News Release

Historic Vatican Summit on Strengthening Marriage Concludes

The historic summit that brought together a diverse group of global faith leaders concluded Wednesday. About 30 faith leaders from around the world participated during the event, including President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Pope Francis set the tone in his opening remarks at the three-day conference by underscoring the importance of strengthening marriage and families.

“I pray that your colloquium will be an inspiration to all who seek to support and strengthen the union of man and woman in marriage as a unique, natural, fundamental and beautiful good for persons, communities and whole societies," he said.

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was among the faith leaders who addressed over 300 religious leaders and scholars from around the world who were gathered at the colloquium.

President Eyring delivered touching remarks about his own marriage and called for a “renaissance of successful marriages and family life.” He listed the pillars of a successful marriage and family and gave reference to the Church’s 1995 document “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

President Eyring said that while we see unhappiness in some marriages, unselfishness is the key to complementary marriage between a man and a woman.

“Where there is selfishness, natural differences of men and women often divide,” he explained. “Where there is unselfishness, differences become complementary and provide opportunities to help and build each other.”

The change that is needed is in people’s hearts more than their minds, he said.

“We must find ways to lead people to a faith that they can replace their natural self-interest with deep and lasting feelings of charity and benevolence,” added President Eyring.

During his testimony, President Eyring read from the Church’s “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” which was released by the Church in 1995 and is a document that sets out the Church's position on the family. Referring to the principles in the proclamation he said, “Those are things people must do for us to have a renaissance of happy marriages and productive families.”

“Such a renaissance will require people to try for the ideal—and to keep trying even when the happy result is slow to come and when loud voices mock the effort,” he said. “We can and must stand up and defend the institution of marriage between a man and woman.”

“Marriage is ordained of God. And if you love God, then when you even talk about it you feel emotion, just the thought of what it means to be married,” said President Eyring in an interview following his address.

See all coverage of the summit at the Vatican.

pope francis and eyring

Pope Francis greets President Henry B. Eyring in the Synod Hall at Vatican City as colloquium on marriage begins

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