Full transcript
0:01Leo XV officially opened the Church's
0:03world meeting dedicated to Amoris
0:05Laetitia yesterday evening , and in his
0:07speech , he said several things that
0:09were truly interesting , and moreover ,
0:12at times surprisingly strong and
0:14unambiguous . He said , for example , that
0:18love and fidelity can only be found in
0:21marriage , specifically in marriage
0:23understood as an indissoluble , lifelong
0:25commitment . He called the family a
0:29sanctity — a sanctity for which the
0:31Church must fight and which it must
0:33support . He invoked the teaching of
0:37Saint John Paul II on the family and
0:39emphasized that precisely when things
0:41are difficult , when humanly speaking
0:43family problems seem impossible to
0:45overcome , that is exactly when one
0:47should open oneself to the action of
0:49grace and trust in God . And furthermore
0:54, the Pope says that this very fidelity
0:56is a special grace , especially when we
0:59are experiencing various trials . I will
1:05tell you honestly , the tone of this
1:07speech surprised me . I expected much
1:11more general language about integration
1:13, discernment , and accompaniment ,
1:15especially looking at the composition
1:17of some of the participants of this
1:18meeting and the earlier statements of
1:20its organizers . I told you about this
1:24exactly in yesterday's video , but in
1:26the meantime , Leo XIV spoke very
1:28clearly about the truth , about God's
1:31plan , about lasting commitment , and
1:33about the fullness of the Gospel's
1:35teaching on the family . These are
1:37quotes from the Holy Father . This may
1:40be heading in the very direction we
1:42have been talking about here for a long
1:44time . Not a rejection of Amoris
1:47Laetitia , but a reading of it firmly in
1:49continuity with the earlier teaching of
1:52the Church , especially with Familiaris
1:54Consortio of John Paul II ; that is , not
1:57rejection but reinterpretation — a
1:59constant modus operandi of Leo XIV
2:01regarding the pontificate of Francis .
2:05Apropos of this pontificate , one must
2:08honestly say that Leo X did not once
2:10refer directly yesterday to the eighth
2:12chapter of Amoris Laetitia , to
2:14communion for divorced persons living
2:16in new unions , or to those guidelines
2:18from Buenos Aires or that famous
2:20provision from Amoris Laetitia . No ,
2:22that was not there . There is no
2:25resolution , but it was also difficult
2:27to expect that from a speech that
2:29inaugurates this whole event , if I may
2:31call it that . However , the Pope has set
2:36a certain framework here in which he
2:38views this week of deliberations ,
2:39because one thought indirectly returns
2:41several times in this speech . Marriage
2:45and family are part of God's plan .
2:48Fidelity is a grace . A lifelong
2:52commitment has meaning and is the
2:53essence of marriage . And the Church
2:56cannot give up . And here again a quote
2:59from the fullness of the Gospel's
3:00teaching on the family . It is to
3:02proclaim this truth , yes , with patience
3:05, closeness , and mercy , in order to
3:07truly reach these people , but it cannot
3:09abandon the fullness of the Gospel's
3:11teaching on the family . These are the
3:14words of Leo XV . So if the final
3:18conclusions of this week go in this
3:20very direction — that is , preserving
3:22the full teaching of the Church but
3:24without rejecting people in difficult
3:26situations — it would be a very
3:28significant positive result , with which
3:30we could be very satisfied . But as
3:35always , we provide the full source so
3:37that each of you can make your own
3:39assessment . So listen to the words of
3:42our Holy Father . It is worth it . Truly
3:45worth it . I wanted to convene this
3:56meeting 10 years after the publication
3:58of Amoris Laetitia and I thank you for
4:00adjusting your plans so that we could
4:02spend these days together . I sincerely
4:06thank the married couples and everyone
4:08who has come to share something of
4:10their life in Christ and who will take
4:12part in our conversations . As well as
4:15the experts and moderators . Allow me ,
4:18at the outset , to recall the long and
4:20fruitful synodal and missionary journey
4:22that the Church has traveled regarding
4:24marriage and the family . A journey that
4:27we are called to continue . The family
4:32has always occupied an important place
4:34in the pastoral care of the successor
4:36of Saint Peter and the bishops who
4:37support him through their participation
4:39in the Synod of Bishops . The 1980 Synod
4:44addressed a topic already mentioned by
4:46Pope John Paul I during his short
4:49pontificate , which ultimately resulted
4:51in the apostolic exhortation of Saint
4:53John Paul II . Familiaris Consortio . And
5:01at the beginning of his pontificate ,
5:03Pope Francis once again placed the
5:05family at the center of the synodal
5:07process , recognizing the need for
5:09further discernment by the Church in
5:11the face of profound changes occurring
5:13in an area so closely related to its
5:15mission in the modern world . This path
5:20led 10 years ago to the creation of the
5:22apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia .
5:26In this regard , the Church has followed
5:28the path charted by the Second Vatican
5:30Council . When the Council Fathers
5:36placed the dignity of marriage and the
5:38family at the beginning of the second
5:40part of the Constitution Gaudium et
5:42Spes , they recognized that family life
5:44constitutes a privileged starting point
5:47for reflections on the great cultural ,
5:49economic , social , and political issues
5:51of our time , including efforts for
5:53peace between nations . The
5:59interdependence of these issues has
6:00become even more obvious today . Always
6:04in the light of the word of God : God
6:06created them as male and female .
6:10Therefore , a man shall leave his father
6:12and mother and be joined to his wife .
6:18The family remains the key to an
6:20approach connecting the local and
6:22global dimensions , guided by the desire
6:24for universal brotherhood in Christ ,
6:26which the Gospel calls us to build
6:28together with all . This history ,
6:34spanning over half a century , places a
6:37special responsibility upon our meeting
6:39as pastors . As the synodal mission of
6:43the entire Church continues to develop .
6:50In this history , Amoris Laetitia
6:52constituted an important stage , and the
6:5410 years that have passed since its
6:56publication have become part of the
6:58life of our particular churches . During
7:02this time , this apostolic exhortation
7:04has been received in various cultures
7:06and pastoral contexts . It has
7:09accompanied the concrete lives of
7:11families and has become an inspiration
7:13for various initiatives and processes .
7:18These are 10 years that we now lay
7:20before the Lord Jesus . Under the
7:24guidance of the Holy Spirit , careful
7:26reflection on what has happened can
7:27help us understand more deeply what
7:29Christ has taught his Church over these
7:31years . The Acts of the Apostles
7:37presents us with a beautiful image of
7:39what we intend to do . At the end of
7:43their missionary journey , Paul and
7:45Barnabas gathered the faithful and
7:46recounted how much God had done through
7:48them . Later , as they traveled to
7:52Jerusalem , they passed through
7:54Phoenicia and Samaria , recounting what
7:56happened during their mission , and
7:58their report brought great joy to the
8:00brothers and sisters . When they arrived
8:05in Jerusalem , they were welcomed by the
8:07church , the apostles , and the elders ,
8:09and once again they told of the great
8:11things God had done through them . And
8:16something of this movement is also
8:18present in our gathering today . As I
8:23have already said , the Church has
8:25dedicated these ten years to embracing
8:27Amoris Laetitia and accompanying
8:29families in very different situations .
8:33We , too , bring stories of what God has
8:35done among us . These are stories
8:42gathered along the path of our mission :
8:44tales of conversion , unexpected fruits ,
8:46and the relationships God has woven
8:48within families as our communities
8:50sought to accompany them , as well as
8:52the difficulties we faced , the
8:54questions that arose , and what we
8:56learned along the way . They give us
9:02encouragement . As we begin our common
9:05work . Let us place them before the Lord
9:07. Let us share them with one another ,
9:10seeking to discern what God is doing
9:12among us and where His Spirit is
9:14leading the Church . Today , in my
9:21message of March 19th of this year for
9:23the 10th anniversary of the
9:24announcement of Amoris Laetitia , I
9:26recalled that there are indeed places
9:28and circumstances where the Church can
9:30become the salt of the earth . In no
9:35other way than through the faithful ,
9:37the laity , and in particular , through
9:39the family . And indeed , Amoris Laetitia
9:44encourages us to take this vocation and
9:47responsibility seriously . Families
9:55themselves participate in the mission
9:57of the Church in their daily lives
9:59through love and fidelity , care and
10:01forgiveness , the upbringing of children
10:03, the effort to pass on the faith , care
10:05for the elderly and those most
10:07vulnerable , and in the many ways they
10:09serve their communities and society . In
10:17all these dimensions , families bear
10:19witness to the Gospel and contribute to
10:21the life and mission of the Church . As
10:28pastors , we have received the
10:29responsibility to proclaim , in season
10:31and out of season , the beauty of
10:33God’s plan for marriage and the
10:35family , and the divine call to love and
10:38tenderness . This challenges us to
10:43accompany people in their pursuit of
10:45fulfilling their vocation within the
10:47concrete circumstances of their lives .
10:52This ministry also places us in the
10:54school of listening . The wisdom of the
10:58people of God reaches us through our
11:00shared faith , which illuminates all
11:02families , including those whose
11:04situations are marked by hardship ,
11:06loneliness , and sometimes even apparent
11:08failure . The Lord Himself teaches us
11:13patiently when we take the time to
11:15listen , and we can certainly learn a
11:17great deal from families . Their lives
11:23also pose questions to us that must be
11:25faced with courage . In many contexts ,
11:30the distance between the ways of
11:32experiencing sexuality and intimacy and
11:34the Christian vision of marriage is
11:36becoming increasingly visible . Young
11:41people still yearn for love , fidelity ,
11:43and belonging . However , many of them
11:48struggle to accept that such a vision
11:50of love can be realized in their own
11:52lives , or they find it hard to believe
11:54that a lifelong commitment is a
11:56condition for achieving what they
11:58desire . Economic uncertainty , migration
12:07, violence , loneliness , and other forms
12:09of emotional fragility also shape the
12:12choices people make and the
12:13possibilities they are able to imagine
12:16for the future . These realities pose a
12:22series of questions for us , which we
12:24must bravely face . What are people
12:28truly searching for beneath the surface
12:30of these cultural changes ? What do
12:34their joys and hopes , sorrows and
12:36anxieties reveal to us ? In what
12:40situations can our language and
12:42pastoral practice open a way forward ?
12:46And where do they fail to reach
12:48people's hearts or support their
12:49efforts to do good ? What does the real
12:54experience of families teach us ? An
12:57experience from which we have not yet
12:59fully drawn conclusions . What can we
13:04offer in terms of formation to support
13:06healthy and holy family life ? And above
13:11all , what can we learn from parents who
13:13strive to accompany their children and
13:15young people in these realities ?
13:23Fragility requires special attention
13:25because it can deeply affect the way
13:27people perceive themselves , their
13:29future , and even their relationship
13:31with God and the Church . The experience
13:39of fragility raises the question of
13:41whether we can remain close to one
13:43another when life no longer meets our
13:45expectations , and whether we can
13:47recognize the action of grace even in
13:49situations marked by limitations ,
13:51wounds , and apparent failures . In this
13:59respect , too , the experience of
14:01families can teach each of us something
14:03, because fragility belongs to our
14:05common human condition , and thus it is
14:07also present in the life of the Church .
14:13We all know the gap between the good we
14:15desire and what we are able to realize .
14:21To fulfill the will of God , we need
14:23grace , forgiveness , and the possibility
14:25of starting anew . And we learn that
14:31fidelity is also a grace that must be
14:33received and a journey that must be
14:35gradually renewed , often through the
14:37experience of trial . Awareness of this
14:44common struggle should shape the way we
14:46accompany one another . in the Church .
14:51What image of the Church , then , do
14:53people encounter precisely when they
14:55experience their greatest fragility ? Do
15:01our communities help them discover that
15:03there is still a place for them , that
15:04they have their own responsibilities
15:06and gifts to share ? Can the truth we
15:12proclaim become a living experience for
15:14them through patience , closeness , and
15:16mercy ? in our pastoral presence , how
15:21can we proclaim to them the fullness of
15:23the Gospel's teaching on the family ? In
15:31these days , I encourage you to take
15:33these questions with the utmost
15:34seriousness . The Holy Spirit often
15:41speaks through situations that
15:43challenge us and enlightens us so that
15:45we may discover how God's mercy and the
15:47saving grace of Christ can reach our
15:49families today . Especially in their
15:55weakness and strength , in their hopes
15:57and disappointments , in their desire
15:59for communion and their search for
16:01meaning . Our task is therefore not
16:08merely to interpret these realities ,
16:10but to allow them to pose questions to
16:12us and stir us toward pastoral
16:13responsibility . In this way , the Church
16:20will be able to find new ways of
16:22proclaiming the Gospel , administering
16:24sacramental graces , accompanying
16:26families , and showing the tenderness
16:28with which Christ constantly walks
16:30among His people . Let our dialogue be
16:36marked by the evangelical freedom that
16:38we perceive in the Acts of the Apostles
16:41. We can share what has brought joy to
16:44our churches . what has been a challenge
16:49for us , as well as the questions that
16:51have emerged ever more clearly from our
16:53experience . Moreover , the diversity of
16:58the situations we come from can become
17:00a gift serving the discernment of the
17:02entire Church . The thematic framework
17:09prepared for this meeting is intended
17:12to help us keep the full richness of
17:14Amoris Laetitia in view and to compare
17:16the teaching of the Apostolic
17:17Exhortation with the experiences of our
17:19churches over the last 10 years . Let us
17:24draw inspiration from the richness of
17:26the word of Christ and the tradition of
17:28the Church . The program for the meeting
17:33has been made public so that the people
17:35of God may accompany our work through
17:37prayer and synodal reflection . And for
17:44our part , listening to one another ,
17:46allowing what we hear to resonate
17:48within us , and listening to the
17:50inspiration of the Holy Spirit can
17:52awaken the pastoral creativity we need
17:54for new questions . That is precisely
18:01why our common meditative focus this
18:03evening and the prayer with which we
18:05will begin each day constitute the
18:07foundation of our work . I ask the Lord
18:14to help us gather the fruits that
18:16Amoris Laetitia has brought to our
18:17local churches , so that they may serve
18:19as nourishment for the whole Church . I
18:27hope that thanks to the many
18:29testimonies you bring from your
18:30churches and various cultural contexts ,
18:33a common story about these 10 years
18:35will gradually emerge . A story marked
18:41by joy and hope , which will also allow
18:43us to honestly face the trials and
18:45difficulties that still remain . It will
18:51strengthen the pastoral discernment of
18:53the Bishops ' Conferences and the
18:54hierarchical structures of the Eastern
18:56Churches . It will also help local
19:00churches to recognize new paths and to
19:02involve all the baptized even more
19:04deeply in the synodal journey of the
19:06Church . I also ask that we all maintain
19:10the discretion and confidentiality that
19:12this time of listening and discernment
19:15requires . May the Lord grant us the
19:20freedom to listen to one another , the
19:22wisdom to recognize His work among His
19:24people , and the courage to follow the
19:26path He points out to us . May this
19:32allow the Gospel to become , day by day ,
19:34more fully the good news for families
19:37all over the world . And finally , I
19:42would like to show you our latest book .
19:45a book I am truly proud of . I
19:48translated it myself , selected the
19:50illustrations for it , and it is titled
19:52Women of the Church . In this book , you
19:55will get to know extraordinary women ,
19:57without whom the history of the Church
19:59simply would not exist . These are
20:02saints , queens , mystics , missionaries ,
20:04but also mothers or simply women who
20:07were courageous and faithful to the
20:09very end . In this book , in Women of the
20:12Church , you will also find many Polish
20:14connections . It was an extraordinary
20:17discovery for me that the history of
20:19the Church simply cannot be written
20:21without Poland . We have here , for
20:23example , Saint Hedwig the Queen , Saint
20:26Faustina , or Zofia Kossak . But we also
20:29have lesser-known , moving stories of
20:31Polish women who truly changed the
20:33world . This is a beautifully published ,
20:36richly illustrated book for years of
20:38reading , viewing , and gifting to a
20:40loved one . Let us remember that the
20:43gift season is approaching , so do not
20:45put off this purchase . Order Women of
20:48the Church today in our online store at
20:52www.bialykruk.pl .
20:54>> Amidst the night , that hides paths to
20:58the world . You are the hope that never
21:08fades away . I know , my heart awakens
21:22only with you .