The task of protecting marriage and the family is “more urgent than ever before.”
In this week’s Wednesday audience, Pope Leo XIV continues his reflection on Gaudium et Spes, considering the dignity of marriage and the family in today’s society.
Gaudium et Spes sought to present a renewed vision of conjugal love as an intimate partnership reflecting the life of the Trinity and rooted in the redemptive power of Christ.
This mutual self-giving of man and woman finds vivid expression in the procreation and upbringing of children: Spouses become “cooperators with the love of God the Creator, and… the interpreters of that love.”
Because the well-being of society is closely linked to the health of marriage and the family—they are the foundation of society and “a school of deeper humanity”—we must work to protect their dignity and their welfare.
And in the context of today’s challenges, this task is more urgent than ever before.
“May the Holy Family of Nazareth enlighten us on our journey and protect families throughout the world.”


