My Dear Couples, Pope Francis recently published an apostolic letter in the form of a “motu proprio” addressed to the Bishops, entitled “Learn to take your Leave,” governing the resignation, for reasons of age, of holders of certain offices subject to Papal appointment. The Pope referred to the fact that bishops are invited to resign upon reaching 75 years of age because, after a life dedicated to the service of the Church with the highest responsibilities, they need to rest and prepare for, according the Benedict XVI’s lovely expression, “the last voyage.”

During various the trips that I have made in the Movement’s service, I have found it comforting to find so many Team members who recognise me, because my face and my thinking are known to them through the photo and messages that I regularly send you in the International Leading Team’s Letter

At the International College in Florianopolis last July, the general theme was the verse from St John’s Gospel that says, “For without me, you can do nothing.” (Jn 15,5) This statement of Jesus means that we have an absolute need to be united to him in order to obtain eternal life, since He Himself is Life.

One of the topics under consideration in our Movement concerns the place of Spiritual Counsellors within the Teams of Our Lady.

Our charism and our mission as a Movement are inexhaustible in themselves, despite the simplicity and clarity of their object: to help couples on the path of holiness.

Within our Movement, we have spent much time recently discussing the meaning of our mission within today’s Church. Moreover, this coincides with Pope Francis’ recent calls, with his messages to families.

The etymology of a Latin word for mercy, misericordia, contains the word “cor” or heart; a heart that is available and open to welcome everyone, above all those to those do not consider themselves to be worthy of being loved. To say that God is merciful means that His love precedes us, that He does not renounce us, that He loves us as if we were His, because He loves us for what we are and not for what we can give Him.

The foundation of Christian marriage is the relationship between spouses who love each other, that is, who each want the other’s good, for what they are and not for what they can give. The sacrament purifies human conjugal love that contains the mark of eternity, that is by its nature meant to be definitive, and raises it to the level of a sign of love between Christ and the Church: the husband represents Christ and the wife the Church.

As you know, it is not the first time in history that the Church reminds its children of God’s mercy. Towards the end of the 17th century, Saint Marguerite Mary Alacoque received the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Heart, full of goodness and mercy for the sinner, calls for reparation, which means recognizing that we exist because Love precedes us…

In the fortuitous context in which we live, marked by the memory of the closing of the Vatican II Council on December 8th, 1965, fifty years ago, and again by the proximity of the Bishops’ Synod on the family, I would like, in this letter, to share with you the hope our Movement gives me for the future of Christian families in the Church…