Pope Leo calls bishops to Rome to discuss families

The Pope announced on March 19 that the gathering would involve synodal discernment on how “to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia”.

Amoris Laetitia, issued in 2016, is Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family. It followed two synods at the Vatican in 2014 and 2015, which included debates over divorce. Amoris Laetitia sparked controversy with a footnote that said divorced and civilly remarried Catholics could receive Communion “in certain cases”.

The meeting in October this year is not part of the Synod on Synodality, which will conclude a three-year implementation phase with an assembly in October 2028.

In his message, Pope Leo said societal changes make pastoral attention to families even more necessary than 10 years ago.

Amoris Laetitia is “a luminous message of hope regarding conjugal love and family life”, and “we ask God for the courage to persevere on this path, always welcoming the Gospel anew in the joy of being able to proclaim it to all”, he said.

Pope Leo recalled the Second Vatican Council’s teaching that the family is “‘the basis of society,’ a gift from God, and ‘a school for human enrichment’.”

Since Vatican II, he added, “the two apostolic exhortations, Familiaris Consortio – issued by St John Paul II in 1981 – and Amoris Laetitia, have both strengthened the Church’s doctrinal and pastoral commitment to the service of young people, married couples and families”.

The Lord has entrusted families with the task of participating in the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel, the Pope said, including in places where the Church can witness only through the lay faithful.

“For this reason, the Church’s commitment in this area must be renewed and deepened, so that those whom the Lord calls to marriage and family life can, in Christ, fully live out their conjugal love, and that young people may feel attracted, within the Church, to the beauty of the vocation to marriage,” he said.

The Pontiff also pointed out ”valuable teachings that we must continue to examine today” from Amoris Laetitia, including how to live through family crises, that love in marriage “always gives life” and the need for new pastoral methods.

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Pope Leo XIV calls bishops to Rome to discuss families, ‘Amoris Laetitia’ in October (By Hannah Brockhaus/EWTN News)