Amoris laetitia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Icon tools.svg This article was due to acute substance or form defects on the quality assurance side of the portal Christianity entered.

Please help fix the shortcomings in this article and please join the discussion .

Amoris laetitia ("the joy of love") about love in the family is a post-synodal letter from Pope Francis named after his incipit . It was signed on the feast of St. Joseph of 2016, March 19, and presented by the Roman Curia on April 8. The letter refers to the deliberations and results of the ordinary Synod of Bishops on the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization. The Synod of Bishops presented the final report (Relatio finalis) to the Pope in October 2015 after two years of work .

Amoris laetitia was presented by the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri , an Italian couple and Christoph Cardinal Schönborn . The apostolic exhortation was translated into English, French, Italian, German, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. The Second Vatican Council established the Synod of Bishops in 1965 as a body in the Roman Catholic Church , which met for the first time in 1967. Since 1974 it has been customary for the Pope to comment on the deliberations in a post-synodal letter some time after the end of a synod of bishops.

core items

The approximately 300-page post-synodal apostolic letter is addressed to bishops , priests and deacons , persons of consecrated life , Christian married couples and Christian lay people . It comprises 325 paragraphs in nine chapters and ends with a prayer to the Holy Family .

In his letter, the Pope summarizes the results of the two Synods of Bishops of 2014 and 2015. The letter makes trend-setting statements about the importance of love, marriage and family. Partnership love is understood as "friendship that includes the characteristics of passion", sexuality is seen and valued as "interpersonal language in which the other is taken seriously in his sacred and inviolable value". Amoris laetitia contains statements on dealing with remarried divorced people, on sexual morality and on dealing with homosexuality .

According to his binding teaching letter, Pope Francis wants to allow more mercy in the application of the church's moral teaching, but in principle adheres to the applicable norms on marriage and the family. He urges “a more realistic view” and explains that “not all doctrinal, moral or pastoral discussions have to be decided by magisterial intervention”. He emphasizes the value of chastity as a valuable prerequisite for a real growth in love . He also wanted young couples to be better prepared for marriage. The Pope expressly opposes hasty marriages, the sole purpose of which is to enable sexual intercourse, and emphasizes the value of physical love in marriage, the importance of passion and tenderness. The Pope underlines his exceptionally positive appreciation of human sexuality and eroticism: “We must therefore in no way understand the erotic dimension of love as a tolerated evil or a burden that must be tolerated for the good of the family, but rather must be viewed as a gift from God that beautifies the meeting of the married couple. ”(No. 152) He condemns artificial insemination as an act of manipulation of life, because the procreation of a person cannot be seen independently of the sexual relationship between man and woman.

On the question of nullity of marriage and the resulting consequences, the Pope grants the local churches and bishops more independence and grants them a wider range of interpretation and application of church teaching, again under the aspect of mercy. He rejects the equality of same-sex partnerships with marriage because there is no basis for "establishing analogies between homosexual unions and God's plan for marriage and the family" (No. 251). He affirmed, however, that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be respected in their dignity and received with respect.

The dignity of women is another great concern of his; so he disciplines discrimination and violence against women. This also includes the disadvantage in the world of work and the neglected equality of men and women. Nonetheless, when "forms of feminism arise that we cannot consider appropriate, we admire a work of the Holy Spirit in the clearer recognition of the dignity of women and their rights " (n. 54)

Structure and content

Introduction: The Joy of Love (1-7)

After the opening sentence, the whole text is named according to the Vatican customs: “The joy of love lived in families is also the joy of the Church.” The diction recalls the beginning of the pastoral constitution of the Second Vatican Council Gaudium et Spes : "Joy and hope, sorrow and fear of people today, especially the poor and afflicted of all kinds, are also joy and hope, sorrow and fear of the disciples of Christ." The Pope recalls the two-year synodal path that led to the text have; he puts the letter in the context of the Holy Year of Mercy and advises not to rush to read it completely.

Chapter One: In the Light of the Word (8-30)

The Pope gives "an opening inspired by the Scriptures" as "appropriate attunement" (No. 6). Using numerous examples from the Old and New Testaments , he illustrates the importance of marriage and the family, which biblical writers often chose in their tenderness as an image of the love of God, the Creator, for the world and for human beings (No. 28 ). He begins with the representation of the human couple in their fundamental reality in paradise ( Gen 1.26-28  EU and 2.21-24 EU ), makes the importance of children in the Jewish and Christian society clear (“If the parents like the Are the foundations of the house, then the children are, as it were, the 'living stones' of the family (cf. 1 Pet 2,5  EU ”) and reminds us that Jesus regarded the child as the standard for the conditions in heaven ( Mt 18,3- 4  EU ) (nos. 9-18), not ignoring the suffering and injustice that families endure, hard work and environmental destruction (nos. 23-26).

Overall, for Pope Francis in the family, “the word of God is entrusted to the hands of man, woman and children, so that they may form a community of people that is an image of the unity between the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit . The activity of procreation and upbringing is in turn a reflection of the work of creation of the Father ”(No. 29).

Chapter Two: The Reality and Challenges of the Family (31–57)

The Pope expressly considers the current situation of families in all their different facets "in order to keep 'our feet on the ground'" (No. 6), because the well-being of families is "decisive for the future of the world and the Church" (No. 31) . He confronts the complexity of family situations in view of the perceptible anthropological-cultural change in all areas of everyday life and names a higher degree of responsibility, the higher value of communication in marriage and family, but also growing dangers as a result of "excessive individualism"; Family becomes “a temporary abode” to which one comes when one finds it useful, or where one goes to claim rights, while ties are left to the fleeting impermanence of desires and circumstances. (Nos. 32–34) He followed up with a self-critical reflection: the Church had partly contributed to these developments, for example through “insistence on doctrinal, bioethical and moral questions” or an almost exclusive emphasis on the function of procreation for marriage (No. . 36 f.). The Pope admits that in the past the teaching of Christian beliefs and the Church's way of treating people have at times helped "provoke what we complain about today". In this context, the Pope speaks of an “exaggerated idealization” that did not make marriage more desirable and attractive, but rather had the opposite effect (No. 36).

Francis deplores the anti-birth mentality in many parts of the world, but also refers to “the righteous conscience of the married couple”, which could lead them to the decision to limit the number of children well-founded; However, because of the couple's freedom of conscience, forced state interventions in favor of contraception, sterilization or even abortion are to be rejected outright (No. 42). Stressful factors for families are poverty, housing shortages, migration, illness and disability or separation of partners, drug addiction and polygamy, and finally also sexual abuse of children (No. 45). Church and society should perceive these situations with attention and solidarity and responsibly fight and overcome causes and consequences (nos. 43–53). Pope Francis stresses that violence against women - including genital mutilation - and abuse in families "is not a proof of male strength, but a cowardly loss of dignity". He also counts forms of violence against women inequality in access to jobs and decision-making positions, surrogacy and the “instrumentalization and commercialization of the female body in contemporary media culture” (No. 54).

At the end of the chapter, Pope Francis strongly criticizes forms of gender ideology that deny the difference and the natural relationship between men and women. He sees in this the danger that the anthropological basis of the family could be undermined (No. 56).

Chapter Three: Looking to Jesus - The Family Calling (58-88)

In the third chapter, Pope Francis summarizes the Church's teaching on marriage and the family in the light of faith and against the background of the Bible. He points to the positive evaluation of marriage in the New Testament as a gift from God that includes sexuality (No. 61).

He does not see the indissolubility of marriage as a “yoke”, but “as a gift for the people united in marriage”, through which God's kindness always accompanies people on their way. (No. 62). The incarnation of God in a family of men almost shook the history of the world with its novelty (n. 63).

After looking back on statements of the Second Vatican Council and its predecessors on the theology of marriage (nos. 67-70), the Pope presents marriage as a sacramental sign of God's love for the Church. He presents the sacrament of marriage in a context of salvation history . The entire life of the spouses, including sexuality, their network of relationships with one another, with their children and the world is “shaped and strengthened by the grace of the sacrament, which arises from the mystery of God's incarnation and from the paschal mystery in which God is all of him Love for humanity. ”(No. 73 f.) But Pope Francis also sees valuable elements in the marriage forms of other religious traditions; when "a bond through a public bond is manifestly stable and characterized by deep affection, responsibility towards children, the ability to pass tests," this could be seen as an opportunity to accompany them to the sacrament of marriage and the complexities of various Situations must be taken into account (nos. 77-79).

Marriage is first and foremost a good for the spouses themselves, but in the words of the Pope it also points to the transmission of life and to the community of the entire Church, which is constantly enriched by the families as “house churches” (No. 80– 88).

Chapter Four: Love in Marriage (89-164)

On the basis of the hymn on the love of the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 13 : 4-7  EU , Pope Francis developed characteristics of the love of spouses for one another and for their children: "Long-suffering" does not mean constantly being badly treated, but recognizing "that the other has the same right to live on this earth, together with me and as he is ”(No. 91 f.); An “attitude of goodness ready to serve” expresses that love is not just a feeling, but means doing good (nos. 93 f.) Instead of jealousy, envy and boasting, love requires amiable friendliness (nos. 94-100 ). Paragraphs 101 and 102 deal with the relationship of necessary self-love and self-giving to others. Further aspects are (nos. 103-117) the renunciation of violent attitudes, willingness to forgive, joy in one another and with one another, mutual trust and "a dynamic and constant resilience" (No. 118).

The Pope explains at length that love, “sanctified, enriched and enlightened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage” embraces tenderness of friendship and erotic passion, and is able to endure when feelings and passion weaken (n. 120). Love for the other includes "this pleasure in contemplating the beautiful and inviolable of one's personal being, which exists beyond my needs" and continues even in illness and old age (No. 127 f.). Love grows and matures; a “preferred and indispensable form of living, expressing and maturing love in marriage and family life” is dialogue (nos. 133–141).

It goes without saying for Pope Francis that eroticism and passions, desires, feelings and emotions occupy an important place in marriage (n. 143). Education of the emotional life and the instincts as well as setting necessary limits does not mean "to conquer desire", because God loves the joyful enjoyment of people: he created everything so that we can enjoy it ( 1 Tim 6,17  EU ; No. 147 -149). The erotic dimension of love can be seen as a gift from God to beautify the meeting of the married couple (n. 151). The completeness also includes reference to violence and perversion in connection with sexuality; Even within marriage, sexuality could become a “source of suffering and manipulation”: “It is important to be clear about rejecting any form of sexual submission” (nos. 153–157)

The chapter on marriage closes with a reference to virgin forms of life : virginity is a form of loving that symbolically reminds us of "the primary importance of the kingdom of God ". "Virginity has the symbolic value of a love that does not need to be possessed by the other, and thus reflects the freedom of the kingdom of heaven" (nos. 159 and 161). The value of conjugal love is in no way reduced by the appreciation of virginity. The celibacy would be wrong to "comfortable solitude", "which granted the freedom to self-determination to move." For celibates, married couples could become “a clear sign of God's generous and unshakable loyalty to his covenant” if they remained faithful to one another, even if the partner's attractiveness had declined; if they cared for one another in days of sickness or endured the ingratitude of their children (n. 160–162).

The Pope impressively describes the change in love in old age. It used to be unusual for a marriage to last five or six decades, but it is more common today due to the extension of life. “We cannot promise each other that we will have the same feelings throughout our lives. Instead, however, we can very well share a firm common project, commit ourselves to love one another and live together until death do us part, and always live in rich intimacy. ”(No. 163f.)

Chapter Five: Love That Becomes Fruit (165-198)

At the beginning of the chapter on parenting, Pope Francis puts a quote from Pope John Paul II : “While the married couple give each other, they give the reality of the child beyond themselves: a living reflection of their love, a lasting sign of their conjugal community, lively and indissoluble unity of their father and motherhood ”. He then deals in detail with pregnancy and parenthood (nos. 166–177), deals with adoption in the event of involuntary childlessness (nos. 178–180) and the situation of poor families (nos. 185f.). The conclusion is made up of statements on the subject areas “Being sons and daughters” (No. 188–190), “The old people” (No. 191–193), “Being siblings” (No. 194f.) And the “extended family” , consisting of parents and children, brothers and sisters, relatives and housemates, in-laws and relatives of the spouses (nos. 196–198).

Chapter Six: Some Pastoral Perspectives (199-258)

The Pope outlines some pastoral paths “which should give us orientation in order to build stable and fruitful families according to God's plan” (No. 6). Families are not seen as recipients of pastoral care, but are "by the grace of the sacrament of marriage the main subjects of family pastoral care" (n. 200). The parish is important here as a “family of families” (no. 202). Instruments for strengthening the family are family pedagogical training for pastors and appropriate preparation for marriage, in which Christian congregations "recognize that it is good for them to accompany the betrothed person on the path of love" (No. 207).

Even after the marriage, the accompaniment of the couple must be attentively observed and cultivated (nos. 217–231). For the Pope, crises of all kinds are part of the “dramatic beauty” of marriage at various stages in a relationship. "If marriage is accepted as a task that also means overcoming obstacles, every crisis is recognized as an opportunity to come to drink better wine together." However, couples needed solidarity and support (no. 232). , especially after fractures and divorces (nos. 241–246). As a special "complex situation" he deals with the situation of marriages of different denominations and religions (nos. 247-249), also with families with only one parent (nos. 252) and finally especially with families “injured by a death” (nos 253-258).

In paragraphs 250 and 251, Pope Francis affirmed that “every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be respected in their dignity and received with respect and carefully avoided in any way unjustly or even with aggression and violence to meet"; but it is not possible to “equate connections between homosexual persons with marriage”. Efforts by international organizations "to make financial aid to poor countries conditional on the introduction of 'marriage' among persons of the same sex in their legislation" are rejected as unacceptable.

Chapter Seventh: Strengthening the Upbringing of Children (259–290)

In the family as a “place of protection, accompaniment, guidance”, as the “first school of human values, where one learns the right use of freedom”, parents should give the children orientation and protection, but without excessive care and control. It is more about triggering processes than "mastering rooms" (No. 260f., No. 274). Pope Francis had already applied this principle to social and political processes in his encyclical Laudato si ' in 2015 . As fields of education he goes into the ethical upbringing of children (nos. 263–267), sex education (nos. 280–286) and the transmission of faith (nos. 286–290). According to the Pope, punishments for anti-social, aggressive behavior are appropriate to sensitize children and adolescents to “that the bad deeds have consequences” (No. 268).

Pope Francis sees sex education “within the framework of an education for love, for mutual gifting” (No. 280). It should promote a feeling of shame as a “natural defense of man who protects his inwardness and avoids becoming a mere object "(No. 282) and contribute to" appreciating one's own body in its femininity or masculinity "in order to" recognize oneself in encountering the opposite sex. "(No. 285)

Successful religious upbringing makes the family a “subject of pastoral action” with a missionary effect: “If faith is imparted to children in such a way that they can express it more easily and grow in it, this helps the family to become preaching, and She begins of her own accord to pass on her faith to everyone who comes into contact with her, even outside of her own family circle. "(No. 289 f.)

Chapter eight: Accompanying, distinguishing and integrating fragility (291-312)

The Pope's concern is to “invite mercy and pastoral discernment in the face of situations which do not entirely correspond to what the Lord commands us” (n. 6). Although the Church is convinced that “every breach of the marriage bond is contrary to God's will”, she must “attend to all those who suffer from hurt and lost love attentively and caringly and give them trust and hope” (No. 291). When assessing pure civil marriages , Pope Francis recalls the “law of graduality” cited by Pope John Paul II, according to which it is to be expected that people will only gradually meet the “objective requirements of the law” (No. 295). A decision in favor of a civil marriage is often based on cultural or factual circumstances; such connections could be manifestly stable and characterized by affection and responsibility for the children. Recognizing these elements and taking them seriously could, through pastoral accompaniment, “lead to greater openness to the gospel of marriage in its fullness” (n. 293).

Pope Francis urges avoiding judgments that do not take into account the complexity of the various situations of people in “irregular” partnerships. It is the task of the priests to “accompany the people concerned on the path of discernment in accordance with the teaching of the Church and the guidelines of the bishop” (n. 296, 300). It should be examined "which forms of exclusion liturgical, pastoral, educational and institutional areas could be overcome" so that the divorced and civilly remarried Catholics not only feel that they are not excommunicated, but "live and mature as living members of the Church" could. (No. 299). The Pope emphasizes the Church's teaching on the importance of the conscience of the individual. He refers to a "solid reflection on the extenuating conditions and circumstances" in theology, it is not that more would be possible to say "that all the so-called in some, irregular 'situation live in a state of mortal sin are and have lost sanctifying grace ”(No. 301). It is petty "to stop only at the consideration of whether a person's actions correspond to a law or a general norm or not, because that is not enough to recognize and ensure complete faithfulness to God in a person's concrete life" (No. 304); even in an objective situation of sin - which is not subjectively culpable, or at least not entirely - someone can live and grow in God's grace; "Help from the Church" should be offered (No. 305). In the related footnote 351, the document notes: “In certain cases it could also be the help of the sacraments.” For the Eucharist is “not a reward for the perfect, but a generous remedy and nourishment for the weak”. An admission of remarried divorced people to communion is neither explicitly advocated nor excluded here. The Pope advises that the Church must in no way renounce “the perfect ideal of marriage, the plan of God in all its greatness” (n. 307). He invites believers who live in complex situations to a trusting conversation, and he encourages pastors to “listen lovingly and calmly, with the sincere desire to enter into the midst of people's drama and understand their point of view in order to help them, to live better and to know their own place in the Church ”(n. 312).

Chapter Nine: Spirituality in Marriage and Family (313-325)

Family fellowship is set forth as "a real path of sanctification in ordinary life as well as of mystical growth, a means of intimate union with God" (n.316). Francis refers to the paschal mystery : "In the bitter days of the family there is a union with the abandoned Jesus that could prevent a break". On the other hand, moments of joy, relaxation or celebration, as well as sexuality, would be “ experienced as a participation in the fullness of life in its resurrection ” (n. 317). Aspects of spirituality in marriage and the family are prayer (No. 318), a "spirituality of exclusive but non-possessive love, care, comfort, and encouragement" (No. 319-324).

References and quotations

In his utterances, the Pope very often refers directly or indirectly to the statements of the III. Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Relatio synodi of October 18, 2014. The Relatio finalis of the following XIV. Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on October 24, 2015 are cited 87 times. With 391 footnotes, the evidence from the past Synods of Bishops represent more than a third. In addition, there are almost 10 quotes from speeches etc. that are related to the two current Synods of Bishops.

Biblical and theological sources

In the first chapter the Pope refers to numerous passages from the Bible. In addition to the quotations already mentioned from the two previous Synods of Bishops, he also quotes himself, mainly from speeches and general audiences (approx. 80 ×), documents of the Second Vatican Council (23 ×) and his two predecessors, John Paul II (57 ×) and Benedict XVI. (8 ×). He also quotes a total of 10 episcopal conferences, e.g. B. the Chilean (see below), then the Codex Iuris Canonici or the Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium (8 ×) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (13 ×). The remaining 60 quotations are mostly from theologians, e.g. As the Dominican Antonin-Gilbert Sertillanges . The Pope also refers essentially to the Summa theologica and other works of St. Thomas Aquinas and on the writings of the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Loyola .

Chilean Bishops' Conference

Pope Francis quotes the Chilean Bishops' Conference where he opposes unreal and over-idealized fantasies about marriages:

“The perfect families that the deceptive and consumer-oriented propaganda shows us do not exist. The years do not pass in them, there is neither disease nor pain, nor death [...] The consumer propaganda shows a dream image that has nothing to do with the reality with which the heads of families have to deal every day. "

Martin Luther King

In No. 118, Pope Francis praises Martin Luther King for an explanation of the sentence that love endures everything :

“It reminds me of a few words from Martin Luther King when he revived brotherly love, even amid the worst persecutions and humiliations: 'There is something good about the person who hates you the most; even the nation that hates you most has something good about it; even the race that hates you the most has something good about it. And when you manage to look at the face of every person and see deep inside what religion calls the “image of God”, then you start to love him anyway. It doesn't matter what he does, you see the image of God there. There is an element of kindness that he can never throw overboard [...] Another way in which you love your enemy is this: when the opportunity arises to defeat your enemy, this is the moment when you are not allowed to do that […] When you rise to the level of love, its great beauty and power, you only seek to defeat evil systems. You love the people who are trapped in this system, but you try to defeat the system [...] Hatred against hatred only increases the existence of hatred and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit me and I give you the blow back and you give me the blow back and so on, then it's clear that it goes on forever. It just never ends. Somebody has to have a bit of sense somewhere, and that's the strong person. The strong man is the one who can cut the chain of hatred, the chain of evil [...] Someone must have enough religion and enough morality to cut them and inject this strong and powerful element of love into the special structure of the universe. "

Writers and philosophers

In addition to these theological sources, he also quotes writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Octavio Paz , the French existential philosopher Gabriel Marcel , the German philosopher Josef Pieper , the psychoanalyst and philosopher Erich Fromm and a poem by Mario Benedetti .

A movie quote: Babette's party

In No. 129 the Pope also refers to a film scene from Babette's Feast by Gabriel Axel based on a novella by Karen Blixen :

“The joy of this contemplative love must be cultivated. Since we are created to love, we know that there is no greater joy than that of a good shared: 'Do not deny yourself the happiness of the day […] Give a present to the brother and treat yourself too' ( Sir 14:14 a .16a  EU ). The most intense joys in life arise when one can make others happy, in anticipation of heaven. Remember the successful scene in the film 'Babette's Feast', where the generous cook receives a thankful hug and praise: 'How will you delight the angels!' Sweet and invigorating is the joy of giving pleasure to others and seeing them enjoy themselves. "

Opinions

In their appreciation of the letter, the three German participants in the Synod of Bishops, Reinhard Cardinal Marx , Archbishop Heiner Koch and Bishop Franz-Josef Bode , express the following point of view:

“We are extremely grateful to Pope Francis for the post-synodal letter“ Amoris Laetitia ”. It shows a way for the church, on which we will also work as a conference of bishops. In the coming months we will endeavor to implement the suggestions and impulses and to apply them to pastoral work in Germany. The Pope's writing is an encouragement to life and love! We especially ask the priests, in the spirit of this text, to approach people, those who are on the way to marriage, the spouses, but also those whose marital relationships have failed and who often feel left alone by the Church . The tenor of this letter is: Nobody should be excluded from the mercy of God. "

- German Bishops' Conference

The philosopher Josef Seifert asks Pope Francis to correct sentences in the letter, "which almost every reader of AL must understand in an erroneous sense that contradicts the Holy Scriptures and the teaching of the Church and resolutely rejects devastating interpretations of AL's statements", because he is of the opinion that the letter contains errors and "confused statements".

The Cardinals Walter Brandmüller , Joachim Meisner , Raymond Leo Burke and Carlo Caffarra wrote to the Pope in September 2016 and asked him to clear out five “Dubia”. Following the publication of the letter, there had been “serious disorientation and confusion” among believers about the life of the Church.

The Permanent Council of the German Bishops' Conference on 23 January 2017 adopted a "word of the German bishops" an "invitation to a renewed marriage and family ministry in the light of Amoris laetitia ". This emphasizes the importance of marriage preparation and marriage counseling as well as strengthening the family as a place of learning of the faith. Pastoral care with people after the breakup of their marriage is described in accordance with the “central key concepts” of the papal letter - “Accompany - distinguish - integrate” -: “Those affected should be able to experience life situations that are often enough experienced as stressful and stressful that their church will not let them fall. ”The bishops maintain that the indissolubility of marriage belongs to the“ indispensable faith of the church ”and emphasize that in Amoris laetitia there is no“ automatism towards a general admission of all divorced civilly remarried to the sacraments ”. However, “differentiated solutions” are required in a decision-making process accompanied by the pastor, which represents a challenge for the conscience of all those involved and “does justice to the individual case and comes into play when the marriage cannot be annulled”; then Amoris laetitia will give divorced and remarried people the opportunity to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist .

Text output

  • Pope Francis: Amoris Laetitia - Joy of Love. With an introduction by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. Herder Verlag, Freiburg 2016, ISBN 978-3-451-31137-6 .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Synod document Amoris Laetitia will be presented on April 8th . Vatican Radio , March 31, 2016, accessed June 30, 2017.
  2. ^ Klaus Vellguth: The reception of Amoris Laetitia in different cultures. An intercultural challenge . In: Verbum SVD 58 (2017) 1, Steyler Missionswissenschaftliches Institut, Sankt Augustin, 2017, ISSN  0042-3696 , pp. 78-95.
  3. ↑ Familiaris consortio No. 14.
  4. ^ Pope Francis: Encyclical Laudato si ' , No. 178, accessed on June 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Evangelii gaudium , 2013, no.47.
  6. ↑ No. 142.
  7. ^ Bishops' Conference of Chile: La vida y la familia: regalos de Dios para cada uno de nosotros , no.135 , October 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ No. 8
  9. ↑ No. 99
  10. ↑ No. 323
  11. ↑ No. 153
  12. ↑ No. 284
  13. ↑ Appreciation of the post-synodal writing “Amoris Laetitia - About love in the family” . German Bishops' Conference, press release, 063 of April 8, 2016, accessed on June 30, 2017.
  14. ↑ Josef Seifert: The joy of love: joys, sorrows and hopes . In: AEMAET: scientific journal for philosophy and theology . tape 5 , no. 2 . Bexten, July 21, 2016, ISSN  2195-173X , p. 2–84, p. 63 ( aemaet.de [accessed June 30, 2017]). The joy of love: joys, sorrows and hopes ( Memento from August 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ↑ "Amoris Laetitia": Cardinals ask the Pope for clarification . kathisch.de, November 14, 2016, accessed on June 30, 2017.
    Walter Mayr: Criticism of Francis: “The Pope cooks” . Spiegel Online , December 23, 2016, accessed June 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ Word of the German bishops: “The joy of love that is lived in families is also the joy of the Church”. Invitation to renewed marriage and family pastoral work in the light of Amoris laetitia . January 23, 2017 / February 1, 2017, accessed on June 30, 2017 (pdf, 59 kB).