From October 7 to 14, Leo XIV convened in the Vatican the heads of the Eastern Churches and the presidents of episcopal conferences from around the world, for a meeting on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of « Amoris laetitia », the apostolic exhortation with which his predecessor Francis concluded the 2014-2015 synod on the family.
It was a much contested synod. Especially on a question that divided the Catholic hierarchy vertically: whether or not to permit eucharistic communion to remarried divorcees, which had always been forbidden by the Church's magisterium.
Francis manifested, from the preliminary consistory of cardinals in February 2014, a clear inclination for the affirmative. But the opposition from many cardinals and bishops was such that, in summing up the synod in « Amoris laetitia », he limited himself to formulating an affirmative answer only in two footnotes, 336 and 351, in which he hypothesized for remarried divorcees « also the help of the sacraments » and particularly the Eucharist, which « is not a prize for the perfect but a generous remedy and nourishment for the weak ».
With the result that the opposition between the two sides of yes and no did not subside, until Francis wished to close it in his own way, in September 2016, with a letter of praise to the Argentine bishops and their interpretation of « Amoris laetitia » in favor of communion for remarried divorcees, defined by Francis as the only correct interpretation because « no hay otras », there are no others: a letter ultimately published in the « Acta Apostolicae Sedis » with the qualification of « magisterium autenticum ».
Of that synod on the family and the heated discussion that animated it, there is available to all an extensive documentation, both official and journalistic.
To which, however, should be added an intervention of great depth and of the highest authority yet never taken into consideration until now, also because it remained unknown for about ten years: the homily pronounced by Benedict XVI – who had resigned as pope in 2013 but at that time still active in words and writings – on the Sunday of the beginning of the second and final session of the synod on the family, October 4, 2015.
That Sunday the Roman Missal – with a casual but perfect coincidence – had as its Gospel reading the beginning of chapter 10 of the Gospel of Mark, precisely the one in which « some Pharisees asked Jesus whether it is lawful for a husband to divorce his wife ». And with Jesus answering them that « what God has joined together, let no one separate ».
Now, in the homily pronounced that day in his Vatican hermitage in the presence of no more than a dozen people – which remained unpublished until December 2025 – Benedict XVI began by noting that « the liturgy presents this Gospel to us precisely on the day the synod opens », but immediately adding that he did not wish to touch « problems so much discussed today » but rather their « foundation », namely « what is man », created by God male and female, as « being in relation » and precisely for this reason « image of God ». With furthermore, in the final part of the same homily, an original reflection on the profound sense of ecclesiastical celibacy.
It should be noted that that same Sunday in October, the inauguration day of the second session of the synod, Pope Francis also delivered his homily. And he too refrained from alluding to communion for remarried divorcees, which indeed found no support in the day's Gospel reading (unless one extended to the time of the Church that divine forbearance toward the « hardness of heart » of his people for which divorce was permitted in the time of Moses, as maintained for example by the Patrologist and biblical scholar Innocent Gargano, Camaldolese Benedictine of the monastery of San Gregorio al Celio and professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute).
The fact is that no one heard of the homily delivered that day by Benedict XVI in his hermitage on the Vatican hills, to meditate on it and treasure it in the synodal debate.
And so here it is offered below by Settimo Cielo, on the eve of the « summit » convened by Pope Leo on the tenth anniversary of « Amoris laetitia », reproduced in full with the authorization of the dicastery for communication and of the Vatican Publishing House, which hold the copyright.
The homily is taken from pages 310 – 315 of the volume « God is True Reality. Unpublished Homilies 2005 – 2017 », Vatican Publishing House, 2025.
*
Man Image of God. Male and Female He Created Them
by Benedict XVI
October 4, 2015 – XXVII Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Readings: Genesis 2:18 – 24; Psalm 128; Hebrews 2:9 – 11; Mark 10:2 – 16
Dear friends,
precisely on the day the Synod opens, the liturgy presents to us this Gospel, in which the Lord clarifies the will of the Creator for man, a will that must also hold good again in the world of Redemption. But now I would not wish to speak about problems so much discussed today, but rather about the foundation of all this, which appears in the first reading and also in the Gospel: namely, what is man.
It seems to me very beautiful this image of Creation, so simple and so profound, which appears at the beginning of the second chapter of Genesis, where the text says that God formed man from the dust of the earth and with a breath of his breath gave him life, and thus he became a living being (cf. Gen 2:7). This forming with the dust of the earth a body, that is man, implies the entire process of evolution, it helps us understand how God, gradually – in the course of the process of nascent life – forms man, shapes man, moves toward man, so that then, at the right moment, he might breathe a breath of life into his nostrils. It is also a wonderful image. At the right moment, God gives a new breath of life, not only biological life as such, but his own life, in which he himself becomes present, so that this new being – this living being – bears within itself the breath of God.
Therefore man is the being capable of knowing God. The humanization, the birth of the creature man is presented in the moment when the being is capable of understanding, of knowing God. God offers not only things useful to do, but, over and above all, offers the origin, offers himself. Thus, the mission of man appears marvelously also, which is the synthesis of Creation, which bears within itself the entire material journey, from the being of matter up to the highest point of life, where God finally meets with man. Man bears within himself this breath and is precisely the synthesis of Creation, is also the mission of man, to bear within himself the world toward God, toward resurrection; to give, let us say, to matter the reality of the presence of the Creator and to the Spirit all the reality of Creation.
Second consideration. In the other text on Creation, that of the first chapter of Genesis, God says: « Let us make man! » (Gen 1:26). This is already another particular of an action that seems simple. God does not merely say: « Let man be », but he has a soliloquy with himself; God speaks with himself, he wishes this creature as a creature willed in a special way, close to him in a special way, and he created it – he says – « according to his image, his likeness ». What does « image of God, likeness of God » mean? It is a great question, never definitively clarified, because too rich, too profound. I would wish here to point out only two elements.
The first is that the essence of an image is to guide toward another. The image is not a thing in itself, but already represents a person, moves toward the person, bears within itself the relating to this person. This is the first essence of the image, which is relation, which goes beyond itself toward another, and bears within itself this relationality. Thus, for man, precisely this is essential: that he does not stand in himself, is not closed in himself, but is on the way toward the other, is related to the other, must seek the other.
Then a second element, which strengthens the first. The text says: « As male and female he created them ». Man never exists alone as man in the abstract, is man and woman, and therefore exists only in this relationality between man and woman. Here again it appears that man is created as a being in relation, the one for the other, never as alone in himself.
The Fathers, speaking of man as image, also thought that in the Letter to the Colossians Christ is called the « icon of God » (Col 1:15): therefore in forming, shaping man, the Creator already has in mind Christ Jesus. Therefore, man is made according to the model of the future Jesus Christ. And the essential thing about Jesus Christ is that he is the Son, that he is not in himself, but is in permanent relation with the Father; thus in Jesus Christ it is essential to be stretched beyond oneself, to be toward the Other, toward God. Now, if man is created according to the image of Christ, he is created as son and daughter, as one who lives only by going out of himself toward the Father, always being a child, a son. Therefore we say that man is created in various senses as a relational being, as God himself, who is not a substance fixed in itself, but is relation: the very supreme reality exists only as relation. Man, being in relation, is image of God.
The central name of being is Love; man as relation is created above all for love, created to go out of himself. And we say that the very essence of sexuality is that of the supreme gift, of drawing man out of himself, of creating attraction toward the other, openness toward the other, and thus man truly becomes co-creator with God. In other words, love integrates man in himself, and sexuality becomes human if it is personalized, if it serves love.
If we now look at today's situation, we see that precisely this vision of man is fundamentally denied. We observe a sociological fact: in a large city like Munich, it is estimated that, roughly speaking, 40 percent are « singles », that is, they are people who do not marry, who tend to remain alone for themselves and thus end up denying this vision. And gender theories provide foundation to this denial: man is not male and female, he is what he makes of himself, man the creator makes himself; man is no longer a creature of God, but is a product of himself and decides for himself who he wants to be. Man is no longer open in relation, he lives for himself, no longer recognizes or accepts a permanent bond. A bond would be against his freedom, and love is finally to be denounced, because it would in reality be a bond against his freedom; a definitive decision would be incompatible with man's freedom, which remains always unbound. Sexuality therefore no longer serves to open one to the other, but already from the instruction of children is understood as a way to get a bit of pleasure with oneself; that is, it is no longer openness, but closure in oneself, in which man lives only for himself. But thus man denies his divine splendor, denies precisely the essential of his creativity with a concept of freedom that is false: namely, the freedom to be able to do always what one wants, to never be bound to someone, to something. This seems to be the cry of true divinization of man, whereby man makes himself, is absolutely free, in permanent autonomy.
Now I would not wish to enter into the discussion, but there remains a question to which we must respond. The Church with celibacy has not created the « single ». Celibacy is not precisely this, does not mean that man does not give himself to this bond of love. No! It is the opposite.
First of all, celibacy is not a denial of the definitive decision, in which man reserves the right to always remain free. Celibacy implies first and foremost the audacity, the courage of definitivity: once and for all I decide, I give myself forever to the Lord and remain at his disposal. I recognize that I am free, but only in the will of God do I find myself and forever, and only in this bond, which is forever, can I truly grow and mature.
Second point. Celibacy is not renunciation of love, is not renunciation of bonds, ties, quite the contrary: it is availability for the Lord to be for all and the entry into this « being-for » for the Lord, in this existing not for oneself, but for others, always, in complete availability. And thus these great gifts for the world have matured, people like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, like so many others in so many centuries, beginning with Saint Paul, so many who truly live giving themselves to others in complete availability. All the work for the poor, for the excluded, for people without help, all this commitment to evangelization, to giving oneself and losing oneself, began precisely thus, and precisely thus was born this true love, this universal gift, and it is true what the Lord says: « By giving you receive, not only in heaven but already on earth, a hundredfold » (cf. Mt 19:27 – 29).
Dear friends, this is very important, to see that celibacy is not closing oneself in oneself, but the opposite; it is precisely the definitivity of placing oneself in his hands and thus being free, because he may use us as he wishes. We see the history of Christian love, of Christian missionaries, how they left everything giving themselves for others in Africa, in America, in Australia, in Asia; only thus was this union of love, of faith, of truth created, which in all the darkness of the world remains as a light that encourages us to go forward.
At this moment, we can only pray the Lord to open men to this mission of love, the ones toward the others; to help us to be firm in giving ourselves to the will of the Lord; to help us to truly be love, to serve, and thus, by giving ourselves, we receive true life. « Help us, Lord, to live in this hour of history! ». Amen!
