Pope Leo XIV Opens Vatican Meeting on Family, Calling Church to Listen to Families as Partners in Mission
Date posted on October 8, 2026
Pope Leo XIV opened an eight-day meeting at the Vatican on Wednesday marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, inviting the Church to reflect not only on how she proclaims the Gospel to families, but on how families themselves participate in the Church’s mission.
Addressing bishops, families, married couples, experts and facilitators gathered for the meeting, the Holy Father noted that “the Church has spent these ten years receiving Amoris Laetitia and walking with families.” He emphasized that families are not simply recipients of pastoral care. Through the ordinary circumstances of family life, they are themselves witnesses to the Gospel and active participants in the mission of the Church.
“Families themselves participate in the Church’s mission in the ordinary fabric of their lives,” Pope Leo said, pointing to the many ways families live this vocation through love and fidelity, care and forgiveness, the education of children, the transmission of faith, attention to the elderly and vulnerable, and service to their communities and society.
The Pope also called the Church to listen attentively to the lived experience of families, recognizing that their joys, struggles, hopes and wounds can help the Church discern how best to accompany them and proclaim the Gospel in the circumstances of their lives.
“The Lord himself patiently teaches us when we take the time to listen, and we certainly have much to learn from families."
Pope Leo expressed his hope that the gathering would help the Church find new paths for accompanying families and proclaiming the Gospel in the circumstances of family life today. He invited participants to share the experiences of their local Churches so that “a shared narrative of these ten years may gradually take shape, one marked by joy and hope,” helping the Church discern where the Holy Spirit is leading her and how the Gospel can become “ever more fully good news for families throughout the world.”
Pictured is the delegation from Canada: Bishop Joseph Dabrowski, Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, Bishop Pierre Goudreault, Audrey Boucher, and Jean-Pierre Landry.