For the family and life

The letter signed by Cardinal Simonis and sent by the Dutch bishops to the parties charged with forming the new government in Holland contains an appeal to these parties to have at heart the defence of the family and of the environment. The Christian Democrats (CDA), Social Democrats (PVDA) and the religious party “Christen Unie” held a meeting behind closed doors in recent days to sound out the possibility of forming a new government together: as a whole these parties command a parliamentary majority and in the weeks ahead, under the leadership of the last premier, Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA), wish to begin detailed negotiations on the government’s new programme. PROTECTING THE FAMILY AND HUMAN LIFE. In the letter sent to the representatives of the parties that, following the elections of 23 November 2006, are trying to form a government coalition, the bishops appeal for greater protection of the family based on the marriage between man and woman and underline their rejection of abortion and euthanasia. Now, they say, is the right time to ask the new government “to offer a prospect and set a direction”. Other key issues for the bishops are the dignity and protection of human life, the family as “basic nucleus of society”, and greater attention to the Millennium Development Goals and to the environment. “The Bishops’ Conference considers the family the germ cell of society”, write the bishops; it is there that “the foundation for participation in society is laid”. Marriage between man and woman consequently gains greater protection, even from a material point of view. The new life that springs from the love between man and woman deserves protection from birth to death. “The Church always sees life as a gift of God”, say the Dutch bishops in their letter, and “this theological principle reinforces the general principle of respect for life”. As regards marriage, it should be recalled that a progressive fall of matrimonial unions has long been ascertained in the Netherlands. According to the statistics of the CBS, the central office of national statistics, 72,000 civil marriages were celebrated in 2005, the lowest figure since 1945 and some 12,000 less than in 2004. There are various reasons for the decline, according to the CBS: the fact that the average age of first marriage has progressively increased from the age of 23 in the mid-Seventies to almost 30 in 2005; and the fact that registered cohabitation has been permitted by Dutch law since 1998. The number of new registered cohabitations of unmarried couples rose from 2,000 to over 6,000 between 2001 and 2005. THE MILLENNIUM GOALS: COMBATING POVERTY. As regards respect for the Millennium Development Goals, unanimously fixed by the UN in 2000 in the bid to combat poverty and exclusion throughout the world and “also signed by the Netherlands”, the bishops stress the urgent need for these goals to be met: if they are to be achieved by 2015, they should “remain high on the agenda of the governments of Western countries, of the European Union and Holland in particular”. “We urge the next Dutch government – the bishops’ letter continues – to commit itself with conviction to the achievement” of these Goals. The bishops also underline the importance of and opportunities offered by European unification, a process that may help Europeans to rediscover the undeniable Christian roots of the European identity. DEFENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT. Great importance is also attached to environmental problems: “the awareness that climate change cannot but cause irreparable consequences in the long term requires”, according to the bishops, “radical provisions, and a crucial role in this is played by people’s mentality”. In addressing “environmental issues and sustainability, effective solutions, both economic and technological, are in principle available; but a greater change in mentality at the personal level” is essential: that means “a more sober lifestyle and attention to sustainability”. Wishing for wisdom from everyone and God’s blessing, the bishops end their letter by asking the future government to assert its own personality: “we live in a period in which many are afraid and risk losing control over their own existence, without being able to oppose anything to it. Fear and dissension ought not to be the guiding principles of public action, but nor can they be ignored. This is the task of the new government: to give a prospect and set a direction”.