The Wednesday General Audience with Pope Leo XIV 01.28.2026

 

Pope

• general audience
• sacred scripture
• church
• Second Vatican Council

Pope at Audience: The Word of God is the guide for our existence

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV continues his reflection on the Dogmatic Constitution 'Dei Verbum' on Divine Revelation and emphasizes the close relationship between Sacred Scripture and Tradition.

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

“The ‘deposit’ of the Word of God is still in the hands of the Church 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,” Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience on January 28, 2026.

Continuing his catechesis series dedicated to the Second Vatican Council and its documents, the Pope focused again on the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, on Divine Revelation. He highlighted the close relationship between Sacred Scripture and Tradition, meaning the living transmission of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God “is not fossilized, but rather it is a living and organic reality that develops and grows in Tradition,” he underlined. “Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Tradition understands it in the richness of its truth and embodies it in the shifting coordinates of history.”

Tradition and Scripture come from the same wellspring

Pope Leo cited two Gospel scenes to explain “the intimate connection between the words uttered by Christ and their dissemination throughout the centuries.”

The first is when Jesus addresses the disciples in the Upper Room before his death and tells them they will receive the Holy Spirit from the Lord, who will guide them “into all the truth.” The second is when the risen Christ shows himself to the disciples and calls them to “make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Quoting point 9 of Dei Verbum, the Pope emphasized how the Second Vatican Council explains this close relationship between Scripture and Tradition by saying that “both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end.”

“Ecclesial Tradition branches out throughout history through the Church, which preserves, interprets and embodies the Word of God,” the Pope continued.

“Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records,” he added, citing point 113 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Church perpetuates Her belief to all generations

The Pope then highlighted how Tradition, which comes from the Apostles, develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit.

“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’,” he explained, citing again the Dogmatic Constitution.

“In short," he reiterated, "‘the Church, in Her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that She Herself is, all that She believes’.”

To explain the living dimension of the Word of God and its relationship with Tradition, the Pope quoted the Doctor of the Church, St. John Henry Newman, who 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: a living reality that develops thanks to an inner vital force.”

One sacred deposit of the Word of God 

Pope Leo emphasized then how Dei Verbum points out that “‘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’.”

The term deposit, he continued, implies that the custodian should preserve the content, in this case the faith, and transmit it intact, and thus called on the Church and all Her members to do so.

Pope Leo concluded by quoting again Dei Verbum, which explains that the Sacred Scripture and Tradition “are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and … all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.”

Saint of the Day for Wednesday

 

St. Thomas Aquinas

Feastday: January 28
Patron: of students and all universities
Birth: 1226
Death: 1274
Canonized: Pope John XXII in 1323

Thomas is believed to have been born in the castle of Roccasecca in the old county of the Kingdom of Sicily, which is now known as the Lazio region of Italy, in 1225. His parents were well-off, but as the youngest son Thomas was expected to enter the monastery.

At 5-years-old, Thomas began his education at Monte Cassino, where he remained until the military conflict between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX reached the abbey. He was then transferred and enrolled at the studium generale in Naples.

It is believed that Thomas was introduced to his philosophical influences - Aristotle, Averroes, and Maimonides - at the university, where he also met John of St. Julian, a Dominican preacher, who influenced him to join the recently founded Dominican Order.

When Thomas' family learned of his decision, his mother Theodora arranged for him to be moved to Paris. When Thomas was travelling to Rome, his brothers captured him and returned him to their parents at the castle of Monte San Giovanni Campano.

Thomas was held captive in the castle for one year as his family tried to keep him from joining the Dominican Order. In the year he was held, Thomas tutored his sisters and communicated with members of the Dominican Order.

In an effort to change Thomas' mind, two of his brothers hired a prostitute to seduce him, but legends claim Thomas drove her off with a fire iron. That night, two angels appeared to him in a dream and strengthened his resolve to remain celibate.

When Theodora realized she could not sway her son, she tried to preserve the family name by arranging for his escape through a window. She believed a secret escape was better than appearing to accept his decision.

Following his escape in 1244, Thomas turned to Naples, then to Rome and met the Master General of the Dominical Order, Johannes von Wildeshausen.

The next year, Thomas went to study at the Faculty of the Arts at the University of Paris, where he is believed to have met Dominican scholar Albertus Magnus, the Chair of Theology at the College of St. James.

In 1248, Thomas chose to follow Magnus to the new studium generale at Cologne rather than accepting Pope Innocent IV's offer to appoint him abbot of Monte Cassino as a Dominican. Though Thomas hesitated, when they reached the university, Magnus appointed him magister studentium.

Thomas was quiet and seldom spoke at the university, leading other students to believe he was mentally delayed, but Magnus prophetically said, "You call him the dumb ox, but in his teaching, he will one day produce such a bellowing that it will be heard throughout the world."

Following the conclusion of his education, Thomas taught in Cologne as an apprentice professor and instructed students on the books of the Old Testament. It was during this time he wrote Expositio super Isaiam ad litteram, Postilla super Ieremiam, and Postilla super Threnos.

In 1252, Thomas returned to Paris to earn his master's degree in theology. As an apprentice professor, he lectured on the Bible and devoted his final three years of his education to Peter Lombard's Sentences.

Thomas composed a commentary on Sentences, titled Scriptum super libros Sententiarium and wrote De ente et essentia.
The spring of 1256 saw Thomas appointed regent master in theology at Paris, and one of his first works after assuming the office was Contra impugnantes Dei cultum et religionem, in defense of mendicant orders, which William of Saint-Amour had been attacking.

Between 1256 to 1259, Thomas spent his tenure writing several books, such as Questiones disputatae de veritate, Quaestiones quodlibetales, Expositio super librum Boethii De trinitate, and Expositio super librum Boethii De hebdomadibus. At the conclusion of his regency, Thomas was in the process of writing one of his most famous works, Summa contra Gentiles.

In 1259, Thomas completed his first regency and returned to Naples, where he was appointed general preacher. In September 1261, he was asked to lecture in Orvieto, and during his stay he finished Summa contra Gentiles, as well as Catena aurea, and Contra errores graecorum.

In 1265, Thomas was summoned to Rome to serve as the papal theologian and was later ordered by the Dominican Chapter of Agnani to teach at the studium conventuale, which was the first school to teach the full range of philosophical subjects of both moral and natural natures.

While teaching, Thomas wrote his most famous work, Summa theologiae, which he believed was particularly useful to beginning students "because a doctor of Catholic truth ought not only to teach the proficient, but to him pertains also to instruct beginners."

He continued to write and released several more books until 1268, when he was called to Paris for a second teaching regency. He was named regent master again and stayed until 1272. During this time, he wrote De virtutibus and De aeternitate mundi.

At the conclusion of his regency, the Dominicans called Thomas to establish a university wherever he wanted with a staff of whomever he wished. He established the university in Naples and took the regent master post. In 1273 Thomas was seen by the sacristan Domenic of Caserta to be crying and levitating in prayer before an icon of the crucified Christ at the Dominican convent of Naples, in the Chapel of Saint Nicholas.

During this prayer, Christ is said to have told him, "You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labor?"

Thomas replied, "Nothing but you, Lord."

Following this exchange, something happened but Thomas never wrote or spoke of it. He abandoned his routine and, when begged to return to work, replied, "I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me."

In May of 1274, Thomas was called to the Second Council of Lyon, where his works for Pope Urban IV would be presented. While journeying to the meeting, Thomas hit his head on the branch of a fallen tree and fell ill. He was escorted to Monte Cassino to recover, then he set out again.

Unfortunately, he became ill once again and stopped at the Cistercian Fossanova Abbey, where the monks cared for him for several days.

He received his last rites and prayed, "I receive Thee, ransom of my soul. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil, toiled, preached and taught..."

Thomas died on March 7, 1274 during a commentary on the Song of Songs. Thomas' remains were placed in the Church of the Jacobins in Toulouse on January 28, 1369.

It is not known who beatified Thomas, but on July 18, 1323, Pope John XXII canonized him.

His original feast day was March 7, the day of his death, but because the date often falls within Lent, in 1969, a revision of the Roman Calendar changed his feast day to January 28, the date his relics were moved to Toulouse. Pope Pius V declared Saint Thomas a doctor of the church, saying Thomas was "the most brilliant light of the Church."
Saint Thomas' remains were moved to the Basilique de Sant-Sernin, Toulouse between 1789 and 1974. They were then returned to the Church of the Jacobins.

In the 16th century, the university in Paris, that Thomas often taught at, was renamed the College of Saint Thomas, and in the 20th century it was relocated to the convent of Saints Dominic and Sixtus before being transformed into the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Saint Thomas' comments and philosophical writings are still debated today, and his aesthetic theories, such as the concept of claritas, deeply influenced the literary writings of James Joyce and Italian semiotician Umberto Eco. Saint Thomas is often depicted with an open book or writing with a quill.

Pope Leo XIV acknowledges Holocaust Remembrance Day; calls for a reject of all anti-semitism

 

Pope on Holocaust Remembrance Day: Church rejects every form of antisemitism

Eighty-one years after the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp was liberated, we remember the millions of lives lost to the Holocaust and focus on preventing the recurrence—in any form—of this form of “hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice”.

By Kielce Gussie 

Read also

27/01/2026

Holocaust Remembrance Day: Auschwitz Director warns of fading memory

Eighty-one years ago today, the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp was liberated. In this camp alone, more than one million people were murdered, the majority of them Jews.

To mark the historic moment where the survivors were freed, the date—January 27—was chosen by the United Nations in 2005 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 2026 is the 25th anniversary of the creation of this day.

Pope Leo XIV commemorated the International Day with a Tweet on his Pontifex account, stressing that “the Church remains faithful to the unwavering position of the Declaration Nostra Aetate against every form of antisemitism. The Church rejects any discrimination or harassment based on ethnicity, language, nationality, or religion.”

The dangers of hatred and bigotry

From the horrors of the second World War and the Holocaust, the United Nations was born. Its goal is to maintain international peace and security, provide humanitarian aid to people in need, safeguard human rights, and uphold international law.

A participant lights candles during a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day   (AFP or licensors)

With this mission in mind, the United Nations adopted two foundational documents in 1948: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Together with these documents, the UN’s resolution creating this International Day stress that the Holocaust “will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice”.

Ways of remembrance

From this resolution, the United Nations urged member states to “develop educational programmes that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to prevent future acts of genocide”. Twenty-one years after this summons, countries have responded in their own ways.

In the United Kingdom, the Centre for Holocaust Education offers a look into understanding how and why it took place. Research at the Centre is focused on ensuring the Holocaust does not simply fade into memory, rather that its story and lessons continue to be taught to current generations.

At the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York, diplomats and members of the public will come together to observe the International Day with Holocaust survivors and their families. Keeping alive the voices of those who lived through the horrors prevents the full impact of the Holocaust from being reduced to words in a textbook.

25 years of voices and stories

The theme for this 25th anniversary of the International Day is “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights”. As the United Nations described, “remembrance dignifies the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. It keeps alive their memories of the communities and traditions and loved ones the Nazis sought to erase.”

Remembering challenges everyone to reflect on the “deadly consequences of antisemitism and hatred, dehumanization and apathy left unchallenged.”

The UN points out that after more than eight decades since the Holocaust, people today face daily attacks around the world.

Antisemitism has been on the rise and the denial and distortion of the Holocaust continue. According to a report by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, across Europe there has been a “400% increase in hateful content”.

Remembering the Holocaust, however, “defies denial and distortion, rejects falsehoods, confronts hatred, and insists on the humanity of the victims”, the UN noted. Placing an emphasis on universal rights for everyone—no matter their ethnicity, religion, or background—is essential for achieving peace. It is also a central part of the UN’s mission.

This International Day continues to be a poignant reminder to the world of the danger hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism pose. The UN stated, “in honoring the victims of the Holocaust, we reaffirm our common humanity and commit to defending the dignity and human rights of all people.”

Moreover, Holocaust Remembrance Day is a call to action: Do not forget, rather reflect on where the world is in order to prevent atrocities such as the Holocaust from ever occurring again.

Saint of the Day for Tuesday

 

St. Angela Merici

Feastday: January 27
Patron: of the sick, disabled and physically challenged people and those grieving the loss of parents
Birth: March 21, 1474
Death: January 27, 1540
Beatified: April 30, 1768, by Pope Clement XIII
Canonized: May 24, 1807, by Pope Pius VII

St. Angela Merici was an Italian religious educator and founder of the Ursulines whose deep prayer life and relationship with the Lord bore the fruit of mystical encounters with God. She was born on March 21, 1474, in Desenzano, a small town on the shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy.

At just 10-years-old, Angela and her older sister became orphans and went to live with their uncle in Salo. There they led a quiet and devout Catholic Christian life. After the untimely death of her sister, Angela was saddened by the fact the that she had not had the opportunity to receive her last Sacraments and was concerned for her sister's eternal salvation.

Angela was inspired by the Holy Spirit to dedicate herself to the Lord and to give her life in service to the Church to help everyone grow closer to the Lord. Still filled with grief, she prayed for God to reveal the condition of her deceased sister's soul. In a vision, she learned her sister was in Heaven with the company of saints. She became increasingly more devout and joined the Third Order of St. Francis where she also pledged to remain a consecrated virgin, forsaking marriage to one man to be married to the Lord and His Church.

When Angela was 20-years-old, her uncle died and she returned to Desenzano. She found that around her hometown there were many young girls who had no education and no hope. Her heart was moved. She also became distressed by their ignorance and upset at the parents who had not educated them.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Angela became convinced there was great need for a better way of teaching these young girls. So, she opened her own home to them and began to teach them herself. She devotedly taught them the Catholic Christian faith. By her example and instruction, she taught them to how to pray and participate in the sacramental life of the Church. She evangelized and catechized these young girls, opening them up to the life of grace.

Another vision from the Lord revealed to Angela that she was to found an institution with other consecrated virgins to further devote their lives toward the religious training of young girls. These women had little money and no power but were bound together by their dedication to education and commitment to Jesus Christ and service to His Church.

Living in their own homes, the girls met for prayer and classes where Angela reminded them, "Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service."

Angela's charming nature and natural leadership qualities made this a successful endeavor. She was so successful she accepted an invitation from the neighboring town, Brescia, to establish a similar school there.

In 1524, she eagerly took on the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land. During the journey, she was suddenly struck with blindness while on the island of Crete. This didn't stop her though; she continued the journey with as much enthusiasm as she would have if she had her vision. She made the entire pilgrimage and visited the sacred shrines. On the journey back home, her sight was miraculously restored while she was praying before a crucifix in the same place where she had become blind. The Lord showed Angela through this experience that she must never shut her eyes to the needs she saw around her? to not shut her heart to God's call.

During the Jubilee year in 1525, Angela traveled to Rome to gain the special grace of the plenary indulgence offered to all Christian pilgrims. Pope Clement VII had heard of Angela and her great holiness. He noted her wonderful success as a religious teacher for young girls and invited her to stay in Rome. Angela was humble, disliked publicity and kindly declined the generous offer.

Though she turned him down, perhaps the pope's request gave her the inspiration or the push to make her little group more formal. Although it was never recognized formally as a religious order in her lifetime, Angela's Company of Saint Ursula, or the Ursulines, was the first group of women religious to work outside of the cloister and became the first teaching order of women in the Catholic Church.

On November 25, 1535, Angela gathered together 12 young virgins and laid down the foundation for the Order of the Ursulines at a small house near the Church of St. Afra in Bresica with Angela's Company of Saint Ursula, under the patronage of St. Ursula.

Angela's goal was to elevate family life through Christian education for women? the future wives and mothers. The community she founded was different than many of the religious orders of women which existed in her day. She believed it was important to teach the girls in their own homes with their own families. One of her favorite sayings was, "Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family."

Though the women in the community wore no special religious habit and took no formal vows, Angela wrote a Rule of Life for those who lived and served in the community of women. They did pledge to live a life of consecrated celibacy, poverty and obedience. They lived this Rule of Life within their own homes.

This was the first group of consecrated women to work outside of a formal cloister or convent in her day and became the first teaching order of women in the Catholic Church. The community existed as what is called a "secular institute" until years after Angela's death.

The Ursulines opened both schools and orphanages and in 1537, Angela was elected "Mother and Mistress" of the group. Her Rule was officially approved by Pope Paul III in 1544 and the Ursulines became a recognized religious community of women with a teaching ministry.

Before her death, Angela reassured her Sisters who were afraid to lose her in death: "I shall continue to be more alive than I was in this life, and I shall see you better and shall love more the good deeds which I shall see you doing continually, and I shall be able to help you more."

St. Angela Merici died on January 27, 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, Angela was buried in the Church of St. Afra in Brescia.

St. Angela Merici was beatified on April 30, 1768 by Pope Clement XIII and canonized May 24, 1807 by Pope Pius VII.

Angela is often attributed with a cloak and ladder.

She is the patron saint of sickness, disabled and physically challenged people, and those grieving the loss of parents. Her feast day is celebrated on January 27.

Catholic leaders call for peace, prayer, respect as Minneapolis struggles

 

Catholic leaders call for peace, prayer after second person killed in Minneapolis by federal agents

written by OSV News 

People gather at a makeshift memorial in Minneapolis Jan. 25, 2026, at the site where a man was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him Jan. 24. Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, along with other Church leaders, have called for peace amid growing tensions. (OSV News photo/Tim Evans, Reuters)

(OSV News) — Catholic leaders are calling for peace the day after a second person was killed by federal agents this month in Minneapolis. The deadly shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, comes amid increased federal immigration enforcement actions in the Twin Cities metro area; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has referred to this activity involving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as “Operation Metro Surge.”

The shooting also comes 17 days after a shooting in Minneapolis involving an ICE agent — identified by media reports as Jonathan Ross — left 37-year-old Renee Good, of Minneapolis, dead.

USCCB president, echoing pope, calls for peace and respect for all

In a statement released Jan. 25, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, echoed the words of Pope Leo at the Angelus this morning, calling for peace and respect for all peoples.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, seen in a file photo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement Jan. 25 urging calm, restraint and respect for human life in Minneapolis after a second person was killed by federal agents this month in the city. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

“Today, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that ‘the Gospel must be proclaimed and lived in every setting, serving as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions and peoples,'” Archbishop Coakley said. “It is with this in mind that I prayerfully urge calm, restraint, and respect for human life in Minneapolis, and all those places where peace is threatened. Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of people in service to the common good. 

“As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life. In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!'”

Pope Leo, during his Angelus address Jan. 25, said, “…let us pray for peace: in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and in every region where, unfortunately, there is fighting going on for interests that are not those of the people. Peace is built on respect for peoples!

Minneapolis’ archbishop calls for prayer

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis also released a statement Jan. 25 calling for prayer and a restoration of peace. 

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, pictured June 7, 2025, issued a statement Jan. 25, 2026, calling for prayer and a restoration of peace after a second person was killed by federal agents this month in Minneapolis. (OSV News photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)

“Following Saturday’s tragic shooting in Minneapolis, I ask all people of good will to join me today in prayer for Alex Jeffrey Pretti, for his parents, and for his loved ones,” said Archbishop Hebda. “The loss of another life amidst the tensions that have gripped Minnesota should prompt all of us to ask what we can do to restore the Lord’s peace. 

“While we rightly thirst for God’s justice and hunger for his peace, this will not be achieved until we are able to rid our hearts of the hatreds and prejudices that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God,” he said. “That is as true for our undocumented neighbors as it is for our elected officials and for the men and women who have the unenviable responsibility of enforcing our laws. They all need our humble prayers.”

Eucharistic adoration, Masses in Minneapolis

The Cathedral of St. Paul will be open Jan. 25 with extended Eucharistic Adoration “for those seeking a quiet place for prayer and reflection,” he said. 

Archbishop Hebda will also celebrate a Votive Mass for the Preservation of Peace at 5 p.m., he announced. A Mass will be offered for Alex Pretti, his family, and for the Twin Cities community at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, at 5:30 p.m.

“Wherever you find yourself this afternoon, I hope you will take a few moments to join us in prayer,” Archbishop Hebda said.

Catholic and other faith leaders have previously called for prayers and peace during the enforcement effort. A multifaith prayer service Jan. 23 at Temple Israel in Minneapolis included Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney.

By meeting with the Roman Rota, Pope Leo XIV stresses the important work of the tribunals of the Church

 

Pope Leo XIV receives officials of the Tribunal of Roman Rota for the inauguration of their judicial year  (@Vatican Media)

Pope

• Roman Curia
• Pope Leo XIV
• marriage
• papal magisterium

Pope to Roman Rota: Justice and charity find harmony in mystery of God

Pope Leo XIV meets officials of the Tribunal of Roman Rota for the inauguration of their judicial year and urges them to safeguard the truth with rigor but without rigidity and to exercise charity without omission.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"You are called to safeguard the truth with rigor but without rigidity, and to exercise charity without omission."

Pope Leo XIV made this invitation to the prelate auditors of the Tribunal of Roman Rota in the Vatican on Monday, as he inaugurated its Judicial Year.

The Tribunal of the Roman Rota ordinarily acts as an appellate court of higher instance at the Apostolic See, with the purpose of safeguarding rights within the Church. It fosters unity of jurisprudence and, by virtue of its decisions, provides assistance to lower tribunals.

The Tribunal also includes the Office competent to adjudicate the fact of the non-consummation of marriage and the existence of a just cause for granting dispensations. This Office is also competent to deal with cases of the nullity of sacred ordination, pursuant to the norm of universal and proper law, in accordance with the different cases. It has a collegiate structure and is composed of a certain number of judges of proven doctrine, competence, and experience selected by the Pope from various parts of the world.

Precious service

The Pope began by thanking them for their work, "which is a precious service to the universal judicial function that belongs to the Pope and in which the Lord has called you to share," noting that the expression “Veritatem facientes in caritate” (The truth in love) (Eph 4:15), "can be applied to your daily mission in the administration of justice."

He thanked those present in the audience and everyone working in Church tribunals throughout the world, noting, "The ministry of judge that I have had occasion to exercise enables me to understand your experience more deeply and to appreciate the ecclesial significance of your task."

Pope Leo then returned to a fundamental theme that has been central in the addresses delivered to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota from Pope Pius XII up to Pope Francis, concerning the relationship of their activity "with the truth that is intrinsic to justice."

"On this occasion," the Pope said, "I intend to offer you some reflections on the close bond that exists between the truth of justice and the virtue of charity," clarifying they "are not two opposing principles, nor values to be balanced according to purely pragmatic criteria, but two dimensions intrinsically united, which find their deepest harmony in the very mystery of God, who is Love and Truth."

This correlation, he stated, calls for constant and careful critical discernment, "since, in the exercise of judicial activity, a dialectical tension not infrequently emerges between the demands of objective truth and the concerns of charity."

A delicate balance

"At times," Pope Leo said, "there is the risk that excessive identification with the often-troubled circumstances of the faithful may lead to a dangerous relativization of the truth."

"Indeed, a misguided compassion, even when apparently motivated by pastoral zeal," Pope Leo said, "risks obscuring the necessary dimension of ascertaining the truth that is proper to the judicial office."

"This," he continued, "can occur not only in cases of matrimonial nullity—where it might lead to decisions of a pastoral character lacking a solid objective foundation—but also in any type of proceeding, thereby undermining its rigor and equity."

On the other hand, he cautioned, "there can sometimes be a cold and detached affirmation of the truth that fails to take into account all that love for persons requires, omitting those concerns dictated by respect and mercy, which must be present at every stage of a process."

In considering the relationship between truth and charity, Pope Leo insisted that St. Paul offered "clear guidance" when exhorting in his Letter to the Ephesians that, “Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into Him who is the head, Christ.” 

"Veritatem facientes in caritate," Pope Leo reiterated, "does not mean merely conforming to a speculative truth, but “doing the truth,” that is, a truth that must illuminate the whole of one’s actions. And this must be done “in charity,” which is the great driving force that leads to the practice of true justice." 

Not a tension between opposing interests, but an instrument for discernment

The process, Pope Leo said, "is not in itself a tension between opposing interests, as is sometimes mistakenly thought, but the indispensable instrument for discerning truth and justice in a given case."

The Pope went on to discuss the adversarial nature of judicial proceedings, and delineated the rigorous elements needed to properly assess these delicate situations and to ascertain appropriately the truth.

"Failure to observe these basic principles of justice—and the fostering of unjustified disparities in the treatment of similar situations—constitutes a serious injury to the juridical dimension of ecclesial communion."

The Pope also addressed the shorter process for the declaration of matrimonial nullity before the diocesan Bishop.

Here, he said, "the apparently manifest nature of the ground of nullity that makes this procedure possible must be assessed with great care, without forgetting that it will be the duly conducted process itself that must confirm the existence of nullity or determine the need to have recourse to the ordinary process."

With all this in mind, the Holy Father underscored, "it therefore proves fundamental that the study and application of canonical matrimonial law continue with scientific seriousness and fidelity to the Magisterium."

Praying that the true wisdom of Christian law must be made manifest, Pope Leo XIV entrusted their work to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Speculum iustitiae, "the perfect model of truth in charity."