A pastoral outline for preparing engaged couples for the Sacrament of Matrimony and the great mission of family life In every age, the Church is called to proclaim anew the beauty and abundance of grace contained in the Sacrament of Matrimony and the family life which flows from it, especially to young people. Building upon Pope Francis’ call in Amoris Laetitia for a deeper formation of engaged couples, the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life has prepared the document Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life, which offers pastors, married couples, and all those who work in family pastoral care a renewed vision and methodology of preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony and for all married life. This new, comprehensive proposal helps parishes: Facilitate a personal encounter with Jesus Christ for the engaged couple Support the couple as they build a solid foundation for a future vocation and discipleship Communicate the meaning of spousal love and the sacredness of marriage to those in preparation for the sacrament Effectively accompany the couple’s first years of married life within the parish community Minister to couples “in crisis” and going through moments of discouragement Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life supports the development of marriage preparation programs that encourage couples to build the foundation for strong, faith-filled marriages that blossom into faithful families. This new edition of Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life features: A newly designed cover with beautiful sacred art Colored tabs with paragraph numbers at the top of each page for easy navigation Carefully designed pages to make each page readable, organized, and inviting A document summary explaining the intended audience, the document’s origin, and the purpose it seeks to serve within the mission of the Church The official text of this work written by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life This new edition is the first in The Vatican Collection published by Ascension, which features official documents from the Vatican previously published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

In every age, the Church must proclaim anew the beauty and abundance of grace contained in the Sacrament of Marriage. Married couples constitute the majority of the faithful, and they are often pillars of support in parishes, schools, apostolates, volunteer groups, and almost every other Catholic institution. Beginning with his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis has expressed his desire for the Church to offer a better and more thorough preparation of engaged couples for marriage. The Holy Father has called for a relatively broad approach, inspired by the baptismal catechumenate, that would enable couples to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage with greater awareness, beginning with an experience of faith and personal encounter with Jesus. Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life provides pastoral guidelines for dioceses and parishes in strengthening preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage. By investing renewed energy toward this effort, the Church can help couples understand the gift of the Sacrament of Marriage, the meaning of spousal love, and marriage as their authentic vocation.

ANGELO CARD. SCOLA, Stanislao Grygiel. “Un pensatore” / Stanislao Grygiel. “A Thinker” PIERANGELO SEQUERI, La semantica teologica del sacro / The theological semantics of the Sacred MARCO GALLO, Liturgia e sacro: trasformazioni. Presiedere un rito alla prova dell’epoca democratica e della crisi degli abusi / Liturgy and the sacred: transformations. Presiding rite on the trial of the democratic era and the abuse crisis GUILLAME LE BLANC, La rivoluzione del “prendersi cura”: verso un’etica per ogni vita / The “caring” revolution: towards an ethics for every life JUAN JOSÉ PEREZ-SOBA, La integración eclesial ante el desafío de los excluidos. Una reflexión a los cincuenta años de A Theory of Justice de John Rawls / Ecclesial integration in the face of the challenge of the excluded. A reflection fifty years after John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice STEPHAN KAMPWOSKI, The contribution of Pope Francis’ Magisterium to the Theology of Marriage and Family / Il contributo del magistero di- Papa Francesco alla teologia del matrimonio e della famiglia ORIETTA RACHELE GRAZIOLI, Il Responsum del Dicastero per la Dottrina della Fede sulla benedizione delle coppie omosessuali / Responsum of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on blessing same-sex couples

Essays by distinguished bishops and theologians that not only introduce readers to the theological depth found in Amoris Laetitia, but consider the full document, including its reception in the multicultural and diverse environment that characterizes the church in the United States and the full range of challenges and issues related to marriage and family life.

Extraordinary marriages don't just happen. They flow from grace-filled, faithful, and fruitful covenants of love. Every marriage, and even preparation for marriage, has its ups and downs. In a world and culture that seems to isolate and criticize, authors Ryan and Mary-Rose Verret proclaim: you are not alone! In these pages the Verrets offer the married and soon-to-be married a program for profound and transformative discipleship. Witness to Love gives married couples the tools and encouragement to share the grace, struggles, joys, and blessings of their marriage with young couples in desperate need of mentors. In Witness to Love, the Verrets issue a challenge to us all. Share your lives, share your heart, share your love. Make disciples!