Did Pope Leo Say that the Catholic Church Doesn’t Possess the Entire Truth?

David Martin | The Daily Knight

On October 26, 2025, the Feast of Christ the King, Pope Leo XIV stated the following during his homily for the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies:

“The supreme rule in the Church is love: no one is called to command, everyone is called to serve; no one should impose their own ideas, we all must 1 listen to one another; no one is excluded, we are all called to participate; no one possesses the entire truth.”

So upholding the truth with command violates the supreme rule of love? Since when does “listening to one another” fulfill our calling “to serve?” Listening to God is the best service to others. True service means passing the truth of the Catholic Faith on to others for their enrichment.  

Leo doesn’t agree. He says that “no one possesses the entire truth,” but what does he mean by “no one?” Does he mean that no one individual possesses the entire truth or that the Catholic Church does not possess the entire truth?

Addressing the Centesimus Annus Foundation on May 17, Leo XIV said that doctrine and dialogue are virtually the same and suggested that doctrine must change to meet today’s global challenges.

“Doctrine is not the opposite of dialogue. There is no doctrine without closeness to people and their situations. Indoctrination that blocks critical thinking is immoral.”

So Christ’s doctrine “is immoral” because it blocks man’s humanistic analysis? Doctrine is insensitive to the needs of people? Certainly, Christ knew what he was doing when he gave us his Church. Doctrine doesn’t block goodness but blocks the scrutinizing of God’s laws, which Leo calls “critical thinking.” Such thinking is what brings all the problems upon man whereas simple obedience to God’s laws is what solves all of man’s problems.

At the audience Leo said:

“The Church does not want to wave the flag of possessing the truth.”

This comes across as saying that the Church does not possess the totality of truth but shares this role with other religions and groupings. The Catholic Church alone possesses the entire truth and is called to bring this truth to all peoples, yet Leo sees this as an ‘imposition.’ Is he ashamed to witness for the truth?  

He says that Catholics must never “command” or impose their “own ideas” but must “participate” and “dialogue” with others that they might acquire the truth.

Consider his own words at the October 25 Jubilee of Synodal Teams:

“I would like to urge you: in listening to the Spirit, in dialogue, in fraternity, and in parrhesia, help us understand that in the Church, before any difference in gender or role, we are called to walk together in search of God, laying aside clericalism and vanity.”

So the members of Christ still need to “search” for God Whom the church has fully possessed for 2000 years? Since when are the faithful called to blindly “walk together” in a spirit of “dialogue?” The Church already gave us the full truth so what is there to dialogue about?

Leo says we must lay aside “clericalism,” which he calls “vanity,” but why are we supposed to lay aside something that Christ instituted? Clericalism is the authority of the priesthood that Christ conferred upon his priestly representatives, so are clerics guilty of “vanity” for teaching the absolute truth? And are the laity vain by bringing this immutable truth to others?

Leo emphasized that “Synodal teams and participation bodies are an image of this Church that lives in communion.” But in communion with what? Synodality defies divine absolutes and seeks to ‘vote for doctrine’ to suit man’s whims and fancies, which is sinful in God’s eyes. If Catholics participate in synodality they are in communion with heretics, not with God.

Christ Never Dialogued

The present fuss over “dialogue” is ridiculous since Christ never once “dialogued” with the people but he taught and corrected them. Jesus commissioned his representatives to bring the knowledge of God to all peoples that they might leave their religions and their own ideas and be joined to Christ in the bosom of His Church. Leo needs to ask himself: were all the popes, bishops, and priests of the past 2000 years guilty of “vanity” for doing this? 

Nay, these loyal ones followed their humble calling “to serve” even unto martyrdom. For they obeyed Christ’s command to subject the world to His monarchical authority, which Leo and his clerical sissies refuse to do. Instead of instructing their fellow man on the path to salvation they bow to man in guru fashion that they may receive their gifts and acknowledgement. Is this what Leo calls the supreme rule of love?

Leo and his Vatican had best consider the Gospel warning to those who deny Christ by placing man before Him.

“He that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in Heaven.” (St. Matthew 10:33)

1. We indeed are called to listen to others insofar that we be sensitive to their needs and listen to their hurts, but Leo isn’t speaking of that kind of “listening.” He means that we should learn the truth from one another rather than from true clerical authorities who exhort us to adhere to doctrine and tradition.