Zagreb (IKA) – The Symposium on the Family – In the Center of the Church and Society? New Challenges in the Pastoral Ministry to Marriages and Families, within the framework of European Catholic Day, was held at the Hotel Internacional in Zagreb from April 23 to 25. It was organized by the Croatian Conference of Bishops and the Bishops’ Conferences of the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, in collaboration with the Bishops’ Conferences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland.
The symposium began on Friday, April 23, with the opening ceremonies, attended by the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, bishops from Croatia and other countries, and distinguished guests from public and cultural life in the city of Zagreb and Croatia. The symposium continued with its work on Saturday, April 24, with presentations by Dr. Josip Baloban on “Marriage and the Family in the Light of the Second Vatican Council Today,” Dr. Gerhard Marschuetz of Vienna, who spoke on the topic of “Man and Woman as a Married Couple in the 21st Century: Roles, Dignity and Partnership.” Dr. Josip Grbac spoke about divorced persons who are remarried as a serious concern of the Church, and Dr. Pero Aracic delivered a lecture entitled “The Orientation of the Family as the Topic and Task of the Church/Community.” In the afternoon session, there were professional workshops where the symposium participants were divided into 13 workshop groups that discussed the following topics: Preparation for Marriage, Building Parents, Pastoral Activity with Divorced Persons, Marriage and Family Legislation, Marital and Family Values in the Media; Family, Social and Church Training in Dialogue; The Family and Addictions; Partnership and Sex Education/Further Preparation for Marriage; Marital, Family and Life Counseling; The Effect of Unemployment on the Family; Marriage and the Family from the Perspective of Children; The Family and Poverty; and Bioethical Challenges.
After the presentation of the conclusions of the work groups, on Sunday, April 25, the symposium participants issued a declaration based on the conclusions reached during the three-day symposium.
In their message, the symposium participants stated that it is God’s plan for marriage to be a union between one man and one woman, in the center of which is a permanent and irrevocable community of love receptive to responsible motherhood and fatherhood. Marriage is of primary importance for all our peoples and also all the citizens of Europe, as is the desire to bear children. Despite the fact that marriage and the family are among the highest values of our citizens, many marriages do not succeed in surviving. Moreover, the number of children born is far below that which young engaged couples want. The participants in the symposium state that the Church is required to create an entire pastoral family through the formation of every young being in the long-term, short-term and immediate preparation for married and family life, and through following every family in its gradual growth and realization of its mission of a quality marriage and family. In addition to the necessary structures on the national, diocesan and regional levels, and the qualified personnel, the participants add that it seems very important for this pastoral activity to take hold on the parish level. The parish should value every “household Church” and become a place of freedom, gathering and solidarity with services developed for all the family and all needs, filled with an atmosphere of friendship, mutual acceptance and counseling. Family life should be imbued with the proclamation, celebration, service and community of every parish, in the opinion of the symposium participants.
They also that the Church also has obligations toward brothers and sisters whose marriages did not succeed, who are divorced, and those who have entered into new civil marriages. They emphasize that in addition to legal assistance, human solidarity, closeness, inclusion in the community, prayer solidarity and providing support to their faith are also important.
The society is also obligated toward the family. It is in the family that the new members of the society are born and raised, who secure its future, as emphasized in the conclusions of the symposium. It is also added that the government, through legislation and the general social atmosphere, must create a friendly climate toward every family, so that it can rejoice in every new member, by creating the prerequisites from jobs to housing and numerous forms of assistance to children. This also includes the necessary mechanisms for preventing the spread of drugs, various addictions and violence. The participants also warn of the particularly powerful role of the media, which should contribute positive values about marriage and the family for the good and future of the society.
Furthermore, they conclude that the Church needs to promote and appreciate the family, working together, particularly at the diocese and parish level, to issue pastoral plans and programs for family pastoral activity. They emphasize how the society should value the family as a partner, with whom it is necessary to seek solutions about everything together and issue laws. All the relevant social institutions, especially childcare and education, are required to respect that the family has the most important role in the upbringing of children, and should therefore be in constant dialogue with the family. The family, connected with associations and movements on the national and international levels, should be a participant in everything that concerns marriage and the family, both in the society and the Church.
At the end of their message, the participants in symposia within the framework of Central European Catholic Day held in Brno on demographic status and in Zagreb on the Church and society’s effect on marriage and the family, point out that they want to continue to cooperate and exchange experiences, as well as seek new models for working with families.
The symposium was concluded with a Mass celebrated by the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic.