Cardinal Tagle, in behalf of Pope Leo, urges families to engage in communal prayer

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the mass marking the 10th anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, as Pope Leo XIV recovers following his lung surgery held at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

The current Dean of the College of Cardinals, Tagle delivered the homily of Pope Leo, who called on Catholic families to engage in communal prayer, a practice he said is gradually fading.

Tagle also described the family as a "privilege place of prayer."

"Family is privilege place of prayer. Sadly, in many parts of the world today, the practice of praying together at home, before meals, at the beginning and end of the day, or on special occasions has flown away," Tagle said during the mass broadcast over Vatican Media.

"Amoris Laetitia reminds us that emphasis should also be given to the importance of family spirituality, or prayer, and of participation in the Sunday Eucharist," he added.

Amoris Laetitia is Pope Francis' post-synodal apostolic exhortation released in 2016.

Tagle pointed out that families who are attentive to their children's education and growth are essential to the world's future.

"Common prayer and the sacraments play a vital role in family life because they open hearts of the action of God, enabling families to reach together," the Filipino cardinal said.

Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer after surgeons removed a part of his right lung on Tuesday, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin, marking a significant health setback for the 71-year-old pontiff.

The pope has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of cancer, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said.

Tagle was recently appointed as dean of the college of cardinals, becoming the first Filipino and Asian cleric selected for the position.

The dean of the college of cardinals is considered the "first among equals" among the Church's highest-ranking clerics and is responsible for taking charge of the secretive conclave process, held in the Sistine Chapel, once a pope dies or resigns.— BAP, GMA News