Pope Leo XIV meeting

Pope Leo XIV will open a meeting with heads of Eastern Churches and bishops on October 7 for the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation 'Amoris laetitia'.

“the fundamental question is how to renew pastoral ministry with vigour and make families increasingly active participants in the life and mission of the church”

187 participants

The meeting includes 115 bishops, 14 cardinals, 15 eastern catholic church representatives, 22 invited guests, 11 organizers, and 22 families from five continents.

Listening and discernment

The initiative focuses on listening to the Church's voice during change, addressing pastoral challenges and family difficulties through discernment.

“it is not a synod, nor is it a continuation of a synod. rather, it is an occasion to listen to the voice of the church at a time of great change”

Cultural shifts

Religious marriages in Poland fell 45 percent in five years, and in Australia dropped from 88 percent to 16 percent between 1970 and 2024.

Pastoral approach

The meeting emphasizes a lifelong pastoral approach starting before marriage and supporting families through crises and faith transmission.

“the reality of families today, marked by both beauty and challenges”

Five themes

The initiative addresses five themes: family reality, young people's vocation, first marriage years, complex situations, and christian families as church mission.

“the five themes announced last july are being developed in light of the changes affecting families”

Prayer and dialogue

The meeting includes prayer sessions, alternating speaking and listening, to identify common ground and differences through dialogue.

“it is not enough to gather information and compare positions; we must prepare ourselves to listen to the word, to others and to what the spirit can bring forth through dialogue”

Report format

The outcome will be a report, not a new final document, to be discussed by the assembly and sent to the pope for further action.

“it will be a synthesis prepared by a commission, which will then be discussed by the assembly and sent to the pope”

Future commitment

The Churches commit to better understanding how families can continue evangelizing despite wars, migrations, and health crises.

“the commitment of the churches is therefore to better understand how families can continue to be places of evangelization despite the wars that have changed them, the migrations that have separated them, and the health crises that have affected them”