Pope Leo XIV presided over his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in the Paul VI Hall, before thousands of pilgrims and faithful gathered at the Vatican. Continuing his series of catecheses on the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum  of the Second Vatican Council, the Holy Father delved into the theme of divine revelation, emphasizing that God manifests himself not through abstract ideas, but in a “dialogue of covenant” addressed to humanity as friends, fostering a shared history and mutual communion.

Citing the conciliar text, the Pope affirmed, “The intimate truth of both God and the salvation of man shines forth for us in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation.” He emphasized that the full knowledge of God is attained by entering into the relationship of the Son with his Father, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, and that in Christ, God has revealed himself to us, showing us at the same time our true identity as children created in the image of the Word.

A central point of the catechesis was the emphasis on embracing the “integral humanity” of Jesus to know God: “The truth of God is not fully revealed where something human is removed, just as the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift. It is the integral humanity of Jesus that tells us the truth of the Father.” The Pope explained that salvation does not come only from the death and resurrection of Jesus, but from his very person, and that the transmission of divine truth occurs through his real body, his way of perceiving and experiencing reality, and his way of inhabiting the world.

Referring to the Gospel, he invited those present to share Jesus’ perspective on reality: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” This filial perspective leads to absolute trust in the Father, as Saint Paul expresses it: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

The Pope concluded by recalling that, thanks to Jesus, Christians know God as Father and entrust themselves to Him with confidence, certain that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ. In his closing remarks, he addressed Portuguese, Italian, German, and English-speaking groups, including ecumenical delegations, and called for prayers for peace amidst a “growing disregard for human dignity” where “war has become fashionable again,” as well as for Christian unity during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.