“Marriage is of enduring importance. Its essence derives from our human nature and social character. It involves a series of obligations born of love itself, a love so serious and generous that it is ready to face any risk.” (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, 2016).

While the family is the basic cell of society, marriage is the foundation upon which the family is built. Below are a range of resources for engaged and married couples, as well as links to relevant Church documents on marriage and the family.

Resources

• What is Marriage? (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, 2015)
  Prepared by the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, this brochure seeks to provide a simple and straightforward explanation of the meaning of marriage.

• SmartLoving
  An initiative of the Marriage Resource Centre, SmartLoving provides resources and a variety of online courses to support couples throughout their commitment lifecycle.

• Marriage Resource Centre
  The Marriage Resource Centre is an organisation of couples, clergy and others associated with the Church dedicated to helping people build marriages which are emotionally, sexually and spiritually healthy.

• Couples for Christ Australia
  Couples for Christ Australia is a Catholic renewal community, whose goal is to strengthen the Christian family. It has communities in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and some regional areas in New South Wales and Victoria.
• Worldwide Marriage Encounter
  Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s mission is to proclaim the value of marriage and holy orders in the Church and in the world. It offers weekends for married couples to enrich their marriages and to grow in their relationship with one another.
• Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life: Pastoral guidelines for local Churches (2022)
  A document which charts a path toward a marriage catechumenate, designed to help couples to build their marriage on the rock of faith.
• For Your Marriage (USCCB)
  Launched in 2007, For Your Marriage helps couples at all stages of life to understand and live God’s plan for happy, holy marriages by providing educational and spiritual resources.

• Marriage: Unique for a Reason (USCCB)
  An initiative of the USCCB, this website offers resources to assist with the education and catechesis of Catholics on why marriage is unique and why it should be promoted and protected as the union of one man and one woman.

Relevant Church Documents

• Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love, 2016)
  Pope Francis shares with the Church his teaching and encouragement regarding pastoral ministry to marriages and families, and the great vocation and mission that married couples and families are called to live out.

• Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope, 1965)
  One of the 16 documents composed at the Second Vatican Council, the Council fathers devote an entire section to marriage and the family: nos. 47-52.

• Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity, 2007)
  Pope Benedict XVI’s document offers a reflection on the link between the Eucharist and Matrimony, in sections 27-29.