be signs of hope and to spread the message of the Father who desires to gather to himself all his children.
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today's audience, particularly the groups from Denmark, Australia, and the United States of America, with prayerful good wishes that this Lent will be a time of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families. I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And now we'll hear the summary in German.
For
Mention.
For
Shaft.
Common bond. For
Mention
For!
Foreign! Foreign!
Dear German-speaking brothers and sisters, let us take the opportunity of Lent to listen to and follow the voice of the Lord more attentively. In this way, we will grow in faith in Christ, who unites us in his mystical body, which is the church, and leads us to salvation.
So, now we'll hear the summary and exchange of greetings in Spanish. Pope Leo will read the summary himself, as he's a fluent Spanish speaker after all his decades in Peru.
Participate.
Rosario
devotion
reflection
Lumen Gentium
Lord.
Election prepares.
The different languages.
Saludo cordial a los.
I cordially greet the Spanish-speaking pilgrims.
Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary that we may never tire of praying, of hoping and working, ready for purification and interior renewal, so that the light of Christ may always shine in the people of God. May the Lord bless you. Thank you very much.
And we'll now hear the summary and exchange of greetings in Chinese.
Foreign.
For
My foreign.
For!
Foreign! Foreign!
For
Revol
