LAITY FAMILY LIFE - trimestral bulletin

 

LAITYFAMILYLIFE A trimestral bulletin from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life Share Tweet Forward Share

N. 1/2021   Dear friends, Our faith shows us how there is a call from God in every circumstance of life, even in the midst of a persistent global pandemic. At a time of social and international disarray that could easily alienate individuals and nations, God is calling us to ‘be family’. The Church is a ‘universal family’ that can help us all to overcome the temptation to ‘only save ourselves’, a point which Pope Francis has made several times in recent months. The Church is also a ‘family of families’, and it is families that teach society to ‘save all of us together’! Families help the weakest among us, they transmit hope by providing closeness and protecting from loneliness, they support the younger members on their educational pathways, they assist the elderly, they keep alive the bonds of solidarity in homes, neighbourhoods and parishes, and they keep faith alive through prayer and example. It is important that we heed the Lord’s call to recover our sense of family, particularly during this global health crisis. The feast of St Joseph on 19 March this year, also the fifth anniversary of the publication of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, marked the start of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year on the wishes of the Holy Father. It will conclude on 26 June 2022 with the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome. This special year is to be an opportunity to reach out to every family in the world through various spiritual, pastoral and cultural activities to be implemented in parishes, dioceses, universities, ecclesial movements and family associations. The aim is to offer everyone an opportunity to reflect on and deepen their understanding of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. I invite everyone to embark on this Family Year with mind and heart, as individuals and as communities, and to embrace the objectives and initiatives that are proposed in your regions and churches. This newsletter will help us to keep up to date with the various activities of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and, in the months ahead, with the initiatives of the Year dedicated to family. I hope that you will be pleased with this resource and will share its news and contents with others. May you have a fruitful Holy Week and a very happy Easter!   Kevin Cardinal Farrell Prefect NEWS The laity in Peru walking together Linda Ghisoni, Undersecretary for the Laity, brought the greetings of the Dicastery to the First National Assembly of Ecclesial Movements in Peru, which gathered via videoconference on Saturday 6 March and Sunday 7 March, on the initiative of the Commission for the Youth and the Laity of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.  READ MORE The elderly: a precious resource for the People of God On 11 February, l’Osservatore Romano published an address of the Secretary of the Dicastery, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, I. Sch., on the institution of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.   READ MORE The Pope to Focolare: a call to a new maturity On Saturday, 6 February, participants in the General Assembly as well as other members of the Opera di Maria—Focolare movement were received in audience by Pope Francis in the Paul VI Hall. READ MORE Hydration and nutrition: continuity of care should be guaranteed by law An article on L'Osservatore Romano, by Gabriella Gambino, Undersecretary. READ MORE WYD: two years after Panama we have new impetus for the journey to Lisbon On the second anniversary of the closing Mass of the 34th World Youth Day in Panama, the Lisbon Organising Committee presented the official theme song for the next international edition of WYD which will take place in the Portuguese capital in 2023. READ MORE

#amorislaetitia SPECIAL 1. WALKING TOGHETER - the first video with pope Francis and families The Holy Father talks about the chapters of the Apostolic Exhortation, along with families who give witness by sharing some aspects of their daily lives.  In 10 episodes, one each month, we publish a video with the Pope's reflections and first-hand testimonies of families from across the world on the theme of the family. The initiative is a joint collaboration between the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life and Vatican News, and aims to read the Apostolic Exhortation, with the aid of downloadable material prepared for personal and community reflection. NEWS Our daily love On March 19, a online meeting opened the Amoris Laetitia Family Year. Pope Francis sent his message. READ MORE God's plan for the family is a source of joy and hope Press conference to present the Amoris Laetitia Family Year. ALL DOCUMENTS and PICTURES Announcement of the  World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly Each Year on the Fourth Sunday of July. READ MORE Stay connected RESOURCES Walking with Families 12 proposals and suggestions for a commitment to family pastoral care. READ MORE Videos Useful videos for the presentation and launch of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year. WATCH AND SHARE The Leaflet of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year It is available in many languages on the official website SHARE Contact us