Pope: “The Church is called to speak out for the poor, the exploited, and the victims of violence and war”

At the general audience, continuing his commentary on “Lumen Gentium”, Leo XIV focused on the eschatological dimension of the Church, which “lives in service to the coming of the Kingdom of God”, interpreting the “dynamics of history” from the perspective of the Gospel. Earthly history is marked “by injustices and suffering”, but believers are “neither deluded nor despairing”. Ecclesiastical institutions “called to a continual conversion”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - “The Church fulfils her mission between the ‘already’ of the beginning of the Kingdom of God in Jesus, and the ‘not yet’ of the promised and awaited fulfilment”.

Pope Leo XIV, at this morning’s general audience in St Peter’s Square, reflected on the “eschatological dimension” of the Church – which “journeys through this earthly history always oriented towards the final goal, which is the heavenly homeland” – as emphasised in Chapter VII of the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium.

This dimension is “essential”, despite often being overlooked or downplayed. It follows that “the Church lives in history in the service of the coming of the Kingdom of God in the world”, he said. A Kingdom “of love, justice and peace”, announced by Jesus.

“The Church lives in history in the service of the coming of the Kingdom of God in the world. She proclaims the words of this promise to everyone and always; she receives a pledge of it in the celebration of the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist; she puts its logic into practice and experiences it in relationships of love and service,” the Pope continued.

The Pope, having devoted last Wednesday’s catechesis to his apostolic journey to Africa, returned to the conciliar documents, dedicating today’s reflection to the theme “The Church, a pilgrim in history towards the heavenly homeland” (reference reading Rev 7:9-10).

As the title suggests, the Church “is not perfectly identified with the Kingdom of God, but is its seed and beginning”. This leads “believers in Christ” to walk through “earthly history, marked by the maturing of good but also by injustices and sufferings, without being either deluded or despairing”, said Leo XIV. They are, in fact, “guided by the promise received” from God.

The Church, which nevertheless carries out its mission between the “already” and the “not yet”, “is also entrusted with the mission of speaking out clearly to reject all that stifles life and hinders its development, and to take a stand in favour of the poor, the exploited, the victims of violence and war, and all those who suffer, in body and spirit”, the Pope affirmed.

Emphasising how the Church “interprets the dynamics of history in the light of the Gospel, denouncing evil in all its forms and proclaiming, in word and deed, the salvation that Christ wishes to bring about for all humanity and his Kingdom”.

The Pope then spoke of the “human fragility and transience” of ecclesiastical institutions. These, “though serving the Kingdom of God, bear the fleeting image of this world”. “No ecclesiastical institution can be treated as absolute; on the contrary, since they exist within history and time, they are called to continual conversion, to the renewal of forms and the reform of structures, to the continual regeneration of relationships, so that they may truly fulfil their mission,” he said.

At the end of the audience, Provost shared with the 30,000 faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square a remembrance of St Dominic Savio (1842–1857), a pupil of Don Bosco – of whom he is “one of the first fruits of holiness shaped by the divine grace of [his] school” – who died at the age of 14.

“May his example of fidelity to the Lord in every circumstance help each of you to respond generously to the desires for good that the Holy Spirit inspires in you,” he said in his greetings to the Italian-speaking faithful, particularly young people, the sick and newlyweds.

Last night, outside the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, Villa Barberini, the Pope commented to the press on the latest verbal attack levelled at him by US President Trump. “The Church’s mission is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace. If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so with the truth,” he stated.

And again: “For years the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about that.” He pointed out that he had “spoken out from the very first moment I was elected, and now we are approaching the anniversary. I said: peace be with you.”