Shortly before leaving for the World Youth Days, which will be held this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (from 23 to 28 July), on the theme: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, answered to some questions about the significance of this encounter of young people in relation to the family. Msgr. Paglia will guide the Catechesis on July 24th, 25th and 26th.
In Brazil, and generally in the Latin American countries, the fastest social transformations are taking place and laws that call into question the identity of the family and the youth increasingly blur their vision. What emergencies are there, and what answers does faith give?
«In the contemporary societies, and especially in the countries of Latin America, there is a widespread awareness of the value of the family as the primary and indispensable place for the formation of the person, for the construction of a clear and strong identity, and for the growth of responsible citizens. Young people, more than others, experience the family as the only place where they can find understanding, help and support, both on the emotional and material levels, in the midst of daily difficulties that are increasingly serious in this time of crisis. This awareness is not, however, helped by the dominant culture, which doesn’t recognize in concrete the dignity of this fundamental dimension in the life of the individual and of society, although it asserts its importance of a theoretical level. Young people, who are the hope of the society and of the Church, constitute the pastoral priority. It’s not an insignificant fact that, after Lampedusa, Pope Francis is going to Brazil, according to the program established by Benedict XVI. Pope Bergoglio never gets tired of putting the spotlight on the family and saying to young people: ‘Do not let your hope be stolen!’ And hope and true peace come from faith in Jesus».
How can we help the young to understand «the precious good of marriage and the family» (“Familiaris Consortio”), in spite of the opposing forces that are trying to deform or destroy it?
«There’s a great distance between the deep needs of young people—among which the family comes first—and the cultural context, marked by strong individualism and a culture based on power and money. To be credible witnesses we have to be close to the young, spend our time with them, stand by them in their difficulties, and help them not to lose hope, but rather to keep faith in themselves and in their dignity as children of God, thus overcoming the negative forces of a culture that leads away from marriage, the family and social life in general, leaving us alone and without a future. Education is the priority».
How can the young build a new “family humanism”?
«By rediscovering, first of all, humanity as the great family of nations, which is the basis for a future of peace; in the ability to live in solidarity among brothers, and striving for a more just world for all. Young people are able to understand and realize this dream, which for us Christians is also a mission. Many adults, however, don’t help; they disillusion them or propose other ‘dreams.’ There is a need for adults who know how to accompany young people, supporting their commitment and trust, so that the dream may become reality. Then, the globalization of indifference and solitude will be followed by the globalization of love and hope, of which the family is the main protagonist, through the construction of a new humanism of brotherhood».
