Human life. We marvel at its complexity, we wonder at its fragility, and as Catholics we embrace its dignity. But as far back as 1880, the Church has faced the reality that our culture often stands in opposition to God’s loving design for life, love, marriage, and family.

In Life and Love: Opening Your Heart to God’s Design, Terry Polakovic takes us on a fascinating tour of eight Church documents, spanning nearly 140 years, that pertain to human life and love:

Arcanum Divinae

•  (On Christian Marriage), by Pope Leo XIII, 1880

Casti Connubii 

• (Of Chaste Wedlock), by Pope Pius XI, 1930

Humanae Vitae 

• (Of Human Life), by Pope Paul VI, 1968

Familiaris Consortio 

• (On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World), by Pope John Paul II, 1981

Mulieris Dignitatem

•  (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women), by John Paul II, 1988

Evangelium Vitae

•  (The Gospel of Life), by John Paul II, 1995

Deus Caritas Est 

• (God Is Love), by Pope Benedict XVI, 2005

Amoris Laetitia 

(The Joy of Love), by Pope Francis, 2016

Whether you’ve read these documents before or are discovering them for the first time, Life and Love will help you understand how the Church consistently and fearlessly offers the only true response to the battles of our time.