Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has voiced his admiration for Amoris Laetitia, in a column published in the Vatican newspaper, L‘Osservatore Romano.

The Orthodox leader expresses his appreciation for the emphasis that Pope Francis places on taking into account the particular circumstances of every marriage. He says:

What has undoubtedly smothered and hampered people in the past is the fear that a “heavenly father” somehow dictates human conduct and prescribes human custom. The truth is quite the opposite, and religious leaders are called themselves to remember and in turn to remind that God is life and love and light.