Amoris laetitia is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis addressing the pastoral care of families.

Pope Francis writes from the heart, and with common sense, with the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of seeking loving connection with others. What more could we ask?

This book is the result of a two-year Synod on the Family, which was informed by a worldwide online survey of the Catholic laity, an unprecedented outreach. We were given the opportunity to comment on our understanding of church teaching, and how well it was helping us, or not helping.

The resulting document does not seek to change church teaching, at least not very much; rather it promotes a shift in attitude with love, mercy and acceptance taking priority over rules.

A highlight for me was the chapter on Dialogue, which seems to distill the wisdom of the Marriage Encounter movement. Here’s an excerpt –

Develop the habit of giving real importance to the other person. This means appreciating them and recognizing their right to exist, to think as they do and to be happy. Never downplay what they say or think, even if you need to express your own point of view. Everyone has something to contribute, because they have their life experiences, they look at things from a different standpoint and they have their own concerns, abilities and insights. We ought to be able to acknowledge the other person’s truth, the value of his or her deepest concerns, and what it is that they are trying to communicate, however aggressively. We have to put ourselves in their shoes and try to peer into their hearts, to perceive their deepest concerns and to take them as a point of departure for further dialogue.