BY IRENE LAMUNU
The family is the foundation of society. God created us as social beings so that no person would have to live alone. As human beings, we are by our very nature designed for family. Adam was incomplete until Eve was created and they became one. They are then expected to be involved in the work of procreation when God instructed them to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. Jesus himself was born into a specific family, with parents who raised him and showed him affection and love. With this act, God gives the family a unique value. With this unique value, the Church considers the family as the first natural society. It is the foundation of society and is central to all social life.
It is a place where different generations live together and experience affection, solidarity, appreciation, unselfish commitment, help and justice. Every person is loved, just as he is. The Roman Catholic Church’s family ministry includes: Enabling family members to deepen their relationships with each other and to appreciate the significance of these relationships for their faith journey and their relationship with God. In 2014, the media quoted Pope Francis saying, “The vocation of the family is to reveal and communicate life and love in communion with the Lord.
EWTN television is quoted in an article Revitalizing Society through the Family: Vision of St Pope John Paul II. In this article, the Pope states that the priority of the family over society and the state must be affirmed. The family does not exist for society or for the state but society and the state exist for the family.
Meanwhile, St Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio also states: “In virtue of the principle of subsidiarity, public authorities may not take away from the family tasks which it can accomplish well by itself or in free association with other families; on the other hand, these same authorities must sustain the family, ensuring that it has all the assistance that it needs to fulfill properly its responsibilities.”
He continues, “It is in the family that the mutual giving of self on the part of man and woman united in marriage creates an environment of life in which children develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny.” St Pope John Paul II in Centesimus Annus continues: “The first and fundamental structure for ‘human ecology’ is the family, in which man receives his first formative ideas about truth and goodness, and learns what it means to love and to be loved and this means to be a person.”
The Catholic culture website also reports Pope Francis’ address at the Feast of Families in Philadelphia on 27 September 2015 that even amidst joys and trials, the family is the primary and fundamental “school of humanity” (cf. GS 52). Therefore, despite signs of a crisis, in various contexts, in the institution of the family, the desire to form a family remains vibrant among the younger generations.
He continues that, in these times, families are sent as “missionary disciples” (cf. EG, 120). With this in mind, the family ought to rediscover that it is an essential agent in evangelization.
The Church, expert in humanity and true to her mission, announces with deep conviction the “Gospel of the Family,” which she received as revealed by Jesus Christ and constantly taught by the priests, the masters in spirituality and the Church’s Magisterium. In the course of the Church’s life, the family has assumed special significance: “So for God’s great love, he began to walk with mankind, He began to walk alongside his people, until the right time came and then He gave the greatest demonstration of love: His Son. He sent him to a family. God came into the world in a family. He could do this because that family was a family with a heart open to love, a family whose doors were open.”
Like Mary and Joseph, families have a mission to welcome Jesus into their homes and live to listen to Him, speak with Him, take care of Him, protect Him, and this way, improve the world. The Holy Family of Nazareth shows families how to be holy and how to help others be holy. The witness of families who answer God’s call and opens the doors of their hearts reaches far beyond the walls of their homes. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Article 16 (3) also states that ‘the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to full protection by society and the state.’ Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one ca learn moral values, begin to honour God and make good use of freedom.
There is no place where children are raised well in the culture of family life based on high ideals and good relationships. It is in the family that individuals can show and learn that mutual respect, justice, dialogue and love are more important than anything else for successful co-existence. Today, many families have changed the way children are raised because Parents are absent, due to work and other businesses. Children are being taken care of by house-helps and relatives. In many homes, technology has taken over the parents’ roles; parents leave their children with television to watch cartoons, Tablets and phones to play with. Some parents have even installed apps on gadgets to keep children busy and they forget about their surroundings.
Sadly, children no longer have time to play with fellow children. According to Bishop Giuseppe Franzelli, Emeritus Bishop of Lira Diocese, it is the responsibility of parents to give their children the guidance they need. He is not happy that parents have handed over their responsibility to technology, Apps. “Don’t ignore your children, make sure when you are around, they feel your presence,” the Bishop advised.
