Amoris Laetitia - Some thoughts

(Lumen Fidei, 2013)

Many seem accustomed to separating the unitive and procreative dimensions of the marital act, as well as to acting as though marriage were neither indissoluble nor necessary for engaging in sexual relations. So, it is tragic - but not all that surprising - that more and more people would lack a clear understanding of the meaning of marriage.  Yet, the Holy Spirit has never tired - and will never tire - of using the Church to again proclaim the Truth and call us home. 

In the last century and a half alone, in addition to the Catechism and the Compendium of the Catechism, the Holy Spirit has used the Church to teach us about marriage/family/sexuality through such instruments as:

• Pope Leo XII's Arcanum,  
• Pope Pius XI's Casti Connubii, 
• Pope Pius XII's Dear Newlyweds
• Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium,
• Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae and Evangelii Nuntiandi,
• Pope Saint John Paul II's Theology of the Body, Gratissimam Sane, and Familiaris Consortio, and 
• Pope Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est and Caritas in Veritate, 
• Pope Francis' Lumen Fidei, Evangelii Gaudium, and Laudato Si, as well as 
• the Vatican's 
• Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Concerning the Reception of Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried Members of the Faithful,  
• Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, and 
• Dignitas Connubii
- to say nothing of recent addresses by the Holy Fathers to the Roman Rota.

"The pope cannot...change the deposit of faith, of which he is the custodian, not the master....no pope can change the settled teaching of the Church....there are things in the Church that don’t change, because they can’t" (George Weigel).  Pope Francis has been adding his own "accent":

"Only where there is mercy does cruelty end, only with mercy do evil and violence end. Pope Francis is totally in agreement with this line. His pastoral practice is expressed in the fact that he continually speaks to us of God's mercy. It is mercy that moves us toward God, while justice frightens us before Him. In my view, this makes clear that, under a veneer of self-assuredness and self-righteousness, the man of today hides a deep knowledge of his wounds and his unworthiness before God. He is waiting for mercy" (Pope Emeritus Benedict, Fall 2015 (L’Osservatore Romano’s translation of the interview with Fr. Jacques Servais, SJ)).

(St. Peter's Square, 6/3/15) 

Amoris Laetitia 

The first seven chapters of Amoris Laetitia constitute a beautiful, joyful, down-to-earth proclamation, while its closing chapters challenge us to look afresh at faithfulness and mercy:

"The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church. As the Synod Fathers noted, for all the many signs of crisis in the institution of marriage, 'the desire to marry and form a family remains vibrant, especially among young people, and this is an inspiration to the Church.'  As a response to that desire, 'the Christian proclamation on the family is good news indeed'” (p.3).

Chapter One, IN THE LIGHT OF THE WORD [excerpts]

Chapter Two, THE EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF FAMILIES [excerpts]

Chapter Three, LOOKING TO JESUS : THE VOCATION OF THE FAMILY

"This brief chapter...will summarize the Church's teaching on marriage and the family" (p.48).  [Again, the Holy Father cannot abrogate what has come before him!].

(St. Peter's Square, 6/3/15)

Chapter Four, LOVE IN MARRIAGE [excerpts]

Chapter Five, LOVE MADE FRUITFUL [excerpts]

Chapter Six, SOME PASTORAL PERSPECTIVES [excerpts]

Chapter Seven, TOWARDS A BETTER EDUCATION OF CHILDREN [excerpts]

Chapter Eight, ACCOMPANYING, DISCERNING AND INTEGRATING WEAKNESS

Chapter Nine, THE SPIRITUALITY OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

(Rome subway, 6/5/15)