The Message of the Church in favour of the Family

Prof. Gary Devery – Sydney

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the family as “the original cell of social life” (n. 2207). This teaching is situated in the lived experience of every generation of humanity but also fully brought to light in Revelation. We are created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus Christ has revealed that God is a community of persons. The vocation written into the nature of man is to live in a community of persons of which the family forms the most basic unit. The Church gives prophetic witness to mankind’s joy of living in love and unity. It is in the domain of the domestic Church that the community of believers are the salt, light and leaven to the wider society. It is the place where the parents are the first proclaimers of the good news of Jesus Christ to their children (cf. CCC n. 1656) and contribute to the building up of the family of mankind. Always holding this truth as precious the Church in every generation has been the protector and guardian of the family.

The message of the Church in favour of the family has taken on greater urgency in the world today. The increasing global situation of relativism is endangering the health of the family and so of the human society as a whole. Relativism is emptying the concept of the family of what is essential to it so as to arrive at the lowest common denominator whereby every basic unit of social alignment is acceptable in the name of tolerance and freedom, and given the title of being a “family.”

The Church promotes the protection and strengthening of the family on parish, diocesan, regional, national and international levels through its social teaching, social works and various organisations. It seeks always to preserve the two essential dimensions of marriage, the unitive and the procreative. Protecting and safeguarding these two dimensions it promotes what is essential to marriage and family life, the transmission of life and of values, including religious values and faith.

This promotion of marriage and family life is worked out according to the principle of subsidiarity. The Church through its structures, particularly the parishes, assists the parents in the promotion of family life. This takes place through a variety of means. Some well proven means are that of preparing the young people for their marriage. This can prove most fruitful when the parish priest works with a team of married couples from the parish in preparing the young couples for their marriage. The young married couples can be assisted by a similar team for the preparation of the baptism of their children. Parish-based programs for the sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Holy Communion can also be of great assistance to parents in the transmission of faith to their children and in providing solidarity and support received from preparing together with other couples in the parish. Family associations and groupings in the parish also promote and strengthen family life. Where couples are experiencing difficulties in their marriage and family life they can gain strength, support and learnt wisdom from other couples in the parish.

Where necessary the diocesan social welfare organisations can be of practical assistance to families that are experiencing particular difficulties, while always taking “care not to usurp the family’s prerogatives or interfere in its life” (CCC n. 2209).

Fr Gary Devery OFMCap

Sydney, Australia