Pope Leo XIV urges bishops to show courage in responding to struggling families

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged bishops from around the world gathered at the Vatican for a meeting on the family to face with “courage” the challenge of learning from and responding to families marked by hardship and “apparent failure.”

“The wisdom of the people of God reaches us through our common faith, which enlightens all families, including situations marked by difficulties, loneliness, and at times even apparent failure,” the pope said in his opening address to the gathering, being held in the Paul VI Audience Hall and scheduled to conclude Oct. 14.

The closed-door assembly, which is not open to journalists, is expected to produce a synthesis document without doctrinal authority that will later be presented to the pope.

The meeting is part of the synodal evaluation assemblies proposed at the conclusion of the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality process.

Ten years after the two synods on the family and the widespread debate sparked by Amoris Laetitia , 154 bishops and cardinals, 53 priests and lay faithful, and 11 invited families began a series of meetings Wednesday aimed at assessing the current situation and evaluating the reception of Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic…