Pope urges active participation at Mass, not virtual

By CathNews New Zealand

August 14th, 2026

Pope Leo XIV (Ricardo Stuckert/Wikimedia Commons)

Pope Leo XIV has urged Christians to participate actively at Mass as a visible expression of communion with Christ and his Church, and not to substitute it for a “solely virtual presence” or passivity. Source: Vatican News.

Speaking at his weekly general audience on August 12, the Pope continued his reflections on the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

Pope Leo explained that “the encounter with Jesus, who died and rose again for us, is the purpose that the Church always pursues, placing the celebration of the Paschal event at the centre of every moment”.

For this reason, the Council Fathers described Sunday as “the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year” and “the original feast day”.

The Pope noted that Sunday is the “dies Domini”, the Day of the Lord. Even in languages whose name for Sunday refers to the “day of the sun”, he added, Christians can recognise a reference to Christ, the true “sun of righteousness” who enlightens every person.

Pope Leo recalled that St John Paul II taught that Sunday is the day of the Lord, the day of the Church, the day of man and, finally, the “day of days”.

“Since Sunday is the weekly Easter,” Pope Leo said, it makes present Christ’s Resurrection and reveals the meaning of time itself, directing human history towards the Lord’s return.

Pope Leo explained that in order to sanctify Sunday, “it is fundamental to celebrate the Eucharist” as, according to the Council Fathers, by doing so and listening to the Word, and coming together in gathering, “the Christian community makes visible its communion with the Lord and bears witness to its belonging to Christ and its fidelity to the Church”.

Such an assembly, the Pope warned, “cannot be substituted by a solely virtual presence”, nor can it be reduced to a passive gathering. The liturgy is fulfilled through the active participation of brothers and sisters who come together to thank God for the “living hope” received through Christ’s Resurrection.

The Pope therefore urged communities to seek “the best possible conditions” to enable those who cannot take time off work on Sundays to participate in Mass.

FULL STORY

Pope at Audience: The liturgical year renews Christ’s saving work (Vatican News)