Pope Leo XIV links faith and culture in Vatican II teaching
In a General Audience address on Oct. 28, the pontiff explained how the document Gaudium et Spes views the intersection of Christian belief and human civilization.
By Lucas Navarro ·
The Second Vatican Council addressed the role of human civilization in the life of the Church, a topic Pope Leo XIV revisited in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 28. During his General Audience, the pontiff focused on the relationship between faith and culture as detailed in the Constitution Gaudium et Spes.
The address drew on the second chapter of the second part of Gaudium et Spes. The document argues that the Church has historically supported the creation of schools to aid in the human, cultural, and spiritual development of people across five continents. Pope Leo XIV noted that medieval universities originated within the Church, contributing to Western civilization.
The pontiff stated that the progress of knowledge often raises new questions for believers. He cited the First Epistle of Peter, which urges Christians to give an account of their faith. He described cultural expressions as opening minds to questions about the meaning of existence, thereby preparing people to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pope Leo XIV identified the Incarnation as the primary foundation for the link between faith and culture. He explained that because the divine Word became flesh, faith is an incarnate reality interwoven with the culture in which it exists. He quoted Saint John Paul II, who said that a faith that does not become culture is not fully accepted, not entirely thought out, and not faithfully lived.
The address emphasized that faith does not identify itself with any single culture. Instead, it dwells within cultures, shaping them through charity, service, and the recognition of God’s fatherhood. The Church draws from various cultures what is good, beautiful, and true to transmit the Gospel message. Gaudium et Spes states that the Church is not bound exclusively to any race, nation, or particular way of life.
Pope Leo XIV highlighted the Church’s promotion of culture as a good in itself and a service to humanity. The Constitution exhorts the international community to ensure everyone has access to fundamental cultural goods by overcoming illiteracy and lack of education. It asserts that those capable of accessing higher education must be placed in a position to do so in practice. The document also calls for acknowledging the necessary participation of women in cultural life.
The text upholds the need to direct teaching toward a unity of knowledge, even as living conditions change. Christians are described as the first who must strive to bring about this unity of wisdom. The pontiff noted that while Revelation provides answers to great questions of existence, it does not exempt believers from patient intellectual and cultural formation. Human and scientific knowledge must go hand in hand with the substance of faith.
The Council addressed a specific appeal to theologians. It encourages those who teach theology to collaborate with experts in other sciences by sharing resources and points of view. Theological inquiry should pursue a profound understanding of revealed truth while maintaining close contact with its own time. This contact helps skilled professionals attain a better understanding of the faith.
Pope Leo XIV concluded by stating that Gaudium et Spes reminds the faithful not to live in opposition or hostility toward the world. The document exhorts believers to live in close union with the people of their time and to strive to understand their way of thinking and judging as expressed in their culture. Achieving a mature synthesis between faith and culture is presented as a necessary condition for persevering in the Christian vocation and for bearing witness to the faith in a credible manner.
