Przygotowanie do małżeństwa i życia w rodzinie w nauczaniu Kościoła katolickiego

The article discusses the continuous process of preparing the youth for marriage and family life, occurring in three stages: remote, proximate and immediate. Remote preparation commences already in childhood and hinges on gaining suitable knowledge and desirable attitudes towards marriage and family life. Proximate preparation covers high-school students and constitutes a kind of pre-marital catechesis, realized both in the school and parish. Immediate preparation is addressed chiefly to future married couples who are only several months from concluding marriage and establishing a family. Thorough preparation at the three stages influences not only the condition of the modern family but also future of the Church and all human beings.