Pope speaks to Baltic bishops on secularism and the family
June 11, 2015
Pope Francis received the bishops of Latvia and Estonia in audience on June 11 and lamented the “dangerous perils” of relativism and secularism.
“After having long been oppressed by regimes founded on ideologies contrary to human dignity and liberty,” the two nations now face “other dangerous perils, such as relativism and secularism,” Pope Francis said, as he urged the bishops to “proclaim the Gospel of Christ, the Word of salvation for men of every time and every culture.”
Stating that “single-parent families” are “in need of a special pastoral attention” because of the increased challenges they face in raising children, the Pope added that “today marriage is often considered a form of emotional gratification that can be constituted in any way and change according to the sensibility of each one.”
“Unfortunately this reductive conception infuses also the mentality of Christians, causing an ease in resorting to divorce or separation,” he said, as he called upon bishops and priests to offer assistance “so that the children do not become the first victims and spouses do not feel excluded from the mercy of God and the solicitude of the Church.”
The Pontiff also addressed other topics, including the priesthood, the consecrated life, and lay evangelization.
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