Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to contemplate “the mystery of unity and communion with the Church of Rome” and to recognize that “the true sanctuary of God is Christ who died and rose again” during his Sunday Angelus on the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pope said in his catechesis that the Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the seat of Peter’s successor, “is not only a work of extraordinary historical, artistic, and religious value, but it also represents the driving force of the faith entrusted to and preserved by the Apostles, and its transmission throughout history.”
He noted that this mystery “shines forth in the artistic splendor of the building,” which contains “the 12 large statues of the Apostles, the first followers of Christ and witnesses of the Gospel.”
The pope urged Christians to look beyond appearances and to see the Church’s deeper reality. “This points to a spiritual perspective, which helps us to go beyond the external appearance, to understand that the mystery of the Church is much more than a simple place, a physical space, a building made of stones,” he said.
Recalling the Gospel account of Jesus cleansing the Temple, Leo XIV said: “In reality, the true sanctuary of God is Christ who died and rose again. He is the only mediator of salvation, the only redeemer, the one who, by uniting himself with our humanity and transforming us with his love, represents the door that opens wide for us and leads us to the Father.”
“United with him,” he continued, “we too are living stones of this spiritual edifice. We are the Church of Christ, his body, his members called to spread his Gospel of mercy, consolation, and peace throughout the world, through that spiritual worship that must shine forth above all in our witness of life.”
The pope cautioned that the sins and weaknesses of believers, together with “many clichés and prejudices,” often obscure the mystery of the Church. “Her holiness, in fact, is not dependent upon our merits,” he said, “but in the ‘gift of the Lord, never retracted,’ that continues to choose ‘as the vessel of its presence, with a paradoxical love, the dirty hands of men.’”
“Let us walk then in the joy of being the holy people that God has chosen,” Leo XIV concluded, inviting the faithful to pray: “Let us invoke Mary, Mother of the Church, to help us welcome Christ and accompany us with her intercession.”
After praying the Angelus, the pope expressed his closeness to the people of the Philippines, where a massive typhoon has caused widespread destruction.
“I express my closeness to the people of the Philippines who have been hit by a violent typhoon: I pray for the deceased and their families, as well as for the injured and displaced,” he said.
He also noted that the Church in Italy was observing its annual Thanksgiving Day and joined the Italian bishops in encouraging “responsible care for the land, combating food waste, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.”
Finally, Leo XIV made a heartfelt appeal for peace amid ongoing conflicts. “If we truly want to honor their memory,” he said of recent war victims, “we must stop the wars and put all of our efforts into negotiations.”
The pope concluded by greeting groups of pilgrims from around the world and wishing everyone “a blessed Sunday.”
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
