Resources for the Pope’s Year of Reflection on the Family

On Friday 19 March 2021, the Feast of Saint Joseph, the Church will celebrate five years since the publication of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) on the beauty and joy of love in the family. On the same day, Pope Francis will launch the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, which will conclude on 26 June 2022, on the occasion of the Tenth World Meeting of Families in Rome.

Speaking about the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, Pope Francis referred to it as a special year to grow in family love and an opportunity for a renewed and creative pastoral drive to place the family at the centre of both Church and society. Pope Francis also shared his hope that every family may feel in its own home the living presence of the Holy Family of Nazareth, that it may fill our small domestic communities with sincere and generous love, a source of joy even in trials and difficulties”.

More resources will be shared as they become available. 

Resources

Resource Leaflet from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life 

Download the resource leaflet introducing the year of reflection on the family here.  

Video introducing the upcoming year on the Family  

Cardinal Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life introduces the Year of Reflection on the Family as a special year to grow in family love, and to reflect on the importance of marriage and family in society today. 

The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) 

To download or read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy Of Love), please click on this link:

www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html

10 Videos on Amoris Laetitia 

One of the multimedia initiatives for the Amoris Laetitia Family Year will be a new series of monthly videos. Each month, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, will explain the chapters of The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) alongside families who will share witness and testimony by sharing aspects of their daily lives. 

The first video will be available soon. 

Prayers

Pope Francis’ Prayer to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
in you we contemplate
the splendor of true love;
to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
grant that our families too
may be places of communion and prayer,
authentic schools of the Gospel
and small domestic churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
may families never again experience
violence, rejection and division;
may all who have been hurt or scandalized
find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
make us once more mindful
of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.