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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV said Scripture is meant to speak directly to believers in today's world, emphasizing that the Bible is the word of God expressed through human authors during his weekly general audience.

"In every age, the Church is called to re-propose the Word of God in a language capable of being embodied in history and reaching hearts," he said Feb. 4. 

He warned that when Scripture “loses touch with reality, with human hopes and sufferings,” or is proclaimed in language that is “incomprehensible, uncommunicative or anachronistic,” it becomes "ineffective."

Continuing his catechesis series on Vatican II, the pope said the Bible is not a relic of the past but a living dialogue meant to lead people to know and love God. God chose to communicate through his people, demonstrating his mercy and desire to be close to humanity, the pope said.

Citing the Second Vatican Council’s document "Dei Verbum," the pope said, "the words of God, expressed in human language, have been made like human discourse, just as the word of the eternal Father, when he took to himself the flesh of human weakness, was in every way made like men."

It is important to note, he said, that while God is the principal author of Scripture, human beings were also "true authors," not simply passive "scribes" sharing God's words, the pope said, "God never mortifies human beings and their potential!"

He also warned against reading Scripture as though it had no divine origin and were only a relic of the past.

"While Scripture is a text rooted in historical truth, it also contains a limitless spiritual depth that speaks to people of all times and places, communicating above all God’s love and his desire to save us," the pope said. 

Pope Leo said that God, "in his goodness, ensures our lives do not lack the essential nourishment of his word, and let us pray that our words, and even more so our lives, do not obscure the love of God that is narrated in them."

In an appeal he made at the end of the audience, the pope said a prayer for the people of Ukraine, who have endured frequent bombing recently, further impacting their access to power. He also acknowledged that a new START treaty between the United States and Russia was expected to be signed Feb. 5, which would curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

Sharing his hope that the treaty be renewed, Pope Leo said in Italian, "I call on you to not let this instrument collapse without trying to guarantee a concrete and effective follow-up. The current situation requires us to do everything possible to break free from a new race of arms that further threatens peace between nations." 

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The Lenten Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals residing in Rome, and head of Dicasteries will be preached by Trappist Bishop Erik Varden, scheduled for February 22-27.

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In his message for the World Day of Human Fraternity and the presentation of the Zayed Award, Pope Leo XIV describes fraternity as an urgent necessity, stronger than conflicts, differences and tensions, while warning against leaving it trapped in the realm of ideas.

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Ahead of the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, urges policymakers to "courageously pursue diplomatic negotiations to maintain New START’s limits."

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Pope Leo XIV asks for prayers for the people of Ukraine, who continue to suffer the consequences of war exacerbated by freezing temperatures, and appeals for a renewed international commitment against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as the New START treaty is due to expire.

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During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV warns against "fundamentalist or spiritualist readings" of Scripture, and upholds the Church's mission to proclaim the Word of God in language that touches human hearts.

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