The death of Pope Francis suddenly and in many ways unexpectedly, on Easter Monday morning has rightly stopped all of us in our tracks as we reflect on the legacy of his twelve year pontificate. While we knew he was very ill, there was a feeling that the more regular appearances of him during the Holy Week ceremonies, culminating with his blessing from the balcony of St. Peters on Easter Sunday might have suggested his health had taken a turn for the better. Sadly this was not to be and we now mourn a Pope for whom ‘family’ was a pivotal theme of his pontificate.
For us who work in Accord or who avail of the services of Accord, his exhortation Amoris Laetitia, coming out of the conclusions of the Synod on the Family, published in 2016 and the Catechumenate Pathways for Married Life, published in 2022, remain a treasured resource that will support our work long into the future. Our recently revised Marriage Preparation Programme is punctuated by several references taken directly from Amoris Laetitia.
We recall with deep affection his visit to us for the Ninth World Meeting of Families (21-26 August 2018) and particularly his engagement with young couples then, preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage, who gathered in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral. He reminded them “that love is God’s dream for us and for the whole human family”. Often he mentioned the three most important words in a relationship: “’Please’, ‘I’m Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’”. Every year he would meet Canon Lawyers who took part in a course organised by the Roman Rota. Last November he told them when Catholics approach a church tribunal or canon lawyer, they “must always meet the face of our mother, the holy church, who loves all her children with tenderness”. Pope Francis believed as important as a good sacramental marriage preparation programme was, so too was the accompaniment of couples in the fragility of their relationship.
Accord accompanies couples and individuals who need our support and hand holding at different stages in the journey of their relationship. We have been so inspired by Pope Francis’ focus on the family, on the fundamental importance he placed on marriage and the family for society and the Church. He underlined that despite the many changes that marriage and the family have undergone through the centuries, there are “common and permanent traits” that reveal the greatness and value of both.
All of us in Accord pray that his gentle soul may now rest in peace. We also know that his legacy to us as an agency of the Church, will encourage us to accompany, sustain and enrich the lives of all who use our services for many years to come.
Bishop Denis Nulty
President, Accord CLG
23 April 2025
Related News
