Pope Francis gave 33 catechesis on the family between 17 December 2014 and 18 November 2015, touching on a great variety of topics: Nazareth, mothers, fathers, children, siblings, grandparents, young children, prayer, male and female, marriage, the three keywords, education, engagement, the family and poverty / illness, mourning, wounded families, celebration, work, evangelization, community, people, family spirit, promises made to children, faithful love, forgiving debts, conviviality, and the welcoming. His style was unique, marked by simplicity, immediacy, and concreteness.   Professor...

"To prove that prayer entrusted to children has great power, like an arrow that goes straight to God's heart. The prayer of the Rosary recited by children can, therefore, truly bring peace and unity in the family, in their own homes and the world." Starting from these premises, the initiative #Unmilionedibimbi, promoted by Aid to the Church in Need, invited all the world's children to pray the rosary for peace and unity today.   The idea was born in 2005, in a hermitage in Caracas, capital of Venezuela: while a group of children was praying the rosary, some women who were there lived a profound...

The Italian edition of this book for children is finally in the bookstores. The volume, written by Don Andrea Ciucci for the Dicastery's web page for children, contains short and incisive presentations of Pope Francis’ catecheses on the family.   Illustrated gently and with humor by Sara Benedicino, all the catecheses are presented in two main categories. Each presentation is followed by two direct quotes from the Pope that show Francis' ability to express important ideas in a simple approach and language that even children can understand. The abundant index (24 basic words related...

Ten years have passed since he left the United States to see the world in pursuit of his dream: music. "I've worked as a conductor in Vienna, Amsterdam, and Milan—says Simeon Morrow—, trying to learn, improve, form and perfect myself. One day my spiritual father, an Italian priest, advised me to return to the United States. I do not know why he said that; maybe he thought that this bohemian phase of my life was somehow about to end. What is certain is that my family was going through a hard time and needed, then more than ever, my constant living, physical presence. So, I left for New...

News, on 25 July 2016, from Africa, the United States and France on the following topics: the SECAM's Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of California against the death penalty, what to say to children after the attacks, to surrogacy at the center of a conflict between France and the European Court of human rights.   • AFRICA / SECAM The Bishops of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) met for their Plenary Assembly from 18 to 25 July 2016 in Luanda, Angola, on the theme "The African Family, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow in the light of the Gospel",...

News, on 16 July 2016, from Canada, Gabon, Republic of Congo and Ireland, about the decline of religious marriages, the meeting of the Teams of Our Lady in central Africa, the Congolese Bishops speak on pastoral ministry of the family, Dublin does not legalize abortion in the case of a malformation of the fetus.   • CANADA / RELIGIOUS WEDDINGS According to the official statistics published on 5 July, since the 1970s, the number of marriages in Quebec has declined by more than fifty percent. Moreover, the religious marriages, i.e., those celebrated by a minister, continue to decrease...

In the town of Alençon the greatest moment was the march of the wives and husbands, on 9 July, the opening day for all but with a special emphasis for couples. There were two marches, says the Rector of the Shrine in Alencon, Fr. Jean-Marie Simar, the first, that of the spouses, started from the house of saint Teresita's nurse, located in a village near Alençon, and the second, the march of the spouses to Chaumont Butte, where Louis used to go to pray. The couples then met again on Sarthe bridge, where Louis and Zelie met for the first time. During these marches, spiritual accompaniment...

News, on 8 July 2016, from Europe, France, Canada, Africa, and India, about the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, guidance of prayers for families, SECAM's Plenary Assembly, euthanasia, and surrogacy.   • EUROPE / FAMILY "Integrate, dialogue, and generate" was the theme of the 44th Meeting of the General Secretaries of the Catholic Bishops ' Conferences of Europe which took place in Berlin, Germany, from 30 June to 3 July 2016. The event is mentioned on the website of the Catholic Church in France in a statement published on July 4th. One working session was devoted to solidarity...

On 1 July 2016. News from Canada, the Philippines, India, Switzerland, the United States of America, Togo and Iraq about the legalization of euthanasia, promotion of contraception, protection for women, assisted suicide, the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia , and refugee families.   • CANADA / EUTHANASIA "The recent approval of Bill C-14, which legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide suicide in our country, stands as an appalling landmark decision to the utter failure of government, and indeed all society, to care truly, authentically and humanely for the suffering and vulnerable...

Five stories of love, friendship and cooperation are presented to show that the emotional relationships between a man and a woman accompany the protagonists along a path of asceticism and the assimilation of a lifestyle characterized by selfless love. They are told by Attilio Danese and Giulia Paola Di Nicola in Il buio sconfitto. Cinque relazioni speciali tra eros e amicizia spirituale (The defeated darkness. Five special relationships, between eros and spiritual friendship) (published by Effata).   Charlotte Baudouin and Charles Peguy, Raïssa Oumançoff and Jacques...