Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Valencia (Agenzia Fides) - After four days of work the Theological-Pastoral Congress which was part of the 5th World Meeting for Families closed yesterday with the reading of conclusions which could be summarised in the last line: "the family that hands on the faith is a guarantee of hope for the future of the Church and humanity."
The conclusions affirmed that the family is living an unprecedented crisis caused by “ideological pressure exercised by persistent actions on the part of secularism of a nihilist and relativistic origin which proposes an individualistic vision of the union of a man and a woman".
The participants also expressed "profound joy" experienced in the sessions of the Congress and those of the Children and Grandparents, which were events of "spiritual richness and vitality".
The provisional conclusions refer also to a European Parliament resolution which is an attempt to force member countries to give marriage and same sex unions the same status an attitude which is the "fruit of a mistaken understanding of human sexuality and the secular state". The Congress denounced "campaigns to promote birth control and abortion as attacks on life and the existence of the family. Something similar is happening with euthanasia" the provisional conclusions warn. The Congress calls for "respect for life from natural beginning to natural end". It also said "renting of the uterus, destruction of embryos show how far man can fall when he disregards the value of life." The Congress defended the importance of school education and the teaching of the Christian religion in the task of handing on the faith calling on Christian families to be "aware of the importance of the mission entrusted to them by the Church: the spreading of the Gospel is the duty of all believers, the family especially."
The Congress closed with a special Mass presided by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America concelebrated by over 200 bishops and cardinals. In his homily Cardinal Re said the “inescapable mission of parents is to be the first catechists is … they cannot delegate to others their responsibility to hand on the faith and values … some parents have little to leave as an inheritance but if they hand on the faith they give their children the most precious gift of all". Last of all he said "what is sown in the heart of a child will bear fruit in the future."
According to AVAN the news agency of the archdiocese of Valencia, the International Family Congress registered 9,200 participants in the three congresses, theological-pastoral, for Children, and for Grandparents: 54 % came from Spain; 16 % from other countries in Europe; 11% from Latin America; 10% from North America; 5% from Africa; 3% from Asia; 1% from Oceania. Moreover the International Family Fair was visited by over a hundred thousand people. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 8/7/2006)
