Pope Leo XIV warns that prayer in the home is fading in many countries
At a Mass in St. Peter's Square marking 10 years since Amoris Laetitia, Pope Leo XIV said the habit of praying together at home has weakened in many countries and that strong families are needed for the world's future
Pope Leo XIV said that "without strong families, the world has no future" during a Mass in St. Peter's Square on October 14, 2026, marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The homily was given by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals. The celebration was intended to present the results of the work done on the document and to advance the application of its pastoral guidance.
The pope, who is recovering from recent surgery, stressed the importance of meditating on St. Paul's teaching in the "hymn to charity," the passage the exhortation takes as its starting point for reflecting on the virtues of Christian marriage.
The true joy of married love
The pope said the "true joy of love" is seen in the union of husband and wife, which he described as "a slow fusion of the two." He added that "it is through these values that spouses, in the image of the Trinity, grow together day by day," so that what is unique in each one flourishes in the gift of self to the other.
Charity at home: the first school of affection
The pope stressed the importance of charity in the home as the first school of affection. That virtue, with its difficult moments and its mistakes, is central to family life and deserves to be valued and supported, he said. "They are a generous and universally understandable response" to the teachings of Jesus, he said.
The pope encouraged Catholics to grow as a "Church that is a family of families," where everyone, including the most vulnerable, finds support and encouragement in a welcoming and committed community.
Preparing for marriage from childhood
The pope said young people preparing for marriage need to be educated, and that the specific programs offered at the parish and pastoral level "are worthy of praise." But he said those efforts must be accompanied by an education in love that begins in childhood.
The pope recalled that, according to Pope Francis, preparation for marriage begins at birth, so that young people grow up in a culture of love, self-giving and commitment.
Family prayer, a forgotten dimension
The pope said the family is a privileged place of prayer and that the habit of praying together at home has weakened in many parts of the world. He again stressed the importance of family spirituality and of taking part in Sunday Mass, and asked families to gather regularly to strengthen their spiritual life.
Ecclesial communion
After the homily, Tagle announced the granting of ecclesial communion to the Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Polis III Nona, and spoke of the value of that union in faith and charity within the universal Church. The celebration ended with a prayer for all families, invoking the Holy Family of Nazareth so that families may become true schools of the Gospel and places of communion and prayer.
