An introduction to "Familiaris Consortio"

Abstract

Familiaris Consortio is an Apostolic Exhortation by His Holiness Pope John Paul 11. It is the result of his reflection on the Christian family, and the result of the Synod of Bishops which took place in Rome from 26th September to 25th October, 1980. The subject of this Synod was "The task of the Christian family in the world today." In this Synod there participated representatives of all the churches in the world: there were 41 bishops from Africa, 11 from North America, 40 from South America, 24 from Asia, 5 from Australia and Oceania, and 51 from Europe; in all 172. At the closing of the Synod the bishops presented 43 "propositipnes" of great importance to the Holy Father and requested him to give a document to the whole Church. The same took place in 1977 when John Paul II (then Cardinal) issued the exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, and in 1974 Paul VI gave us the exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi. Familiaris Consortio has been called by Mgr Tomko, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, a short "summa" of the teaching of the Magisterium on the Christian family. In this short article I shall give a general idea of the Exhortation and some of its specific characteristics.