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Pope Leo XIV marked a milestone this week that modern culture likely overlooked—and understandably so, given its allergy to tradition.

On October 18, the pontiff honored the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pointing to their marriage as a much-needed beacon in a culture increasingly confused about family and fidelity, as CNA reports.

The pope’s message was sent to Bishop Bruno Feillet, whose diocese of Séez encompasses Alençon, the French town where the Martins lived and are currently being honored with anniversary celebrations.

First Married Saints Canonized Together

Louis and Zélie Martin weren’t just another devout Catholic couple—they were the first married couple canonized together in Church history. That happened in 2015 under Pope Francis, and now a decade later, Leo XIV is doubling down on the message: marriage isn’t just nice, it’s sacred.

In his address, the pope didn’t mince words. He warned against “fleeting, individualistic and selfish” unions that dominate today's headlines and TikTok feeds, describing them as "counter-examples" that have left young people adrift in their views on marriage.

He drew a stark contrast between such modern arrangements and the legacy of the Martins, who found what he called “profound happiness” not in self-indulgence, but in raising children and passing down the faith.

Holiness Found in the Everyday Family

The pope emphasized that marriage, far from being outdated or dull, is “one of the noblest and most elevated” vocations, a statement that should make headlines but likely won’t among today’s secular press.

The lives of Louis and Zélie stand in sharp contrast to cultural trends that treat marriage as disposable. Before they wed, they each considered religious life—Louis as an Augustinian and Zélie with the Sisters of Charity—before discerning a call to marriage instead.

Married in 1858 at Notre Dame Basilica in Alençon, they ultimately had nine children. While four died young, the five surviving daughters all became religious sisters, including Thérèse, who was later declared a Doctor of the Church.

Pope Encourages Couples to Persevere

“Dear couples, I invite you to persevere courageously,” Pope Leo XIV urged, noting the family’s example of enduring love and resilience amid life’s hardships.

Zélie died of breast cancer at just 45 years old in 1877, a blow that would’ve torn many families apart. Yet Louis continued on, later moving the family to Lisieux, where four of the daughters entered the Carmelite order.

From their suffering came sanctity—something that won’t be found in the glamorous headlines of Hollywood, but has enduring consequences for both faith and culture.

Countercultural Message Hits Home

Pope Leo XIV made it clear that the Martins’ canonization wasn't just symbolic—it proved that the path to sainthood isn't confined to monasteries or pulpits. “Marriage as a path to holiness” wasn’t a poetic phrase; it was a lived reality.

He highlighted that their faith-filled home helped their children “discover God’s boundless love and tenderness and strive to make them love Him in return.” That’s a lot more inspiring than most of what kids are being taught today under the banner of “modern values.”

St. Thérèse herself once remarked that God gave her “a mother and a father more worthy of heaven than of earth,” an assessment that puts today’s fractured view of family in sharp perspective.

Family Called to Be a Domestic Church

The pope didn’t just look back—he gave a charge to families today. “Put Jesus at the center of your families, your activities and your choices,” he insisted.

Message received, though it’s bound to be ignored by the woke crowd more interested in redefining marriage than preserving its spiritual power.

Still, the example of Louis and Zélie Martin remains stubbornly radiant—a household of virtue in an era of values vacuum, proof that bearing life and bearing witness are still the cornerstones of true happiness.