"Recognizing and supporting the family in its particular and priceless contribution to society" and helping those who are in difficulty—"especially women with precarious jobs, for whom the conciliation of work and family is not a choice, but a test of painful repercussions"—"to reconcile their own responsibilities with their professional engagements". This is one of the points emphasized by the Church of Quebec in a message for the National Week of the Family, which began on Sunday May 11th and will end on Sunday the 17th. This event is focused on the theme "Let us reconcile the family and work." The local bishops stress that "the family has a mission of its own, in the service of its members, their development, and life; the family has rights and, therefore, also needs support and guarantees in order to be able to exercise them."
In this context, "the reconciliation of work and family is not merely a problem of individuals but of the whole society, which must do everything possible so that families can accomplish their mission." In light of these elements—according to the bishops—the mission of the family, celebrated in these days with events focused on the theme of the 2012 World Meeting of Families in Milan, "not only concerns small children, but also includes teenagers, who need to be supervised discreetly, yet no less carefully; young adults, who leave the family nest later and later, and have trouble finding their way; and elderly relatives, who lose their independence and need care."
Finally, the bishops observed that "the search for political solutions for the reconciliation of work and family can help the community to become aware of the breadth of its mission, as well as of its beauty and social necessity". Christ, they conclude, "supports all those who want to make Quebec a paradise for families," and "the Holy Spirit calls us each day to pave their way."
