"We live surrounded by a complex society, where a lay culture is offered that demands one to organise social life as if God did not exist". This is contained in the message of the Bishops of the Under-committee for the family and the defence of life of the Spanish Bishops Conference on the occasion of the Family and Life Day, which will be celebrated in Spain on 30th December. The Spanish Bishops notice that, in this respect, "attitudes of rejection or mistrust and the obscuring of one’s culture and faith in the longing to avoid potential confrontations" have recently come to the fore. One thus is confronted with "a weakening of the Christian identity, which can sometimes affect the families as well". The topic of the message, "Our home country instead is in heaven", state the Spanish Bishops, "reminds us of who we are: the children of God and the citizens of heaven". Hence their request to the families to "get stronger", bearing in mind "their greatness and dignity". In particular, the Bishops remind the Christian families of the two distinctive traits of their identity: "the first one they write is the integration of faith and life", since "faith cannot be reduced to a private experience, alien to family life". (continued)
