Pope Leo XIV said on April 1 that laypeople are active participants in the Church’s mission and are called to live and spread the Gospel in everyday life.
The pope’s remarks highlight the importance of every baptized Catholic, not only clergy, in fulfilling the Church’s work. He spoke during his weekly general audience as he continued his series on documents from the Second Vatican Council.
“For this reason, lay men and women are particularly called to carry Christ’s presence to all spheres of life and so transform them from within by bearing witness to the beauty of a life in Christ and the elevating power of his grace,” Pope Leo said during his address to English-speakers. He referenced the Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” explaining that Vatican II recognized the dignity of laypeople after centuries when they were defined mainly by what they were not: members of clergy or consecrated life.
“Before any distinction of ministry or state of life, the council affirms the equality of all the baptized,” he said. The pope described how both clergy and laity form one body—the People of God—and that through baptism, laypeople “participate in the very priesthood of Christ.” Pope Leo also mentioned St. John Paul II and Pope Francis for their emphasis on an active role for laypeople within church activities.
He added that responsibility for spreading Christian values extends beyond church walls into society at large. Lay Catholics should bring a spirit inspired by Christ into workplaces, civil society, and daily relationships through their actions. “Indeed, the Church is present wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel: in the workplace, in civil society and in all human relationships…show[ing] here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the Kingdom of God,” he said.
In addition to discussing lay participation, Pope Leo addressed Arabic-speakers with calls for prayers for innocent victims amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
