Amoris Laetitia, the fruit of the long “synodal process” that unfolded between 2014 and 2015, is in keeping with what we’ve come to understand as Pope Francis’s pastoral and nonacademic style. The exhortation draws from his previous catechesis and that of John Paul II, as well as from the documents of bishops’ conferences around the world. And, at 52,500 words, it is very long.But how does the document actually address the at-times contentiously debated issues that arose in the course of the two synod gatherings in Rome?

If there’s an interpretative key, it’s this statement that appears early on in the text: “I would make it clear that not all discussions of doctrinal, moral or pastoral issues need to be settled by interventions of the magisterium. Unity of teaching and practice is certainly necessary in the Church, but this does not preclude various ways of interpreting some aspects of that teaching or drawing certain consequences from it.” Yet Amoris Laetitia is a carefully constructed document that will give none of the most vocal factions on opposing sides of an issue any reason to claim “victory” or “defeat.”

Source:  Commonweal Magazine

In a radical departure from recent pastoral practice, Pope Francis has asked the world’s Catholic clergy to let their lives become “wonderfully complicated” by embracing God’s grace at work in the difficult and sometimes unconventional situations families and marriages face — even at risk of obscuring doctrinal norms.

The pontiff has also called on bishops and priests globally to set aside fears of risking moral confusion, saying they must avoid a tendency to a “cold bureaucratic morality” and shift away from evaluating peoples’ moral status based on rigid canonical regulations.

In a substantial and already hotly debated document addressing church teaching on family life, Francis says that Catholic bishops and priests can no longer make blanket moral determinations about so-called “irregular” situations such as divorce and remarriage.

Writing in his new apostolic exhortation, titled Amoris Laetitia (‘The Joy of Love’), the pope strongly advocates for the worth of the traditional, life-long Christian marriage but speaks respectfully of nearly all models of family life.

Source:  National Catholic Reporter

The apostolic exhortation ‘The Joy of Love’ is published today and signals the start of a more flexible, understanding Church.

With his document on the family, Pope Francis has let a chink of light into the Church’s window. His Apostolic Exhortation, titled “The Joy of Love”, signals the start of a more flexible, understanding Church. No longer is it acceptable to “throw stones” of doctrine at those struggling in their personal lives and things are not just about the rules. What used to be black and white are various shades of grey

Source:  The Tablet 

In a broad proclamation on family life, Pope Francis on Friday called for the Roman Catholic Church to be more welcoming and less judgmental, and he seemingly signaled a pastoral path for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive holy communion.

The 256-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation and titled “Amoris Laetitia,” Latin for “The Joy of Love,” offers no new rules or marching orders, and from the outset Francis makes plain that no top-down edicts are coming. Alluding to the diversity and complexity of a global church, Francis effectively pushes decision making downward to bishops and priests, stating that a different country or region “can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs.”

Source:  The New York Times

Pope Francis’ landmark text on the family, scheduled for release on Friday (April 8), is expected to encourage a more open attitude towards the non-nuclear family, but contain no change in church doctrine.

The Apostolic Exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), will be the culmination of two synods in which family matters were hotly debated by bishops. Since the second such conference concluded in October, Francis has been charged with producing a defining text to determine the Catholic Church’s way forward on everything from divorce to pornography.

The world’s 1.2 billion Catholics will likely find a push for pastoral care and a less rigid focus on doctrine.

Source:  – Religion News Service