Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday(January 7) launched the first general audience of 2026, holding the gathering indoors at the Vatican’s Paul VI (Nervi) Hall due to bad weather in Rome. Addressing around 7,000 faithful, the pontiff inaugurated a new catechetical series dedicated to the Second Vatican Council and a fresh reading of its landmark documents.

The audience marked a transition from the recently concluded Jubilee catechesis on “Jesus Christ, Our Hope.” Pope Leo described the renewed focus on Vatican II as an opportunity to rediscover the Council’s enduring relevance, calling it the “guiding star of the Church’s journey.”

Later in the day, the Vatican was set to host the first extraordinary consistory of Leo XIV’s pontificate, bringing together the 245-member College of Cardinals for two days of reflection, prayer, and consultation on the governance of the universal Church.

According to Asia News, the Pope underlined that Vatican II continues to offer vital insight for engaging today’s globalized world, particularly through dialogue, co-responsibility and a renewed commitment to justice and peace.

Reflecting on the Council’s legacy, Leo XIV recalled the teachings of Benedict XVI, Paul VI and Pope Francis, stressing that true ecclesial renewal depends not only on structures, but on holiness, vigilance in reading the “signs of the times,” and a Church open to humanity.

“The Council still calls us,” the Pope said, “to run joyfully toward the world with the Gospel of love, justice and peace.”

BOB Post