ROME (AP) – Pope Francis on Sunday announced an upcoming year dedicated to the family, as he redoubled one of his papal priorities and brought renewed attention to his controversial 2016 document on family life.
Francis announced that the next year about the family would begin on March 19, the fifth anniversary of his document “The Joy of Love”. Among other things, the document opened the door for divorced and civilly remarried couples to take Communion, leading to criticism and even claims of heresy from conservative Catholics.
Francis wrote the document after calling on bishops from around the world to debate how the Catholic Church can better serve families. While the issue of divorce and remarriage dominated the headlines during the back-to-back synods, the discussion also focused on the ministry of gay men and other “non-traditional” families.
Francis made the comments during his Sunday afternoon blessing, delivered from his studio to prevent people from congregating in St. Peter’s Square below as part of the Vatican’s antivirus measures.
In making the announcement, Francis kindly gave papal advice to struggling families, reminding them to say “excuse me, thank you and sorry” and never end the day without making peace.
“Because the Cold War is dangerous the next day,” he joked.