Introduction & Background to the Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” Because of the great importance of the family in the Church and in society there were two Synods on the Family that took place in October, 2014 and October, 2015 Every Synod is followed by a papal document called: An Apostolic Exhortation. This is a form of papal teaching to encourage the faithful to live in such a way as to foster their own life of faith and contribute to the growth of the Church’s. In writing this letter, Pope Francis has drawn from the discussions at the synod, from the Conferences of Bishops and his own pastoral reflections.

What is a Synod? The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI, 15 September 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the positive spirit engendered by the Council. Literally speaking the word “synod”, derived from two Greek words syn meaning “together” and hodos meaning “road” or “way”, means “on the way together”. A Synod is a religious meeting at which bishops, gathered with the Holy Father, have the opportunity to interact with each other and to share information and experiences. Depending on the topic, other participants are invited to give their input.

Preparation for the Synods on the Family -2014 & 2015 In 2013, Pope Francis initiated a two-year church-wide consultation on the family that included an extraordinary Synod of Bishops, which met at the Vatican October 5-26, 2014, and an ordinary Synod of Bishops, that met Oct. 4-25, 2015 at the Vatican, focused on the theme, "The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and the Contemporary World."

To prepare for this 2015 Synod, the Vatican in December, 2014 distributed a document to the bishops’ conferences around the world. This document was comprised of the final document of the 2014 synod — and the questionnaire, made up of 46 questions that asked for reflections on: how to promote authentic family values, how to train clergy in family ministry, how the Church can be present to people whose personal lives do not conform to Catholic moral teaching. These questionnaires were sent to all the Bishops to provide for a wide consultation of the faithful.

“The Vatican, especially Pope Francis, sent a pretty clear message that the issues surrounding the Church’s pastoral care for families are critical, and that the Church needs to hear from the people regarding their own experiences and what they feel the Church could do better. His desire was to consult not just with bishops, but also with the lay faithful, on these important family matters: how we can support family life, reach out and show support.  Pope Francis asked. "How is it possible to talk about the family without involving families, without listening to their joys and hopes, their difficulties, pain and anxieties?” (Association of Catholic Priests web site – Dec. 9, 2014)

Introduction: The Joy of love “The joy of love that is experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” AL #1

Background It makes use of contributions of Bishops’ This letter brings together the results of the the two Synods on the family convoked by Pope Francis in October of 2014 & 2015 It makes use of contributions of Bishops’ Conferences from the different parts of the world & the input from the “grass roots” It is enriched with Pope Francis’ own reflections, experiences and pastoral approach to the complex realities of marriage and family life today (cf. AL #4)

lacks peace and joy.” AL #5 “This exhortation is especially timely during this Year of Mercy. It invites Christian families to value the gifts of marriage and family and to persevere in love. AL #5 It also seeks to encourage everyone to be signs of mercy and closeness whenever family life remains imperfect or lacks peace and joy.” AL #5 “I will recall some essential aspects of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family and highlight some pastoral approaches that can guide us in living out God’s plan.” AL #6

Pope Francis states that: “the Synod process allowed for an examination of the situation of families in today’s world. It provided a broader vision and a renewed awareness of the importance of marriage and the family.’’ “The complexity of the issues that arose revealed the need for continued open dialogue on a number of doctrinal, moral, spiritual, and pastoral questions.” (AL #2)

Chapter One; In the Light of the Word

God’s Word on Marriage & the Family “The majestic early chapters of Genesis present the human couple in its deepest reality. Those first pages of the Bible make a number of very clear statements.” (AL #10) God created men and women in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26-27) Men and women share the same nature and are equal in dignity. They complement one another and show forth the image of God.“The couple that loves and begets life is a true, living image of God.” (AL #11)

Image of the Trinity “In the Christian vision of the Trinity, God is contemplated as Father, Son and Spirit. The Triune God is a communion of love, and the family is its living reflection.” (AL #11) “Our God, in his deepest mystery, is not a solitude but a family.” (AL #11)

Marriage was established by God for two purposes: For the good of the husband and wife; to mutually support and love each other, be committed to one another, help each other grow and become closer to God (Genesis 2:24) For procreation—marriage creates a communion of love which produces new life and creates an environment where children can be welcomed and nurtured (Genesis 1:28)

“The Bible also presents the family as the place where children are brought up in the faith… The family is the place where parents become their children’s first teachers in the faith.” (AL #16) Psalm 78 urges the people of Israel to “tell to the coming generations the glorious deeds of the Lord…that the next generation may know them…and tell them to their children.” (Ps 78:3-6)

The reality of difficulties, pain and suffering in families is also found throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. “Jesus himself was born into a working family that soon had to flee to a foreign land.” He experienced the difficulties and sufferings of families during his years in Nazareth and during his public ministry. (cf. AL #21) With these biblical reflections as a backdrop, in Chapter Two we will look at the experiences and challenges of families today. (cf. AL #30)