Pope Francis' Encyclical "Amoris Laetitia" (The Joy of Love) was released April 8, 2016. It was a much anticipated post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis that is a planned response to the Synod on the Family. “Amoris Laetitia” is above all a pastoral document, which the pope intends to serve as “an aid to reflection, dialogue and pastoral practice, and as a help and encouragement to families in their daily commitments and challenges.
The pope has given us a love letter to families—a love letter inviting all of us, and especially married couples and families, to never stop growing in love. It is also a love letter calling the Church, the family of God, to realize more and more her mission to live and love as a family.
Pope Francis is calling us to enter more deeply into the beauty of marriage and Christ's teaching. From the opening lines of Genesis to the closing chapter of Revelation, and throughout the Gospels, God speaks eloquently to us about the joys and challenges of marriage and family life.
The Holy Father is giving us an active opportunity to reflect upon how each of us can belong more deeply to Christ. The Joy of Love is inviting us to share the treasure and medicine of Jesus. The teaching of Jesus inspires us to live out God's hope for us, and the mercy of Jesus heals and sustains us when we fall short. Let us remember that no obstacle is too big for Christ to overcome.
We encourage all to read and reflect on how the words of Pope Francis can be applied in our lives, in our families, and in our society. How wonderful it is that once again our Holy Father isencouraging and leading us in our call to encounter Jesus ever more deeply, especially in the great gift of family life, and to be His missionary disciples in the world.
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Other Resources
- Q & A with Bishop Robert Barron (of Word on Fire)
- America Magazine Resource Center
- Background Resource - 2014-15 Synods of Bishops on the Family - An overview of the Synod of Bishops and the two Synods of Bishops on the family and evangelization. (USCCB)
- Background Resource - Pope Francis' catecheses on the family from his 2015 Wednesday general audiences
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
From United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Website
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What is an apostolic exhortation?
An apostolic exhortation is a particular kind of papal teaching that communicates the mind of the pope on a certain topic. It is often used to share the conclusions reached by the Holy Father after consideration of the recommendations of a Synod of Bishops. It can also be used as a way for the pope to exhort (encourage) the faithful to a deeper life of Christian discipleship, as, for example, Pope Francis did in his apostolic exhortationEvangelii Gaudium. . . on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world (Nov. 24, 2013). -
Where did Amoris Laetitia come from?
Amoris Laetitia is the result of Pope Francis' prayerful reflection on the discussions and outcomes of two synods of bishops held in Rome: an Extraordinary Synod in 2014, and an Ordinary Synod in 2015, both on the topic of marriage and the family. The exhortation is meant to share with the Church the Holy Father's teaching and encouragement regarding pastoral ministry to families, and what marriages and families are called to at this time in history. -
What is the Synod of Bishops?
The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution of the Catholic Church. It was established by Pope Paul VI in 1965, shortly after the close of the Second Vatican Council, to continue the spirit of collegiality and communion that was present at the Council. The Synod is an assembly of bishops from around the world who assist the Holy Father by providing counsel on important questions facing the Church in a manner that preserves the Church's teaching and strengthens her internal discipline. (See the Vatican website and the Code of Canon Law, canon 342.) -
What topics does the apostolic exhortation cover?
Amoris Laetitia covers a wide range of topics related to marriage and family life, with a particular emphasis on the family's vocation and mission of love. It speaks about the family's strengths and gifts, and also the contemporary challenges faced by families throughout the world. The exhortation encourages married couples, families, and pastoral ministers to accompany and care for families and others in need of the Lord's mercy and healing. It includes an extended reflection on love and what it means in the day-to-day reality of marriage and family life. -
What does the title mean?
Amoris Laetitia is Latin for "The Joy of Love." The opening sentence reads, "The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church" (no. 1). The exhortation is meant to echo the conviction of the Synod Fathers that the Christian family is "good news indeed" (no. 1) and to help the Church to draw close to families in all situations. -
Who should read this apostolic exhortation?
This document is for all who care about the future of the family. It is addressed to Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, Christian married couples and all the lay faithful. In particular, married couples can be reminded of their call and mission through this exhortation, and families can find it an ongoing source of inspiration. -
How can the apostolic exhortation be utilized by Catholic leaders?
Amoris Laetitia will be a valuable guide for all those engaged in ministry to those discerning and preparing for marriage and to married couples and families at all stages. Catholic leaders would do well to study Amoris Laetitia in its entirety, being attentive to how the Holy Father's insights may enrich and enliven a particular ministry. Pope Francis himself has urged a patient and careful reading of the document, with the hope that, "in reading this text, all will feel called to love and cherish family life…" (no. 7). -
How has Pope Francis shown a concern for the family in his pontificate?
Pope Francis has shown his love for marriages and families in many ways. In the first year of his papacy, he called for two consecutive synodal assemblies on the family. He devoted over a year's worth of weekly audiences to topics related to marriage and the family, and he gave stirring testimony to the beauty of God's plan for the family during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. He also canonized Pope St. John Paul II, whom he called the "pope of the family." -
What are other key documents from the Church on marriage and the family?
As Pope Francis shows in chapter three, Amoris Laetitia follows upon a rich treasury of Church teaching on marriage and the family. This apostolic exhortation is a parallel and complement to the 1981 document Familiaris Consortio ("Regarding the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World"), issued by Pope St. John Paul II after the synod on the family in 1980, which has been a touchstone for marriage and family life ministry since its publication. John Paul II gave the Church another document for families in 1994, entitled "Letter to Families," and his catechesis on human love, commonly called the "theology of the body," has also deeply enriched the Church's contemplation on marriage and family life today. All of these works are cited at various points in Amoris Laetitia. Other key documents, also cited, include the Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes(On the Church in the Modern World), Bl. Pope Paul VI's Encyclical LetterHumanae Vitae (On Human Life), and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's encyclicalDeus Caritas Est (On Christian Love). -
How can I get a copy of the apostolic exhortation?
Amoris Laetitia is available for purchase through USCCB store. It can also be read in its entirety on the Vatican website www.vatican.va.
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