The family was the subject of the Holy
Father's reflection before he prayed the Angelus on Sunday, 26
December, this year the Feast of the Holy Family and of St
Stephen. The Pope told the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square
of the family's importance as the community of love and life
formed by a man and a woman, who give themselves to one another
in marriage and are open to God's gift of children. He also
explained, speaking of children's rights, that they are entitled
to be born and to grow up in such a family. Here is a translation
of the Holy Father's reflection, which was given in Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. This Sunday we are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family
of Nazareth, and it is very significant that this year it
takes place the day after Christmas and the opening of the Great
Jubilee.
I would therefore like to extend my special good wishes to
families: a merry Christmas and a happy Jubilee Year to you
all, families of Rome and of the entire world! The Jubilee that
marks the 2,000th anniversary of Christ's birth is yours in a
particular way, because it recalls how God chose to enter human
history through a family.
2. At the beginning of the Holy Year 2000, today's feast gives me
a favourable opportunity to appeal anew for the rights of the
family, of life and of children which are also recognized by
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Indeed, in order to
promote human rights, those of the family must be protected since
it is from families that a full response can be made to the
challenges of the present and the future.
The family is a community of love and life, which is created when
a man and a woman give themselves to one another without reserve
in marriage, open to the gift of children. The fundamental
right to life is inherent in the human being from the
moment of conception and is the essence of natural law and of the
traditions of the great religions, as well as of the spirit of
Article Three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The union between the mother and the child conceived and
the irreplaceable role of the father require that the
child be welcomed into a family which, as far as possible, will
guarantee the presence of both parents. The specific contribution
made by each one to the family and through it, to society,
deserves the highest esteem.
3. Today families need the special protection of the public
authorities which are often subjected to pressure groups
concerned to have passed as law what is actually the fruit of a selfish
and subjectivist mentality.
"The future of humanity passes by way of the family"
(Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris consortio, n. 86); and
the great family of nations is built from this small but
fundamental cell. May God enlighten legislators, leaders, and
every person of good will, in order to promote the effective
protection of the rights of the family, of life and of children.
May we be helped in this by the Holy Family of Nazareth, who
welcomed and helped to raise the Redeemer of the world.
After leading the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father
prayed for all those in the world who are suffering, and thanked
the volunteer workers for the Jubilee:
In these days when the Christmas atmosphere invites people to
improve themselves and become more fraternal, we must pray for
the peoples living in great suffering.
In particular we feel close to the inhabitants of Chechnya, just
as we cannot forget the many peoples of Africa, among whom I
would like to mention the citizens of Côte d'Ivoire who are
going through a difficult period in their history.
To all who strive to take the way of harmony and peace I
say: have the courage of a loyal and persevering dialogue,
so that brotherhood, which Jesus, made man, came to offer as a
gift to all humanity, can at last become a reality for everyone.
I also greet the first group of Jubilee volunteer workers who
have most generously offered their services to help pilgrims.
Dear friends, your valuable work and the work of those who will
follow your example will, I am certain, help to show the
welcoming face of the Church.
Happy holidays and happy Jubilee Year.
(©L'Osservatore Romano - 29 December 1999)