Pope Leo XIV says "May the horror of genocide never again be inflicted upon any people" and Continues Catechesis of Vatican Council II

Pope LEO XIV at the Wednesday GENERAL AUDIENCE in the Vatican Audience Hall on Wednesday, 28 January 2026
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Catechesis. The Documents of Vatican Council II. I. Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum. 3. A single sacred deposit. The relationship between Scripture and Tradition.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Continuing our reading of the Conciliar Constitution Dei Verbum on divine Revelation, today we will reflect on the relationship between Sacred Scripture and Tradition. We can take two Gospel scenes as a backdrop. In the first, which takes place in the Upper Room, Jesus, in his great discourse-testament addressed to the disciples, affirms: “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. … When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (Jn 14:25-26; 16:13).

The second scene takes us instead to the hills of Galilee.

The risen Jesus shows himself to the disciples, who are surprised and doubtful, and he advises them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). In both of these scenes, the intimate connection between the words uttered by Christ and their dissemination throughout the centuries is evident.

It is what Vatican Council II affirms, using an evocative image: “There exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end” (Dei Verbum, 9). Ecclesial Tradition branches out throughout history through the Church, which preserves, interprets and embodies the Word of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. no. 113) refers, in this regard, to a motto of the Church Fathers: “Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records”, that is, in the sacred text.

In the light of Christ’s words, quoted above, the Council affirms that “the Tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit” (DV, 8). 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”. In short, “the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes” (ibid.).

In this regard, the expression of Saint Gregory the Great is famous: “The Sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them”. [1] And Saint Augustine had already remarked that “there is only one word of God that unfolds through Scripture, and there is only one Word that sounds on the lips of many saints”. [2] The Word of God, then, is not fossilized, but rather it is a living and organic reality that develops and grows in Tradition. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Tradition understands it in the richness of its truth and embodies it in the shifting coordinates of history.

In this regard, the proposal of the holy Doctor of the Church John Henry Newman in his work entitled The Development of Christian Doctrine is striking. He 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 (cf. Mk 4:26-29): a living reality that develops thanks to an inner vital force. [3]

The apostle Paul repeatedly exhorts his disciple and collaborator Timothy: “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you” (1Tm 6:20; cf. 2Tm1:12-14). The dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum echoes this Pauline text when it says: “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” (no. 10). “Deposit” is a term that, in its original meaning, is juridical in nature and imposes on the depositary the duty to preserve the content, which in this case is the faith, and to transmit it intact.

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.

In conclusion, dear friends, let us listen once more to Dei Verbum, which exalts the interweaving of Sacred Scripture and Tradition: it affirms that they “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” (cf. no. 10).

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[1] Homiliae in Ezechielem I, VII, 8: PL 76, 843D.

[2] Enarrationes in Psalmos 103, IV, 1

[3] Cf. J.H. Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, Milan 2003, p. 104.

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APPEAL

Yesterday was the International Remembrance Day for all victims of the Holocaust, which brought death to millions of Jews and to many other people. On this yearly occasion of painful remembrance, I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world without antisemitism and without prejudice, oppression, and persecution of any human creature. I renew my appeal to the community of nations to remain ever vigilant. May the horror of genocide never again be inflicted upon any people and that a society founded on mutual respect and the common good may be built.

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Special greetings:

I greet the English speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s audience, in particular the groups from Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, India and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words:

Dear brothers and sisters, in our catechesis on the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, today we considered the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. In the passage we just heard from John’s Gospel, Jesus says he will send the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles to remember, apply and proclaim everything he taught. Sacred Scripture, the inspired word of God, and Sacred Tradition, the living memory of the Church, are intimately bound together and form the one Deposit of Faith. This deposit which contains the entirety of our faith –- doctrine, worship, morality, etc. –- is not static but dynamic for it develops and is more profoundly understood by the Church over the centuries, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Entrusted to the Church, who preserves and interprets it in Jesus’ name, this deposit helps us to navigate the complexities of life to reach our eternal home in heaven. May we become living and faithful witness to God’s word in Scripture and Tradition.


GREETINGS
I cordially greet the French-speaking pilgrims, especially the students from the various schools and the students from the Catholic University of Vendée. May Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, whose memorial we celebrate today, guide us in understanding the Scriptures, on which he commented with such wisdom, so that we may understand how much God loves us and desires our salvation. God bless you !



[ Dear German-speaking brothers and sisters, St. Thomas Aquinas, whose liturgical memorial we celebrate today, helps us with his works to understand divine Revelation ever better. May the example of this Doctor of the Church also spur us to seek the face of God, experiencing the beauty of Faith .]

I cordially greet the pilgrims of the Spanish language. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Word through "contemplation and study" and to have "an intimate experience of spiritual things", aided by the preaching of the followers of the Apostles who have received "the certain charism of the truth" (cf. DV, 8). May God bless them. Much thanks.


I extend my cordial greeting to the Chinese-speaking people. Dear brothers and sisters, love one another as the Lord loves you. I bless you wholeheartedly .


I am pleased to welcome the Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, especially the Camerata Antiqua musical group from Curitiba, Brazil. Dear sisters and brothers, my thoughts go especially to the beloved people of Mozambique, affected by devastating floods. As I pray for the victims, I express my closeness to the displaced and to all those who offer them support. May the Lord help you and bless you !


[ I greet the Arabic-speaking faithful. I invite you to guard the deposit of faith and to transmit it faithfully, always enlightened by the Holy Spirit who guides the Church towards the fullness of truth. May the Lord bless you all and always protect you from all evil! ]


I cordially greet the Polish pilgrims. These days mark thirty-five years since the reinstatement in Poland of the Military Ordinariate, whose task is to form the consciences of those dedicated to the service of God and their homeland. May fidelity to the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church be the compass of pastoral care, especially in administering the sacraments in situations of trial and uncertainty. My blessing to all !


I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims, especially those from the parishes of Cristo Divino Lavoratore in Ancona and San Michele Arcangelo in Manfredonia. I warmly welcome the Campobasso Fire Brigade, the Association of Social Centers and Senior Citizens' Committees of the Marche, and the Eboli-Battipaglia Lions Club.

Finally, my thoughts turn to young people, the sick, and newlyweds. Today we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas. May his example inspire you, dear young people, especially you students of the Flavoni School in Civitavecchia and the Tirinnanzi Institute in Legnano-Cislago , to follow Jesus as an authentic teacher of life and holiness. May the intercession of this Holy Doctor of the Church obtain for you, dear sick people, the serenity and peace drawn from the mystery of the Cross, and for you, dear newlyweds, wisdom of heart so that you may generously fulfill your mission in society.

My blessing to everyone!