Pope Leo XIV Praises Amoris Laetitia on 10th Anniversary, Announces Gathering

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV marked the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia on March 19 by issuing a message that praised the document as a guiding light for the Church's approach to marriage and family life, while announcing an extraordinary gathering of bishops' conference leaders in Rome next year.

In the message, released to coincide with the original signing date in 2016, Leo XIV described Amoris Laetitia, or "The Joy of Love," as "a luminous message of hope regarding conjugal love and family life." He highlighted its role in encouraging reflection and pastoral changes within the Church, stating, "On this tenth anniversary, we give thanks to the Lord for the stimulus that has encouraged reflection and pastoral conversion in the Church, and ask God for the courage to persevere on this path."

The Pope linked the exhortation to earlier Church teachings, noting that since the Second Vatican Council, only two major documents have shaped the Church's commitment to families: Familiaris Consortio by St. John Paul II in 1981 and Amoris Laetitia. Both, he said, have strengthened doctrinal and pastoral efforts to support young people, married...