Pope begins new series of general audiences about Vatican II and its documents

January 08, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has begun a new series of Wednesday general audiences devoted to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and its documents.

The previous series, begun by Pope Francis and concluded by Pope Leo, was devoted to the mysteries of Christ’s life.

“Together with the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in 2025 we commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council,” Pope Leo said to pilgrims gathered in Paul VI Audience Hall for his January 7 audience. “Although the time that separates us from this event is not so long, it is equally true that the generation of bishops, theologians and believers of Vatican II is no longer with us.”

The Pope emphasized the importance of reading the Council’s documents, rather than reading interpretations of the documents:

While we hear the call not to let its prophecy fade, and to continue to seek ways and means to implement its insights, it will be important to get to know it again closely, and to do so not through “hearsay” or interpretations that have been given, but by rereading its documents and reflecting on their content. Indeed, it is the Magisterium that still constitutes the guiding star of the Church’s journey today. As Benedict XVI taught, “as the years have passed, the Conciliar Documents have lost none of their timeliness; indeed, their teachings are proving particularly relevant to the new situation of the Church and the current globalized society.”

Assessing the Council’s highlights, the Pope said that “after a rich biblical, theological and liturgical reflection spanning the twentieth century, Vatican Council II rediscovered the face of God as the Father who, in Christ, calls us to be his children; it looked at the Church in the light of Christ, light of nations, as a mystery of communion and sacrament of unity between God and his people; it initiated important liturgical reform, placing at its center the mystery of salvation and the active and conscious participation of the entire People of God.”

“At the same time, it helped us to open up to the world and to embrace the changes and challenges of the modern age in dialogue and co-responsibility, as a Church that wishes to open her arms to humanity, to echo the hopes and anxieties of peoples, and to collaborate in building a more just and fraternal society,” he continued.

During his address, Pope Leo quoted comments about the Council made by each of the last six popes: St. John XXIII (1958-63), St. Paul VI (1963-78), Blessed John Paul I (1978), St. John Paul II (1978-2005), Pope Benedict XVI (2005-13), and Pope Francis (2013-25).

Pope Leo concluded:

As we approach the documents of Vatican Council II and rediscover their prophetic and contemporary relevance, we welcome the rich tradition of the life of the Church and, at the same time, we question ourselves about the present and renew our joy in running towards the world to bring it the Gospel of the kingdom of God, a kingdom of love, justice and peace.

The Holy See Press Office released a translation of Pope Leo’s remarks that included an inaccuracy. The Pontiff said that in 2025, “abbiamo ricordato i sessant’anni dal Concilio Vaticano II” [we remembered the sixtieth anniversary of Vatican Council II]; the Holy See Press Office mistranslated “i sessant’anni” as “the seventieth anniversary.”

 

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Further information:

• General Audience (Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1/7/26)
• General Audience, 07.01.2026 (Holy See Press Office, 1/7/26)