Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called on bishops from around the world to share what has emerged in their local Churches during the ten years since the publication of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, urging the Church to listen more closely to families and face their difficulties with courage. Pasted markdown
The Pope made the appeal on October 7 as he opened a meeting at the Vatican marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris laetitia. The gathering, titled “Ten years after Amoris laetitia: proclaiming the Gospel with families today”, is bringing together the heads of the Eastern Churches and Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences.
The meeting is being held in the Paul VI Audience Hall from October 7 to 14. It includes plenary sessions, group discussions and prayer. The proceedings will conclude with a Mass celebrated by Pope Leo and will result in a summary report of what emerges from the meeting. Pasted markdown
Pope Leo said the experiences of Churches in different cultural settings can help create a shared understanding of the past decade. He expressed hope that these experiences would help the Church look honestly at the difficulties that families continue to face while also recognising signs of joy and hope.
The Pope placed the family within the wider social mission of the Church. Referring to the path followed by the Church since the Second Vatican Council, he said marriage and family life remain closely connected to major cultural, economic, social and political questions, including the promotion of peace.
He said the connection between these issues has become even clearer today. The family, he explained, provides an important point of contact between local realities and global concerns and can contribute to the search for universal fraternity in Christ. Pasted markdown
Pope Leo described Amoris laetitia as an important stage in the Church’s pastoral concern for marriage and family life. He encouraged the participants to share the experiences, results and questions that have emerged in their local Churches since the document was published.
He also highlighted the important role of families themselves in the Church’s mission. Families contribute through love and fidelity, care and forgiveness, the education of children, passing on the faith, caring for elderly people and those who are vulnerable, and serving their communities.
The Pope said these ordinary actions allow families to bear witness to the Gospel and take part directly in the life and mission of the Church. Pasted markdown
He urged Church leaders to learn from families, particularly those living through difficult circumstances. Pastoral care, he said, involves not only accompanying people but also listening to them. Families experiencing difficulties, loneliness and apparent failure can offer important wisdom to the Church through their lived experience. Pasted markdown
Among the issues requiring greater attention, Pope Leo pointed to the growing distance between the way sex and intimacy are experienced in society and the Christian understanding of marriage.
He noted that many young people continue to desire love, fidelity and belonging, while some struggle to see how these hopes can become part of their own lives. Economic insecurity, migration, violence, loneliness and emotional fragility can also influence the choices people make and their hopes for the future.
The Pope encouraged the Church to examine whether its pastoral language and practices are reaching people effectively and helping them pursue what is good. He also urged Church leaders to ask what people are truly seeking amid cultural changes and what their joys, hopes, griefs and anxieties can teach the Church. Pasted markdown
A central theme of the Pope’s address was fragility. He said vulnerability has a strong influence on people’s lives and on their relationship with God and the Church.
He challenged the Church to consider whether it remains close to people when their lives do not turn out as they had hoped and whether it can recognise grace even in situations marked by wounds, limitations and apparent failure.
Pope Leo stressed that fragility is part of the human condition and is also present in the life of the Church. He said grace, forgiveness and new beginnings are needed in the effort to follow God’s will, while fidelity itself is a grace that is received and renewed over time, often through trials. Pasted markdown
The Pope asked Church communities to reflect on what people experience when they are at their most fragile. He urged them to consider whether those who are struggling can still recognise that they have a place, a responsibility and gifts to offer within the Church.
He also called for the Church’s teaching about the family to be communicated through patience, closeness and mercy, so that people can encounter the Gospel not only through words but also through pastoral presence. Pasted markdown
Pope Leo further encouraged the participants to listen to one another and remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, including when they encounter situations that challenge their expectations.
He said the diversity of family experiences can become a gift for the discernment of the whole Church and can help it find renewed ways of proclaiming the Gospel. He also asked participants to respect discretion and confidentiality during the meeting. Pasted markdown
The Pope concluded by calling for greater freedom to listen, wisdom to recognise God’s work among his people and courage to follow where the Holy Spirit leads. The goal, he said, is for the Gospel to become increasingly good news for families throughout the world.