Above: A family presents the offertory gifts to Pope Leo XIV during Mass marking the Jubilee of the Holy See in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 9, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — More than 180 bishops, family representatives and experts from around the world will gather at the Vatican Oct. 7-14 for a meeting convened by Pope Leo XIV to assess how the Catholic Church can better proclaim the Gospel through and with families a decade after the publication of Amoris Laetitia.
The gathering, titled “Ten Years After Amoris Laetitia: Proclaiming the Gospel With Families Today,” will bring together delegates from all 115 bishops’ conferences and the 15 Eastern Catholic churches, along with theologians, canon lawyers, sociologists and family witnesses. Discussions will focus on contemporary family life, marriage preparation, support for newly married couples, accompaniment during difficulties and the missionary role of Christian families.
Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”) is Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and family life. It calls on the Church to support and accompany families through the joys and challenges of everyday life while remaining grounded in Catholic teaching.
The meeting will conclude Oct. 14 with a Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV, the publication of a synthesis report and the pope’s closing address. Organizers said bishops will then be expected to return home and continue to promote initiatives that strengthen family life and evangelization within their local churches.