The Church on Families, Faith Formation, and the Proclamation of the Gospel
NEW!A letter from the Bishop of Lubbock to the people of his diocese: Families & Youth Formed in Faith. Bishop Coerver says, "Change is needed in our approach to formation in faith for all who are called to Missionary Discipleship." He also says, "Catechesis is much broader than classroom education... One might suggest that faith formation needs to be taken out of school desks and classroom spaces become more inviting as formation centers or areas."Read moreabout his stance on Family Faith Formation/Whole Community Catechesis.
Church Documents A number of Church documents are written to families, supporting parents and spouses, challenging families to grow in and live their faith, and offering them encouragement in their role as witnesses of Christ's love.
Directory for Catechesis(2020) This "latest edition (of the Directory for Catechesis) considers both the opportunities and the challenges which the Church faces in an ever more global and secular society. The new Directory builds upon the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the ongoing work of the new evangelization.
Excerpts: DFC #227 "The family is a proclamation of faith in that it is the natural place in which faith can be lived in a simple and spontaneous manner. It “has an unique privilege: transmitting the Gospel by rooting it in the context of profound human values. On this human base, Christian initiation is more profound: the awakening of the sense of God; the first steps in prayer; education of the moral conscience; formation in the Christian sense of human love, understood as a reflection of the love of God the Father, the Creator. It is, indeed, a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing and daily than structured into periods.”
DFC #300 “The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be ‘the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters.’ This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few.”
Patris Corde(With a Father's Heart) Pope Francis on the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church 150 years ago, Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as Patron of the Catholic Church, so that all could better appreciate this humble carpenter and his central role in the history of salvation. Now, Pope Francis is asking all of us to observe this important anniversary with the Year of St. Joseph, from December 8, 2020-December 8, 2021.
Familiaris Consortio Pope John Paul II on the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, at the Vatican, 1981 In this exhortation, the pope said, "The ministry of evangelization carried out by Christian parents is original and irreplaceable." It describes the Church's position concerning the meaning and role of marriage and the family, and outlines challenges towards realizing that ideal.
An Introduction to Familiaris Consortio (Dr. Christopher J. Thompson via Catholic Exchange) - Dr. Thompson says, "One cannot underestimate this contemporary summary of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family. Clearly among the most important documents on the subject to be issued in this pontificate (John Paul II's), Familiaris Consortio ought to become a central component in any marriage program or family spirituality."
Follow the Way of Love United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1994 This document was written as A Pastoral Message of the U.S. Catholic Bishops to Families on the Occasion of the United Nations 1994 International Year of the Family. It invites families to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, resources and needs. Share the bishops message for families with your community. Invite them to reflect on the questions at the end of each section. Engage them in the conversations around those questions: "The (bishops') message shares with families a vision of their great calling that is rooted in Christ's teaching and developed in the life of his believing community. It urges families to seek the healing, strength, and meaning that Christ offers through his Church."
Go and Make Disciples United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1999 A National Strategy Plan and Strategy for Evangelization
Evangelii Gaudium(The Joy of the Gospel) An apostolic letter from Pope Francis, November 2013, to the bishops, clergy, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world.
Excerpt: EG #169 The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5). The pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life.
Related to this letter from Pope Francis:
Responding to The Joy of the Gospel (America Magazine) - Podcasts, video, blogs, and articles responding to Pope Francis' The Joy of the Gospel.
Learn @ CTU's The Joy of the Gospel Series (Catholic Theological Union) - This free online learning series is designed to give insight into Evangelii Gaudium through select passages which illuminate the vision of Pope Francis for the Church. This series is for Catholics and those from other faith traditions who want to learn more about this powerful document in a format that is both substantive and accessible. Watch video clips from CTU's professors, or download the podcast audio series, and listen to it as you go. There is also a study guide you can use for large or small group learning.
Fr. Roger Schroeder, SVD, on the Joy of the Gospel
C. Vanessa White on the Joy of the Gospel
Fr. Gilbert Ostdiek, OFM on the Joy of the Gospel
Fr. Stephen Bevans, SVD on the Joy of the Gospel
Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, on the Joy of the Gospel
Fr. Roger Schreiter, CPPS, on the Joy of the Gospel
Br. Antonio Sison, CPPS, on the Joy of the Gospel
Gina Wolfe on the Joy of the Gospel
VănThanh Nguyễn, SVD ơn the Joy of the Gospel
Fr. Richard Fragomeni on the Joy of the Gospel
Letter from Pope Francis to Families, February 2, 2014 Pope Francis at the Vatican Pope Francis begins the letter, "Dear families, With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October (2014)." And so, he tells families of his concern for the pastoral challenges families face today in the context of evangelization. Read our Current Events section for more information regarding the Synod on Families.
Amoris Laetitia(The Joy of Love) March 19, 2016 - Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Francis to Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Consecrated Persons, Christian Married Couples and all the Lay Faithful on Love in the Family,
Gaudete et Exsultate(Rejoice and Be Glad) March 19, 2018 - Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Francis on the Call to Holiness in Today's World