Conjugal Love as a Source of Spouses’ and Their Offspring’s security. Reflections Based on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato si’

Abstract

Conjugal love guarantees not only a safe and harmonious life to the spouses, but also is an important prerequisite for the safety of already conceived offspring and contributes to proper development and raising of the ones already born. The value of spousal love cannot stem from utilitarian premises, such as protecting societal collapse or providing children with due care. Although those reasons seem to be relevant, they justify its value only indirectly. According to Pope Francis, love should be considered to be the foundation for building a culture of care, which results in a feeling of safety permeating not only the marriage and their family, but also the whole society. Such image of conjugal love needs to be promoted widely in the contemporary world.