“Love One Another as I Have Loved You” — The Eucharist, Marriage and the Family
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrates the tenth anniversary of Amoris laetitia and reads the homily of Pope Leo XIV.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026 · 10:00 a.m. · St Peter’s Square, Vatican City
At the conclusion of the meeting marking ten years since Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, the Church gathered around the altar at St Peter’s Square. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the Eucharistic celebration and read the homily prepared by Pope Leo XIV, who was unable to attend. The Mass united the Church’s reflection on marriage and family with the proclamation of Scripture, the offering of prayer and the mystery of Eucharistic communion. [1–3]
Watch the Holy Mass — Vatican News
Watch the full Vatican News recording on YouTube.
The Gathering of the Church — Introductory Rites
The entrance antiphon recalls the commandment to honour father and mother (cf. Ephesians 6:2–3). From the beginning, the celebration placed family relationships within the life of faith. The celebrant’s invitation to penitence described the assembly as gathered at the tables of the Word and Eucharist, asking grace for spouses and families to live their vocation in fidelity and mutual self-giving. [3]
The Kyrie from the De angelis setting gave musical expression to the assembly’s plea for mercy. In the Collect, the Church asked that families might follow the example of the Holy Family and one day rejoice together in God’s house. [3]
The First Reading — The More Excellent Way
In 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13, St Paul places love above extraordinary gifts, eloquence and knowledge. His hymn describes a charity that is patient, kind, truthful and enduring. For married couples and families, this is not merely an ideal to admire but a pattern of daily self-giving, forgiveness and fidelity. [3]
The Holy Father’s homily connects this reading with Chapter Four of Amoris laetitia, where Pope Francis meditates on the virtues that sustain married love. The joy of love grows gradually through shared life, sacrifice, grace and the recognition of each person’s uniqueness. [2]
The Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel
Psalm 100 (99 in the booklet’s numbering) gives the congregation its response: “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.” The psalm speaks of the Lord’s enduring mercy and faithfulness from generation to generation. It therefore binds the experience of family to the wider household of God. [3]
In John 15:12–17, Christ commands his disciples to love one another as he has loved them. He calls them friends, speaks of the gift of laying down one’s life and appoints them to bear lasting fruit. The Gospel makes the meaning of Christian love unmistakable: it is a gift of oneself, sustained by communion with Christ. [3]
The Holy Father’s Homily — A Family of Families
Read aloud by Cardinal Tagle, Pope Leo XIV’s homily presents the family as a first school of affection and a witness to the Gospel. He calls for careful preparation for marriage, education in virtue from childhood, and practical support for parents, children, grandparents and vulnerable families. [2]
The Pope invites the Church to become a “family of families” (Amoris laetitia, 87), in which younger couples find encouragement, older people are valued and families facing hardship receive care rather than judgement. He also stresses the importance of prayer in the home, the Sunday Eucharist and the sacraments as sources of healing and strength. [2]
The Prayer of the Faithful — One Church in Prayer
The universal prayer brought the needs of the Church and the world before God in several languages. It included petitions for the witness of married couples and families, for the Chaldean Church, for civil society to support marriage and family life, and for spouses to practise listening, forgiveness and mutual respect. [3]
A petition in Portuguese prayed specifically for Pope Leo XIV: that he might find the Lord’s comfort, the support of the whole Church and a peaceful and full recovery. In this moment, the Church’s concern for the Holy Father became part of the liturgy itself. [3, 5]
The Liturgy of the Eucharist — One Bread, One Body
At the offertory, O Signore, raccogli i tuoi figli expressed the gathering of God’s scattered children into one Church. Its imagery of grain becoming one bread and a family sharing one table closely echoed the anniversary’s theme of communion. [3]
The Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs II, “God Guides His Church along the Way of Salvation,” proclaimed that the risen Christ opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread for his people. The Sanctus from De angelis accompanied the Church’s praise. Eucharistic communion was not simply a symbol of family unity: it was the sacramental centre from which the Church’s love and mission flow. [3]
Cardinal Tagle, the Chaldean Church and Ecclesial Communion
Following the text of Pope Leo XIV’s homily, Cardinal Tagle spoke in his own capacity about presiding by special papal mandate and the participation of Patriarch Paul III Nona of Baghdad of the Chaldeans. He explained that communion between a patriarchal Church and the Successor of Peter is a living reality rooted in the Eucharist. The presence of the Chaldean Patriarch made the unity of the Catholic Churches of different rites and traditions visible within the celebration. [2]
Pope Leo XIV’s Message — 13 October 2026
In his message to the anniversary meeting, Pope Leo XIV thanked those gathered for their prayers, their listening and their shared experiences. He expressed particular gratitude to families who had spoken of their joys, struggles and hopes. He encouraged bishops and participants to carry the fruits of the meeting back to their dioceses and to ensure that families are active participants in the life and mission of local Churches. The message concluded with an appeal for prayer and his Apostolic Blessing. [1]
A Celebration of Hope, Fidelity and Love
The tenth anniversary of Amoris laetitia thus found its fullest expression not in speeches alone but in the Eucharistic celebration. The Word of God proclaimed love; the intercessions entrusted families and the Holy Father to divine mercy; the Eucharist gathered the faithful into communion; and the Church was sent to live that love in homes, parishes and the wider world.
The official medical statement of 13 October reported that the Holy Father had undergone scheduled thoracic surgery successfully and without complications. The liturgy’s prayer for his recovery belongs to that moment of the Church’s shared concern; it does not imply any later medical prognosis. [5]
A Prayer for Our Holy Father and All Families
Heavenly Father, sustain Pope Leo XIV with your mercy and surround him with the prayers of the Church. Bless spouses and families with patience, faithfulness and tenderness. Comfort those who suffer, strengthen those who care for others, and teach us to love one another as Christ has loved us. May our homes become places of prayer, forgiveness and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sources and Official References
[1] Pope Leo XIV, Message at the conclusion of the meeting, 13 October 2026
[2] Pope Leo XIV, Homily read by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 14 October 2026
[4] Vatican News, recording of the Holy Mass, 14 October 2026
[5] Holy See Press Office, medical statement dated 13 October 2026 (see daily bulletin)
[6] Holy See, event calendar and official photographic service (see 14 October event page)
Image attribution: Vatican News video preview, © Vatican Media / Dicastery for Communication. Credit does not constitute a claim of ownership, public-domain status or permission to reproduce. The image links to the recording on its original publisher’s channel.