VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 2005 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter from the Holy Father to Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, in which he renews the invitation made by John Paul II to attend the Fifth World Meeting of Families, due to be held in Valencia, Spain, in July 2006.
After recalling the theme of the meeting, "Transmission of Faith in the Family," the Pope writes in his letter, dated May 17, that he aims "to encourage, as John Paul II did, 'the stupendous novelty,' the 'Gospel of the family,' the value of which has central importance for the Church and for society."
"In order to give a truly human face to society," he goes on, "no one can ignore the precious gift of the family, based on matrimony. The marriage bond, in which man and woman together constitute a life-long association, ordered by its very nature for the good of the spouses and the generation and education of children," is the basis of the family, the heritage and shared wealth of humanity. Thus the Church cannot cease to announce that, in accordance with God's plans, marriage and the family are irreplaceable and admit no alternatives."
Benedict XVI underscores the fact that, "today more than ever, the Christian family has a most noble and inexorable mission, that of transmitting the faith. ... Parents are the first evangelizers of their children, precious gifts of the Creator, beginning with teaching them their first prayers. Thus a moral universe is created, one rooted in the will of God and in which children are raised in human and Christian values that give full meaning to life."
BXVI-LETTER/MEETING FAMILIES/VALENCIA VIS 050606 (290)
THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
Moderators: johnmc, Johnna, MarieT