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(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 25.10.2025) – On Friday, October 24, Pope Leo XIV received in special audience — in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace –, professors and students of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and Family, especially from the Roman headquarters, although there were also some representatives from other headquarters outside Rome. This was the first address on family and marriage to the «University» of the Church specialized in these two topics. Below is the English translation by ZENIT. In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you! Good morning! Dear Brothers and Sisters, With joy, I welcome you, who form the international academic community of the John Paul II Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and Family. I greet the Grand Chancellor, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Rector, Monsignor Philippe Bordeyne, and all of you, dear students, along with the alumni from various countries in celebration of the Jubilee. Welcome all! In different social, economic, and cultural contexts, the challenges we face vary; however, everywhere and at all times, we are called to support, defend, and promote the family, first and foremost through a lifestyle consistent with the Gospel. Its fragility and value, considered in the light of faith and sound reason, engage your studies, which you cultivate for the good of engaged couples who become spouses, of spouses who become parents, and of their children, who are for all the promise of a humanity renewed by love. The vocation of your Institute, born from the prophetic vision of Saint John Paul II following the 1980 Synod on the Family, thus appears even clearer: to constitute a single academic body spread across the different Continents, in order to respond to the needs of formation while being as close as possible to the spouses and families. In this way, pastoral dynamics can be better developed in keeping with local realities and inspired by the living tradition of the Church and its Social Doctrine. By participating in the mission and journey of the entire Church, your Institute contributes to the understanding of the pontifical Magisterium and to the constant renewal of the dialogue between family life, the world of work, and social justice, addressing highly topical issues such as peace, care for life and health, integral human development, youth employment, economic sustainability, and equal opportunities between men and women — all factors that influence the decision to marry and have children. In this connection, your specific mission concerns the search for and common witness to the truth. In carrying out this task, theology is called to engage with the various disciplines that study marriage and the family, not content with simply speaking the truth about them, but rather living it in the grace of the Holy Spirit and following the example of Christ, who revealed the Father to us through His actions and words. The proclamation of the Gospel, which transforms life and society, commits us to promote organic and concerted actions in support of the family. The success of a country’s social and political life is measured in particular by how it enables families to live well, to have time for themselves, and to cultivate the bonds that keep them united. In a society that often exalts productivity and speed to the detriment of relationships, it becomes urgent to give back time and space to the love learned in the family, where the first experiences of trust, giving, and forgiveness are intertwined, which constitute the fabric of social life. I recall with emotion the words of my Predecessor, Pope Francis, when he tenderly addressed women expecting a child, asking them to safeguard the joy of bringing new life into the world (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 171). His words encapsulate a simple yet profound truth: human life is a gift and must always be welcomed with respect, care, and gratitude. Therefore, faced with the reality of so many mothers experiencing pregnancy in solitude or marginalization, I feel compelled to remind that the civil and ecclesial communities must constantly commit themselves to restoring motherhood to its full dignity. To achieve this, concrete initiatives are needed: policies that guarantee adequate living and working conditions; educational and cultural initiatives that recognize the beauty of creating together; and a pastoral ministry that accompanies women and men with closeness and listening. Motherhood and fatherhood, thus guarded, are not at all burdens that weigh on society, but rather a hope that strengthens and renews it. Dear professors and students, your contribution to the development of the Social Doctrine on the Family corresponds to the mission entrusted to your Institute by Pope Francis in his Letter Summa Familiae Cura, where he wrote: «The centrality of the family in the journeys of pastoral conversion of our communities and of the missionary transformation of the Church demands that, even in the sphere of academic formation, reflection on marriage and the family never lack a pastoral perspective and attention to the wounds of humanity.» In recent years, your Institute has welcomed the indications of the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium for a theology that cultivates open and dialogical thought, a culture «of encounter between all authentic and vital cultures, through the reciprocal exchange of their respective gifts in the space of light opened by God’s love for all his creatures» (n. 4b). For this reason, you seek to apply, in the light of Revelation, an inter- and transdisciplinary method (cf. Ibid., 4c). From this perspective, the consolidated foundation of philosophical and theological studies has been enriched by interaction with other disciplines, which has made it possible to explore important areas of research. Among them, I would like to recall, as an additional commitment, that of deepening the link between the family and the Social Doctrine of the Church. This path could develop in two complementary directions: that of including the study of the family as an essential chapter in the heritage of wisdom that the Church proposes regarding social life and, reciprocally, that of enriching this heritage with family experiences and dynamics, in order to better understand the very principles of the Church’s social teaching. This attention would enable the development of the intuition evoked by Vatican Council II and reiterated on several occasion by my Predecessors, of seeing the family, the first cell of society, as the original and fundamental school of humanity. In the pastoral sphere, moreover, we cannot ignore the tendency, in many regions of the world, to disapprove of, or even to reject, marriage. I would like to invite you, in your reflection on preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, to be attentive to the action of God’s grace in the heart of every man and woman. Even when young people make decisions that do not correspond to the paths proposed by the Church, according to the teaching of Jesus, the Lord continues to knock at the door of their hearts, preparing them to receive a new inner call. If your theological and pastoral search is focused on prayerful dialogue with the Lord, you will find the courage to invent new words that can deeply touch the consciences of young people. In fact, our time is marked not only by tensions and ideologies that confuse hearts, but also by a growing search for spirituality, truth, and justice, especially among young people. Welcoming and nurturing this desire is one of the most beautiful and urgent tasks for all of us. Finally, I would like to encourage you to continue the synodal journey as an integral part of your formation. Especially in an International University, it is necessary to practice mutual listening to better discern how to grow together in service to marriage and the family. Always turn «to your baptismal vocation, placing at its center the relationship with Christ and the acceptance of your brothers and sisters, beginning with the poorest» (Address to the Diocese of Rome, September 19, 2025). In this way, you will do what every good family does, learning from the very reality you wish to serve. As the Final Document of the last Assembly of the Synod of Bishops states, «Families represent a privileged place for learning and experiencing the essential practices of a Synodal Church. Despite the fractures and suffering that families experience, they remain places where we learn to share the gift of love, trust, compassion, reconciliation, and understanding» (n. 35). There is much to learn about the transmission of the faith, the daily practice of listening and prayer, education in love and peace, fraternity with migrants and strangers, and care for the planet. In all these dimensions, family life precedes our study and instructs it, especially through testimonies of dedication and holiness. Dear students, dear professors, begin the new academic year with hope, confident that the Lord Jesus always sustains us with the grace of His Spirit of truth and life. To all of you, I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing. Thank you.
