Vatican City — During his weekly General Audience on Ash Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV continued his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council, reflecting deeply on the Church as “the mystery made perceptible.” The Pope focused in particular on Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, describing it as essential to understanding the Church’s identity and mission.
The Pope has spent recent weeks teaching on Dei Verbum, Vatican II’s Constitution on Divine Revelation, which he previously called “one of the most beautiful and important” documents of the Council. This week, he shifted attention to how revelation helps clarify the Church’s origins, purpose, and life.
Understanding the Church through the lens of “mystery”
Pope Leo recalled that Vatican II chose the word “mystery”—drawn from the Letters of Saint Paul—to describe the Church. He clarified that the term does not refer to something obscure or incomprehensible:
“When Saint Paul uses the word… he wishes to indicate a reality that was previously hidden and is now revealed.”
According to the Pope, this “revealed reality” is God’s plan to unite all people to Himself through Jesus Christ. The Church can only be understood in the context of this divine plan.
Unity through Christ’s reconciling action
Pope Leo stressed that Christ’s death on the cross is central to this plan of unity:
“God’s purpose is to unify all creatures through the reconciliatory action of Jesus Christ.”
He explained that this reconciliation is most clearly experienced in the liturgical assembly, where people of different backgrounds come together, drawn by Christ’s love:
“In the celebration, differences are relativized… what counts is being together in the Love of Christ.”
Christ overcomes fragmentation
The Holy Father lamented humanity’s ongoing fragmentation—a division that people cannot repair on their own. Yet, he said, Christ breaks through this condition:
“The action of Jesus Christ… overcomes the powers of division through the Holy Spirit.”
This unity is manifested wherever believers gather to listen to the Gospel and celebrate the Eucharist. The Pope noted that this is why the early Christians used the term ekklesía, meaning “assembly of the called,” to describe the Church.
“The Church is the mystery made perceptible”
Bringing his reflection to its central point, Pope Leo said:
“There is a certain coincidence between this mystery and the Church: the Church is the mystery made perceptible.”
He explained that the Church is both:
- A sign — making Christ’s unity visible in the world today
- An instrument — through which God continues to draw people to Himself and reconcile divided humanity
A prayer for unity and reconciliation
Pope Leo concluded his catechesis by urging the faithful to ask God for guidance as the Church carries out her mission:
“As we journey through a world still marked by division, let us ask the Lord to continue to guide His Church in the mission of sanctification and reconciliation.”