Yesterday the Holy Father uttered these powerful words in a meeting with representatives from the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops:
"The Church", Benedict XVI went on, "tirelessly teaches that the family has its foundation in marriage and in God's plan". Yet "the secularised world is dominated by profound uncertainty on this matter, especially since western societies legalised divorce. The only recognised foundation seems to be individual subjectivity, expressed in a desire to live together".
"In this situation the number of marriages is falling because no-one wants to commit themselves on such fragile and unpredictable grounds, the number of 'de facto' unions is increasing and divorces are on the rise. It is in this fragile scenario that the drama of so many children is played out - deprived of the support of their parents, victims of apprehension and abandonment - and social disorder grows".
"The Church cannot remain indifferent before the separation and divorce of couples", Pope Benedict cried, "before the break-up of homes and the repercussions on children, who need extremely precise points of reference for their instruction and education: in other words determined and confident parents who participate in their upbringing".
"This is the principle that is being undermined and compromised by the practice of divorce, through the so-called extended and mobile family which increases the number of 'fathers' and 'mothers' and leads to a situation today in which the majority of those who feel orphaned are not children without parents but children with a surplus of parents. This situation, with its inevitable ... crisscross relationships cannot but generate internal conflict and confusion that contributes to giving children a distorted idea of the family".
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Dear Father Malloy, I enjoy your blog and go to it daily. Thanks for highlighting this message from Pope Benedict, which follows similar messages from Pope John Paul to the Rota.
The words of our Holy Father has helped me keep going as one who has been separated/divorced for over 8 years now.
I still live my life as a married man and pray that my wife and I will be reconciled. Though we have no children, we have 20 nieces and nephews who have witnessed the divorce of over half of their relatives (5 to date).
I know my responsibility is to carry my cross and pray for my wife to return to Christ and His Church. The road has been difficult, especially since every priest and religious in my diocese has told me to "get on with my life".
But with Christ there is hope and the promise of restoration. I will continue to trust and believe until death do us part.
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