Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago de Chile (Fides Service) - At the end of its 90th plenary assembly in Punta de Tralca 21 to 25 November, the Chilean Bishops’ Conference issued a Pastoral Letter “Matrimony and Family - Good News for Humanity ”. The letter has 8 chapters and focuses on different aspects regarding the family, biblical foundations, the question of a new law on civil marriage, the situation of the family in Chile: “The Gospel of Matrimony”; “the sacramental nature of marriage”; “pre-marriage courses”, “the new law on civil marriage”; “marriage source of human life”; “our country and the family ”; “marriage and family”; “final exhortation”.
The Letter offers “guidelines for Catholics and all men and women who share a Christian vision of marriage and the family, with regard to responsibility and the importance of respect for the values of love, fidelity, indissolubility and fecundity, which give meaning and consistence to our society”. The Bishops encourage people, young and adults, to see marriage as good news, in other words to believe in love, self-giving and fidelity amidst the changing circumstances of life.
The Bishops say “the great challenge to make marriage a good in itself and a Gospel for society, calls necessarily for political and social decisions in support of marriage and family life, in the fields of housing, education and support for maternity”. The Bishops appeal to civil society, institutions of education in particular to promote values such as true love, proper understanding of human sexuality and the sacred value of human life. They call on the state to adopt policies to support the family, to assign resources to guarantee worthy housing, and support existing families and favour fecund family life, with adequate labour regulations, salary and Sunday rest. The Bishops say the Church is committed to helping to couples in crisis and they urge priests, deacons, religious men and women and lay people involved in family pastoral to develop pastoral care for separated persons. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2005, righe 29, parole 404)
