After serving as the Bishop of Dallas for 10 years, the prefect for the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, says in his almost 70 years of life 'nothing has impacted his life more than these recent changes.'
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect, Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
'I was sitting watching the television, going to come to work here on the 11 of October, my first day. When listening to the Angelus message that Sunday, watching it on television on my brother's apartment here in Rome, I heard my name being called out. I had no idea. It was just a shock to me. I was in a state of shock.â?
Now he has turned that shock into action, working for those who make up the majority of the Church, the laity. The dicastery is the result of the union of the pontifical councils for the laity, the family and the Pontifical Academy for Life.
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect, Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
'Laity are the people that go to Church every Sunday. They are the Catholic people of the world; and Catholic people tend, in the great part, to end up their life in marriage, that is the vocation to which they are called. And from marriage begins life. So there's an internal logic to why these three former councils should be brought together. The fact that this is where the laity of the world live out their vocation.â?
In order to assist those on their faith walk, he has adopted Pope Francis' exhortation on family life, 'Amoris Laetitia,â? as a source of inspiration for married couples and a helpful resource for engaged couples.
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect, Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
'I think this document that Pope Francis put together is one of the best preparations for married life. One of the best instruments to prepare anybody for married life. That's the challenge that this dicastery will have...that is to let the greatness of the married state be known and lived. Human love is created by God and was something that God gave and instilled in the human person and it needs to be spoken about and the Joy of Love needs to come out when we speak about marriage.â?
However, it is not only married couples that Farrell intends to target and call to a deeper faith, but all those laity involved in the Church, so each person at every age can have a voice.
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