The continuing relevance of the Wednesday catechesis of Bl. John Paul II devoted to marital love and family was pointed out at the consecutive meeting of the cycle of “Power and Beauty of Faith” in Rome on June 3rd, 2012. The topic of the meeting fell into the theme of the celebration of the VII World Meeting of Families in Milan, chaired by Benedict XVI. A reflection on the subject was asked from Mrs Marzia Del Bianco, a theologian, wife and mother of three children.
Mrs. Del Bianco spoke about the first part of her life which was devoted to her marriage and family, and then her studies of theology at the Pontifical Institute for Marriage and Family of Pope John Paul II at the Lateran University. “Life is not like riding the highway with many facilities” – she said – “but it is following a difficult path, on which one cannot be discouraged”. We were taught that by Bl. John Paul II who especially reminded the spouses of that truth in his catechesis.
The primary focus in the catechetical magisterium of the Holy Father’s teaching was regarding marriage and family. In the years 1979-1984 he delivered 129 catecheses. (The issue of catecheses in English is titled: Man and Women He Created Them: The Theology of the Body). They are divided into six parts, which the speaker briefly characterized. She also referred to the experience of Fr. K. Wojtyla as a priest of young married couples. She called in, among others, the testimony of Jerzy Ciesielski, who wanted married life to be a journey of sanctification of the spouses and a book released in 1960 “Love and Responsibility”.
John Paul II spoke about the creation of man and woman and their vocation to loving each other, which is of spiritual and carnal character. Mutual love means the complementarity of male and female, and a deeper knowledge of oneself thanks to the person loved. Christ taught that the vocation of marital love is a gift for another person. John Paul II placed a strong emphasis on the spousal aspect of love. Sexuality in this perspective is not the source of sin or desire, but above all, a gift creating a communion of life.
According to Mrs. Del Bianco, the Pope’s catechesis shows the personalistic aspect of human love. John Paul II introduced the sacramental aspect into the love so understood. The love of husband and wife expresses and makes present the love of Christ to the Church. This means that spouses love each other, because they have been loved by God, and their life becomes the history of salvation, the faithful, fruitful and holy love. In a marriage love is not a passing feeling; rather it has spiritual and bodily aspects, and is the vocation and personal communion of the Christian faith.
Parental love cannot be reduced to ties of blood, it should express itself in the sphere of the spirit, responsibility and raising authentic values. In closing, Mrs. Del Bianco emphasized that John Paul II taught that human life is deeply rooted in God’s plan.
Rev. Andrzej Dobrzyński