VATICAN CITY (RNS) — On the 10th anniversary of “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and family, Pope Leo XIV announced he will hold a gathering of presidents of bishops’ conferences at the Vatican to address the same topics in October.
In a letter on Thursday (March 19), Leo said young people especially need spiritual support to recognize the value of marriage and families. He also recognized the many challenges facing families today.
The summit, he wrote, will be “an effort to proceed, in mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia and taking into account what is currently being done in the local Churches.”
Francis wrote his document on the family after two Vatican summits of bishops, called synods, and a Jubilee Year of Mercy. A controversial footnote in the document sparked backlash by conservative Catholic prelates for its cautious openness to allowing Communion for divorced or civilly remarried Catholics through spiritual accompaniment. Four cardinals later submitted formal questions, known as dubia, seeking clarification on the document’s interpretation, which Francis never formally answered.
Pope Leo did not address the controversy in his letter and instead focused on t …