Abstract:
The theme of this study is pastoral counseling for families in situations of criminality. For this, it analyzes how pastoral counseling takes place with families in situations of criminality. To contemplate the proposed goal, it conceptualizes pastoral counseling and investigates what social vulnerability is and its relationship with criminality. Finally, it proposes strategies of pastoral counseling with families in this condition. Considering the incapacity – or incompetency – of the State, the Church, with its pastoral services, emerges as the one which can help in supporting and in the recovery of the families. The pastoral agents, since they are inserted in the daily life of the people, carry with them the trust, and thus, the openness to counseling. In this way, the families, already involved with criminality and fearing punishment from the justice system, seek the Church for help. The work of pastoral counseling is based on the premise that reconciliation takes place in the active family, that is, one which acts proactively in the exercise of dialog in order to understand the other. Thus, through forgiveness and love reconciliation is found. Each member, understood in their particularities, is forgiven and loved in a reciprocal way.
