?The family is the basic unit of society
Celebration of Mother’s Day should also be a celebration of families, and on his visit here last month Pope Benedict II reminded us of how important families are.
The family is the basic unit of society and the primary place for passing on the faith, but the pope reminded us that a healthy family life also contributes to world peace. It is in the family, he said, that we experience the fundamental elements of peace: “justice and love between brothers and sisters; the role of authority expressed by parents; loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age; mutual help in the necessities of life; readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them.”
It is no wonder then that the pope expressed his “deep concern” over the “sharp decline of the family as a basic element of church and society.” He cited increases in divorce, infidelity and cohabitation without commitment, all of which deprive children of the secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings. In turn, he said, “Society is denied the stable building blocks, which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained.”
Indeed, nearly every major problem in society can be traced to a breakdown in the family. According to the Institute for American Values Center for Marriage and Families, more than one of every three U.S. children is born to a never-married mother and only about 60 percent of children are living with their own biological or adoptive married parents.
The institute points out that children raised outside of intact marriages are “significantly” more likely to be poor, use drugs, drop out of school, commit crimes, suffer from depression and emotional distress, be neglected or abused, be sexually active early, commit or consider suicide, bear children out of marriage and get divorced themselves.
In addition to the damage to society and to the children themselves, the breakdown in marriage also puts a huge financial burden on the U.S. taxpayer. Columnist Michael Medved observed last month that people who can’t depend on strong families “far too often become the dependents of government.”
One study estimates that the breakdown in marriage costs taxpayers $100 billion a year for more jails, welfare payments, police, social workers, medical costs, remedial education, court costs, etc. This study led Medved to write: “Defending and repairing the institution of marriage is therefore not just a moral issue: it’s a major factor in healing a wide range of social problems, rejuvenating our troubled economy and avoiding governmental bankruptcy.”
In his talk to the U.S. bishops, Pope Benedict praised them for setting marriage and the family as a top priority for the next few years and reminded them that the bishop of a diocese is the person principally responsible for the pastoral care of the family.
“It is your task to proclaim boldly the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life,” he said. “This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved ‘yes’ to life, a ‘yes’ to love, and a ‘yes’ to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.”
Now it is up to us laity to be inspired by the pope’s words and the guidance of our bishops and recommit ourselves to building strong marriages and strong families. This necessarily entails hard work, dedication and self-sacrifice, but the benefits of strong marriages and families are immeasurable, not only for the people involved but also for society and the world.
Choosing life in film
Speaking of families, we are pleased to see the interest of young people in the recent movies “Bella” and “Juno.” Both movies revolve around young women who become pregnant out of marriage and briefly consider abortion.
In the end, both women wind up placing their babies for adoption because they realize that is the best choice for themselves and their children. The message of both movies is not only strongly pro-life, it also offers an affirmation of adoption that highlights the generosity of birth mothers who choose life for their babies, as well as the joy those babies bring to their adoptive families. |
