Pope Leo XIV began a new cycle of catechesis a few weeks ago, dedicated “to the Second Vatican Council and the rereading of its documents. This is a valuable opportunity to rediscover the beauty and importance of this ecclesial event” (January 7, 2026). Indeed, the last Pastoral Constitution approved on December 7, 1965, was  Gaudium et Spes  (GS) ,  a document which, like the others, continues to be “for our time, a compass that allows the barque of the Church to put out into the deep (Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 10, 2012),” particularly to enrich the dialogue between the Church and the contemporary world.

A recent book by the Augustinian priest Ramón Sala,  *The Church in the Street: The Reception of ‘Gaudium et spes’ in Six Pastoral Saints*  (Rialp, 2026, Kindle version), explores how the authors reviewed approached, both conceptually and practically, the impact of this document on the Church. The chosen pastors are: Saint Paul VI, Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Saint Óscar Romero, Father Arrupe, Blessed Eduardo Pironio, and Saint John Paul II. It is a polyphony of perspectives that reveals the richness of charisms in the Church, but at the same time, several points of convergence among them: a) the Church’s openness to the world, b) the value and dignity of each person, c) the just autonomy of temporal realities, and d) the encounter between faith and culture (cf. p. 191).

Saint Paul VI emphasized the need for dialogue between the Church and the world and highlighted the theological anthropology of Gaudium et Spes as the foundation of a new humanism: Christ reveals to humanity who it truly is. Saint Josemaría Escrivá was a precursor of the universal call to holiness. His “Christian materialism” has inspired countless lay people to strive to place Christ at the summit of human activities by sharing in the joys and sorrows of their neighbors. Furthermore, Saint Óscar Romero understood the anthropology of fraternity in Gaudium et Spes as fraternity with the poor: “No one knows his own mystery until he has encountered God in his living and crucified images, that is, in the poor” (p. 79). Father Arrupe, in accordance with Gaudium et Spes, saw the urgency of a fruitful and effective dialogue with the world. His constant concerns were religious unbelief, the inculturation of the faith, and the commitment to justice and peace (cf. p. 190). For his part, Blessed Eduardo Pironio was an important voice in the work of Catholic Action, the reception of Gaston in Latin America through CELAM, and the lay apostolate. Of Saint John Paul II, it suffices to say that his entire pontificate revolved around consolidating the letter and spirit of the Second Vatican Council, which he knew very well from within.

With  Gaudium et Spes,  the Church places itself in “the world of men, the stage of the history of humankind, marked by its achievements, its defeats, and its victories.” It opens paths of understanding to the diverse dimensions of life in society. Nothing human is foreign to the Church. Centuries of history have passed, and it continues to be the leaven that enriches the ebb and flow of human coexistence. “Consequently,” says GS, “with this common human and divine vocation, we can and must cooperate, without violence, without deception, in true peace, in building up the world.” The current catechesis of Pope Leo XIV is a shining beacon that illuminates the treasures of Sacred Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church.