Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic leaders to address family life through the experiences of young people and families, rather than simply restating church doctrine.
The Vatican meeting runs from Oct. 7 to 14 and marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. It brings together presidents of bishops’ conferences, leaders of Eastern Catholic churches and invited clergy. ABC reported that 11 married couples were also invited to share their experiences.
At the opening, Leo asked bishops to engage with the questions families bring to the Church. He pointed to a widening gap between the Christian view of marriage and contemporary attitudes to sex and intimacy. Many young people still want love, fidelity and belonging, he said, but struggle to see how a lifelong commitment can fit their lives.
The pope listed economic insecurity, migration, violence, loneliness and emotional vulnerability among factors that shape decisions about marriage and relationships. He asked bishops to consider whether people facing hardship find a place and a role in the Church.
Sessions will be held behind closed doors, with participants meeting in language groups before presenting their conclusions in plenary. Organizers do not plan a final document, but say minutes will be published and a summary delivered to the pope.
Data presented in Rome showed that the share of weddings celebrated in the Catholic Church in Spain fell from 55.27% in 2007 to 17.94% in 2024. ABC, citing Spain’s National Statistics Institute, also reported 175,364 marriages and 86,595 divorces in 2024. Those are separate annual counts and do not mean that nearly half of couples who married that year divorced.