How Mother Teresa Taught Us What Being Pro-Life Means
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Are you looking for a meaningful gift for someone for confirmation or Easter? Or perhaps just the right gift to give to a family member, friend, or acquaintance for any occasion, such as an upcoming high school or college graduation, or even Mothers’ Day or Fathers’ Day? For the first time ever in the English-speaking world, all of Pope Francis’s major writings are now available in a singular volume, published by Ave Maria Press as of December 2016.
Pope Francis: The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations, Volume 1 is well worth the read for anyone looking to gain a more profound understanding of how Pope Francis has sought to use his pontificate to draw his global Catholic flock closer to Jesus Christ. This volume includes – in chronological order – the encyclical Lumen Fidei: On Faith (June 29, 2013), the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (November 24, 2013), the bull Misericordiae Vultus: Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (April 11, 2015),the encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (May 24, 2015), and the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family (March 19, 2016).
As a personal aside and to provide supportive commentary on one of these precious papal documents – when I read Amoris Laetitia, I noticed that coverage of a key paragraph (#2) has been unfortunately neglected by the media comprising multiple journalistic outlets, both within the Catholic and secular realms. In the words of Pope Francis: “The Synod process allowed for an examination of the situation of families in today’s world, and thus for a broader vision and a renewed awareness of the importance of marriage and the family. The complexity of the issues that arose revealed the need for continued open discussion of a number of doctrinal, moral, spiritual, and pastoral questions. The thinking of pastors and theologians, if faithful to the Church, honest, realistic, and creative, will help us to achieve greater clarity. The debates carried on in the media, in certain publications and even among the Church’s ministers, range from an immoderate desire for total change without sufficient reflection or grounding, to an attitude that would solve everything by applying general rules or deriving undue conclusions from particular theological considerations” (AL, 2). On that note, regarding such significant, yet occasionally nebulous, considerations as “accompaniment,” “conscience,” “discernment,” and related topics, I would greatly recommend reading particular bishops’ pastoral letters that have served to clarify, with true fidelity to Christ’s teachings, the scope of what these important terms actually denote. Examples include A Pledged Troth: A Pastoral Letter on Amoris Laetitia by Bishop Steven Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, A True and Living Icon: A Pastoral Letter on the Reading of Amoris Laetitia in Light of Church Teaching by Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland (Oregon), and other pastoral writings by prelates who have served their local flocks by their example of expounding on Church documents with a faithful pastor’s careful gaze.
This volume of Pope Francis’s major writings has received formal praise and official endorsements from a wide cross-section of Catholics of different experiences and approaches, including John Allen Jr., Fr. James Martin, S.J., and George Weigel, among others. The clergy, laity, and religious will all benefit from this opportunity to read Pope Francis’s key texts together, in and of themselves, in both a complementary and individualized manner, based on the spirit of their intention and independent of inductive media commentary.
If you, or someone you know, remain dedicated to growing in your faith by reading the major writings of Pope Francis, you can visit the website for Ave Maria Press or Amazon. You may even want to get a copy in time to begin reading it during the conclusion of Lent as we prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter! Please remember to pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis, so that he can steadily endeavor to draw his flock to effectively contribute to the kingdom of God. Enjoy this book!
A lifelong resident of the Archdiocese of Washington, Justin has taught theology and Spanish at his alma mater, Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, since 2006.
Justin has written widely on various aspects of the Catholic faith. His books include Called to Teach: Daily Inspiration for Catholic Educators, Called to Pray: Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools, The History of the Catholic Church (a textbook), and Alleluia to Amen: The Prayer Book for Catholic Parishes. Justin is active in pro-life ministries, and serves on the volunteer board of directors for the Forestville Pregnancy Center.
Justin holds an M.A. in Spanish Language and Culture from the Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), an M.A. in International History from Staffordshire University (England), and an M.A. in Theology and Christian Ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Justin has studied philosophy and theology at Seton Hall University, and Church history from the University of Notre Dame’s Satellite Theological Education Program, for whom he has likewise taught various online courses.
Justin, his wife Bernadette, and their children live in Bowie, Maryland, where they attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Justin is a lay member of the Order of Saint Dominic. You can follow him on Twitter (@JustinMcClainOP).
