Pope Leo XIV warns of the tendency to reject marriage and asks to strengthen the family

Pope Leo XIV warned this Friday about the tendencies in many regions of the world to “not appreciate or even reject marriage,” and urged the promotion of policies and pastoral actions that strengthen the family and accompany new generations on their path of faith.

The Pontiff addressed the teachers and students of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and Family, gathered in audience at the Vatican.

In his speech, he stressed that the current context requires a “deep reflection” on preparation for the sacrament of marriage, focused on the action of God’s grace “in the heart of each man and woman.”

“In the pastoral sphere,” the Pope said, “we cannot ignore the tendencies, in so many regions of the world, to not appreciate or even to reject marriage. I invite you to be attentive, in your reflection on preparation for the sacrament, to the action of God’s grace in the heart of each man and woman.”

Leo XIV insisted that the Church is called to accompany young people with a look of mercy and hope, even when their decisions do not conform to the Christian ideal of marriage.

“Even when young people make choices that do not correspond to the paths proposed by the Church according to the teaching of Jesus,” he stated, “the Lord continues knocking on the door of their hearts, preparing them to receive a new interior call.”

The Pope thus urged theologians and pastoral agents to find a language capable of authentically communicating the Christian message about love and family.

“If your theological and pastoral research is rooted in prayerful dialogue with the Lord,” he said, “you will find the courage to invent new words that can deeply touch the consciences of young people.”

“Tensions and ideologies that confuse hearts”

Furthermore, the Holy Father warned that today’s world 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 caring for this desire is for all of us one of the most beautiful and urgent tasks,” he expressed.

The Pontiff also highlighted that, despite the difficulties that families face today, they continue to be “irreplaceable schools of humanity and faith.”

“They remain places where we learn to exchange the gift of love, trust, forgiveness, reconciliation and understanding,” he said.

Motherhood and fatherhood, hopes for society

The Pope stressed that family life “precedes theological study and instructs it,” especially through the testimony of dedication and holiness of so many Christian families.

“There is much to learn in the transmission of faith, in the daily practice of listening and prayer, in education in love and peace, in fraternity with the migrant and the foreigner, in caring for the planet. In all these dimensions, family life teaches us before we teach,” he added.

“Motherhood and fatherhood, guarded in this way, are not at all burdens that burden society, but rather a hope that strengthens and renews it,” the Pope stated.

“In a society that often exalts productivity and speed to the detriment of relationships, it becomes urgent to return time and space to the love that is learned in the family, where the first experiences of trust, gift and forgiveness are intertwined, which constitute the fabric of social life,” he said.

“Human life is a gift”

He also recalled the words of his predecessor, Pope Francis, “when he tenderly addressed pregnant women asking them to guard the joy of bringing new life into the world,” and reiterated that “human life is a gift and must always be welcomed with respect, care and gratitude.”

“Given the reality of so many mothers who experience pregnancy in conditions of loneliness or marginalization, I feel the duty to remember that the civil community and the ecclesial community must constantly commit to returning motherhood to its full dignity,” he concluded.