14. Catholic Family Life & Parenting

Amoris Laetitia - The Joy of Love by Pope Francis

Catechism of the Catholic Church - Authority and Obedience

Covenanted Happiness book by C. Burke

The Declaration Persona Humana, issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1975 and approved by Pope Paul VI, addresses the growing confusion and erroneous opinions spreading among the faithful regarding Catholic moral teaching, particularly in sexual matters. Its main themes include the reaffirmation of traditional doctrine on chastity as a virtue concerning the whole person, the need to counter deviations in sexual ethics, and the bishops' duty to instruct the faithful, seminaries, and confessors in fidelity to the Church's principles, which harmonize with God's order of creation. Theologically significant as an authoritative Magisterial intervention, it provides essential guidance for consciences amid modern challenges, emphasizing that these norms are not outdated superstitions but truths rooted in faith and human dignity.

Donum vitae

Enchiridion on the Family 2004

Familiaris Consortio by St. John Paul II

Family Virtues: A Guide to Effective Parenting by Martin, J.M.

Pontifical Council for the Family - Family, Marriage and 'de facto' Unions 2000

Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical of Pope Paul VI, addresses the Church's teaching on the moral regulation of birth within marriage, emphasizing responsible parenthood as a duty aligned with God's will rather than arbitrary human choice. Its core themes include the inseparable union of the unitive and procreative meanings of the marital act, the prohibition of artificial contraception, sterilization, and abortion as violations of the natural law inscribed in the human body, and the limits imposed on human dominion over life due to reverence for the person. Theologically, it upholds the Church's role as guardian of the divine moral law, fostering true human dignity, mutual love, and a civilization of life amid cultural opposition, affirming that observance enhances personal nobility through grace.

Official Website of the Holy See

Pope St. John Paul II's Letter to Families (Gratissimam sane), issued in 1994 during the United Nations' International Year of the Family, serves as a profound pastoral exhortation proclaiming the "gospel of the family," drawing inspiration from Christ's hidden life in the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Church's longstanding tradition of viewing the family as the ecclesia domestica. Its main themes revolve around the family's central role in the cosmic struggle between good and evil, life and death, emphasizing its dignity as a communion of persons rooted in marriage, the need for pastoral care amid contemporary crises, and the vital importance of prayer with and for families to unleash the forces of good found in Christ. Theologically, the letter holds immense significance as a renewal of post-conciliar teachings from Gaudium et spes and Familiaris consortio, urging families to holiness, affirming their irreplaceable mission in evangelization and society, and positioning them as the "path of the Church" for human and Christian development.

St. John Paul II's Love & Responsibility

The concept of love and courtship in Catholic teaching.

Article - Man and Values: A Personalist Anthropology by Burke, C.

Marriage: a Path to Sanctity by Abad, J.

Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 19, verses 4-6

Mary Beth Bonacci has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world-about friendship, about relationships, about marriage, about God's plan for sexuality, and about finding real, honest love. And they speak back to her. They ask her questions-about sex, about dating, about healing after a shattered relationship, about marriage, about their struggles to live love. In this newly updated and expanded edition of Real Love, Mary Beth shares those questions-and her answers-in an even more comprehensive guide which addresses the details of the very real struggle we all face in trying to live real love in a world gone mad. Through these questions and her answers, Mary Beth offers a comprehensive catechesis of the Church's teaching in the areas of marriage and human sexuality. She tackles the toughest issues-premarital sex, contraception, divorce, homosexuality, internet pornography and others. She gives practical advice on living the Church's teachings. And throughout it all, she demonstrates that living respect for God's gift of sexuality is the way-the only way-to find real, honest love.

Reflections on Humanae Vitae by St John Paul II

Fulton Sheen's book 'Three to Get Married'

Vocation to Marriage and the Christian Family by McGovern, T.