Archbishop Paglia’s message to the Forum of Family Associations of Lazio for the initiative "And ... be in the family"
"We know and believe that every communion of persons based on love is in some way a reflection of God who is love, one and three. However, this is true in a special way of the family. In virtue of this reciprocity, every true marriage of a man and a woman deserves to be qualified as creation’s primordial sacrament. The family should be viewed not only as a bearer of needs but also as a resource for the Church and for society, that is, as a subject of evangelization and humanization. Inspired by these feelings, I accompany your initiative with great affection." Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, addressed these words to Emma Ceccarelli, President of the Forum of Family Associations of Lazio, in response to the invitation to the meeting entitled "And ... be in the family," organized by the Forum in Rome from 2 to 6 July.
In his message, the President of the Pontifical Council writes that "the family is the institution of the total mutual gift and of the full communion of life. Unity and openness characterize not only the authenticity of the conjugal act, but also the authenticity of the life of the couple and of the family in all its dimensions. The couple looks together towards their children and, beyond their children, to society and the Church, towards shared goals and projects." For Msgr. Paglia, "the whole family is a gift to society. In the family, people pay attention not only to their own advantage, but also to the good of others and the common good, which belongs to each one and to all." Although “gender ideology” threatens the family today, "we know and believe that every communion of persons based on love is in some way a reflection of God who is love, one and three. However, this is true in a special way of the family. The family—he concluded—should be viewed not only as a bearer of needs but also as a resource for the Church and for society, that is, as a subject of evangelization and humanization."