Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on the Church on pilgrimage to Heaven
May 06, 2026
Resuming his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV devoted this morning’s audience to “the Church, pilgrim in history towards the heavenly homeland.”
The audience (video), which took place in St. Peter’s Square, was the fourteenth in the series and the eighth devoted to Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964).
“The Church, in fact, journeys through this earthly history always looking towards her final destination, which is the heavenly homeland,” Pope Leo said. “This is an essential dimension which, however, we often overlook or downplay, because we are too focused on what is immediately visible and on the more concrete dynamics of the life of the Christian community.”
Stating that the Church “lives in history in the service of the coming of the Kingdom of God in the world,” the Pontiff explained:
She proclaims the words of this promise to all 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. Furthermore, she knows that she is the place and the means where union with Christ is realized “more closely” (LG, 48), whilst at the same time recognizing that salvation can be bestowed by God in the Holy Spirit even beyond her visible boundaries.
The Church “does not identify perfectly with the Kingdom of God, but is its seed and beginning, for its fulfilment will be granted to humanity and the cosmos only at the end,” the Pope continued. “Believers in Christ, therefore, walk through this earthly history, marked by the maturation of good but also by injustices and sufferings, without being either deluded or despairing.”
In doing so, the Church “reads and interprets the dynamics of history through 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 of justice, love and peace,” Pope Leo added. “The Church, therefore, does not proclaim herself; on the contrary, everything within her must point to salvation in Christ.”
Recalling the communion of saints, the Pope concluded:
By praying for the departed and following in the footsteps of those who have already lived as disciples of Jesus, we too are sustained on our journey and strengthen our worship of God: marked by the one Spirit and united in the one liturgy, together with those who have gone before us in faith, we praise and give glory to the Most Holy Trinity.
Let us be grateful to the Council Fathers for reminding us of this most important and beautiful aspect of being Christian, and may we strive to cultivate it in our lives.
Audiences in series “Vatican Council II through its Documents”
- Introductory catechesis (1/7/26)
On Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (1965):
- God speaks to men as to friends (1/14/26)
- Jesus Christ reveals the Father (1/21/26)
- A single sacred deposit: The relationship between Scripture and Tradition (1/28/26)
- The Sacred Scripture: the Word of God in human words (2/4/26)
- The Word of God in the life of the Church (2/11/26)
On Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964)
- The mystery of the Church, sacrament of the union with God, and the unity of all humanity (2/18/26)
- No audience on 2/25 (Pope, Roman Curia on retreat)
- The Church, a Visible and Spiritual Reality (3/4/26)
- The Church, people of God (3/11/26)
- The Church, a Priestly and Prophetic People (3/18/26)
- On the foundation of the Apostles: The Church in her hierarchical dimension (3/25/26)
- Living stones in the Church and witnesses in the world: The laity in the People of God (4/1/26)
- Holiness and evangelical counsels in the Church (4/8/26)
- No audience on 4/15 and 4/22 (in Africa), followed by a special general audience on his apostolic journey to Africa (4/29/26)
- The Church, pilgrim in history towards the heavenly homeland (5/6/26)
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