The comprehensive nature of Familiaris Consortio appears to some extent to have worked against its reception. It is generally agreed that its length was and remains off putting. Nevertheless, the document gave a lot of support to those already working in the area of pastoral care of marriage and family life, providing a framework within which to articulate the aims, objectives and challenges of family ministry.

The impact of Familiaris Consortio is perhaps more easily traced from a historical perspective. It had a clear impact on the Papacy of Blessed Pope John Paul II. A review of the documents published under his Pontificate illustrates that his concern for marriage and family never wavered and that he followed his own recommendation by incorporating a family perspective throughout his writings.

Thirty years ago, on 22 November 1981, Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation on the Christian Family in the Modern World, Familiaris Consortio, was published. To mark this anniversary, the Marriage and Family Life Project Office at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has prepared a multimedia archive. 

In this interview, we speak to "Sarah", a victim of domestic abuse. She describes the escalation of her partner's violence towards her and the steps she took to escape and resume a safer life.

In this interview, we speak to Frank Mullane whose sister and nephew were the fatal victims of domestic abuse. Julia and her 16-year-old son William were shot dead by her abusive husband in November 2003. 

In this podcast the Most Rev Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, reflects on and clarifies the Church's position with regard to domestic abuse. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has established a Small Grants Fund for mental health projects to further encourage and inspire us as communities of understanding.