Pope encourages Christian families to make Christ and His Gospel their centre

(Nov. 03, 2007) Describing the family as the primary cell of society and the domestic church, Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday encouraged Christians families to fight today’s insidious challenges by being true witnesses of Christ and his Gospel.
The Pope was speaking to some 400 members of the ‘New Families’ movement, a branch of the Catholic Focolare Movement with a specific focus on the family. The ‘New Families’ was found in 1967 by Chiara Lubich, the foundress of the Focolare.
The Pope commended the New Families’ network of some 800,000 families in 182 countries engaged in making their homes the witness of a family life marked by the Gospel. Commenting on the 4-point pastoral action of New Families - namely, spirituality, education, sociability and solidarity - the Pope said theirs is a silent and profound evangelizing mission - a witness of a true home of love and life and the school of Christian virtues and values for children. Speaking of today’s numerous challenges facing the family, the Pope mentioned problems such as the uncertainties of engaged couples to make lifelong commitments, the crisis of married couples, separation and divorce, irregular unions, the condition of widows, families in difficulties and abandoned minors. In the face of these challenges, the Pope said, ‘your mission is indeed a sign of hope and encouragement to Christian families in giving the place of privilege to Jesus Christ and his Gospel. Pope Benedict encouraged the New Families movement, saying the humble and holy Family of Nazareth, the symbol and model of every human family, would sustain them in their endeavours.