Pope urges French bishops to defend family, marriage
(September 21, 2012) The Catholic Church is called to defend the family and marriage
from every possible misinterpretation regarding their truth, Pope Benedict XVI said
on Friday. His appeal came in a talk to a group of 32 bishops from France, that met
him as part of their ‘ad limina visit’ that heads of dioceses are required to make
every 5 years or so to report on the state of their jurisdiction. Meeting them at
the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the Pope, while urging
them to defend the family from wrong concepts of human nature, also underscored the
importance of the family for the life of the Church and society. “Defending life
and the family in society is not at all backwardness,” the Pope stated. “Rather it
is prophetic as it promotes those values that allows the human person, created in
the image and likeness of God, to develop to its full potential.” The Pope called
for the promotion and defence of marriage and the family from every possible mis-representation
of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society
itself. The Holy Father also advised the French bishops on the faith life of their
communities. He warned that merely seeking efficiency and bureaucracy in their programmes
and structures will have little impact on the lives of Christians who are irregular
in the practice of faith. Instead, evangelization needs starting from an encounter
with the Lord, from a dialogue rooted in prayer.