Pope Leonas XIV delivers catechesis

In brief

Pope Leo XIV taught that human dignity is a gift from God during his general audience on September 9, 2026. During his catechesis, the Pope examined the concept of personal dignity as presented in the first chapter of Gaudium et Spes.

The Pope stated that a person's value does not depend on their wealth or power. He explained that dignity comes from being created in the image of God and noted that the human body should not be treated as an object to be used at will. According to the Vatican News report, Leo XIV described dignity as the foundation and condition for the most precious human values, noting that connecting these values to their divine source protects them from distortion.