Pope at Audience: Active participation in liturgy leads us to relationship with God

During the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Basilica on August 26, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of the liturgical reform enacted by the Second Vatican Council, which encouraged the faithful to participate more actively in the liturgy and enter into a deeper relationship with God. 

“Through the Church’s ritual actions, whilst the memorial of the work of salvation is celebrated, the opportunity is provided to experience a true relationship with God, coming into contact with the salvific event,” the Pope said.

“Since the gestures and words of the sacred liturgy are critical to realizing this experience, the participation of the faithful cannot be passive,” he said.

Pope Leo continued his series of reflections on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, and delivered his final catechesis on the 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,

Sacrosanctum Concilium was the first text to be promulgated at the Second Vatican Council and brought about important changes to the liturgy, such as allowing it to be celebrated in vernacular languages and encouraging a more active participation of the faithful.

In his catechesis, the Pope looked at the reasons why the Council Fathers decided to promote this reform.