GUIDANCE IN THE AMORIS LAETITIA
Introduction
Amoris Laetitia is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis that addresses the importance of love in any family set-up. The Amoris Laetitia apostolic exhortation was officially released on 8th April 2016. The title Amoris Laetitia used by Pope Francis in English refers to the joy of love. The apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis covers topics that are related to modern marriage life and family. The exhortation highlights the challenges faced by today’s family and reflects how family problems are related to biblical teachings. The exhortation puts special attention on couples who walk on the edge of despair because of family problems and invites them to the church family. Pope Francis expresses his meaning of love in day-to-day family life in the Amoris Laetitia apostolic exhortation.
In Light of the Word of God
Pope Francis uses scriptural examples in the Amoris Laetitia to strength and affirms his statements about family and marriage. The Holy Father acknowledges that the Bible is full of stories concerning marriage and family from the beginning to the end. The apostolic exhortation encourages a marriage that consists of a husband and a wife as depicted on the Bible in the story of Adam and Eve. “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female?” (Kelly, 2016, 922). Pope Francis uses this Bible verse to guide all the people in the world that couples should be of a different gender to satisfy God’s will on marriage. The couples in a relationship should be focused and committed on their family according to the apostolic exhortation. “Therefore, a man shall leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife” (Kelly, 2016, 922). Pope Francis uses the Bible verse to direct all the couples in the world to be focused on their marriage relationship. From the biblical view, love is key in ensuring that any couples make a fruitful marriage relationship. Peace and respect are components of love according to Bible teachings in the book of Psalms. Pope Francis in the apostolic exhortation advises all couples to avoid quarrels and violence in their relationships, and instead lead a peaceful life in their relationship. Pope Francis states how children are important in marriage using Bible quotations. “In the home where husband and wife are seated at table, children appear at their side like Olive shoots” (Francis, 2016, 20). The apostolic exhortation shows children in a family in ensures to the continuity of human generation.
The apostolic exhortation reveals God’s plans on children and advises the parents to take care of their children to make marriages fruitful. Pope Francis requires parents to educate their children on acts of faith. The Bible in the book of Psalms states that parents should educate their children on the glorious deeds of Lord. Pope Francis encourages children to be obedient to their parents to be blessed and become successful in life. The Pope uses the example of how Jesus was obedient to his earthly parents to guide the young generation to be respectful to the elders. Bible in the book of Psalms explains the bitter truth of suffering experienced by families. Pope Francis states that love in the family helps couples and children in the family to undergo all the family suffering in unity. Pope Francis encourages all husbands to work to satisfy the needs of their families. The Bible in the book of Psalms states that “You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands” (Francis, 2016, 26). The apostolic exhortation guides family elders to show love to their families by working hard to satisfy the needs of the family. A verse in the Psalmist song state that, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breasts.” Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation guides couple to embrace this kind of tenderness as revealed in the Bible to ensure the success of a family.
The vocation of the Family
Pope Francis encourages a positive relationship between spouses, parents and children, and family and Church. Pope Francis uses chapter three of the Amoris Laetitia to express the Church’s teachings on marriage and family. In thirty paragraphs of this chapter of the Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis focuses on the theme of sacramental nature of family, transmission of life and education of children. Pope Francis advises spouses to love one another unconditionally. The Pope quotes from the St. Paul’s biblical teachings about love in a relationship. Pope Francis provides guidance on how pastors should deal with the “Wounded Families” (Granados, 2017, 20). Pastors are warned against passing judgements that do not help the wounded families to solve their situations. Pope Francis states that true positive family elements should be guided by religious traditions. Some imperfect situations affect spouses who are in a relationship, and the Church should support this kind of families. Pope Francis clarifies that one purpose in God’s plan of marriage is to ensure the continuity of human generation. Parents are taught that they should take care of children by educating the children on God’s teachings. Parents are encouraged to embrace the positive elements of marriage to fulfill God’s purpose for marriage.
Love in Marriage
Pope Francis dissects the famous Saint Paul Hymn on love as expressed in the Bible in the book of Corinthians. Pope Francis describes and expounds on the concrete love terms as expressed by Saint Paul in the Bible (Chaput, 2017, 4). Pope Francis expects spouses to bear with problems caused by their partners because love is enduring. The Bible teaches that love is joyous, and in that view, Pope Francis encourages partners in marriage to help each other to overcome their weaknesses. Pope Francis warns couples to be ready to overcome challenges that are brought by the day-to-day marriage experiences. Pope Francis warns that there is no ideal marriage love when he states that, “There is no need to lay upon two limited persons the tremendous burden of having to reproduce perfectly the union existing between Christ and his Church for marriage as a sign entails’ a dynamic process” (Francis, 2016, 102). Pope Francis stresses that conjugal love should guide couples to engage in a lasting union that is filled with joy. Pope Francis tells spouses that as spouses continue aging, the sexual desire may change, but this should not change the love that exists between the spouses. Pope Francis concludes this chapter by stating that the nature of conjugal love requires a couple to stay together until death with the same loving attraction, enjoying, and enriching intimacy.
Accompanying, Discerning, and Integrating Weaknesses
Pope Francis invites Christians to pastoral discernment in marriage imperfect situations in this chapter of the Amoris Laetitia. The Pope uses verbs discerning and integrating in this chapter, which are critical in addressing irregular situations that occur in a family set-up (Ryan, 2017, 94). Pope Francis emphasizes on the need of gradualness in pastoral discernment. The Holy Father identifies the Church as a field hospital because the Church is tasked with the responsibility of teaching community members on the constructive elements of marriage and disregard marriage teachings that are against God’s will. Pastoral discernment requires that the Church integrates those who are divorced and civilly remarried. Pope Francis encourages churches to absorb community members who have divorced and remarried to the Church so that they can grow in the Church, and stay as per God’s will. The Holy Father concludes the chapter by clearing the misunderstandings that exist among the Christians on the logic of pastoral mercy. The Pope guides Christians that pastoral care entails offering guidance to spouses that are undergoing through exceptional situations to strengthen their marriage.
The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
The Holy Father devotes the last chapter of the Amoris Laetitia to marriage and family spirituality. The Pope advises Christians that spiritual aspirations should not affect their marriage relationships (Reginald, 2017,222). Pope Francis states that, “Those who have deep spiritual aspirations should not feel that the family detracts from their growth in the life of the spirit, but rather see it as a path which the lord is using to lead them to the heights of mystical union” (Francis, 2016, 315). The Pope guides Christians to use the family reunion as an opportunity to understand more about God’s love. Pope Francis reflects on how God uses the Easter prayer to challenge Christians to grow old in togetherness while reflecting God’s fidelity. The Pope teaches that the incentive of the family is for Christians to extend God’s love to others, which leaves a mark on the life of others. Pope Francis advices Christians that they should not stop seeking the fullness of life and communion because of family situations since there is no family that drops from heaven perfectly formed.
Conclusion
Amoris Laetitia is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis that provides insights of the reality of family life. Pope Francis teaches Christians that there is no ideal family that does not experience exceptional and imperfect situations. The Holy Father in the apostolic exhortation provides an openhearted look of family life nourished with pastoral attention to reality. The Amoris Laetitia encourages pastors to educate and guide spouses to live family lives that are in line with God’s plan of marriage. Pope Francis in the apostolic exhortation speaks with the language of experience and hope about family life, which exhorts Christians to positive relationships.
References
Chaput, A.C., 2017. Pastoral Guidelines for Implementing: Amoris Laetitia. Nova et vetera, 15(1), pp.1-7.
Francis, Pope. Amoris Laetitia: On love in the family. Our Sunday Visitor, 2016.
Granados, R.J., Kampowski, S. and Perez-Soba, R.J.J., 2017. Accompanying, Discerning, Integrating: A Handbook for the Pastoral Care of the Family According to Amoris Laetitia. Emmaus Road Publishing.
Kelly, C.M., 2016. The Role of the Moral Theologian in the Church: A Proposal in Light of Amoris Laetitia. Theological Studies, 77(4), pp.922-948.
Reginald, A.L.V.A., 2017. Contemporary christian family life in the light of the teachings of Amoris Laetitia. Journal of the Nanzan Academic Society Humanities and Natural Sciences, 13, pp.211-227.
Ryan, T., 2017. ‘Weakness, and wounded and troubled love’in amoris laetitia: Pope Francis as pastor. Australasian Catholic Record, 94(2).