Ulife without love is a bit like a sky without stars. According to a YouGov survey from October, 34% of Italians put love and home among their first great desires and ambitions in life. Proof that true quality time is spent with those you love. But if the proximity to Valentine’s Day colors everything with red roses and sweetens hearts with chocolates, the truth is that a good relationship is cultivated not only with passion, but above all with communication and mutual respect.
ARTISANS And the heart of a couple’s life does not lie in the exceptional, but in fidelity to everyday life. «Cultivating love means setting the goal of caring for the relationship – says Don Roberto Signorelli, director of the Pastoral Office of the Family – all recalling an image dear to Pope Francis, that of artisanal love». The craftsman never creates two identical pieces “and so every relationship must be guarded with ever new attention”. But love is also «giving one’s life for one’s friends – continues Don Signorelli – a message that Jesus entrusts to everyone and which translates into mutual dedication in the couple». Not big gestures, but small daily cares. «Ensure that a day does not pass without simple attention towards others». Even when frenzy oppresses, this patient care remains fundamental, capable of making every moment different.
Being artisans of small things, finding in the ordinariness the beauty of being creators of one’s own history.
GET TO KNOW YOURSELF And in this psychology offers tools for understanding the complexity of contemporary relationships. «Loving in 2026 is not very different from what it was years ago, but it presupposes great maturity, which not everyone has – explains Dr. Mariacristina Migliardi, clinical psychologist – In this, identification and personal separation allow us to respect the other in his entirety and to face the relationship with awareness». But conflicts and disagreements are also part of couple life. The important thing is to know how to manage them without excessive displays of anger, communicating in a constructive way. «The ideal relationship without discussions does not exist – states Migliardi – Giving space to dissent, without letting it degenerate, enriches the relationship and allows to know the other more deeply.” An ability that the new generation is exercising well «Today – observes the psychologist – young people communicate more than in the past and are calling into question gender roles and stereotypes. It is essential to express your motivations and needs to your partner, giving voice to those aspects that were once silenced.”
CORSI In this key, premarital courses and psychological awareness meet, offering concrete tools to experience love in a mature, authentic and lasting way. «At the beginning there may be a certain hesitation in undertaking a premarital course – says Don Moreno Locatelli – Some people start with the idea of having to do it rather than wanting to do it, but then most couples get involved». The last meeting, conceived as an informal moment around a pizza, creates a family atmosphere and fosters deep relationships, sometimes true friendships. This aspect,
represents one of the most significant results of the courses, therefore not only reflecting on marriage, but living a shared experience of community.
PATH While it may seem like a mere formality to many, “the objective of premarital courses is not to teach, but to accompany couples in their awareness of the choice of Christian marriage as a sacrament”. «Today around 95% of the couples who participate already live together and there are often children – continues Don Locatelli – This marks a change compared to the past, when marriage directly followed the engagement». An awareness on the part of the Church that «recognizes the concrete conditions in which many couples live and where it is significant that some still choose to experience marriage as a sacrament.” It is a journey that addresses issues related to daily life, from mutual respect to caring for others, up to giving of oneself in a Christian way and responsible fatherhood and motherhood. A journey that is enriched with testimonies and meetings with families that make the experience more tangible. «We try to make people understand that marriage is a project of God – he concludes – which is part of a greater love story and aims at the full fulfillment of the person, in the complementarity between the two spouses».
Rossana Zorzato
date: 2026-02-14 00:28:00
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