The days 30th May to 1st June are to be celebrated as a Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly. Some 60 000 pilgrims are expected in Rome for this event, and the report here indicates the participation of ecclesial movements who will have their own Jubilee celebration at the Pentecost weekend.
In the title of this celebration, and in its programme of events, we can recognise the themes of a series of General Audience addresses given by Pope Francis, starting on 17th December 2014 and extending to 18th November 2015 (see here). We can also recognise a section "Life in the wider family" from his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (nn.187 - 198). In these sources Pope Francis frequently addresses experiences of family life from a very practical and every day point of view. All of this needs to be read with Catholic teaching on the nature of marriage in mind; that is, marriage understood as the lifelong, exclusive commitment of one man and one woman, that is ordered towards their own good, and that is open to the transmission of new life (cf Catechism of the Catholic Church nn.1601 ff).
We might exemplify Pope Francis' approach by reminding ourselves of the "three expressions", of which he spoke in his Audience address of 13th May 2015:
Today’s catechesis will serve as a doorway to a series of reflections on family life and what it’s really like to live in a family, day in and day out. Imagine three expressions written above the doorway; expressions I’ve already mentioned here in St Peter’s Square several times before. The expressions are: “may I?”, “thank you”, and “pardon me”. Indeed, these expressions open up the way to living well in your family, to living in peace. They are simple expressions, but not so simple to put into practice! They hold much power: the power to keep home life intact even when tested with a thousand problems. But if they are absent, little holes can start to crack open and the whole thing may even collapse. ...
... the first expression is, “may I?” When we take care to ask for something kindly — even something we think we have a rightful claim to — we help to strengthen the common life that undergirds marriage and the family. Entering into the life of another, even when that person already has a part to play in our life, demands the sensitivity of a non-invasive attitude which renews trust and respect. Indeed, the deeper and more intimate love is, the more it calls for respect for the other’s freedom and the ability to wait until the other open’s the door to his or her heart. ...
The second expression is “thank you”. ... We must become firmly determined to educate others to be grateful and appreciative: the dignity of the person and social justice must both pass through the portal of the family. If family life neglects this style of living, social life will also reject it.
The third expression is “pardon me”. Granted, it’s not always easy to say, but it is so necessary. Whenever it is lacking, the little cracks begin to open up — even when we don’t want them to — and they can even become enormous sinkholes. It’s hardly insignificant that in the “Our Father” that Jesus teaches us — a prayer that sums up all of life’s essential questions — we find this expression: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matt 6:16). To acknowledge that we have fallen short, to be desirous of returning that which has been taken away — respect, sincerity, love — these make us worthy of pardon. This is how we heal the infection. If we are not able to forgive ourselves, then we are no longer able to forgive period. A house in which the words “I’m sorry” are never uttered begins to lack air, and the flood waters begin to choke those who live inside.
In his Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year, as well as indicating that grandparents and the elderly should be offered signs of hope, Pope Francis also wrote (n.9) that " Looking to the future with hope also entails having enthusiasm for life and a readiness to share it":
Openness to life and responsible parenthood is the design that the Creator has implanted in the hearts and bodies of men and women, a mission that the Lord has entrusted to spouses and to their love. It is urgent that responsible legislation on the part of states be accompanied by the firm support of communities of believers and the entire civil community in all its components. For the desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love ensures a future for every society. This is a matter of hope: it is born of hope and it generates hope.
Somewhat coincidentally, the Ecumenical Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival has been awarded to a French language film Young Mothers (Jeune Meres). The statement at SIGNIS website explaining the reasons for the award is here, and this is the page for the film at Cannes. The interview with the directors and the trailer (in French) are worth reading. The film also won the award for Best Screenplay in the main competition at the festival. (The English titling of the film appears to be "Young Mothers Home".)
The film centers on teenage mothers living in a dedicated [mother's home], exploring their struggles and resilience in challenging circumstances. True to the Dardenne brothers’ signature style, Young Mothers finds its ethical foundation not through grand dramatic gestures but in quiet, persistent acts of care and compassion.
The film appears to present, in a very specific context, the "matter of hope" to which Pope Francis referred in the Bull of Indiction.
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