Pope Francis on Love in the Family

In 1981, in response to a synod on the family, Pope John Paul II wrote On the Family (Familiaris Consortio), a document that gave the Church, especially those of us in family ministry, our marching orders. Now, thirty-five years later, comes another family synod and Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation, The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia), from which we hope to be similarly instructed.

Author, James Healy explores the exhortation, and the insight Pope Francis offers through his pastoral advice about marriage, suggestions for pastoral care of the family, and as he expresses his concern for treating people outside the marital norm with sensitivity. Throughout, Pope Francis is driven by this key Catholic insight: the purpose of marriage is not just to make two people happy; it is ultimately to tell the truth, through billions of individual stories, about God’s love for us.