''Familiaris consortio'' (''The fellowship of the family''; subtitled ''On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World'') is a post-synodal
apostolic exhortation written by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
and promulgated on 22 November 1981.
Summary
The document describes the position of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
on the meaning and role of
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
and the family, and outlines challenges towards realizing that ideal. It refers to marriage as "one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time", and as "the foundation of the wider community of the family, since the very institution of marriage and conjugal love are ordained to the procreation and
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
of children, in whom they find their crowning".
Among other observations, ''Familiaris consortio'' restates the Church's opposition to
artificial birth control, stated previously in ''
Humanae vitae
(Latin, meaning 'Of Human Life') is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and dated 25 July 1968. The text was issued at a Vatican press conference on 29 July. Subtitled ''On the Regulation of Birth'', it re-affirmed the teaching of the Catho ...
'', and briefly mentions the opposition of the Church to
abortion
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
. It also discusses the responsibility and expectations of the family regarding the education of children. It continues with a description of the expectations of the family relative to the larger society, including
service to the poor.
The document establishes that "any violence" applied "in favor of
contraception
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...
or, still worse, of
sterilization and
procured abortion, must be altogether condemned and forcefully rejected". It foresees the restoration of the
Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ God, and the restoration of the society in compliance with the God's plan of salvation for all the human kind.
The final (and more articulated) portion of the document describes expectations of the family which more directly involve the
Catholic Faith in daily life, relating it to several of the Catholic
sacraments
A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of ...
, particularly marriage, and strongly urging
family prayer. In particular, this section of the document restates the expectation of a permanent Catholic union for all members of the Church seeking marriage. It rejects the acceptability of alternative arrangements, including "trial marriages", exclusively
civil marriage
A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular.
History
Countries maintaining a popul ...
s, and unions with no publicly recognized bond.
Pope Francis' ''Amoris laetitia''
In 2016,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
published the post-synodal
apostolic exhortation ''
Amoris laetitia''. Various media outlets said there was a potential change in Church teaching on the reception of the Eucharist by those who have divorced and remarried, to which the media said Francis alluded in footnote no. 351,
which reads (with footnoted body text in italics):
''Because forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end.''
351. In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, "I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord's mercy" (Apostolic Exhortation ''Evangelii Gaudium'' 4 November 2013 44: AAS 105 013
013 is a music venue in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The venue opened in 1998 and replaced the ''Noorderligt'', the ''Bat Cave'' and the ''MuziekKantenWinkel''. 013 is the largest popular music venue in the southern Netherlands.
There are two concer ...
1038). I would also point out that the Eucharist "is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak" (''ibid''., 47: 1039).[AL 305.]
Reports addressed the apparent contradictions between this footnote and ''Familiaris consortio'' and John Paul II's apostolic exhortation ''
Reconciliatio et paenitentiae.'' Some traditionalists, notably
Kazhakstani Bishop Athanasius Schneider and the group Voice of the Family, have criticized Francis' exhortation. Voice of the Family has called on him to "recognise the grave errors in the recently published Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, in particular those sections which will lead to the desecration of the
Holy Eucharist
The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...
and to the harming of our children, and to withdraw the Apostolic Exhortation with immediate effect."
See also
*
Catholic theology of the body
The theology on the body is a broad term for Catholic teachings on the human body.
The dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, defined in Pope Pius XII's 1950 apostolic constitution '' Munificentissimus Deus'', is one of the m ...
*
Natural family planning
Natural family planning (NFP) comprises the family planning methods approved by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations for both achieving and postponing or avoiding pregnancy. In accordance with the church's teachings regarding h ...
(NFP)
*
Theology of the body
*
Casti connubii
''Casti connubii'' (Latin: "of chaste wedlock") is a papal encyclical promulgated by Pope Pius XI on 31 December 1930 in response to the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion. It stressed the sanctity of marriage, prohibited Catholics ...
References
External links
Familiaris Consortio Kindle Ebook*
'
An online archive marking the 30th anniversary of ''Familiaris consortio'' in England and Wales
{{Authority control
Apostolic exhortations
Catholic theology and doctrine
Catholic theology of the body
1981 documents
1981 in Christianity
Documents of Pope John Paul II