In defence of the family” “” “

On Sunday, 1st February, in his weekly Angelus address, John Paul II once again appealed for “a more organic policy in support of the family”. “Many spouses – said the Pope – would like to have more children, but are almost forced to give this up due to economic difficulties. The aid of the public institutions, though appreciable, is often inadequate. The need is felt for a more organic policy in support of the family”. The Pope’s appeal, addressed at all governments, has also met with a response from many European Churches, and especially from the episcopates of England, Wales and Scotland which have dedicated various projects to life and the family (see SIR no.8/2004). We interviewed Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, Scotland, on the matter. Why did the Scottish bishops declare 2004 the “Year of Life and the Family”? The reasons why the bishops published a message on family life and the defence of life are various. It was published to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the restoration of the Scottish hierarchy after the Protestant Reformation. That’s why an important and relevant theme like marriage and the family was chosen. The message was also issued on the 10th anniversary of the UN Year for the Family. Marriage and the family, moreover, are two ‘institutions’ that are experiencing a difficult time, subjected as they are to undisguised attacks. That’s why the Church wants to give its own support to couples and the family”. What kind of attacks are they? “The period we are living in is politically dramatic: the Scottish government would like to present a bill providing for sex education in all schools but, according to the Church, with gross errors in the moral field: for example, the possibility for pupils to obtain contraceptives from nurses who work within schools, even without the authorization of their parents. Or teaching that homosexuality is a choice of life of equal validity to marriage. The crisis of the family is the result of three phenomena: the loss of faith, a culture that fears ‘dedication’ and the fear of couples to get married, faced by the ever more alarming statistics of divorces and families in crisis”. Sexuality in marriage, difficulties of couples, the risk of marital breakdowns, the birth of children… What contribution can the Church make in these situations? “The Church in Scotland is urging the Government to help families through tax breaks; they are pressing for suitable and affordable housing to be made available to young couples and that the value of marriage be recognized, both through the mass media, and by means of family policy. We oppose the proposed legislation of the government in London, which would offer equal rights to homosexual couples who want to ‘marry’, or at least give their cohabitation official status. That’s a threat to marriage which has hitherto enjoyed a privileged place in the law”. The Pope has recently underlined the need for more incisive family policies to support the family. What’s the situation in Scotland in this regard? “At the present time we’re examining new proposals to better support families. Among these I would mention one to prepare couples for married life. We’ve signed a deal with a specialized agency in marriage counselling: the Church will offer spiritual and doctrinal catechesis, while the Marriage Care agency will furnish information of practical type (finance, housing, work, tax, etc.)”.