The influence of moral principles on the formation of a healthy family according to blessed father Michał Sopoćko

Abstract

The article is based on the doctoral thesis of blessed father Michał Sopoćko: “The family in the legislation on Polish soil. Ethical and moral study ”, which he defended in Vilnius in 1926. The Author dedicated his work to the legislators who were working on creating the state legislation in Poland after regaining independence after 123 years of partitions, in order to unify the family law which was diversed in various partitions. This dissertation presents the moral aspects concerning the family discussed by Father Michał Sopoćko with regard to the contemporary social norms. The article is divided into 3 chapters: 1. The general concept and position oft he family in moral theology; 2. The mutual relations of the spouses; 3. Relations between parents and children Chapter 1. presents the basic role of the natural law, reference to the conscience and property law. Chapter 2 is focused on marital relations, among which the most important one is the integrity of the marital union, next there is a debate on the mutual life as a relation of two people of equal dignity with the variety of tasks and the property relations. Chapter 3 is a reference to the tasks which are connected with the childcare. It contains information about education, material security and the duties of parents and children and about the problems connected with divorces and maintaining illegitimate children. The article emphasises the importance, validity and contribution of Father Michał Sopoćko to establishing legislation which concerns the family in the independent Poland.