Church Teaching

• Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body (2023)
• Created Male and Female: An Open Letter from Religious Leaders (2017)
• A Teaching Resource on Gender Ideology (2015, updated in 2019)
• The Defense of Marriage and the Right of Religious Freedom: Reaffirming a Shared Witness: An Open Letter signed by Ecumenical and Interreligious Leaders (2015)
• Pastoral Letter Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan (2009)
• Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States (2007, updated in 2015) – see nos. 10, 20, 23, 29, 34, 38, 42, 46, 63, 70, 71, 72, and 92.
• Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care (2006)
• Married Love and the Gift of Life (2006)
• Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (2003)
• Administrative Committee Statement: Promote, Preserve, Protect Marriage (2003, reaffirmed in 2006)
• USCCB Committee on Marriage and Family and Committee on Domestic Policy, Statement on Same-Sex “Marriage” (1996)

Español:

• Carta Pastoral El Matrimonio: El amor y la vida en el plan divino (2009)
• Ministerio a las personas con inclinación homosexual: Directrices para la atencion pastoral (2007)
• El amor matrimonial y el don de la vida (2006)

• “Male and Female He Created Them” – CCC, nos. 369-373 & CCC, nos. 2331-2336
• The Sacrament of Matrimony – CCC, nos. 1601-1666
• Nature of the Family; Family and Society – CCC, nos. 2201-2213
• Chastity and Homosexuality – CCC, nos. 2357-2359
• The Love of Husband and Wife – CCC, nos. 2360-2379

• Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (1965) – see nos. 47-52 [Español]
• Address to Women from Pope Paul VI (1965)

Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (2016)

Encyclical Laudato Si, no. 155 (2015)

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, no 66 (2013)

Encyclical Lumen Fidei, no 52 (2013)

Various addresses and homilies about marriage:

For a compilation please see For Your Marriage‘s Pope Francis Corner!

• For a compilation of selections from Pope Benedict’s teachings on marriage and family, see Family (USCCB, 2009)

Major documents:

• Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini(2010)
• Encyclical Caritas in veritate (2009): see nos. 15, 44, and 51 (on the need for a “human ecology”)
• Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (2007) : see nos. 27-29, “The Eucharist and Matrimony.”

Various addresses and homilies about marriage:

• General Audience (Ash Wednesday: February 13, 2013)
• Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2013)
• Address on the Occasion of Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia (Dec. 21, 2012)
• Homily for the Opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization (Oct. 7, 2012)
• Address to Participants in the Meeting of the Christian/Centrist Democrat International(Sept. 22, 2012)
• Homily at closing mass of 7th World Meeting of Families in Milan(June 3, 2012)
• Homily in Santiago de Cuba during Apostolic Journey to Mexico and Cuba(March 26, 2012)
• Address to Bishops of the United States of American from Region VIII on their “Ad Limina” Visit (March 9, 2012)
• Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See (January 9, 2012)
• Address to Engaged Couples(September 11, 2011)
• Prayer Vigil at World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain(August 20, 2011)
• Address to Participants in the Meeting Promoted by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family(May 13, 2011)
• Address to New Ambassador of Spain to the Holy See(April 16, 2011)
• Address to the Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church on their “ad limina” visit(April 7, 2011)
• Message on the occasion of a gathering of Latin American and Caribbean bishops responsible for the pastoral care of life and families (March 28, 2o11)
• Message to bishops of Brazil(Feb. 16, 2011)
• Address to new Austrian Ambassador(Feb. 3, 2011)
• Address to Tribunal of the Roman Rota(Jan. 22, 2011)
• Address to Administrators of Rome for the Traditional New Year’s Greeting(Jan. 14, 2011)
• Remarks upon receiving the new Hungarian ambassador(Dec. 2, 2010)
• Homily at the Church of the Sagrada Familia, Spain(Nov. 7, 2010)
• Address during a visit to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain(Nov. 6, 2010)
• Address to families and young people during a Pastoral Visit to Palermo(Oct. 3, 2010)
• Address to New Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Holy See(Sept. 13, 2010)
• Homily during Celebration of the Word with Social Pastoral Care Organizations, Fátima, Portugal(May 13, 2010)
• Address to Roman Curia(December 22, 2008)
• Address to Participants in the Forum of Family Associations(May 16, 2008)
• Address to the Participants in the International Convention on the Theme “Woman and Man, the Humanum in its Entirety”(February 9, 2008)
• Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2008) : see nos. 2-5
• Angelus(February 4, 2007)
• Address to the Members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota(January 27, 2007)
• Address to the Member of the Roman Curia at the Traditional Exchange of Christmas Greetings(December 22, 2006)
• Address at the Conclusion of a meeting with the Bishops of Switzerland(November 9, 2006)
• Address to Participants in the Fourth National Ecclesial Convention in Verona(October 19, 2006)
• Address during the Vigil of Prayer on the Occasion of the Fifth World Meeting of Families in Valencia, Spain(July 8, 2006)
• Address to Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family(May 13, 2006)
• Address to Members of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family on the 25th Anniversary of its Foundation(May 11, 2006)
• Encounter with the Youth of Rome in Preparation for the 21st World Youth Day(April 6, 2006)
• Address to the Members of the European People’s Party on the Occasion of the Study Days on Europe(March 30, 2006)
• Address to Participants in the Ecclesial Diocesan Convention of Rome(June 6, 2005)
  • Highly Recommended

Major documents:

• Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, at the close of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 (2001): see nos. 10 and 47
• Letter to Women (1995) : see nos. 7-8
• Letter to Families (1994) : see nos. 6-12 and 17
• Apostolic Letter Mulieris dignitatem (1988) : see nos. 6-7
• Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio (1981) : see nos. 3, 45-46, and 81

Various addresses and homilies about marriage:

• Homily during the Jubilee of Families(October 15, 2000) : see nos. 2, 3
• See also John Paul II’s Wednesday audiences (Sept. 5, 1979 – Nov. 28, 1984) collectively known as “the theology of the body.” Available online at EWTN’s website and at the Vatican website(includes all of John Paul II’s audiences).
  • The most recent critical English translation is Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, trans. Michael Waldstein (Boston: Pauline Books & Media), 2006.

• Declaration Dignitas Infinita on Human Dignity (2024)
  This document addresses several threats to human dignity, including sexual violence and exploitation, surrogacy, gender theory, and pornography.
• Declaration Fiducia Supplicans on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings (2023)
  This document and subsequent press release addresses potential meaning of non-liturgical, spontaneous blessings in informal pastoral contexts.
• Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex (2021)
• Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions (2008)
• Letter on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World (2004)
• Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons (2003)
• Some Considerations Concerning the Response to Legislative Proposals on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons (1992)
• Instruction Donum Vitae on respect for human life in its origin and on the dignity of procreation (1987)
• Letter on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons (1986)
• Persona Humana: Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics (1975)

Español:

• Instrucción Dignitas Personae sobre algunas cuestiones de bioética (2008)
• Carta sobre la colaboración del hombre y la mujer en la Iglesia y el mundo (2004)
• Consideraciones acerca de los proyectos de reconocimiento legal de las uniones entre personas homosexuales (2003)
• Instrucción Donum Vitae sobre el respeto de la vida humana naciente y la dignidad de la procreación (1987)
• Carta sobre la atención pastoral a las personas homosexuales (1986)
• Persona Humana: Declaración acerca de ciertas cuestiones de ética sexual (1975)

Keys to Bioethics – A Manual of Bioethics for Youth (2022)

“Male and female he created them” towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender theory in education (2 February 2019) (Espanol)

• Family, Marriage and “De Facto” Unions (2000)
• Declaration regarding the Resolution of the European Parliament dated March 16, 2000, making de facto unions, including same sex unions, equal to the family (2000)

Español:

• Familia, Matrimonio y “Uniones de Hecho” (2000)
• Declaracion acerca de la Resolucion del Parlamento Europeo del 16/3/2000 sobre equiparacion entre familia y “uniones de hecho”, incluso homosexuales (2000)

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (2004)

• See nos. 144-148, The Equal Dignity of All People and the “Equality in Difference” between Man and Woman
• See nos. 209-254, Marriage and Family

• Importance of the family for the person (no. 212)
• Importance of the family for society (nos. 213-214)
• Marriage as the foundation of the family (nos. 215-218)
• Sexual identity, difference, and complementarity (no. 224)
• Homosexual unions (nos. 228-229)

Español: Compendio de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia (2005)

• Ve nos. 144-148, La igual dignidad de todas las personas
• Ve nos. 209-254, La familia, Célula vital de la sociedad

• La importancia de la familia para la persona (no. 212)
• La importancia de la familia para la sociedad (nos. 213-214)
• El matrimonio, fundamento de la familia (nos. 215-218)
• La identidad sexual, la diferencia, y la complementariedad (no. 224)
• Las uniones homosexuales (nos. 228-229)

• Arizona Catholic Conference of Bishops, Pastoral Statement “Why is Marriage Important to the Catholic Church?” (2006)
• Florida Catholic Conference, Statement “Marriage is Between One Man and One Woman” (2005)
• Catholic Conference of Illinois, “Promoting Civil Unions to Undermine Marriage” (2009)
• Bishop Richard Malone (Portland, Maine), Pastoral Letter “Marriage: Yesterday – Today – Always” (2012)
• Maryland Bishops, “Marriage in Maryland: Securing the Foundation of Family and Society” (2008)
• Massachusetts Catholic Conference, Leadership Guide “Marriage in Massachusetts: Crisis and Challenge” (2004) and bulletin inserts “Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice” and “What the Church teaches, social science confirms…Marriage Is Good for Husbands, for Wives and for Their Children”
• Michigan Catholic Conference, “On the Sanctity of Marriage” (2004)
• Catholic Bishops of Minnesota, “A Brief Catechesis on Marriage” (2010)
• New Jersey Catholic Bishops, “Questions and Answers on Same Sex ‘Marriage’” (August 2009), “The Call to Marriage is Woven Deeply into the Human Spirit” (August 2009), and Letter on Marriage (February 2009)
• Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, “Marriage and Society” (September 2009), “Marriage and Children” (September 2009), and “Human Sexuality, Marriage and Same-Sex Unions” (October 2004)
• Virginia Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Letter “The Institution of Marriage and the Common Good” (September 2006)
• Archdiocese of Washington, “The Conflict between Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty” (2010)
• Washington State Catholic Conference, “Marriage and the Common Good: A statement on legislation to redefine marriage” (January 2012) and “Marriage and the Good of Society: A Pastoral statement regarding Referendum 74″ (September 2012)