Policy focus should be on family, Irish primate argues

October 26, 2011

Government policies should always support marriage and family, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin told an audience at the Iona Institute. “The state cannot but be a supporter of that love and that fidelity which couples bring to the human and ethical enrichment of society and which are vital contributions to the stability of society,” the archbishop said. He expressed concern that Irish government leaders “will distance themselves from fostering such values because these values are not realized by everyone in society.”

Archbishop Martin argued that marriage and the family have rights that are prior to the authority of the state. He noted that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the family as “the natural and fundamental group unit of society.” The archbishop observed with concern that public opinion is shifting toward the view that the individual is the fundamental unit of society, and all policies must be structured to meet the demands of individuals.

 

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Further information:

• Fidelity crucial to society, says primate (Irish Times)
• Archbishop Martin addresses Iona Institute on 'Marriage and the Common Good' (Iona Institute)