Pedagogical aspects of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia by Pope Francis

Anna Zellma

University of Warmia-Mazury in Olsztyn

Abstract

Amoris laetitia, an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, shows the problems related to marriage and family in a new light. The Pope, just like His predecessors, devotes a lot of attention to parental responsibility for the holistic development of children. He reminds us that the passing on of values and ideals, development of social and religious attitudes and sexual education should occupy an important place in the process of upbringing in the family. In the opinion of Francis, such an upbringing requires the involvement of the mother and the father, who consciously and responsibly participate in the holistic development of their children. In the accomplishment of educational tasks the parents are entitled to receive proper support from the state, the school and the Church. Other aspects regarded by Pope Francis as important include the preparation of future spouses for marriage and parenthood, and support for married couples in performing their tasks resulting from motherhood and fatherhood. Consequently, Francis devotes much attention to proper methods of upbringing in the family, which is important not only in theory, but also in practice. All of these aspects are investigated in the article and analysed from the perspective of Christian pedagogy.

Keywords:

Amoris laetitia, Francis, Christian pedagogy, family, upbringing