Pope Francis this morning received 70 members of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, currently meeting in Rome.

They included Gozo bishop Mario Grech, who is the president of the Maltese Episcopal Conference.

The two-week synod is discussing the family and the future of Europe.

In a statement off the cuff, the Pope said there were many good resources in the Church in Europe which had to be utilised better.

Pope Francis told the bishops that as pastors close to their flock, they knew the complexity of the panorama and the challenges the mission of the Church faced, even in Europe.

“We are called to be an 'outbound' Church, in movement from the centre towards the peripheries to reach out to all, without fear, without distrust, and with apostolic courage.”

In a written document, Pope Francis emphasised the need for pastors and families to work together, with a spirit of humility and sincere dialogue, so that parish communities become “families of families”.

“There is no lack of diverse experiences of family pastoral care and political and social commitment to support families, both those that experience an ordinary married life and those afflicted by problems or breakdowns.

"It is important to gather together these significant experiences present in the different areas of the life of the men and women of our time, in relation to whom we must exercise an appropriate discernment, in order to then 'put them in the network', thus involving other diocesan communities.”