When is this year being celebrated?
The Amoris Laetitia Family Year begins on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, because that is the day Pope Francis signed his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. The letter, which was on the theme of love in the family, was then released about three weeks later. The year 2021 marks the fifth anniversary of Amoris laetitia’s publication. Though it is being called a “year,” the Amoris laetitia celebration will actually last around 15 months, ending on June 26, 2022 with the 10th edition of the World Meeting of Families, which will be held in Rome.
Pope Francis’s groundbreaking new document “Amoris Laetitia”(“The Joy of Love”) asks the church to meet people where they are, to consider the complexities of people’s lives and to respect people’s consciences when it comes to moral decisions. The apostolic exhortation is mainly a document that reflects on family life and encourages families. But it is also the pope’s reminder that the church should avoid simply judging people and imposing rules on them without considering their struggles.
Using insights from the Synod of Bishops on the Family and from bishops’ conferences from around the world, Pope Francis affirms church teaching on family life and marriage, but strongly emphasizes the role of personal conscience and pastoral discernment. He urges the church to appreciate the context of people’s lives when helping them make good decisions. The goal is to help families—in fact, everyone— experience God’s love and know that they are welcome members of the church. All this may require what the pope calls “new pastoral methods” (199).