Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Fides Service) - “Married couples and young families have the future of the Church in India in their hands”, said Fr. Antonyswamy at a meeting focussed on pastoral care for young Catholic married couples organised by the Tamil Nadu Catholic Family Commission. He said husband and wife must offer one another reciprocal support in their journey of human and spiritual growth to maturity and to be “holy families”, which live the Gospel and are ready to have children and bring them up in the faith. “Married couples have a God-given mission to be examples of Trinitarian love”, Fr. Kulandai told the young couples present, reminding them that God calls parents to be givers of life, co-creators. In the family parents must build a spirit of love, peacefulness, understanding and forgiveness basing family life on authentic values so that future families will welcome life and promote the human and spiritual growth of he next generation.
The priority of proper pastoral care for families and the promotion of human and spiritual values and development was recently the subject of the 8th general assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences FABC on the theme “The Asian family and the Culture of Life” and the contents of the ensuing guidelines Challenges pinpointed by the FABC included a spreading of anti-family culture in Asia, loss of respect for life, increase in number of divorces. The Church wishes to respond to these challenges with the Christian understanding of the family. (Agenzia Fides 25/3/2006 righe 26 parole 264)
