The Church in Colombia

Pope Leo XIV told the faithful during a general audience on Oct. 28 not to live their faith with a spirit of opposition or hostility toward the world, culture, and human expressions. Speaking in St. Peter's Square, the pope continued a catechetical series on the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes.

The pope stated that a mature and responsible synthesis between faith and culture is a necessary condition for persevering in the Christian vocation. He noted that this synthesis is also an essential requirement for communicating the faith to others in a credible manner.

During his teaching, the pope cited the document's exhortation for believers to live in close union with others of their time and to strive to understand their way of thinking and judging as expressed in their culture. The second chapter of the second part of Gaudium et Spes addresses the relationship between culture and the Christian faith.