Amoris Laetitia meeting concludes with papal homily, message
October 15, 2026
The weeklong extraordinary meeting on the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia concluded on October 14 with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square (video), a papal message, and a press briefing (video).
Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) was devoted to love in the family. On March 19, Pope Leo issued a message for the document’s tenth anniversary and convoked the extraordinary assembly of the presidents of the world’s episcopal conferences and heads of the Eastern Catholic churches. In July, the Vatican released the preparatory document that guided the discussions.
Mass: Pope’s homily touches on love, chastity, respect for life, prayer, sacraments
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals and one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presided at the Mass in the place of Pope Leo, who was recuperating in Gemelli Hospital from lung surgery. He read out the Pope’s homily.
Ini marriage, “the true joy of love is a gradual deepening of union, in which each person’s uniqueness blossoms through the gift of self and the presence of the other,” Pope Leo wrote, as he described God as a “Lord who loves without holding back, who never ceases to seek us, place his trust in us and renew his friendship with us.”
“This is the love that Amoris Laetitia invites us to make the foundation of our families,” he continued. “This is the true love that, in a particular way, we are urged to teach to young people preparing for marriage, instructing them about the importance of the virtues, among which a special place is given to chastity, which is invaluable for the genuine growth of love between persons.”
The Pope added:
The values of openness to life and respect for life, from conception to natural death, are also rooted in this charity, which is fundamental to our existence and to our life together as human beings. The family is the foremost guardian of these values, a beacon for the good of humanity. In this regard, Pope Francis stressed that “no union that is temporary or closed to the transmission of life can ensure the future of society” (Amoris Laetitia, 52). The world has no future without strong families open to the gift of children and attentive to their education and growth.
Pope Leo also called upon families to rediscover prayer and the sacraments.
“Common prayer and the Sacraments play a vital role in family life because they open hearts to the action of God, enabling families to reach together places that they could never reach on their own,” he wrote. “Indeed, they are a solid nourishment and a healing medicine. I therefore strongly urge everyone to rediscover and encourage these practices.”
Papal message
In a brief message for the meeting’s conclusion—dated October 13, and released the following day—Pope Leo told participants that “I will read the fruits of your work and discussions, and offer my reflections in due course.”
“In the meantime, I encourage you to begin to share with your Episcopal Conferences and Dioceses what you have lived and received, and to continue proclaiming the Gospel with families, drawing on the richness of Amoris Laetitia,“ he added. “In a particular way, it is my hope that families will always be active participants in the life and mission of your local Churches, and that they will help you to discern the paths ahead.”
Press briefing
Seven people spoke at the meeting’s final press briefing:
- Cardinal Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., of Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta
- Father Stanislaus Chu Ilo, professor at DePaul University in Chicago
- Father Giacomo Costa, S.J., consultor of the General Secretariat of the Synod, and the official responsible for the weeklong meeting’s methodology
- Msgr. Philippe Bordeyne, dean of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences and coordinator of experts
- Solange and Alisson Schila, a married couple from Brazil
Archbishop Scicluna said that Amoris Laetitia fostered an attitude of “seeking the will of God but also facilitating the meeting with God’s mercy, embracing people, finding them where they are and leading them to meet Jesus as Saviour ... Ten years later, it remains a fresh document that needs to be rediscovered.”
Father Ilo told Vatican News that “I take back with me the joy of belonging to a Church that cares about the wounds and brokenness in people’s lives, not with a view to papering over them or quickly solving them.”
“I think this gathering opened my eyes to the fact that we are staying longer with the wounds,” he added. “Sometimes people want a quick solution, but here I see a Church that is staying with the wounds to touch them, like Thomas touched the wounded side of Jesus, and then there was a transformation.”
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Further information:
- Holy Mass at the Conclusion of the Meeting marking the 10th Anniversary of the Publication of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia
- Holy Mass on the tenth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (Holy See Press Office, 10/14/26)
- Pope Leo: Take to heart the riches of ‘Amoris laetitia’ (Vatican News, 10/14/26)
- Notice of Briefing (Holy See Press Office, 10/14/26)
- Message of the Holy Father at the conclusion of the Meeting on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Amoris laetitia (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 10/14/26)
- Pope Leo: 'May families actively participate in life of the Church' (Vatican News, 10/14/26)
- Church renews commitment to families at conclusion of 'Amoris laetitia' meeting (Vatican News, 10/14/26)
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