Preparation for marriage should rely less on workbooks and more on prayer and community.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and host Colleen Dulle recap the Vatican’s recent family-related news through the lens of Gerry’s interview with Cardinal Farrell.

The Irish-born American cardinal and former bishop of Dallas, Tex., is considered a big hitter in the Vatican because of the many important responsibilities that Pope Francis has entrusted to him in recent years.

In his general audience, Pope Francis emphasized how following Jesus often means accepting that we don’t have total control over our lives, especially as we age.

As a married Catholic priest, I know both fatherhoods. And, I can tell you, priestly fatherhood, like natural fatherhood, is an embodied, deep thing.

While I will never support my father’s prejudice, I will forever be grateful for the fact that God could work through him to help me find my way.