To know God, we must welcome Jesus’ humanity, pope says January 21, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV said that God is revealed through Jesus’ humanity, not solely through a “channel of transmission of intellectual truths.” It is through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that one can come to know God. Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims and visitors as he enters the Paul VI Audience Hall for his weekly general audience at the Vatican Jan. 21, 2026. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) Pope Leo continued his series of talks during his weekly general audience Jan. 21, revisiting Vatican Council II with a speech on “Dei Verbum,” the church’s teaching on divine revelation. By knowing Jesus, the pope said we can enter into a relationship with God as his adopted children, which was revealed through Jesus’ humanity. “In order to know God in Christ, we must welcome his integral humanity: God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human, just as the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift,” he said. “It is the integral humanity of Jesus that tells us the truth of the Father.” He went on further to say that in becoming man, Jesus “is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us. Therefore, to honor the greatness of the incarnation, it is not enough to consider Jesus as the channel of transmission of intellectual truths.” God communicates with us, the pope said, and at the same time, Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. Through this corporal form, the truth of God is revealed. “Jesus Christ is the place where we recognize the truth of God the Father, while we discover ourselves known by him as sons in the Son, called to the same destiny of full life,” he said. In closing, Pope Leo said, “Brothers and sisters, by following the path of Jesus to the very end, we reach the certainty that nothing can separate us from God’s love.” Read More Vatican News Prevention, accountability needed to stop crimes against humanity, Vatican diplomat tells UN Everyone can be a good Samaritan, pope says in message for world’s sick Pope encourages Neocatechumenal Way to continue mission ‘without closing yourselves off’ Pope ‘deeply saddened’ by deadly high-speed train collision in Spain Pope Leo warns against chasing approval, calls for deeper spiritual focus Radio Interview: Lent and Pope Leo Copyright © 2026 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Print
