I suspect that many of you have heard that Pope Francis has released his much anticipated letter about the family. The English translation of the title is the 'Joy of Love' and it has been described as a love letter to families. Here is a little information about the document. 

1. First, this is document is an apostolic exhortation.

   1. The documents written in the Church have a different level of importance.

   2. An apostolic exhortation is published to encourage the faithful to live in a particular manner or to do something but does not define Church doctrine.

   3. Pope Francis’ first document, The Joy of the Gospel, was also an apostolic exhortation.

   4. If you want to learn about the other type of documents this page has a list and brief explanations/descriptions:   http://communio.stblogs.org/index.php/2013/11/what-is-an-apostolic-exhortation/  

2. In an article I just read about the latest apostolic exhortation, The Joy of Love, Pope Francis is described as the poet pope.  

   1. From the article:

      1. If Pope John Paul II was the philosopher pope and Pope Benedict XVI the theologian pope extraordinaire, Pope Francis is the poet pope, an urban gaucho from Buenos Aires, giving voice to the dreams and wisdom of migrants and the poor and displaced. Though it will not satisfy everyone, Amoris Laetitia offers an extraordinary set of reflections on marriage, various parts of which will serve audiences as diverse as engaged couples, husbands and wives, pastoral workers, bishops, and theologians. Neither “dry and lifeless doctrine” nor “dead stones to be hurled at others,” Francis’s words about family life ring true, making his advocacy for scriptural ideals of marriage all the more attractive. I have been married for forty-five years. Chapter 4’s meditation on St. Paul’s hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13 moved me deeply. Despite its length, time spent withAmoris Laetitia is time well spent.

   2. To read the whole article go to:https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/poet-popes-pastoral-discernment

3. Another little thing I have come across was a YouTube clip describing the document. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZelWQ70wbk

4. Then of course if you are interested in reading the document:

   1. A short synopsis:http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/08/pope_francis_apostolic_exhortation_on_the_joy_of_love/1221178  

   2. The whole document:http://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf