Seeds of the Mission: CFC joins Pope Leo XIV’s first General Audience
By Bianca Angeli Arellano
No pilgrimage to Rome is ever complete without a visit to the Vatican, or a special encounter with the Holy Father. For Couples for Christ, the anticipation of standing before the Pope as one global community of families was a profound hope, as families who, like Pope Francis, strive to witness God’s mercy unfold within the ordinary rhythms of home life.
Read on to know more about CFC’s Galilee: The Catholic Church.
CFC’s journey with the Holy See
Every 25 years, the Catholic Church declares a Jubilee Year: a special year of forgiveness and liberation rooted in Leviticus 25. Thus, Couples for Christ joins the entire Church in celebrating the Jubilee Year 2025 with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”.
It is also worth noting that we at Couples for Christ are also celebrating our own Jubilee. 2025 is the 25th year of CFC’s Vatican recognition as an International Association of the Faithful with Pontifical Right. We are an Apostolic body with a specific identity, contribution, and mission, and in his homily for the 2023 Anniversary Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite, SSP explained how “In receiving the Vatican recognition, it confirms that the Church sees you as gift of God to the Church and to the whole world. The Holy Spirit made it so that you be formed into a community with the force of the Spirit to make change possible in the world… If we are not faithful to that,” Fr. Mario continued, “then the Church loses something that CFC can only provide.”
The 25th anniversary of this Vatican recognition serves as a powerful reminder of the mission that the Church has entrusted to us, which continues to unfold through trials and victories. In celebration of this milestone, the CFC returned to our own collective Galilee: Vatican City, center of the unity in belief for the Catholic Faith. Thus, our first-ever Global Conference was held at the Centro Mariapoli Internazionale in picturesque Castel Gandolfo over two weekends—May 16–18 and May 23–25, 2025.
For Couples for Christ, the anticipation of standing before the Pope as one global community of families was a profound hope, with more than 3,000 delegates from around the world coming together for a deeply enriching experience of formation, reflection, and fellowship at the heart of the Church’s mission.
Habemus Papam!
However, that moment of communion shifted into collective intercession. Along with the rest of the Church, we prayed for Pope Francis’ health and recovery amid recurring respiratory complications that had limited his public engagements in previous months.
On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis returned to our Heavenly Father. The ensuing conclave drew the attention of the entire world, and even as CFC was preparing for the Global Conference, our hearts remained united in prayer—for the College of Cardinals, and for the man they would soon entrust with the sacred task of shepherding the Catholic Church.
The man who welcomed Couples for Christ at the Vatican was, in essence, a missionary like us. Carrying forward his predecessor’s catechesis on the 2025 Jubilee Year, Pope Leo XIV used his first General Audience to highlight the boundless generosity of God. Drawing from the Parable of the Sower, he reflected on how the Divine Sower casts the seed of His Word upon all types of soil, never deeming any effort of love wasted.
The Holy Father also emphasized that God does not wait for our hearts to become perfect ground before entrusting us with His message. Rather, in His trust, He scatters His life-giving Word through Jesus’ friendship and intercession. And as recipients of this gift, we are invited to cultivate hearts that bear fruit: to become the “better terrain” and live spiritually fruitful lives that uphold God’s vision for each of us. Pope Leo XIV encapsulated this faith-filled vision in a single word: hope—one that is “founded on the rock of God’s generosity and mercy.”
This same invitation extends to us in Couples for Christ. We were deeply blessed to be among the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural General Audience: an event that providentially took place during the week between the two runs of our first Global Conference in Italy. CFC’s Chairman/ President, Joe Yamamoto, together with his wife, Mila, also proudly presented the Holy Father with a simple token of gratitude for the Holy See’s trust in our community: a shirt commemorating our Global Conference, and a moment that served as a resounding call to mirror the love and generosity of the Father.
Embracing our Jubilee Journey
As a community of lay missionaries, CFC expresses evangelization through various means: pastoral formation, social action, and charismatic worship, to name a few. In each of these, we cast the seeds of the Gospel into the lives of those we encounter. And just as God unfolds grace as He moves throughout history, we believe that in time, these seeds will take root and bear fruit. The Holy See continues to shepherd CFC through the Roman Curia’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which graced our Global Conference festivities with an exclusive Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica, celebrated by the dicastery’s Adjunct Secretary, His Eminence Monsignor Dario Gervasi, on May 21.
Our Global Conference activities allowed attendees to walk in joyful step with the universal Church, drawing profound inspiration from the 2025 Jubilee theme: “Pilgrims of Hope.” This phrase is more than a thematic guide. It is a spiritual posture that invites us to reflect deeply on three pillars that define our mission today: pilgrimage, hope, and synodality.
“Pilgrimage”
In his letter announcing the Jubilee Year 2025, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart, and far-sighted vision.”
Pope Francis
These words invite us to see life not as a random series of events, but as a purposeful pilgrimage. To be a pilgrim is to recognize that we are on a sacred journey. We do not wander aimlessly, but move with intention toward communion with God. This is the heart of the Christian life: a lifelong walk toward eternity with the Lord.
“Hope”
While the modern world offers the convenience of technology and instant connection, it continues to grapple with a deeper human need: hope. In an age saturated with information, many still find themselves searching for meaning and direction.
French poet Charles Péguy beautifully describes hope as the “little sister” of the theological virtues, often unnoticed, yet crucial. She quietly holds the hands of faith and charity, linking belief and love, and enabling us to carry on through difficulty. As Christians, we are called not only to proclaim faith, but to speak it in the language of hope. It is hope that sustains us through trials, gives courage to our service, and illumines our path when the way ahead seems uncertain.
“Synodality”
Hope thrives in community. Synodality, literally “walking together”, calls us to journey not in isolation but in communion with one another. As a missionary family community, Couples for Christ embraces this call to walk side by side, hand in hand, as pilgrims of hope. In shared mission, we lift one another, learn from one another, and discern together the steps we must take as we move toward our common goal: eternal life in Christ.
These three guiding words—pilgrims, hope, and synodality—frame the spiritual landscape of our Jubilee journey. As we gather for this year’s Global Conference at the heart of the Church, we are invited to live out Isaiah 40:31: “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength…”
25 Years and Beyond
This Jubilee is a true renewal for every member of CFC. It is a reminder of who we are, where we are going, and the God who walks with us every step of the way. Each session of the Global Conference is anchored in this call, drawing from Scripture and communal reflection to strengthen our identity as a people called, chosen, and sent.
With deep gratitude and in steadfast communion with the Holy Catholic Church, we embrace Pope Leo XIV’s words and the Holy See’s guidance for our journey as Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year and beyond.
May our hearts become prepared and receptive fertile ground, where the bright sun of God’s grace “warms the clods of earth and makes the seed ripen”. Because it is truly in this hope that we believe our mission will bear lasting fruit.
See more photos from the CFC Global Conference and the Papal Audience in our exclusive e-zine:
