Father Henri Caffarel’s thinking
“To get to the heart of things, it is the richness of love between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit that gives richness to the union between Christ and the Church, and, by extension, to that of the Christian couple in whom the Mystery is fulfilled. Let us not fear, in outlining this Trinitarian theology of the couple, of being too abstract; nothing is more concrete, more alive, more warm than this presence of the Trinity at work in human love.”
Henri Caffarel, L’Anneau d’Or, no. 111–112
Henri Caffarel, a Prophet for our Time
Interior Prayer
Father Henri Caffarel reflected deeply on prayer and, throughout his life, was a master of prayer. From 1957 onwards, he edited the Cahiers sur l’oraison. In 1966–1967, a series of eleven of these Cahiers was published, entitled “Initiation Series.”
The Virgin Mary
Father Henri Caffarel placed the movement he founded under the patronage of Our Lady. In 1954, in Lourdes, the Équipes Notre-Dame were consecrated to Mary.
The sacrament of Marriage
“Christian marriage is not only the mutual gift of man and woman; it is also the couple’s gift to Christ. From now on, within this couple, Christ is present.”
Conjugal Spirituality
Conjugal spirituality is built upon the couples’ state of life. It invites spouses to live their conjugal union and their love of Christ as one and the same love.
Widowhood
From 1940 onwards, Father Henri Caffarel met widows on several occasions. Two foundations were to come into being: the “Groupement Spirituel des Veuves” and the “Fraternité Notre-Dame de la Résurrection.”
The Priest and the Couple
There is “a mysterious correspondence between Holy Orders and Marriage”, two sacraments at the service of communion in the Church.
The Couple’s Mission
“A home of seekers of God is, in our world that no longer believes in God, that no longer believes in love, a theophany, a manifestation of God.”
