Building strong families is key, Pope tells Latin American bishops

March 29, 2011

In a message to a conference of Latin American bishops, devoted to family-life ministry, Pope Benedict XVI said that pastoral care for the family is a vital component of the Church’s evangelical work.

Historically, the peoples of Latin American have shown their strong support for marriage and family life, the Pope observed, saying that “the family is the value the people of those noble lands prize most highly.” Yet today, the Pontiff remarked, family life is suffering because of cultural changes, poverty, and “education programs that trivialize sexuality and false ideologies.”

“We cannot remain indifferent before such challenges,” the Pope said. He encouraged every effort to build strong family life, and to defend the rights of marriage and the family in the public forum.

 

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Further information:

• Culture of Life and Respect for Rights of Families (VIS)
• Pope Benedict XVI: defence of family is paramount (Vatican Radio)