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The Synod on the Family summoned by Pope Francis may flounder because of two misconceptions, namely believing that traditional theological language can change the common perception of the sacrament of marriage and speaking as though our discourse had any kind of a real authority in contemporary culture. As is often the case, our way of approaching a question conditions the answer we give. Today’s debate mirrors the impact of a culture in which values are “narcissistically” revisited. As such, the magisterial discourse which is rooted in the doctrinal truth that we know must come to terms with the notions of desire and happiness. This can only produce an ethical as well as cultural debate in order not to merely meet expectations but to find an identity in transcendence.