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The following is the Message sent on behalf of the Holy Father Leo XIV by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, to Bishop Martin Waïngue Bani, President of ACERAC, on the occasion of the 13 th General Assembly of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Central Africa Region:

 

Message

To His Excellency Msgr. Martin Waïngue Bani President of ACERAC N’Djaména

On the occasion of the thirteenth General Assembly of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Central Africa Region, I have the pleasure of conveying the greetings of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to all the pastors gathered in N’Djaména. The Holy Father assures you of his deep sympathy, aware of the zeal with which, dear brothers, you work daily in the service of the communities entrusted to your pastoral care.

For this reason, he never ceases to give thanks when he remembers you in his prayers (cf. Eph 1:16). He does likewise for the priests, your closest collaborations in your apostolic ministry, and for the deacons, men and women religious, and lay faithful who share your joy and responsibility as witnesses of Christ in all areas of ecclesial life. I am sure that your regular meetings will nurture your mutual cooperation, which is indispensable to the fulfilment of the mission: to increase faith, hope and charity in the hearts of Christians, to develop relationships with other religious communities and the civil authorities, to make the Gospel present in the culture and social fabric, for the protection of human life, the promotion of peace and justice, the care of vulnerable people who are victims of conflict, and the defence of creation. The exchange and fraternity which characterize your assemblies give strength and vitality to the common commitment to the one Church of Christ.

This year, the Church commemorates the 31 st anniversary of the post-Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa , which affirms that “the Lord visited his people in Africa. Indeed, this Continent is today experiencing what we can call a sign of the times, an acceptable time, a day of salvation” (no. 6). The Church in Africa is indeed a living, strong and dynamic reality. Thirty-one years later, this message remains relevant in the face of numerous challenges. The theme chosen for your work confirms this: “The challenges of the Church, the family of God in Central Africa: 31 years after the publication of the Post-Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa ”. As pastors, as the family of God, you are facing urgent issues arising in your pastoral work.

An important question is the inculturation of faith. It is not a question of adapting the Gospel to the world, but of finding in each culture the appropriate ways to proclaim the Word that does not fade away, enriching and serving human existence. Faced with the evils that undermine society, such as tribalism, interethnic conflicts, wars, family divisions and so on, the Gospel calls for reconciliation and the pacification of hearts. As Saint Pope John Paul II emphasized, “The new evangelization will thus aim at building up the Church as family, avoiding all ethnocentrism and excessive particularism, trying instead to encourage reconciliation and true communion between different ethnic groups, favouring solidarity and the sharing of personnel and resources among the particular Churches, without undue ethnic considerations” ( ibid ., no. 63).

The synodal path of the Church, the family of God, requires pastors to be close to the people entrusted to them in a spirit of listening, compassion and benevolence.

May you hear the voices of the many young people who risk their lives for better living conditions, so that they may take an active part in the life of their nation and the Church. Your communities are also shaken by the crisis of refugees and displaced persons. Be for them the Christ who bows down to their painful situations in order to heal them and give them the bread of consolation.

Entrusting your work to the maternal care of the Virgin Mary, Star of Evangelization, Pope Leo XIV imparts the Apostolic Blessing to you, as well as your collaborators, priests, men and women religious, all other pastoral workers, the family of God in the Central African Region, and your nations.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin Secretary of State of His Holiness

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Bishop Giovanni Paccosi of San Miniato, Italy;

- Bishop Thomas Aquinas Lephonse of Coimbatore, India;

- Her Excellency Ms. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and entourage;

- Bishop Giuseppe Zenti, emeritus of Verona, Italy;

- His Eminence Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller;

- Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;

- Participants in the General Assemblies of the Consecrated of Regnum Christi .

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the Plenary Session of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Good morning and welcome!

Dear Cardinals,

Dear brothers in the Episcopate,

Dear brothers and sisters,

I welcome you with joy on the occasion of your Plenary Session. I cordially greet and thank the Prefect of the Dicastery, with the Superiors and the Officials. I am well aware of the valuable service you perform, with the aim – as the Constitution Praedicate Evangelium states – to “help the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world by promoting and safeguarding the integrity of Catholic teaching on faith and morals … by drawing upon the deposit of faith and seeking an ever deeper understanding of it in the face of new questions” (no. 69).

Your task is to offer clarifications regarding the doctrine of the Church, through pastoral and theological guidance on often very sensitive issues. To this end, over the last two years the Dicastery has published several documents, of which the main ones are: the Note Gestis verbisque , on the validity of the Sacraments (2 February 2024), which offered clear instructions for resolving doubtful cases relating to their administration; the Declaration Dignitas infinita , on human dignity (2 April 2024), which reiterated the infinite dignity of every human being, seriously endangered nowadays, in particular by ongoing wars and an economy that prioritizes profit; the Norms for proceeding in the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena (17 May 2024), which enabled the resolution of cases relating to these events, including those concerning the spiritual experience of Medjugorje, to which the Note The Queen of Peace (19 September 2024) is specifically dedicated; the Note Antiqua et nova , prepared in collaboration with the Dicastery for Culture and Education (28 January 2025), which offers an extensive and precise consideration of the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence; the doctrinal Note Mater Populi fidelis , on certain Marian titles referring to Mary's cooperation in the work of salvation (4 November 2025), which encourages popular Marian devotion, deepening its biblical and theological foundations, while offering precise and important clarifications for Mariology; and finally, the doctrinal Note Una caro. In Praise of Monogamy , on the value of marriage as an exclusive union and mutual belonging (25 November 2025), which explores in an original way the property of unity in marriage between a man and a woman.

All this work will certainly be of great benefit to the spiritual growth of the holy and faithful People of God. In the context of the epochal change we are experiencing, it offers the faithful a prompt and clear word from the Church, especially with regard to the many new phenomena appearing on the scene of history. It also gives valuable guidance to bishops on the exercise of their pastoral action, as well as to theologians, in their service of study and evangelization.

I appreciate, in particular, that in this “Plenary” you have initiated a fruitful discussion on the theme of the transmission of faith, a matter of great urgency in our time. Indeed, “we cannot overlook the fact that in recent decades there has been a breakdown in the way Catholics pass down the Christian faith to the young”, [1] and that, especially in contexts of longstanding evangelization, an increasing number of people no longer perceive the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their own existence, especially among the new generations. In truth, there are many young men and women who live without any reference to God and the Church, and while this causes pain in us as believers, it must also lead us to rediscover the “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing”, [2] which is at the very heart of the life and mission of the Bride of Christ.

As I recalled on the occasion of the recent extraordinary Consistory, “we want to be a Church that does not look only at itself, that is missionary, that looks beyond itself, at others”; [3] a Church which proclaims the Gospel, especially through the power of attraction, as my predecessors Benedict XVI and Francis repeatedly emphasized. [4]

The foundation of the life of the Body of Christ is the love of the Father, revealed to us in the Son made man, present and working in us by the gift of the Spirit; therefore, “it is not the Church that attracts, but Christ; and if a Christian or an ecclesial community attracts, it is because through that ‘channel’ flows the lifeblood of Charity that cascades from the Heart of the Saviour”. [5]

The Church proclaims Christ, without self-promotion or particularism, and in her, each one is and must always and only recognize himself as “a simple and humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord”. [6]

I would like to mention, before concluding, another service of yours, for which I am grateful and which I commend to your care: that of welcoming and accompanying, with every kindness and judgement, the Bishops and Superiors General called to deal with cases of crimes reserved to the Dicastery. This is a very delicate area of ministry, in which it is essential to ensure that the requirements of justice, truth and charity are always honoured and respected.

Dear friends, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to each of you for the valuable contribution you make to the life and work of the Dicastery and of the Church as a whole, especially when that contribution is offered in a humble and unobtrusive manner. As a sign of my gratitude, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all of you and to your loved ones. Thank you.

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[1] Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium (24 November 2013), 70.

[2] Cf. St. Paolo VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 80; cit. in Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium (24 November 2013), 10.

[3] Impromptu words at the end of the first session of the Extraordinary Consistory , 8 January 2026.

[4] Cf. Benedict XVI, Homily of the Holy Mass to inaugurate the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean (13 May 2007); Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium (24 November 2013), 14.

[5] Address on the occasion of the Extraordinary Consistory (7 January 2026).

[6] Benedict XVI, Apostolic Blessing “Urbi et orbi” and first greeting (19 April 2005).

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Javier Herrera Corona, titular of Vulturara, apostolic nuncio in Algeria;

- Mr. Luis G. Franceschi, Assistant Secretary General of the “Commonwealth of Nations”;

- His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania.

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

In his address in Italian, the Pope focused on the theme: “ The Documents of Vatican Council II. I. Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum. 3. A single sacred deposit. The relationship between Scripture and Tradition” (Reading: Jn 14:25-26).

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.

 

Catechesis. The Documents of Vatican Council II. I. Dogmatic Constitution  Dei Verbum. 3. A single sacred deposit. The relationship between Scripture and Tradition

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Continuing our reading of the Conciliar Constitution  Dei Verbum  on Divine Revelation, today we will reflect on the relationship between Sacred Scripture and Tradition. We can take two Gospel scenes as a backdrop. In the first, which takes place in the Upper Room, Jesus, in his great discourse-testament addressed to the disciples, affirms: “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. … When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” ( Jn  14:25-26; 16:13).

The second scene takes us instead to the hills of Galilee. The risen Jesus shows himself to the disciples, who are surprised and doubtful, and he advises them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” ( Mt  28:19-20). In both of these scenes, the intimate connection between the words uttered by Christ and their dissemination throughout the centuries is evident.

It is what the  Second Vatican Council  affirms, using an evocative image: “There exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end” ( Dei Verbum , 9). Ecclesial Tradition branches out throughout history through the Church, which preserves, interprets and embodies the Word of God. The  Catechism of the Catholic Church  (cf. no. 113) refers, in this regard, to a motto of the Church Fathers: “Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records”, that is, in the sacred text.

In the light of Christ’s words, quoted above, the Council affirms that “this tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit” ( Dei Verbum , 8). This occurs with full comprehension through “contemplation and study made by believers”, through “a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience” and, above all, with the preaching of the successors of the apostles who have received “the sure gift of truth”. In short, “the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes” ( ibid. ).

In this regard, the expression of Saint Gregory the Great is famous: “The Sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them”.  [1] And Saint Augustine had already remarked that “there is only one word of God that unfolds through Scripture, and there is only one Word that sounds on the lips of many saints”.  [2] The Word of God, then, is not fossilized, but rather it is a living and organic reality that develops and grows in Tradition. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Tradition understands it in the richness of its truth and embodies it in the shifting coordinates of history.

In this regard, the proposal of the holy Doctor of the Church John Henry Newman in his work entitled The Development of Christian Doctrine is striking. He affirmed that Christianity, both as a communal experience and as a doctrine, is a dynamic reality, in the manner indicated by Jesus himself in the parables of the seed (cf. Mk 4:26-29): a living reality that develops thanks to an inner vital force.  [3]

The apostle Paul repeatedly exhorts his disciple and collaborator Timothy: “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you” ( 1 Tim  6:20; cf.  2 Tim  1:12-14). The Dogmatic Constitution  Dei Verbum  echoes this Pauline text when it says: “Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church”, interpreted by the “living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ” (no. 10). “Deposit” is a term that, in its original meaning, is juridical in nature and imposes on the depositary the duty to preserve the content, which in this case is the faith, and to transmit it intact.

The “deposit” of the Word of God is still in the hands of the Church today, and all of us, in our various ecclesial ministries, must continue to preserve it in its integrity, as a lodestar for our journey through the complexity of history and existence.

In conclusion, dear friends, let us listen once more to  Dei Verbum , which exalts the interweaving of Sacred Scripture and Tradition: it affirms that they “are so linked and joined together that they cannot stand independently, and together, each in their own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they contribute effectively to the salvation of souls” (cf. no. 10).

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[1]  Homiliae in Ezechielem  I, VII, 8:   PL  76, 843D.

[2]   Enarrationes in Psalmos  103, IV, 1

[3] Cf. J.H. Newman,   An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine , Milan 2003, p. 104.

 

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Appeal of the Holy Father

Yesterday was the International Remembrance Day for all victims of the Holocaust, which brought death to millions of Jews and to many other people. On this yearly occasion of painful remembrance, I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world without antisemitism and without prejudice, oppression, and persecution of any human creature. I renew my appeal to the community of nations to remain ever vigilant. May the horror of genocide never again be inflicted upon any people and that a society founded on mutual respect and the common good may be built.

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Greeting in English

I greet the English speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s audience, in particular the groups from Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, India and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear brothers and sisters, in our catechesis on the Dogmatic Constitution  Dei Verbum , today we considered the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. In the passage we just heard from John’s Gospel, Jesus says he will send the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles to remember, apply and proclaim everything he taught. Sacred Scripture, the inspired word of God, and Sacred Tradition, the living memory of the Church, are intimately bound together and form the one Deposit of Faith. This deposit which contains the entirety of our faith –- doctrine, worship, morality, etc. –- is not static but dynamic for it develops and is more profoundly understood by the Church over the centuries, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Entrusted to the Church, who preserves and interprets it in Jesus’ name, this deposit helps us to navigate the complexities of life to reach our eternal home in heaven. May we become living and faithful witness to God’s word in Scripture and Tradition.