Saying “superficial” marriage preparation programs leave many couples at risk of having invalid marriages or unprepared to cope with the struggles that arise in every marriage, Pope Francis endorsed suggestions for a yearlong “marriage catechumenate” drafted by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.
David and Gwen Bormann met in a creamery in 1971. Like aged cheese, the flavor of their love has gotten better over time.
Even as the public has grown weary of the pandemic, Catholic chaplains at hospitals continue to work hard ministering to patients with COVID-19 and those battling other illnesses.
This climate includes an ever-changing perception of the importance of marriage in society. The 2021 American Family Survey by Desert News and Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, released Oct. 12, found “the numbers continue to see slight corrosion in the public’s evaluation of marriage as an institution.”
Pope Francis often has expressed openness to the idea of laws recognizing civil unions, including for gay couples, to protect their rights. The pontiff’s comments in a brief passage in the documentary film, “Francesco,” are similar to the position he took while archbishop of Buenos Aires and echo remarks he has made in several interviews during his pontificate: “Marriage” is only between a man and a woman, but civil union laws could provide legal protection for couples in long-term, committed relationships.
Dr. Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is Assistant Professor of Social Research and Economic Thought at The Catholic University of America in Washington. She is the Director of the American Family and Fertility Project, a multi-year, multi-phase project examining the contours of American childbearing and family formation.
A new study shows that as millennials are approaching age 40, their family life radically differs from past generations, a reality that Catholic leaders and scholars say present particular challenges for passing on the faith and for building Catholic community.
Marriage and family are primary sites of the field hospital Pope Francis envisions for the Catholic Church, according to theologians Julie Hanlon Rubio and Jason King.
Across the U.S., the coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed wedding plans. Some are taking part in socially distanced weddings while others have canceled altogether.
Two love stories that show how the sacrament of marriage and married life can flourish in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
