“Every Baptized Person Is Charged to Bear Consistent Witness to Christ” — Pope Leo XIV
At the weekly General Audience held on March 18, 2026, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that every baptized person is called to bear a consistent witness to Christ as an active agent of evangelization.
Continuing his reflection on the teachings of the Lumen gentium, the Holy Father focused on its second chapter, which presents the Church as the People of God. He noted that the Council Fathers teach that through the new and eternal Covenant, the Lord Jesus established a “royal priesthood,” inviting all the faithful into a shared spiritual mission.
The Pope explained that through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the faithful are strengthened by the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith through both word and action, thereby becoming authentic witnesses of Christ.
He also recalled an observation by Pope Francis, who noted that all members enter the Church as lay people, sharing in a common mission that unites both ordained ministers and the laity. In this way, the People of God participate in Christ’s prophetic mission.
Pope Leo XIV further clarified that the “sense of faith” (sensus fidei) is not possessed individually but collectively by the entire People of God. Quoting Lumen gentium, he stated that “the entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are, cannot err in matters of belief.” From bishops to the last of the lay faithful, he explained, there exists a universal agreement in matters of faith and morals, underscoring the Church’s unity and fidelity.
The Holy Father also highlighted the role of the Holy Spirit, who bestows special graces upon the faithful of every rank, equipping them to carry their crosses and contribute in diverse ways to the Church’s building up. He pointed to consecrated life and ecclesial associations as vivid expressions of this charismatic vitality, continually renewed by God’s grace.
Concluding his address, the Pope called on all the faithful to renew their commitment to God’s mission by actively living out the grace received through Baptism. He urged believers to recognize their role as witnesses of Christ and to respond faithfully to their calling as members of God’s People.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygNyAUlEFSo (Full audience of Pope Leo XIV)
Anita Aryeh
DEPSOCOM, Accra
