VATICAN CITY (AP) — Ten years after Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Catholic Church with his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, Pope Leo XIV is inviting church leaders to Rome next week to understand how Francis’ document has been implemented.
Vatican officials on Friday stressed that Francis’ 2016 text “The Joy of Love” isn’t up for rewriting, amending or scrapping. Rather, the weeklong closed-door conference starting Wednesday is meant to understand how bishops have incorporated the document’s teaching into their local communities.
Francis' document covers a host of issues relating to how the Catholic Church can better minister to families today. But when it was released after a yearslong consultation, “The Joy of Love” immediately sparked controversy because it opened the door to letting civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion.
Church teaching holds that unless these Catholics obtain an annulment — a church decree that their first marriage was invalid — they cannot receive the sacraments, since they are seen as living in sin and committing adultery.
Francis didn’t create a church-wide pass for these Catholics, but suggested — in vague terms and a single, strategically placed footnote — that bishops and priests could do so on a case-by-case basis after accompanying them on a spiritual journey of discernment.
Subsequent comments and writings made clear Francis intended such wiggle room, part of his belief that God’s mercy extends in particular to sinners and that the Eucharist isn’t a prize for the perfect but nourishment for the weak.
The document became one of the most divisive of Francis’ pontificate and in many ways became the focal point of conservative opposition to his papacy. Mostly conservative Catholics said it had sown confusion among the faithful about the church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Some even accused Francis of heresy.
On Friday, Vatican officials said it would be up to the 187 participants whether specific points of Francis’ document would be discussed and how, insisting there was no prewritten final document.
“We can't foresee what themes will emerge from the bishops' reflections, from their experiences,” said Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary in the Vatican's family office, which is organizing the meeting.
The Rev. Giacomo Costa, of the Vatican’s synod office, said the Oct. 7-14 meeting was not a continuation of the synod on the family that provided the consultation leading to Francis’ text or a chance to rewrite it.
“This is not a continuation of the synod itself, but rather an opportunity to assess where we stand,” he told a Vatican briefing. “It does not mean passing judgment as in school — praising or criticizing the text itself — but rather learning from the experience gained since its publication.”
He said organizers expect differences, disagreements, tensions and open questions to emerge.
“We don’t want to arrive at an artificial consensus,” he said, though he added a final summary was expected to be published.
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Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life attends a press conference to present Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the Heads of the Eastern Churches and the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, titled "Ten years after Amoris laetitia: Proclaiming the Gospel with families today." at the Vatican, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life attends a press conference to present Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the Heads of the Eastern Churches and the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, titled "Ten years after Amoris laetitia: Proclaiming the Gospel with families today." at the Vatican, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Father Giacomo Costa, consultor of the General Secretariat of the Synod, from left, Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, and Orietta Rachele Grazioli, a professor of canon and comparative family law, attend a news conference presenting Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the heads of the Eastern Churches and the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences, at the Vatican, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Formula 1's replacement race in Malaysia was meant to be the ultimate test in the rain. It hasn't arrived yet.
Both practice sessions on Friday defied the forecast of heavy rain to stay dry and keep things uncertain about how this year's cars will cope if wet weather comes.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were the pacesetters in the two sessions on a day of learning for standings leader Kimi Antonelli, who's looking to bounce back from what he's called his “worst weekend” of the season.
The unusually named Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes Antonelli and his rivals to a track F1 last visited in 2017, returning to the schedule because of the disruption caused by the Iran war.
Malaysia has a history of chaotic races and sudden downpours and the abrasive asphalt tends to chew up tires, too. It could be the first real wet race since F1 shook up its regulations for 2026.
Verstappen led first practice by 0.383 seconds from George Russell, winner of last week's race in Azerbaijan, with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar third. Leclerc was fastest by .099 from Hadjar in the second as Lando Norris placed third for McLaren.
Antonelli was fifth in the first practice session and eighth in the second.
Antonelli still has a dominant 66-point lead over Mercedes teammate Russell, but that was trimmed from 81 last week after his crash in qualifying made for damage limitation in Azerbaijan.
Antonelli scrambled from 16th on the grid to finish fifth, helped by plenty of incidents ahead of him, while Russell held off Verstappen for his first win in nearly three months.
“Last weekend was probably the worst weekend from me, from my side of the season,” the 20-year-old Antonelli said.
“It was what I needed on Sunday, I needed a clean result after a very disruptive weekend. After the race, I wasn’t happy with the result and everything but I learn many things and the most important is that I need to always be 100%.
“I need to really do my best to achieve the best result because if I don’t do everything right, or I don’t try to do everything right in my power, then nothing is going to come my way.”
The 28-year-old Russell has made no secret of his struggles getting used to the 2026 cars, as he's had to watch his younger teammate dominate week-in, week-out.
After using the mid-season break to change his approach, a process he's likened to a golfer getting used to a new swing, Russell finally seemed comfortable in Azerbaijan.
He went fastest by nearly a second in qualifying, and his narrow margin of victory over Verstappen in the race owed more to an unusual yellow-flag decision on track than anything else.
Mercedes has brought a package of upgrades to its car this week, something Russell predicts could help him.
“I’m enjoying it more than I have done recently because I just feel more at one with the car and hopefully this new upgrade with a few characteristic changes that will also play into my favor a bit more," he said Thursday. "Bring it on."
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari remains united as he criticized attempts to “break our spirit” after the Italian brand confirmed it retains confidence in Fred Vasseur as team principal.
“Outside sources seem to be so negative towards us as a team and trying to break our spirit, but they’re not succeeding,” Hamilton said.
The latest speculation over Vasseur's future came after former Red Bull boss Christian Horner told the Times of London last week that Ferrari was the only team in F1 he'd consider joining without an ownership stake, calling it “the dream” and a “sleeping giant.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari is struggling on the track, with no podium finishes in the last five races for Hamilton or Leclerc.
“We had a good beginning of the season," Vasseur said Friday. "For sure, it’s not enough. We want to get more, we want to win more, we want to win the championship. We are struggling the last couple of races, but we are hoping to come back soon with development and to be back into the pace.”
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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, front, and Haas driver Oliver Bearman of Britain steer their cars during the first free practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) CORRECTION: ID of driver corrected to Oliver Bearman instead of Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc of Monaco and his teammate Lewis Hamilton of Britain steer their cars during the first free practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Spectators watch Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the second practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Artists wearing costumes arrive to perform for fans ahead of the first free practice of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
People watch Mercedes pit crew practice on the car of driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy ahead of the first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain steers his car during the first free practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares for the first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the first free practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain speaks during an interview outside the paddock ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy, right, at the pit wall ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy arrives in the pit-lane after the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix auto race in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
