Pope Saint John Paul II exhorted the family towards a mission of safeguarding, revealing and communicating the love of Christ inwardly and outwardly as a family (See FC n.17). Inwardly; by the mutual love and life shared between husband and wife and their children. Outwardly; through their witness of faith, hope and love as a family to all persons they encounter in their life.
The Core Message of Familiaris Consortio
Pope John Paul II offered his encouraging and nourishing exhortation to the Church in hope that all families during his papacy and those families of the future would hold fast to the beautiful and salvific witness that the sacrament of marriage is purposed to be for the world. He reminds us that “[s]pouses are [a] permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on the Cross; they are for one another and for the children witnesses to the salvation in which the sacrament makes them sharers.”(1)
In essence, marriage is a “memorial, actuation and prophecy.”(2) Meaning, as a memorial, husband and wife, in the sacrament of marriage, have the honor and purpose of memorializing the magnificent labors of Christ by their daily humble and selfless sacrifice in caring for their offspring. As actuation, they are called to be exemplars of Christ’s love and forgiveness to one another and to their children throughout their entire lives. As prophecy, they have the honorable task of embodying and revealing, with reverence and commitment to one another and their offspring that Christ is the way, truth and light and through Him alone can one receive eternal communion with God. The core strength of the entire document rests in these truths.
In a very profound way, John Paul II reminds the faithful of the message brought forth by the Second Vatican Council Fathers. He reminds us that the laity are called to participate in the Church’s priestly (memorial), kingly (actuation), and prophetic (prophecy) mission and life.(3) There is a unique, insightful and exhortative echo of the message given by the Council Fathers in relation to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Significant Themes
Each section of the document is filled with significant themes, but there are five key themes that deserve attention and are of great relevance in the world today and they are:
I - The Value of the Conjugal Life of Husband and Wife is Maintained even if their Marriage has been Imapacted by Physical Sterility
II - The Indissolubility of Marriage
III - The Significance of Fatherhood and Motherhood
IV - The Family is Called to Serve Life
V - The Sanctifying Role of the Family and the Essentiality of Family Prayer and the Sacraments