Priority Pathways for the Pastoral Accompaniment of Young Married Couples Experiencing Crises
Jacek Goleń
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-6936
Katarzyna Wojtanowicz
The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5082-2617
Sylwia Michalec-Jękot
Ignatianum University in Krakow , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3933-4625
Abstract
The aim of the article is to identify key pathways for the pastoral accompaniment of married couples experiencing crises during the early years of marriage. Four interrelated areas of crisis were identified: insufficient psychological and emotional maturity; difficulties in the marital relationship and bond; dysfunctions affecting the functioning of marriage and family life; and difficulties concerning the spiritual, religious, and moral development of the spouses. The research problem was addressed using source materials, primarily documents of the Magisterium of the Church, as well as interdisciplinary literature on the subject. The study employed primarily a deductive approach, supplemented by source analysis, classification, synthesis, and comparison. On this basis, two complementary pathways of support were identified: catechumenal pastoral accompaniment and specialized supportive accompaniment. The former draws on recent Church teaching, particularly the 2022 guidelines of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life. The authors also propose an original model of specialized support comprising the establishment of initial contact and access to assistance, identification of the crisis, assessment of safety, selection of appropriate forms of support, accompaniment through the process of change, rebuilding of the marital bond, and prevention of further crises. The analysis indicates that comprehensive assistance requires collaboration among pastors, trained mentor couples, and specialists, while respecting the boundaries of their respective competencies
Keywords:
pastoral care of families, young married couples, marriage crises, atechumenal accompaniment, spiritual accompaniment, specialist assistanceReferences
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Rev. Jacek Goleń, presbyter of the Diocese of Rzeszów; Head of the Department of Family Ministry at the Institute of Theological Sciences of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin; member of national academic associations; author of several monographs and several dozen scholarly articles; editor and co-editor of multi-author monographs in the field of pastoral theology and family ministry, including: Family Ministry: Scholarly Reflection and Pastoral Practice (Lublin 2013), Family Ministry in the Parish (Lublin 2016), Accompanying Marriage and the Family: Inspirations from the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia for Family Ministry (Lublin 2017), and Catholic Family Ministry: The Scientific Reflection and the Practical Ministry of the Church (Lublin 2018); consultant to the Council for the Family of the Polish Bishops’ Conference.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-6936The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow
Katarzyna Wojtanowicz, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow and Head of the Department of Social Policy and Social Work. Her research interests focus on the functioning of the social support system, social policy, the professionalisation of social work, and the methodological and ethical aspects of working with families. She is the author of monographs and scholarly articles. She is a certified social work supervisor, psychotherapist, and family mediator. She combines her academic activity with many years of professional experience gained in social support institutions.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5082-2617Ignatianum University in Krakow
Sylwia Michalec-Jękot, doctoral candidate at the Doctoral School of the Ignatianum University in Krakow; author of publications in the field of crises and crisis intervention, including Crisis Intervention as a Contemporary Need, Cooperation of the School with the Family and the Local Community – Selected Aspects, and Crisis Intervention – Interdisciplinarity and a Multidirectional Approach in Work with Clients: The Example of the Crisis Intervention and Counselling Centre in Myślenice. Founder and Director of the Crisis Intervention and Counselling Centre in Myślenice from 2013 to 2024.
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