God's plan for the family is a source of joy and hope

A press conference to mark the start of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, which will begin on 19 March, the Solemnity of St Joseph and the fifth anniversary of the publication of the apostolic exhortation, was held today at the Holy See Press Office.

Card. Farrell, began by stating that "presenting God's plan for the family to the world is a source of joy and hope; it is truly good news!"

Then the Prefect mentioned the need for collaboration. "Even in the area of family pastoral care, the Church must learn to share the experiences which have become fruitful over the years and have successfully brought the proclamation of the Gospel into the lives of spouses and families".

The second step in the renewal of family pastoral care is to begin - as recommended by Amoris Laetitia - to look at families as the subject and not just the object of the Church's activities.

Finally, Card. Farrell emphasized the necessity of paying renewed attention to the formation of formators.

Prof. Gambino, under-secretary of the Dicastery, introduced the activities of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year and explained that it "is not a mere commemoration of a written text, but a concrete opportunity to give renewed impetus to its pastoral application". She also mentioned many initiatives that will mark it, such as the publication of ten videos on the individual chapters of the exhortation in which ten families "together with the Pope will tell how they live those aspects of family life that the Pope speaks about in Amoris Laetitia."

In the last speech of the press conference, Dr Leonardo Nepi, official of the Dicastery, together with his wife Valentina, explained how the year that is beginning could become an opportunity for the life of every couple: "it is first and foremost a propitious time to cultivate good conjugal and family relationships" he said.