Pope Francis declares all couples can discover 'the fullness of God's plan' for marriage

Pope Francis explains the Church's teaching on marriage expands beyond an 'ideal for the few.'

On Friday Pope Francis spoke of the Church's teachings on marriage and God's plan for those who are joined in Holy matrimony.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Vatican Radio reported Pope Francis explained marriage is not an "ideal for the few," but is "a reality that, in the grace of Christ, can be experienced by all the baptized."

The pontiff spoke at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, the Vatican court, which primarily handles marriage annulment cases.

Pope Francis continued his message, saying "The church... can show the unfailing merciful love of God to families - especially those wounded by sin and the trials of life - and, at the same time, proclaim the essential truth of marriage according to God's design.

"When the Church, through your service, sets about to declare the truth about marriage in a concrete case, for the good of the faithful, at the same time you must always remember that those who, by choice or unhappy circumstances of life, are living in an objective state of error, continue to be the object of the merciful love of Christ and thus the Church herself."

During the recent two-year Synod process on the family, Pope Francis explained "there can be no confusion" between the family or any other as willed by God.

The pontiff added the "quality of faith" is not an essential part of getting married, but that faith infused when we are baptized influences the soul, even "when it has not been developed and even seems to be psychologically absent." Couples often discover "the fullness of God's plan" for marriage after they are married and they begin to experience family life.

Therefore, the Church, with a renewed sense of responsibility, continues to propose marriage in its essentials - offspring, good of the couple, unity, indissolubility, sacramentality - not as ideal only for a few - notwithstanding modern models centered on the ephemeral and the transient - but as a reality that, in the grace of Christ, can be experienced by all the baptized faithful."

In other marriage news, check out our lists on sex, dealing with anger, love and how to give.

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