Pope Leo XIV lamented that there are cultural spaces where the Gospel is “distorted by particular interests” during a meeting with the Catholic Biblical Federation at the Vatican on Monday.

“New generations inhabit new digital environments where the word of God is easily overshadowed. New communities often find themselves in cultural spaces where the Gospel is unfamiliar or distorted by particular interests,” the pope said Nov. 17.

The Catholic Biblical Federation is an international organization — led by Cardinal Luis Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization — whose main goal is to promote the knowledge, dissemination, study, and pastoral ministry of sacred Scripture around the world.

The pontiff made clear that the group’s mission and vision “should always be inspired by the conviction that the Church draws life not from herself but from the Gospel.”

He added that “ensuring easy access to sacred Scripture for all the faithful is essential so that everyone may encounter the God who speaks, shares his love, and draws us into the fullness of life” and said translations of Scripture “remain indispensable.”

Leo invited the group to reflect on what “easy access” to sacred Scripture means in our time and “how can we facilitate this encounter for those who have never heard the word of God or whose cultures remain untouched by the Gospel?”

The pope expressed the hope that these questions will inspire “new forms of biblical outreach, capable of opening pathways to the Scriptures, so that God’s word may take root in people’s hearts and lead all to live in his grace.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.