AMERICA/PERU - Archdiocese of Lima inaugurates Family Institute to promote understanding and diffusion of Catholic Church teaching on Marriage and the Family

Lima (Agenzia Fides) - As part of celebrations to mark Family Day in the archdiocese of Lima on 9 September, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima, announced the commencement of the activity of the Archdiocesan Family Institute whose mission will be to promote understanding and diffusion of Catholic Church teaching on Marriage and the Family.
The Family Institute Famiglia, part of Lima's Pontifical and Civil Faculty for Theology will promote research and teaching at the service of the archdiocese of Lima and the other dioceses. The Institute will support and complete activities of pastoral animation undertaken by the archdiocesan Commission for the Family, including regular courses for engaged couples and a diploma in the area of Family Orientation and Counselling. The Institute intends to open its own web site with information on programmes, activities and events. The web site will also offer free access to surveys, reflections and news on the reality of the family and more important Church documents on the issue.
During Family Day Mass celebrated in the cathedral Cardinal Cipriani said the life of every unborn child must be protected. He said "abortion speaks of present day society's cowardliness and egoism rejecting the unborn child. We cannot remain silent. Abortion is murder and those who commit abortion are murderers. And each one of those children has the right to live". The Cardinal said that a relativistic mentality says "since abortion is used so often it must be made legal. According to this reasoning theft, the most frequently committed crime, should also be legal" he remarked. "The great challenge in the world today - the Cardinal said - is for man to be free. Today there is much talk of liberty yet liberty is trampled on".
Special guests at the Mass included minister of health Dr. Carlos Vallejos Sologuren, academic authorities of the theological university of Peru which is marking its 10th anniversary and members of the Lima archdiocesan Family Pastoral commission. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/9/2007; righe 28, parole 381)