The fundamental role of the family

Society has lost touch with the importance of the family. In a world increasingly driven by individualism, the community once nurtured by family networks has faded, leaving behind a sense of “fragility and isolation,” explained Vincenzo Bassi speaking to The Irish Catholic. The president of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) and international speaker, described families as the oldest social institution, pre-dating laws and the State itself.

One of the realities Mr Bassi observed is the disconnect between modern life and the spirit of service in family life. Families, he said, offer a vocation to serve others, “Families are not perfect. It is like life; you have problems. But the family gives the opportunity to have a concrete vocation to service the others. And it makes sense.” This sense of purpose is integral to human flourishing, It allows people to find meaning and connection in their lives. Without it, society risks “descending into a cycle of loneliness and fragility,” as Mr Bassi explained.

Such a mindset leads to what Pope Francis has called a ‘throw-away culture’”

The fragmentation of families is intensified by global economic trends that prioritise productivity over community. Mr Bassi notes that the European Union often views people not as individuals with inherent dignity but merely as workers or consumers. “The economy has become the goal, not the instrument,” he explained. This shift reduces people to their professional identities, separating them from their roles as parents, siblings, and neighbours. Such a mindset leads to what Pope Francis has called a “throw-away culture,” where the value of a person is tied to their economic output.

Family networks

This economic focus has also led to the loss of the middle class, traditionally the support of family and community support, “The middle class was normally the class who took care of the others. But if you increase the tax rate the middle-class families become poorer.” This economic pressure not only affects individual households but also undermines the relationships that once sustained societies.

The globalisation of economies has weakened local communities by encouraging people to spend their resources outside their communities. Mr Bassi argues that this trend makes communities poorer, as money is not invested locally. He proposes a solution in the form of family networks, which could revitalise local economies by encouraging families to support one another and prioritise their communities’ needs.

“If you spend your money in a family network within your community,” he explains, “you do that because there are people who can take care of your children, your needs. And you live better.”

Family networks could recreate this dynamic, offering practical and spiritual benefits”

This vision of family networks is not only about economics but to involve a sense of community and solidarity. Mr Bassi draws inspiration from the past, when priests and families worked together. In those days, villages functioned as extended networks of families, providing mutual support and a shared sense of purpose. Mr Bassi believes family networks could recreate this dynamic, offering practical and spiritual benefits. He notes that when priests are in regular contact with families, they become more active and less isolated themselves.

One of the challenges in rebuilding these networks is the culture of individualism, which Mr Bassi sees as “a natural trend.” “The human being is against our civilisation. Individualism is not a sign of civilisation,” he said. True civilisation, he explained, begins when people live together with a shared goal, accepting and valuing their differences.

European Union

In addressing these challenges at the European level, Mr Bassi faces significant challenges. One of them is the need to shift politicians’ perspectives on the family. He told this paper the importance of moving away from ideological debates and focusing instead on the practical, functional role of families in society. “The problems we have now are the consequence of the lack of awareness concerning the function of the family,” he said. Families are essential resources for the common good.

Without taking care of families, we cannot expect anything from the others”

Mr Bassi also highlights the need for families to take responsibility for their own futures. He calls for a greater sense of action among families, urging them to organise and advocate for their needs. “The function of the family is not considered a priority from the politicians because the families are not represented,” he explains. By forming networks and working together, families can ensure that their concerns are heard.

Mr Bassi believes that by rediscovering the value of family and community, society can overcome isolation and fragility. This requires practical changes, such as “revising tax policies to support families and fostering local economies that prioritise community over globalisation.”

“Without taking care of families, we cannot expect anything from the others,” Mr Bassi said.

This shift reduces people to their professional identities, separating them from their roles as parents, siblings, and neighbours”

A much larger world

“How much better it would be to build a Europe centred on the human person and on its peoples, with effective policies for natality and the family,” said Pope Francis in April 2023, encouraging politicians to think about the role of the family.

This natural tendency towards individualism was criticised by the writer GK Chesterton, at the end of the 19th Century, when he noticed the start of this cultural shift. Chesterton, in his essay On certain modern writers and the institution of the family, observed that, “It is not fashionable to say much nowadays of the advantages of the small community. We are told that we must go in for large empires and large ideas. There is one advantage, however, in the small state, the city, or the village… The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world. He knows much more of the fierce varieties and uncompromising divergences of men.”

According to Vincenzo Bassi, “the civilised society starts when people do not live alone – when they live in community. The differences can be considered as an investment as well. That’s very Catholic… [Yet] make people lonely and they will be fragile. If you don’t want to be fragile, you need to live in community.”