” “Among the items which the president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Card. Angelo Bagnasco, developed in his prolusion for the opening of the works (this afternoon, in Rome) of the Permanent Bishops’ Council, there was the one of the service of the Church to Italy, and through it, to Europe. After confirming the rejection of the regulation meant for unmarried couples, Bagnasco recalled that Italy "needs the structure which is guaranteed by real families to go on relying on a solid framework projecting the country into the future. To tell the truth, this problem he added does not concern just Italy; on the other hand, in some respects, it concerns other countries to a greater extent. This is why, for instance, last October, the presidents of the European Bishops’ Conferences met at Fatima. They focussed on their common preoccupation for the future of the family, without which the future of Europe itself would be at risk. Therefore, here is the need, abroad, for repeating meaningful initiatives such as our Family Day, which was not meant for anybody in particular, and was not a threat for anybody. It was rather the indication of a direction to be followed". ” “
