General Audience, 7 October 2026

Pope Leo XIV taught during a general audience that the Church's primary mission is to help people address profound questions regarding human origins, destiny, love, and suffering.

During his catechesis on the fourth chapter of the first part of the Second Vatican Council document *Gaudium et Spes*, the Pope explained that the Church is not separate from the world but is grafted into it. He noted that the Church journeys through history among various peoples and cultures, which gives its mission a historical scope and a responsibility for how social relations are built.

Pope Leo XIV stated that the Church's methods and goals are not of a political order, but instead consist of witnessing to faith and charity to achieve the common good. He described the separation of professed faith from daily life as one of the most serious errors of the current era. He added that the Church strives to bring about the salvation of all human beings through personal holiness and fraternal love.