El dinamismo apostólico de la familia cristiana

Abstract

The author speaks as a pastor with personal experience of thirty years as a priest and thirteen as a bishop. The apostolic dynamism of the family is not so much a theory as a very specific subject which has had manifestations in the past and, at the same time, is very relevant today. The historical manifestations are to be found starting with the New Testament itself: it is enough to recall the names of Cornelius, Aquila and Priscilla, Tabitha, etc. The effectiveness of the family apostolate can be seen also in China (V. Labbe), in Japan (Nagasaki) and in many places in Latin America. This effectiveness has deep theological roots: it is the fruit of the sacramental grace of matrimony which is, in turn, the starting point of the family. The sacrament of Matrimony, in effect, also confers on the spouses graces with a view to their social mission, the formation of a family and an active presence in human society and in the ecclesial community. Secondly, it has roots in the nature of the christian family which is a "domestic church", that is, a community of faith, of chariy, of prayer and of apostolate. The apostolic thrust of the christian family acts at two levels: one, the internal, which is in function of and at the service of the family itself; the other, the external, which is at the service of the Church and of the whole of society. The apostolate of the christian family with respect to itself includes the education of the children in the faith because the parents are the primary catechists; it includes the transmission of ethical values from generation to generation and the teaching of the finest humanism, namely, the formation of persons. The external apostolate of the family (the social level of dynamism) can be considered either in relation to civil society or to the Church. In relation to civil society, the family is above all the instrument which prepares children to enter society in a responsible manner. Secondly, the family is the best school of social virtues, and this all the more so when it is a large family. In relation to the Church, the family is a true "pastoral ground" which finds its place with the diocese, the parishes and the persons. The apostolic dynamism of the family finds itself threatened by several dangers: lack of love, lack of unity, lack of openness, lack of authority and lack of prayer. The pastoral approach to the family should put itself at the service of the family by removing these threats. In order to do so it should base itself on a sound theology and be attentive to the teachings of the Magisterium. It needs, at the same time, to take into account the five following aspects. A family pastoral approach should foster the christian life of healthy families and, in so far as it is possible, heal broken families. It should be ready to cooperate with all those organisations or persons who work for the good of the family, provided that they base themselves on principles that are not opposed to christian ideals. It should take into account the many modern family movements. It should tend to educate the members of the family towards love. Finally, a family pastoral approach cannot be exclusivist: it should bear in mind all the social, political and economic realities in order to provide a full and effective answer to the problems.