WMOF 2018
Martin Kennedy
People long for love that lasts. And such love is really possible. This is the good news at the heart of Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) which Pope Francis invites us to embrace and share. The World Meeting of Families 2018 Parish Conversations programme is a resource available to parishes for that purpose. It provides a simple, concrete opportunity for people to explore a vision for love, marriage and family in light of their own experience and what Pope Francis says in Amoris Laetitia.
A burning question for Pope Francis is how we can share – especially with young people – the Christian wisdom about love which is so relevant to the hopes of all people, not just Church people. This Christian vision for love, marriage and family is explored in the WMOF2018 ‘Amoris: Let’s Talk Family! Let’s be Family’ programme of parish conversations over six sessions.
Session
Each session is simply structured into two halves, each half introduced by a video clip. The first is a vox pop, where people in a variety of family situations share their experiences of life, love and family. This is followed by small group discussions where participants can respond to what they have heard and share something of their own experience.
This first half then is about the reality of family life, in all its fragility and variety. It is this reality that The Joy of Love seeks to speak to. The second half of the session then is that conversation. It starts with a video clip summarising what Pope Francis is saying on the session topic in the Joy of Love. It then goes on to small group conversation where people offer their response to what they have heard. The task of the local leader or facilitator is simply to provide the space for a respectful conversation on this.
One of the sessions focuses on God’s compassion and mercy in the face of human fragility, and the challenge this poses for the Church. Pope Francis is crystal clear on this – God excludes no one from his mercy and accompaniment, and neither should the Church. Whatever situation people are in relation to love and family, the Church should seek to be with them, and not in a judgemental way.
We can’t know the full circumstances which influence and at times force people’s choices about relationships and family. We don’t know where they stand before God. We have to give space to people’s own conscience. Pope Francis makes the distinction between our conscience – where God reveals himself – and our ego, which thinks it can do as it pleases. Following our conscience involves bringing objective and challenging questions to our conversation with God. The task of the Church is to support people’s capacity to utilise their conscience – the Church is not there to replace conscience.
The Amoris parish programme seeks to be faithful to two very strong emphases in Amoris Laetitia. These are on the one hand the desire to present clearly the fullness of the Christian vision for love, marriage and family. And on the other hand the desire that none should feel excluded from God or the Church because, for whatever reason, their lives have taken a different path. The videos and resource materials thus seek to include the voices and images of a wide spectrum of people.
The process by which the materials are explored seeks the form of a kind conversation that shows respect for the experiences of the participants, whoever they are. The vision of The Joy of Love, which in itself is the outcome of a process of respectful dialogue, is offered gently for consideration, in the confidence that its beauty and integrity can shine through without needing to be imposed on people. It is also offered in the confidence that the wisdom of people’s life experience is a resource for the Church, and that a Church that teaches can also be taught.
Vision
Overall I find the vision of love, marriage and family attractive, coherent and convincing, especially in the context of our global economic culture. I think Amoris Laetitia is a treasure for all of humanity, not just for the Church. I hope the resource materials, including the six Parish Conversations will give us the confidence and wherewithal to be missionaries with its good news.
In the end it is not very complicated. Johnny Duhan expresses the core of this vision in his beautiful and not surprisingly popular song The Voyage:
“Life is an ocean, but love is a boat.
In troubled waters it keeps us afloat.
When we started this voyage there was just me and you.
And now look around us, we have our own crew.”
Martin Kennedy, is a freelance trainer and facilitator with Church and Community groups. He is working as the Pastoral Programme Coordinator for the World Meeting of Families 2018.