“Married Couples and priests: co-responsible in light of the Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life”

On February 4, 2023, the Family and Life sector of the Campania Bishops' Conference organized a meeting at the Shrine of Pompeii to launch a regional synodal in-depth study aimed at implementing the Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life throughout the territory. The Archbishop-Prelate of Pompeii, H.E. Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, opened the session with a moment of prayer in the Chapel of Blessed Bartolo Longo at the Shrine and in the presence of the regional representatives, not only of the Family sector, but also those of Catechesis, Youth and Caritas. In doing so, the intention was to emphasize the desire to plan preparation for married life in a transversal way, establishing a dialogue between all the sectors for pastoral care of children, the youth and adults.

In her speech, Professor Gabriella Gambino, Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, aimed at underlining the need for co-responsibility between spouses and priests, by virtue of the complementary aspect of their respective sacraments. She then dwelt on the importance of a catechumenal journey that starts from a proclamation of the faith to young people and engaged couples, by means of a personalized itinerary capable of adapting to the various situations that the principle of reality today places before pastoral workers. At present a joint participation of vocations and the commitment of accompanying engaged couples along the catechumenal pathway requires new resources: married couples, who accept the invitation to receive formation and make themselves available to parishes to evangelize, while collaborating with bishops and priests. They must be willing, Professor Gambino emphasized, to be formed not only from the point of view of skills, but it is also necessary for the spouses who accompany to be eager to take care of themselves as a couple, to make the grace always present in their own marriage operative. Indeed, it is the witness of their love, which has become a sacrament, that makes them efficient in their service.