I produced a study guide for Amoris Laetitia for RCSpirituality.org. I have questions for every chapter so an ordinary Catholic in the pew can discover what Francis wants to teach us all. I also made notes where needed to avoid misunderstanding. You can read it there. If you want a teaser, here are the first paragraphs:
As a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia is supposed to summarize the synods of the previous two years and give the Pope’s recommendations drawn from them. These two synods have been on the family so Amoris Laetitia is a summary of what the Church should do to help the family. As such, Francis mixes analysis of the current situation, theological reflections on marriage and the family, and recommendations going forward.
The first sentence sets the tone for the whole document: “The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” Francis has decided to focus principally on the positive aspects and even when he goes into the negative aspects he prefers to focus on the exceptions over coming down hard and fast with lots of rules.
There has been a lot of confusion in the media regarding a few comments made in this document while the rest of it has been forgotten. This guide will mention those items and clarify them but consciously try to focus on the positive message that Pope Francis wants to get across over discussions of those controversies.
