Pope Francis' exhortation Amoris laetitia, on love in the family, can be seen in continuity with what John Paul II taught on the family and left written in the exhortation Familiaris consortio (1981). The philosopher Henri Hude, who began by analyzing Amoris laetitia, has subsequently explained this continuity, in relation to the current context, to mercy and to some considerations of subject philosophical and theological.

1. Like John Paul II, and all the Popes before and after him, Francis too is at the helm of this "airplane" that is the Catholic Church. Pope Francis affirms that it is not good to look unilaterally only at the general principles of Catholic doctrine or only at subjectivity staff. Indeed, to do so, Hude observes, would be imprudent; because prudence is exercised in a practical act, which through deliberation seeks to discern how the general principles of human action are applied in the concrete status .

To this end, Hude points out, attention to the concrete status always requires attention to reality and circumstances. He understands that in recent decades the general atmosphere of Western culture, affected by a serious moral crisis, makes it more difficult to clearly knowledge of Catholic doctrine and to make decisions in accordance with it, as well as some parameters have changed from which it can be determined whether or not a certain action can produce moral scandal (which must always be taken into account).

For this reason, Pope Francis insists that it is necessary, especially confessors, to help people form their consciences and give them the help they need and are able to receive. Hude further argues that Christ assumed not an abstract and perfect human nature, but the nature that in each of us manifests itself as weak and inclined to sin, even though Christ had no sin (cf. Rom 8:2-4). This is so, for Christ suffered, he was hungry, thirsty and tired, he experienced loneliness and fear, he took on all our weaknesses. For this reason, we who are weak (and we are all of us) need to make our own the divine financial aid that Christ gives us through the Church.  

2. Going deeper into the present context, this philosopher observes that the Pope is concerned above all about a great number of people without training, moreover quite ignorant - often through no fault of their own or with a very diminished responsibility - in doctrinal and moral questions of the Catholic faith. Many of them are in a very distressing status : imbued with a spirit of doubt, suspicion and suspicion before every approach to "truth" and "good", for that is what they have been taught and are continually stressed to them. They are therefore deeply affected by relativism. Yet, Hude suggests, they are still people, i.e., beings who think and suffer precisely the consequences of this relativistic environment. That is why we cannot leave them alone or expose them to a religiosity of either fundamentalist or pantheistic tendency, be it subject . We cannot be narrow-minded people (who do not perceive the status) or timid (who do not face it).

3. Also in reference letter to mercy, Hude explains that, both from the human and Christian point of view, it is necessary to consider personal situations and the conditions of the socio-cultural context, in order to improve them. The latter-improving them-is above all the responsibility of the lay faithful (i.e., Christians who are in the workplace, in families, at the crossroads of society). Secondly, he maintains that marriage is certainly an "ideal" especially for those people who come from far away and who are struggling to get out of a quagmire. This is why the Church has always endeavored to help them, on condition that they have a minimum of repentance.

On the other hand, Hude adds, it should not be forgotten that we all need time to advance through successive conversions in our lives, to change approaches and attitudes. Therefore, all this is not said to obscure the clarity of principles under the complexity of situations, but to prevent the paths of grace and faith from being crushed under the weight of excessively legalistic or rationalistic attitudes. And not only that, because Francis wants to bring all these people closer to the sacrament of confession (much attacked by the dominant culture), at a necessary and propitious moment, with a sensitivity that all Catholics should support.

4. Finally, Hude presents some arguments based on the Gospel that also have cultural and philosophical dimensions.

Pope Francis knows well that sexuality is an essential part of God's gift, which calls for constant purification and conversion. At the same time, he wishes to make it understood by those who do not even have the instructions to understand what "sin" means. On the part of well-formed Catholics, this calls, according to Hude, "not to behave like the difficult elder son in the Gospel parable, but to share in the goodness that comes from the Father and his joy at the return of the prodigal son."

For all this, argues the French philosopher, it is necessary to foster a humanist culture that takes into account misery and mercy. Pope Francis accuses shepherds who would not take into account the personal situations of the sheep of being "Pharisees". Hude says that if a pastor doesn't feel guilty about that, the pope's reproach probably doesn't apply to him. But he warns that, in any case, it is worth examining whether one is not really included in a certain pharisaism and hypocrisy.

To those who would like a clear definition of whether or not one can help certain divorced and remarried persons with the sacraments, Hude reiterates that this is for a confessor to decide, taking into account all the facts of the case, data . In this regard, he writes that "the novelty of Amoris laetitiaconsists in dealing in a public document with questions that derive from the confessor's internship , and if this novelty is not understood, one risks confusing science and prudence."

Hude stresses that objectively sinful behavior can be corrected and changed as the fruit of a process of reform and spiritual evolution, under the impulse of grace and the influence of friends and priests. He insists at the same time that no behavior is automatically sinful (not even polygamy), understood not in the sense of goal but in the sense of moral imputability, which always depends on warning and consent, which in turn may be diminished by various psychological or cultural factors.

Finally, to the opinion that there would be a rupture between John Paul II and Francis on these issues, Hude explains that there is no such rupture, but a different perspective. This leads to a dialogue between a more contemplative conception of immutable eternal truths and a more personalistic vision of human limitation. But this does not mean that the two perspectives contradict each other. John Paul II sees the divine project of married love in its "original perfection", which from its beauty calls for freedom and responsibility. Francis starts from the difficulties of ordinary life, in the same perspective of the Covenant and as a path with a redemptive meaning (cf. for example, Amoris laetitia, n. 66). In this way, each of the two perspectives enriches the other.

As can be seen, these approaches are useful in general for spiritual and pastoral accompaniment, since the Holy Spirit is given to us in the Church both objectively and subjectively.

In conclusion, we should recall the prayer of Pope Francis in one of his homilies at Santa Marta on May 20, when he asked Jesus to teach us a great adherence to the truth and a great understanding for the accompaniment of all our brothers and sisters in difficulty.