"Special attention from those responsible for the common good" is due to the family, " the basic cell of society, which fosters the solid bonds of unity on which human coexistence is based, and, through the bearing and education of children, ensures the future and the renewal of society," said Pope Francis in his speech on Wednesday, 8 July at "El Alto" international airport, Bolivia. The Pope spoke once again about the family, "threatened from all sides," during the meeting with the civil authorities in the Cathedral of La Paz: among the factors that threaten the family are "domestic violence, alcoholism, sexism, drug addiction, unemployment, urban unrest, the abandonment of the elderly, and children left to the streets" as well as "pseudo-solutions which are not healthy for the family," but rather—he said—"show the clear effects of an ideological colonization. Many social problems—he added—are resolved in the family, and resolved quietly; there are so many of them. The failure to assist families would leave those who are most vulnerable without protection."
Commenting on the Pope's statements, the director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said that this is "a very concrete way of presenting this speech, which he has focused on attitudes that all should have in order to make a positive contribution to the country's future." In this regard, the director of L'Osservatore Romano, Gian Maria Vian, noted that Francis described "the irreplaceable role of the family, showing it as a model for relations in society, in three decisive dimensions: gratuity, solidarity, subsidiarity."
