A Vatican Controversy, 10 Years Later
Vatican Access with Robert Duncan
As bishops from around the world gathered in Rome Oct. 7 to commemorate Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia ten years after its publication, a Catholic publisher once at the center of a Vatican controversy has returned with a new book on love and marriage. In 2014, Ignatius Press distributed "Remaining in the Truth of Christ," a defense of traditional Catholic teaching on marriage that many commentators interpreted as opposing Cardinal Walter Kasper's proposal to allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. The book became a source of controversy during the Synod on the Family. Now, representatives of the publisher have presented Pope Leo XIV with "YOUCAT Love Forever," a new guide to love and marriage for young Catholics that draws on Amoris Laetitia. In this episode, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, founder of Ignatius Press, and its president, Mark Brumley, revisit the controversy surrounding the earlier book. Father Fessio reflects on Pope Francis' pontificate, the challenges of defending Catholic orthodoxy, and what has changed under Pope Leo XIV. Brumley explains why the publisher challenged prevailing views during the synod, whether Amoris Laetitia represented a break with Church tradition, and why he sees continuity between the two pontificates. Ignatius Press editor Thomas Jacobi also discusses the new YOUCAT book, its origins under Pope Francis, and Pope Leo's message to young people about love and marriage. Guest bios: Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, is the founder of Ignatius Press, one of the leading Catholic publishing houses in the United States. A Jesuit priest and theologian, he earned his doctorate under Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, and has spent decades publishing works on Catholic theology, philosophy and culture. Mark Brumley is the president of Ignatius Press. A Catholic author, editor and apologist, he has worked extensively in Catholic publishing and religious education and helped oversee the publication of "Remaining in the Truth of Christ" in the run-up to the 2014 Synod on the Family. Thomas Jacobi is an associate editor at Ignatius Press, where he works on editorial projects and manuscript acquisitions. He contributed to the English-language edition of "YOUCAT Love Forever," a new guide to Catholic teaching on love, sexuality and marriage that draws on Amoris Laetitia.