Pope Leo has been quick to reaffirm the importance of marriage and family for humanity. Most notably, in a homily for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly, he declared, “families are the cradle of the future of humanity.”
He continued:
“I would remind married couples that marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful, and fruitful. This love makes you one flesh and enables you, in the image of God, to bestow the gift of life.”
This is no mere sentiment. Rather, it reflects the foundational truth that marriage – between one man and one woman, open to life – is the structure upon which a civilization of love and life must be built. This is a truth the Church has always proclaimed, and one that modern society, to its own peril, has rejected.
A Longstanding Teaching
The Church’s teaching on the sanctity of marriage and the family has been consistently proclaimed throughout her history. In Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council declared that “The well-being of the individual person and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family.” (§47).
Pope St. John Paul II, the great defender of life and the family, stressed that “the family is the sanctuary of life” (Evangelium Vitae, §92). He warned that attacks on the family were at the heart of the culture of death. He insisted that if the dignity of human life is to be restored, we must begin by defending and renewing marriage and the family.
The Root of the Culture of Death
Practices such as abortion and euthanasia are not isolated issues. When the natural institution of the family is weakened, the most vulnerable—the preborn, the elderly, the disabled—are no longer protected.
In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI prophetically warned that the acceptance of contraception would lead to a general lowering of morality and a loss of respect for women and human life (§17). That warning has proven tragically accurate.
Contraception and abortion originate from the same source: the separation of love and life, of sexuality from procreation, and of freedom from responsibility. IVF, and surrogacy further compound this crisis, reducing the human body and the child to objects of choice rather than gifts to be received within the covenant of marital love.
The Family as the Antidote
Against this backdrop, Pope Leo recently held up newly canonised saints, including the parents of St Therese, Louis and Zellie Martin, who lived holy married lives as models for our time.
“By pointing to them as exemplary witnesses of married life,” he said, “the Church tells us that today’s world needs the marriage covenant in order to know and accept God’s love and to defeat, thanks to its unifying and reconciling power, the forces that break down relationships and societies.”
Marriage is where life is welcomed, children are nurtured, and future generations are formed in love, truth, and responsibility.
A Call to Witness
In a world that is broken, proclaiming the truth about marriage and family is no easy task. All of us bear the wounds of imperfect and sometimes incredibly painful experiences. But this should not stop us from pointing the way to what leads to true human flourishment.
To conclude his homily, Pope Leo called each person to love with renewed generosity:
“I encourage you, then, to be examples of integrity to your children, acting as you want them to act, educating them in freedom through obedience, always seeing the good in them and finding ways to nurture it. And you, dear children, show gratitude to your parents. To say “thank you” each day for the gift of life and for all that comes with it is the first way to honour your father and your mother (cf. Ex 20:12). Finally, dear grandparents and elderly people, I recommend that you watch over your loved ones with wisdom and compassion, and with the humility and patience that come with age.”
Rebuilding a Culture of Life
Marriage and family, lived as God intended, provide the stable foundation that society needs to flourish and to protect its most vulnerable members. Without them, a culture of life cannot take root.
Therefore, let us pray and work tirelessly to restore marriage to its rightful place, to strengthen families, and to build a civilization in which every human life—no matter how small, weak, or old—is cherished, protected, and loved.
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