Durante l'incontro con i fedeli, il Papa ha affermato: «La Chiesa è un mistero che può essere compreso».

At his Ash Wednesday General Audience at St Peter's Basilica this week, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the Church being "the mystery made visible" as he continued his series of Catechesis based on The Second Vatican Council. This particular address was focused on The Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium" in terms of "the Church", after previously reflecting on the Council's Dogmatic Constitution "Dei Verbum" regarding Divine Revelation.

Pope Francis has thought about many ways that we have been looking at how God gets in touch with us through Giving Us His Son, Jesus Christ, as well as how He wants to help us in our journey to Him.

Indeed, the Pope stated that it is solely through this mystery that we can comprehend both the genesis and the purpose of the Church.

Lumen Gentium and the Enigma of the Church

Pope Leo pointed out the fact that when Vatican II discussed the Church it was concerned with primarily identifying the Church's origins. The Pope referred to the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, approved by the Pope on November 21, 1964, as utilizing the word "Mystery" as used in St. Paul's epistles in order to accomplish this.

In his choice of the word “mystery,” the pope did not mean to suggest that the Church is something confusing or hard to understand — which is how many people think of the word “mystery.” Rather, he explained, “when St. Paul used this word, especially in the Epistle to the Ephesians, he wanted to express an aspect of reality that was hidden before but has now been revealed.”

The Pope indicated that it is God's intention to unite all things through Jesus Christ's reconciliation. This was achieved on the Cross when he died.

The Pope stated that this is mainly seen in the gathering of people at the liturgical celebration. He said, “In this regard, the difference between differences is lessened, and what is important is our commonality since we are all drawn together by the Love of Jesus, who broke down walls of separation between individuals and groups of people.

Christ transcends division.

Pope Leo speculated that for St. Paul, what is understood as mystery is God's will for all people revealed through specific situations and ultimately enveloping all people and the whole universe. "The condition of mankind," he said with sadness, "has a brokenness that man cannot repair through his own power, but his nature longs for wholeness."

He expressed a feeling of shock regarding the fact that Jesus' action has engaged in this way through God’s Spirit and as a result triumphed over the dividing powers... The greatest expression of God’s love.

He observed that coming together to commemorate the event, grounded in their belief in the proclamation of the Gospel, is perceived as an allure drawn from the cross of Christ.

According to pope, this is "the highest expression of God's love" and "a sense of being called together by God". That is also the reason why the term `ekklesia` is used- it refers to a collection of people who recognise their calling together to meet as one in worship.

He highlighted that the relationship between the Church and the mystery is one of alignment. The manifestation of the Church is the way in which the Church demonstrates itself to be a manifestation of the mystery of God. A symbol, a tool. In effect, when considering the Church as a symbol and a means of accomplishing God’s plan of salvation, the Holy Father reflected on the Church as such.

According to him, it is an indicator that through the Cross and Resurrection, Christ has unified His Church's members and continues to do so to demonstrate this to our time. It is also a "tool" through which God is bringing all of humanity together to create universal unity among His people.

To bring his remarks to a close, Pope Leo recommended that as we travel through a divided world, we ask God to continue guiding His Church to sanctify and reconcile people.

Thus, he stressed, "there is a certain coincidence between this mystery and the Church: the Church is the mystery made perceptible."

A sign and an instrument

In this light, the Holy Father reflected on the Church as both a sign and an instrument of this plan of salvation.

He said it is "a sign" because the Church community makes the unity established by Christ through his Cross and Resurrection visible to the world today, and also an "instrument" because it is through the Church, that God achieves His goal of uniting people to Himself and bringing them together.

Pope Leo concluded by suggesting that as we journey through a world still marked by division, let us ask the Lord to continue to guide His Church in the mission of sanctification and reconciliation.