Pope Francis has been addressing bishops from Mozambique in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.
According to Italian newspaper Zenit, the Pope told them over the weekend to care for and defend the family from the beginning to its natural end.
The written address was in Portuguese, and it said "the family... is always to be defended as a prime source of fraternity and of respect for others, as well as a primary way of peace."
He also emphasised the role of the bishop as pastor as well, saying: "Jesus is the supreme Pastor of the Church.
"It is in His name and by His mandate that we are to take care to keep his flock, fully ready to give everything, even our lives."
The Pope also urged the bishops to form strong bonds with the priests and to help care for and nurture their spiritual and material needs, and stressed the positive role that the church is able to play in the society of Mozambique, especially with education and health care.
The Pope ended saying: "When we go out to take the Gospel with true apostolic spirit, He walks with us.
"He precedes us, and for us this is fundamental: God always goes before us."
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Article by Hannah Tooley
Hannah Tooley is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
