“We choose the family”

In defence of the traditional family: in the historical centre of Riga, a few steps away from the Catholic Cathedral of St. James, one hundred people are marching for a cause that is very dear to the local Church. They want to reaffirm their faith in the family model consisting of a man and a woman, and most importantly, warn about the gender ideology that is worming its way through school teaching. Solidarity. The march is organized by the “Musuberni”, which in Latvian means “children’s rights”, which are reaffirmed together: mothers and children, grandmothers and grandfathers holding placards bearing the image of the traditional family and coloured balloons. Father, mother and children. Men and women. Their objectives include solidarity with European Catholic movements challenged by attempts of undermining the very foundations of the family unit through ideology. It began with the experience of the “Lebenspartnerschaft”, the German “unions of life”. “This demonstration shows that the situation is very difficult”, said Cardinal Janis Puniats, Archbishop emeritus of Riga, commenting on the public demonstration held November 1st. When SIR met him in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help it was evident that the family is of great concern to him. The voice of the Church. “In our societies, in the media, in the political realm, it’s important to strengthen the awareness that the care of the family should be the State’s primary concern. If the family feels sure it will flourish, children are born, they grow health and society begins to blossom”.These words by the Archbishop of Riga, Monsignor Zbignev Stankevics are published on the website of the Latvian Church. The local Church has at heart the question of the family, and although Christened faithful are a minority in the Country, efforts are placed into reaffirming the traditional doctrine. “We are approximately two-hundred priests – said card. Punjats -, and every day we are carry out our commitment for the Country. A large number of churches were rebuilt after our homeland’s independence and twenty new parish churches were created. We are fully dedicated also in the field of the family”. Formation. While at the centre of the Latvian and European debate there is the gender theory and the issue of which teaching models should be adopted in the school environment, the Cardinal Emeritus wishes to highlight the Church’s commitment in terms of formation and education. “We run a high-school in Riga, an institute for Catholic students and a seminary for future priests. In short, we make the most of everything we have, placing all our efforts into it”. In the defence of rights. “Our Constitution expresses in clear terms the rights of the family consisting of a man and a woman. But today, after the election of the new Parliament”, and the formation of the new Executive (in January Laimdota Straujuma was installed as Prime Minister) “nobody knows whether there will be a new legislation on the family”.In the meantime – the prelate points out – in 2015 there will be a gay pride in Latvia. “The echo of ideologies is drawing near the Baltic regions”. United among sister Churches. “The position of the Latvian episcopate, since the times when I was president of the Bishops’ Conference, has been very clear and so is it now”.Cardinal Punjats strenuously defends the traditional family, “a position in favour of which has spoken of also our present bishop during the Synod on the family”.In carrying out this commitment, the prelate feels that he is in good company. “Lutherans are more numerous than Catholics in Latvia but they also follow a largely traditional line, we have been united with all our forces for a long time over this issue. Indeed, the situation is intolerable”.