“Support for marriage and the family is a fundamental aspiration of the Church”, said Bishop Küng, who heads the episcopal office for the pastoral care of families, during the study day of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, held at Sonntagberg in Austria on 13 March, and dedicated to just this question. The main topics discussed during the study day, held in preparation for the plenary Assembly of Austrian Bishops (14-16 March), were: preparation for matrimony, pastoral care of families in the parishes, and matrimonial and sexual education in families, youth groups and schools. The rapporteurs of the study day include Günter Danhel, director of the Institute for Marriage and the Family, and Bernhard Mucha, delegate for family pastoral care. During the evening discussion, three couples reported on experiences developed in many Catholic communities in the field of the preparation for the sacrament of matrimony, the pastoral care of families and education on marriage and sex. Current trends in church and social life in these fields will be discussed during the plenary assembly. Preliminary suggestions will also be canvassed about the Pope’s visit to Austria, planned for September 2007, on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the Marian sanctuary at Mariazell.
