Pope Leo XIV says "nurture...formation aimed at respect for human life in all its stages" and "those that contribute to preventing every form of abuse"

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF
THE DICASTERY FOR THE LAITY, THE FAMILY AND LIFE

Clementine Hall on Friday, 6 February 2026
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
dear priests, brothers and sisters,

I am pleased to meet you in these days, in which you are gathered for the Plenary Assembly of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. At the centre of your work are the themes of Christian formation and World Meetings, important realities for the entire Church.

The World Meetings involve a large number of participants and require complex organizational work, listening to and in collaboration with the local communities and with people and bodies, many of whom have long and valuable experience of evangelization.

However, I would like to focus in particular on the theme of Christian formation. The words of Saint Paul, which you have chosen as the title of your meeting, indicate a precise direction in this regard. If we consider the verse from which they are extrapolated in full, we read: “My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!” (Gal 4:19). The Apostle addresses the Galatians as “my little children”, referring to a “travail” by which, not without suffering, he led them to welcome Christ. Formation is thus placed in the context of “generation”, of “giving life”, of “giving birth”, in a dynamic that, even with pain, leads the disciple to vital union with the very person of the Saviour, living and working in him or her, capable of transforming “living in the flesh” (cf. Rom 7:5) into “the life of Christ in us” (cf. 2 Cor 13:5; Gal 2:20).

It is a theme, dear to the Apostle and present in various passages of his readings. For example, when addressing the Corinthians, he says: “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (1 Cor 4:15).

It is true that in the Church, at times, the figure of the formator as “pedagogue”, engaged in transmitting instructions and religious competences, has prevailed over that of the “father” capable of generating faith. Our mission, however, is much loftier, and so we cannot stop at transmitting a doctrine, an observance, an ethic, but rather we are called to share what we live, with generosity, sincere love for souls, willingness to suffer for others, and unreserved dedication, like parents who sacrifice themselves for the good of their children.

And this leads us to another aspect of formation: its communal dimension. As indeed human life is transmitted thanks to the love of a man and a woman, so Christian life is conveyed through the love of a community. It is not the priest by himself, or a catechist, or a charismatic leader who generates faith, but the Church (cf. Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 24 November 2012, 111), the united, living Church, made up of families, young people, celibates, consecrated persons, inspired by charity and therefore eager to be fruitful, to transmit to everyone and above all to the new generations, the joy and fullness of meaning that it lives and experiences. The desire in parents to give life to their children does not arise from the need to have something, but the wish to give, to share the superabundance of love and joy that dwells in them, and it is here that every work of formation also has its roots.

Jesus, after the Resurrection, entrusts the missionary mandate to the Apostles, saying to them to “make disciples of all nations”, “baptizing them” and “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded to you” (cf. Mt 28:19-20). I recall these expressions because they summarize other fundamental elements of the mission of the formator, which I would also like to emphasize.

First of all, the need to foster consistent, engaging, and personal paths of life that lead to Baptism and the sacraments, or to their rediscovery, because without them there is no Christian life (cf. Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 22 February 2007, 6).

Then, the importance of helping those who embark on a journey of faith to mature and preserve a new way of life that embraces every area of existence, both private and public, such as work, relationships, and daily conduct (cf. Saint John Paul II, Address to participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture, 16 March 2002, 3).

Furthermore, it is essential to nurture, in our communities, aspects of formation aimed at respect for human life in all its stages, particularly those that contribute to preventing every form of abuse of minors and vulnerable persons, as well as accompanying and supporting victims.

As we can see, the art of forming is not easy, and cannot be improvised: it requires patience, listening, accompaniment and verification, both on a personal and a community level, and cannot be separated from the experience and company of those who have lived it, in order to learn and follow their example. Thus, over the centuries, spiritual giants such as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Philip Neri, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, and Saint John Leonardi have emerged. It was with this in mind that Saint Augustine, shortly after being elected bishop, composed his treatise De catechizandis rudibus, whose guidelines remain useful and valuable to this day.

Therefore, dear friends, also in the light of such models, I encourage you in your commitment and I thank you for the help you give to the Dicastery in reflecting on these topics. The challenges you confront can at times seem beyond your strength and resources, However, you must not be discouraged. Start small, following, in faith, the Gospel logic of the “mustard seed” (cf. Mt 13: 31-32), confident that the Lord will never fail to provide you with the necessary energy, people, and graces at the right time. Look to Mary: by giving us Christ, she “wrought together by charity, that faithful ones should be born in the Church, who are members of that Head” (Saint Augustine, De sancta virginitate 6, 6). Imitate her faith and always entrust yourselves to her intercession.

Brothers and sisters, I reiterate my thanks, I promise to remember you in prayer, and I bless you from my heart.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 6 Febraury 2026