Cathal Barry
Archbishop Eamon Martin has urged the Government to “go out of its way” to support the family, especially the “uniqueness of the faithful and exclusive union between a married man and a woman and their children”.
“In doing so, the State is not only caring for its citizens, but it is also strengthening and nurturing the foundations of society itself,” the Archbishop of Armagh insisted.
Addressing a conference at the weekend organised by The Irish Catholic and the Iona Institute, Dr Martin said Catholics ought to ask politicians to what extent they support family and life, freedom of education and conscience and a proper work-life balance, which respects the role of mothers and fathers.
“We believe that the Church’s proclamation of the family – founded on a faithful loving relationship between a man and a woman which is open to the gift of children who are the fruit of that love – is Good News for society and the world,” he said, acknowledging that the Church’s message “must compete with a tidal wave of individualism and instant gratification”.
Elsewhere in his keynote address to the conference entitled ‘Pope Francis and the Future of the Family in Ireland’, Dr Martin warned that there is pressure on young people “to resist becoming ‘tied down’ by commitments, relationships or attachments – to delay or avoid lifelong commitments, including marriage and having children for as long as possible”.
Flexible
“Employers expect them to be flexible, movable, able to travel and work long, unsocial hours. Young people can easily pick up a distrust of commitment and institutions, fearing that marriage and family may damage their social and economic independence and freedom,” he said.
Dr Martin also warned that that social media demands so much of young people’s attention and time and the inappropriate use of the internet for gaming, gambling or watching pornography can put “serious pressure” on relationships.
“On the one hand they are surrounded by a contraceptive, anti-birth mentality with its increasing indifference to abortion, whilst on the other they are offered a technocratic, commodification of child-bearing which, if necessary, can be accessed independently of any sexual relationship,” he said.
Other speakers at the conference included Baroness Nuala O’Loan, David Quinn, Breda O’Brien and Bairbre Cahill.
Not easy to reconcile Church teaching on marriage and mercy, nuncio warns
Pope Francis’ representative in Ireland has acknowledged it can be difficult to reconcile the Church’s teaching on marriage with its message of merciful love.
“Merciful love and the truth of the family, these are the things we have to hold together,” Archbishop Charles Brown told the ‘Pope Francis and the Future of the Family’ conference at the weekend.
“Is it easy? No. That’s why we had a synod. That’s why we had discussions,” he insisted.
Archbishop Brown also pointed to such a difficulty as the reason for bishops differing in their opinions at last year’s Synod on the Family.
“That’s why we had bishops in some sense differing with one another in terms of their approach to harmonising, to reconciling these two truths,” the papal nuncio said.
“We have to be careful not to be forced into choosing one of the poles of mercy or truth but to hold them in tension. If we hold them in tension it becomes fruitful.”
Elsewhere, Archbishop Brown denied there was a “distinction” to be made between Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
“Each, in a certain way is presenting the truth but perhaps coming to it from a different perspective.
“Pope Benedict approaches mercy from the standpoint of truth, from truth he moves towards mercy.
“Pope Francis on the other hand approaches truth from the standpoint of mercy. He begins with that experience of mercy from the Lord and then reaches out to give the truth of Christ to those around him,” he said.