https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-at-audience-active-participation-in-liturgy-leads-us-to-relationship-with-godContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-at-audience-active-participation-in-liturgy-leads-us-to-relationship-with-godhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-at-audience-active-participation-in-liturgy-leads-us-to-relationship-with-god#u49811Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:55:50 +0000Pope Leo XIV stated during an August 26 general audience that active and conscious participation in the liturgy is essential for a relationship with God. The Pope argued that the faithful must not be "strangers and silent spectators" or maintain a physical presence while remaining spiritually absent. He defended the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council as necessary for lay involvement, describing the liturgy as a "living entity" that evolves over time. Leo XIV further called on clergy to ensure the liturgy respects established norms and maintains a "noble s