Amoris Laetitia, the Pope’s apostolic exhortation on love in the family, has just been released. You can find it here.
I highly encourage you to read the whole thing, though it’s quite lengthy. If you cannot get to it right away, here are ten quotations from the document:
- “I thank God that many families, which are far from considering themselves perfect, live in love, fulfil their calling and keep moving forward, even if they fall many times along the way. The Synod’s reflections show us that there is no stereotype of the ideal family, but rather a challenging mosaic made up of many different realities, with all their joys, hopes and problems.” [57]
- “Just as a good wine begins to ‘breathe’ with time, so too the daily experience of fidelity gives married life richness and ‘body’.” [231]
- “The life of every family is marked by all kinds of crises, yet these are also part of its dramatic beauty. Couples should be helped to realize that surmounting a crisis need not weaken their relationship; instead, it can improve, settle and mature the wine of their union.” [232]
- “I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness, a Mother who, while clearly expressing her objective teaching, ‘always does what good she can, even if in the process, her shoes get soiled by the mud of the street’.” [308]
- “We have been called to form consciences, not replace them.” [37]
- “Few human joys are as deep and thrilling as those experienced by two people who love one another and have achieved something as the result of a great, shared effort.” [130]
- “I think, for example, of the speed with which people move from one affective relationship to another. They believe, along the lines of social networks, that love can be connected or disconnected at a whim of the consumer, and the relationship quickly ‘blocked’… We treat affective relationships the way we treat material objects and the environment: everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away, takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then, goodbye.” [39]
- “Young love needs to keep dancing towards the future with immense hope.” [219]
- “Here let me say a word to fiancés. Have the courage to be different. Don’t let yourselves get swallowed up by a society of consumption and empty appearances. What is important is the love you share, strengthened and sanctified by grace. You are capable of opting for a more modest and simple celebration in which love takes precedence over everything else.” [212]
- “Love needs time and space; everything else is secondary.” [224]
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For more of The Jesuit Post’s coverage on Amoris Laetitia:
An Overview of Amoris Laetitia
Amoris Laetitia: Deciding to Love
You can also check out the coverage from our friends at America Magazine here.
