At the first general audience of the year, on January 7, 2026, Leo XIV began a new series of catechesis on Vatican II.
This council, which brought together the world's bishops in Rome for four sessions between October 11, 1962, and December 8, 1965, represented a turning point for the Catholic Church, particularly in its relations with other religions and with the modern world.
This is the first teaching theme chosen by Leo: In 2025, he continued the program dedicated to the Jubilee of Hope initiated by his predecessor Francis.
With this new series of catechesis inaugurated on Wednesday, the Pontiff said he intends to invite the faithful “to rediscover the beauty and importance” of Vatican II, not “by hearsay” but by rereading its documents.
Where to start?
While Pope Leo might give us direction on where to start next week, in the meantime, we suggest Dei Verbum.
This is because the Pope's prayer intention for this month is "Prayer with the Word of God":
Let us pray that praying with the Word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church.
Quoting extensively from all his predecessors — Francis, Benedict XVI, John Paul II, John Paul I, Paul VI, and John XXIII — the 267th pope affirmed that this event, which concluded just over 60 years ago, has lost none of its relevance and “prophecy.”
Together with the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in 2025 we commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Although the time separating us from this event is not very long, it is equally true that the generation of bishops, theologians, and believers of Vatican II is no longer with us.
It is “the magisterium that remains today the beacon that guides the Church's path,” Leo said.
The face of God
For Leo XIV, the work of more than 2,000 Council Fathers from all continents paved the way “for a new ecclesial era.”
Outlining the main directions of this pivotal moment, he cited the rediscovery of “the face of God as Father,” as well as the liturgical reform that placed “at the center the mystery of salvation and the active and conscious participation of the entire People of God.”
The Second Vatican Council, the Pontiff continued, “helped us to open ourselves to the world and to grasp the changes and challenges of the modern era through dialogue and co-responsibility, as a Church that wishes to open its arms to humanity.”
He also mentioned the conciliar stance of seeking truth “through ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and dialogue with people of good will.”
Throughout his text, Leo XIV expressed his desire for the Catholic Church to be imbued with the “inner disposition” and spirit of the Council.
“We must still fully implement ecclesial reform in a ministerial way,” he insisted.
By inviting a return to the documents of the Council — which gave rise to four constitutions, three declarations, and nine decrees — Leo XIV suggests that this rereading would make it possible to “restore primacy to God, to the essential” and to “collaborate in the construction of a more just and fraternal society.”
He urged the Church to renew “the joy of going out to meet the world to bring it the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of love, justice, and peace.”
See full text here.
