Can the Vision of Marriage and Family Presented by Pope Francis in Amoris laetitia Be a Pastoral Continuation of Paul VI’s Humanae vitae?

Abstract

Properly structured ethics can only be established upon the foundation of an integral anthropology that presupposes respect for the dignity of the human person. This dignity is particularly relevant to marriage and family, and Karol Wojtyła raised the issue of marital dignity on many occasions. Today, we would like to re-emphasize the continued relevance of the teaching contained in Paul VI’s Humanae vitae – that is the fundamental truths about marriage and family, the production of offspring and the transmission of the faith – supplemented by Pope Francis’s Amoris laetitia. In the final version of the article, we are also addressing the threats that stem from the “extreme individualism” and the crises identified by Pope Francis. Our goal has been to present the current teaching of Pope Francis on marriage and family and the associated threats given in his exhortation Amoris laetitia as a pastoral continuation of Paul VI’s Humanae vitae.