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This morning’s General Audience took place at 10.00 in Saint Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father Leo XIV met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and all over the world.

The Pope greeted His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who is currently on an official visit to the Vatican and attended the General Audience with his delegation.

In his address in Italian, the Pope resumed his cycle of catechesis on “The Documents of the Second Vatican Council”, focusing on the theme: Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. The liturgy in the mystery of the Church” (Reading: Eph 1:9-10).

After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed special greetings to the faithful present.

The General Audience concluded with the recitation of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.

 

Greeting of the Holy Father to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

Brothers and sisters, I am very happy to welcome His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, together with the distinguished delegation accompanying him. This fraternal visit represents an important opportunity to strengthen the bonds of unity that already exist between us, as we move towards full communion between our Churches.

Your Holiness, in these days when we prepare for Pentecost, I invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit upon your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and I invite all those present to pray fervently to the Lord that your visit and meetings may constitute a further step on the path towards full unity. Let us also pray for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East, once again torn apart by violence and war.

Your Holiness, I wish to express my particular gratitude for your constant personal commitment to ecumenism, especially to the international theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Welcome, Your Holiness, dear bishops and dear friends! Together, let us invoke the intercession of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Saint Gregory of Nareg, Saint Nerses the Gracious and, above all, the Virgin Mother of God, that they may enlighten our path towards the fullness of that unity we all desire.

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Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.  1. The liturgy in the mystery of the Church

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today we are beginning a new series of catecheses on the first Document issued by the Second Vatican Council: the Constitution on the sacred liturgy,  Sacrosanctum Concilium   ( SC ).

In drafting  this Constitution , the Council Fathers sought not only to undertake a reform of the rites, but to lead the Church to contemplate and deepen that living bond which constitutes and unites her: the mystery of Christ. Indeed, the liturgy touches the very heart of this mystery: it is at once the space, the time and the context in which the Church receives her very life from Christ. For in the liturgy, “the work of our redemption is accomplished” ( SC , 2), which makes us a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people whom God has acquired for Himself (cf.  1 Pet  2:9).

As manifested by the threefold renewal – biblical, patristic and liturgical – that the Church underwent through the course of the twentieth century, the Mystery in question does not designate an obscure reality, but God’s salvific plan, hidden from all eternity and revealed in Christ, according to Saint Paul’s affirmation (cf . Eph  3:2-6). Here, then, is the Christian Mystery: the Paschal event, that is to say, the passion, death, resurrection and glorification of Christ, which is made sacramentally present to us precisely in the liturgy, so that every time we take part in the assembly gathered “in his name” (cf.  Mt  18:20) we are immersed in this Mystery.

Christ Himself is the inner source of the mystery of the Church, the holy people of God, born from His side pierced on the cross. In the holy liturgy, through the power of His Spirit, He continues to act. He sanctifies and unites the Church, His bride, to His offering to the Father. He exercises His utterly unique priesthood, He who is present in the proclaimed Word, in the sacraments, in the ministers who celebrate, in the gathered community and, in the highest degree, in the Eucharist (cf.  SC , 7). Thus, according to Saint Augustine (cf.  Sermon , 277), in celebrating the Eucharist the Church “receives the Body of the Lord and becomes what she receives”: she becomes the Body of Christ, “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” ( Eph  2:22). This is the “work of our redemption”, which conforms us to Christ and builds us up in communion.

In the holy liturgy, this communion is achieved through “rites and prayers” ( SC , 48). The rituality of the Church expresses her faith – in accordance with the familiar saying  lex orandi, lex credendi  – and at the same time shapes ecclesial identity: the proclaimed Word, the celebration of the Sacrament, the gestures, the silences, the space – all this represents and gives form to the people gathered by the Father, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Every celebration thus becomes a true epiphany of the Church in prayer, as  Saint John Paul II  recalled (Apostolic Letter  Vicesimus   quintus annus , 9).

If the liturgy is at the service of the mystery of Christ, one understands why it has been defined as “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed … the font from which all her power flows” ( SC , 10). It is true that the action of the Church is not limited to the liturgy alone; however, all her activity (preaching, service to the poor, the accompaniment of human realities) converges towards this “summit”). Conversely, the liturgy sustains the faithful by immersing them ever and anew in the Pasch of the Lord and, thus, through the proclamation of the Word, the celebration of the sacraments and communal prayer, they are refreshed, encouraged and renewed in their commitment to faith and in their mission. In other words, the participation of the faithful in the liturgical action is at once “internal” and “external”.

This also means that it is called to unfold in a tangible way throughout daily life, in an ethical and spiritual dynamic, so that the liturgy celebrated is translated into life and demands a faithful existence, capable of making concrete what has been experienced in the celebration: it is in this way that our life becomes a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”, fulfilling our “spiritual worship” ( Rom  12:1).

In this way, “the liturgy daily builds up those who are within into a holy temple of the Lord” ( SC , 2), and forms an open community, welcoming to all. Indeed, it is inhabited by the Holy Spirit, it introduces us into the life of Christ, it makes us His Body and, in all its dimensions, it represents a sign of the unity of the entire human race in Christ. As  Pope Francis  said, “the world still does not know it, but everyone is invited to the supper of the wedding of the Lamb ( Rev  19:9)” (Apostolic Letter  Desiderio desideravi , 5).

Dear friends, let us allow ourselves to be shaped inwardly by the rites, symbols, gestures and above all the living presence of Christ in the liturgy, which we will have the opportunity to explore in the coming Catecheses.

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Greeting in English

I greet this morning all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Ireland, Tanzania, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Canada and the United States of America, as well as the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums from Canada. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the risen Jesus! God bless you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we continue our series of catecheses on the Second Vatican Council, today we consider the Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,  Sacrosanctum Concilium . This document teaches that the liturgy immerses us in the mystery of Christ’s passion, death, resurrection and glorification. Through liturgical rites and prayers, and by the power of the Spirit, Jesus exercises his priesthood and sanctifies the Church, his spouse, uniting her to his own oblation to the Father. Indeed, Christ is present in the word that is proclaimed, in the sacraments, in the ministers, in the community, and most of all in the Eucharist. Let us allow ourselves to be shaped from within by the rites, symbols, gestures and above all by the living presence of Christ in the liturgy, which we will have further opportunity to explore.

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fabrício do Prado Nunes, of the clergy of the diocese of Bagé, assessor of the archbishop of the Military Ordinariate, as auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil, assigning him the titular see of Tadamata.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Fabrício do Prado Nunes was born on 14 February 1978 in São Gabriel, diocese of Bagé, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

After studying philosophy at the Universidade Católica in Pelotas and theology at the Instituto de Teologia Paulo VI in Pelotas, he graduated in jurisprudence from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , and was awarded a master’s degree in public policy and regional development from the Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará and a postgraduate specialization in Complementary Applications to Military Sciences.

He was ordained a priest on 3 August 2003, and incardinated into the diocese of Bagé.

He has held the following offices: parish priest of Sagrada Família in Bagé; youth pastoral counsellor for the diocese of Bagé; parish priest of Sant’Ana in Santana do Livramento; lecturer in theology at the Universidade Católica in Pelotas, and in law in the Faculdade Pan Amazônica in Belém do Pará; and within the Military Ordinariate for Brazil, military chaplain of the army and chaplain of the 23rd Brazilian Battalion in Haiti.

He is currently a member of the Council of Priests and assessor of the archbishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church – See of Cilicia, Lebanon.

During the meeting, after the private meeting and the presentation of the delegation, His Holiness Aram I and Pope Leo XIV delivered their respective addresses, followed by the exchange of gifts.

Finally, there was a moment of communal prayer in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

The following is the address delivered by the Holy Father to His Holiness Aram I:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Your Holiness, dear Brother,

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!” ( Eph  1:2) With the greeting of the Apostle Paul, I welcome Your Holiness and the distinguished members of your delegation at the start of your visit to the Church of Rome.

Could there be a greater spiritual bond between our Churches than the Apostle Paul of Tarsus, born in Cilicia, the place of your See, and who received the crown of martyrdom here in Rome? To Saint Paul, the Apostle par excellence of communion between the Churches, I entrust your pilgrimage to Rome. But how can I fail to mention also the great saints of the Church who worked for Christian unity? My thoughts turn to Saint Nerses the Gracious, Catholicos of Cilicia, who may be regarded as a pioneer of ecumenism – and whose recent inclusion in the  Roman Martyrology  is a further example of that “ecumenism of the saints” which already unites our Churches.

Located at the crossroads of different peoples and cultures, the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia has long been characterized by its ecumenical vocation, particularly with regard to the Church of Rome. This special relationship between our Churches, which was particularly intense in the Middle Ages, saw new developments in the 20th century and especially after the  Second Vatican Council .

I am mindful that your venerable predecessor, Catholicos Khoren I, was the first primate of an Oriental Orthodox Church to visit Rome after the Council, as early as May 1967. Yourself, Holiness, stand out for your tireless ecumenical zeal, both locally, as one of the founders of the Middle East Council of Churches, and internationally within the World Council of Churches, where you have held prominent positions.

I am deeply grateful for your efforts to foster relations with the Catholic Church and for your closeness to the Church of Rome, which you visited for the first time as Catholicos during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 1997, and which you have honoured with your presence on numerous occasions since then.

I thank you in particular for your personal commitment to promoting theological dialogue between our Churches, which has been taking place since 2003 within the framework of the  Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches . This dialogue, which benefits from the valuable contribution of Armenian delegates, has already published three significant documents on the nature and mission of the Church, on communion in the early Church and on the sacraments. I sincerely hope that, despite recent difficulties, this dialogue will continue with renewed vigour, for there can be no restoration of communion between our Churches without unity in faith.

Your presence among us brings to mind the beloved country from which you come and which I had the joy of visiting last December. This land of Lebanon, so dear to my heart, which for so long has shown the whole world that it is possible for people of diverse cultures and religions to live together as one nation, continues to face severe trials. At a time when the unity and integrity of your country are once again under threat, our Churches are called to strengthen the fraternal bonds that unite not only Christians amongst themselves, but also with their brothers and sisters from other communities in their shared homeland. Your Holiness, I assure you of my daily prayers and of the deep concern I feel for the people of Lebanon and for the Churches of the Middle East, to which you will devote a conference during your stay in Rome.

In these days leading up to the Solemnity of Pentecost, as we prepare to relive the mystery the miracle of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the nascent Church, I am grateful to be able to pray after this meeting, together with Your Holiness, to the Spirit, Lord and Giver of life, that He may grant us the gift of unity, bestow upon us enduring peace, and renew the face of the earth.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience a delegation from the “Catholic Extension Society”.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present at the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

When someone from Dolton, Illinois, comes, we have to open all the doors! There aren’t many of us around anymore.

Your Eminence, Your Excellency, Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear friends,

I am pleased to welcome you, the Members of the Board of Catholic Extension, together with your families, on your pilgrimage to Rome and to the Vatican. I pray that your time here allows you the opportunity to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and to strengthen your bonds with the Successor of Peter and the Universal Church. Such an occasion is particularly significant for you as a Pontifical Society.

Your visit to Rome takes place as we approach the Solemnity of Pentecost, a pivotal moment in the life of the Church that has particular relevance for us today. Indeed, it was only after receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles began to proclaim Jesus of Nazareth to men and women of “every nation under heaven” ( Acts  2:5), announcing the Good News of salvation and new life in Christ. What follows in the book of Acts is the story of the early Church and the spread of the Gospel, first in Jerusalem and then to the surrounding areas. As the Lord added to their numbers, they began to form communities grounded in fraternal unity and in the teaching of the Apostles, nourished and strengthened by the Eucharist and a life of prayer (cf. v. 42-47).

The same zeal that moved the Christians of the early Church to share the news of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Spirit inspired your founder, Father Francis Clement Kelley over 120 years ago. He sought to reach out to remote faith communities across the United States in order to bring to them the very life of Christ through the sacraments and the support of a larger Catholic community. This missionary enthusiasm is still needed today, and so I would like to thank you for your continued efforts to minister to the needs of the poorer Catholic communities both in the United States and abroad.

In a particular way, I would like to commend your work in Cuba and in Puerto Rico. The support you provide to these communities is a beautiful expression of the universality of the Church and a living reminder that “love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God” ( Dilexi Te   26). I likewise encourage the pastoral care you are offering to the disadvantaged, as well as to the many immigrant families in the United States. It is imperative that our brothers and sisters experience the warmth of a community which is marked by the presence of Christ.

The early Church bears witness to the fact that wherever there is a true faith community, Christian charity inspires its members to alleviate the suffering of others and tend to those in need, especially the poor (cf  Acts  2:45; 6:1-6). Love for the poor can therefore be understood as “the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God” ( Dilexi Te   103), and also open the door for those we serve to come to know the Lord more deeply as we bear witness to his love. 

As you continue your mission, the dedication of Catholic Extension to not only alleviate the temporal needs of those less fortunate, but also invest in building up vibrant Catholic communities is particularly necessary today. Faith-filled communities provide an opportunity for individuals to experience the joy of new life in Christ lived out in a daily, ordinary fashion. They provide support, as we have seen, for the poor, but also the strength that we all need in order to face the challenges of life with faith. In a particular way, these communities are also the “good soil” in which new vocations to the priesthood and to religious life can take root and begin to grow (cf.  Mt  13:8), providing new laborers for the harvest for years to come (cf.  Lk  10:2).

Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue to serve the Lord with gladness and generosity, motivated by love of God and neighbor and the certainty that the Father “who sees in secret will reward you” ( Mt  6:4). Entrusting all of you to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing, which I extend to everyone associated with The Catholic Extension Society, as a pledge of peace and joy in the risen Lord. Thank you.