Educating to Love: Forming Oneself to Form a Family

Two days of work were devoted to creating a platform for dialogue between experts on marriage, families, and young people, so that all may contribute to a multidisciplinary reflection on education to love in general and, in particular, on affective-sexual education.

Experts from around the world came to the Dicastery for the International Seminar on “The Meeting Point,” a course of affective and sexual education inspired by Amoris Laetitia and presented during the World Youth Day in Krakow.

In a synthesis between youth and family pastoral care, “it was intended to propose a contribution to remote preparation for marriage, when young people most need to be accompanied,” explain the promoters.

“In addition to the reflection in the light of Amoris Laetitia, we hope to develop useful synergies for emotional education,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in his greeting. “Many of you—continued the Prefect, addressing the participants who will meet again in Rome in January—have extensive experience not only at the theoretical level but especially in the field. Some of you are parents and know what this challenge entails, or you have worked in this area. We must support one another, help each other to improve and diffuse the materials we have available, not so much among ourselves, but in the vast field of the world.”

Cardinal Farrell then gave everyone an appointment in Dublin, for the World Meeting of Families: “There will also be opportunities to update and deepen these issues. I hope this project will strengthen the bond between youth ministry and family pastoral care. In this sense, it will naturally be a connection with the next Youth Synod, which will address the topic of faith and vocational discernment.”