Scottish Executive Should Give 'Unequivocal Support to Marriage'
On the occasion of this special Mass on the first day of 2006 I’d like to focus on the crucially important role played by the family in society and the growing challenges which families face. Just two days ago on Friday, we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family, concentrating on the fact that when our saviour came to earth he lived as a member of a human family. He faced in a special way many of the joys and challenges we have all had to deal with as members of a family.
In the book of Genesis we are informed of the complementarity of man and woman. Their social nature is evident when Adam rejoices in his companion Eve. They are blessed by God, granted stewardship of the earth and called to be fruitful.
The intimate bond between man and woman is a communion of persons realised in the gift of self in marriage. The communion of marriage is naturally ordered to the procreation of children, albeit that this is not always possible. However, parents and children, remain the basic social unit, which needs to be recognised protected and promoted as the most vital cell of society.
The family is our first community as such it is the building block of society, the foundation upon which everything else is built. Sadly, we live at a time when the truth of marriage and family is obscured and distorted. It is not without reason that human societies throughout history and across cultures have flourished only when they have built their human relationships on the rock of marriage. It is through marriage a life long commitment open to new life, giving security and stability that the crucial mutual support needed for the nurturing of children is provided.
Because the importance of family life is universal; impacting on all of humanity and on every society, the Church finds itself sharing the concerns of many who lament recent trends in society. These are evident in the media, entertainment, legal and political fields and have as their aim the erosion of the traditional family.
In the last few months alone we have witnessed dramatic changes in the way the legal system of our country perceives the family. These changes are the fruit of cultural influences, which have promoted alternative lifestyles whilst undermining values which for generations have been treasured: abstinence before marriage, fidelity within marriage and parenthood through marriage.
We all value the freedom that our democratic country permits its citizens. Central to our freedom is our ability to direct our own lives and to tolerate those who choose to live differently from us, motivated as they may be by different religious, philosophical or ideological beliefs. Freedom must be used responsibly. Responsible freedom requires to be adequately informed. When we make profound choices we have a duty to understand what exactly we are choosing along with the likely consequences of our choices.
I reflect with sadness on the choices that have been made in the rush to effectively usher in a new vision of human sexuality and human society. Well intentioned though many of the architects of these changes may be, I must ask if they have properly and fully examined the possible consequences of their actions.When we have been the beneficiaries of a society founded on the values of our forebears it can be easy to lose our appreciation of how important these values are.
In the last few decades we have therefore seen a new interpretation of marriage emerge. This interpretation narrows it’s understanding to that of a relationship between two individuals. From this it has been argued that a range of relationships share similar characteristics to marriage and so we arrive at the point where marriage is recognised as just one of many close relationships, which should be treated equally before the law. This analysis is both dangerous and mistaken.
Marriage is more than a close relationship between individuals. It is uniquely capable of providing stability, producing children and providing the complementary roles of mother and father. It is a social institution rather than a private relationship. At a time when our politicians strive to be child centred, it has ironically been by removing children from the understanding of marriage that makes possible the error of creating other legal relationships, which mimic marriage.
Social influences have had a devastating effect on family relationships. It is true that divorce is widespread, sexual relationships outside of marriage and cohabitation are also widespread, they have become social norms with many damaging consequences. Children without fathers, children emotionally damaged by divorce, wives deserted by husbands, husbands deserted by wives, couples infertile from sexually transmitted infection, children aborted for convenience. These are the consequences of sending out the message that marriage is not for life, that marriage is just another choice of lifestyle, that human sexuality is a recreational pastime.
When our lawmakers condone and endorse trends in society, which are ultimately ruinous of family life, we are entitled to question their motivation and condemn their behaviour. Tolerance of those who choose to live differently is one thing, the promotion and celebration of irregular relationships is another. We must not forget those who in difficult circumstances do very well to raise children who excel in every area. I commend anyone who does their best in such difficult circumstances, but difficult circumstances cannot be promoted as the norm.
I urge society to look around at the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections and abortions, the levels of family breakdown in our midst, drug and alcohol abuse, and social deprivation, I ask all those who care for the future of our society, not to be blind to the consequences of turmoil in family relationships, not to be blind to the unwillingness of the state to promote and endorse an institution which has provided every previous generation with stability and security, not to be blind to the sociological evidence that so often proves to us that children brought up by their married biological parents are more likely to be healthier, happier, more secure, more likely to attain in education, less likely to participate in crime and more likely to form lasting relationships of their own.
We ignore this repository of reason and truth at our peril, our politicians ignore it at our expense and as a result the needs of our children are simply ignored. We must take every opportunity to remind our politicians that marriage and its unique status is still important to most of us. Only last week, Pope Benedict XVI presented a defense of human life and the family in his welcoming address to the new ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Holy See. The Pope urged the United Kingdom to "recognize and protect the sanctity of life from the first moment of conception until natural death," and urged that we should “acknowledge the indispensable role of stable marriage and family life for the good of society.
Only when our Government and our Parliament give unequivocal support to marriage and argue for its promotion can we begin to tackle the root of so many social ills. As we focus on the year ahead, I urge you all to do what you can to promote the model of Christian marriage for the sake of all of our citizens, for the sake of all of our children and for the sake of our country.
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