THE SACRED SANCTUARY
“SAVE THE FAMILY
AND SAVE SOCIETY”
In this sacred season, we are challenged once again by our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II to save the ‘Domestica Ecclesia’, the miniature church, the Sanctuary of Life ... the Family. Only in this way can we hope to save our present society from self destruction: “The family is the basic cell of society. It is the cradle of life and love, the place in which the individual is born and grows. Therefore a primary concern is reserved for this community, especially in those times when human egoism, the anti-birth campaign, totalitarian politics, situations of poverty, material, cultural and moral misery, threaten to make these very springs dry up. Furthermore, ideologies and various systems, together with forms of uninterest and indifference, dare to take over the role in education proper to the family... the family can and must require from all, beginning with public authority, the respect for those rights which in saving the family will save society itself.” (Christifideles Laici, #40)
The Church, the “Family of Families” is the Mother who defends God’s universal moral directives, who remains loyal to the absolute that the family and its rights are a sacred sanctuary. This role cannot be replaced by governments, that advocate uniformity in place of true unity, that permit and promote a contraceptive mentality and a laissez faire attitude, in which the ambiguous will of the people (false democracy) adopts a culture of death agenda. Many have abandoned unity with the universal, hierarchical and charismatic Church, (the Holy Roman Catholic Church), in various forms of particular, independent, regional and national models, through declared or undeclared opposition. Others seek to use their positions of power in various institutes to promote disobedience and dissent, under the umbrella of creativity, liturgical innovation and by introducing private agendas through manipulation and compromission of educational programs, and mass media. These abuses are easy to discover and discern by observing the constant defiance of the teaching magesterium of the Church, evident in alternative secular hierarchies of values that give no priority to the sanctity of life, the family or the Creator’s laws and precepts. This is very obvious to those who follow Christ and our Holy Father’s teachings. “The restoration of culture depends upon the restoration of Divine Order to human affairs. The survival of a truly human community on this planet depends upon the rediscovery of the principles of Catholic thinking, doctrine, practice and spirituality. This will depend largely upon the re-evangelization of our Catholic people, and that begins with the foundation - the family.” (Michael O’Brien, The Family and the New Totalitarianism (1995, P. 59-60)
Some of the threats to family life are rampant and becoming worldwide: contraception, abortion, sterilization, euthanasia, assisted suicide and mercy killing. Others result from immoral life styles: pre-marital sex, recreational sex, homosexuality and sex related diseases. We are surrounded by attempts to redefine spouse and family to include multiple partners or same sex unions (i.e. recent court decision in British Columbia). Following, there’s the destructive consequence of the Aids Virus epidemic (1.4 million increase worldwide in 1996; 30 million are infected worldwide (14,000 of these Canadians); over 1500 infected in Ottawa alone, 388 deaths). There is also the recognized attempts at indoctrination by governments through education systems to pre-empt the role of parents in protecting and educating their children (overriding the subsidiarity principal), thereby fracturing the family. “In the end the only real chance a child has to grow up safe and whole, to live and grow and learn and find happiness is to be raised in a strong family”. (Barbara Johnson, The UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child-Fracturing the Family, AFWUF Voice, Jan/Feb 1990)
Our Holy Church has addressed these abuses in various teaching documents: Humane Vitae, Familiaris Consortio, Veritatis Splendor, Evangelium Vitae; etc. Pope John Paul II denounced some of these evils recently in Bologna, Italy, challenging pro-lifers to persevere. “Millions of human lives have been sacrificed this century in the name of totalitarian ideologies and lies... innocent human beings who are not yet born continue to be suppressed... many people thought that they could made do without God...”. (The Interim, Cathy Brunka: Sept. 28, 1997 What we are witnessing is a loss of the sense of God, man and sin; a devaluation of truth resulting from lack of education in truth and spiritual formation in living the truth. This is the result of the binding of democracy and ethical relativism, which devoid of moral values develops into a form of totalitarianism. “If there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power... a democracy without values turns easily into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism. (Centissimus Annus, 1991, No. 46)
The sanctity of family life must be preserved. This is essential as we prepare for the Jubilee 2000. We are called to imitate the Supreme Holy Family, the Trinity and the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They offer us in their family life an example of holiness and perfection. We might be tempted at times to give up in following the footsteps of God, but we see before us a human family. Jesus is the source and example of all sanctity. He is the reason for the season. Mary and Joseph are His perfect followers and disciples. Jesus gives us the supreme example. Mary and Joseph point out the possibility of perfectly following Him. He leads us in the straight and narrow way. Mary and Joseph encourage us, weak and human as we are, to walk behind Him. We often excuse ourselves by saying we cannot follow the heroism of the saints. Here in the Holy Family, we have a magnificant model of service and love to God and fellow man, family life centered on prayer and work, simple yet sublime, with absolute fidelity to the ordinary tasks of life, transforming everyday opportunities from the ordinary into extraordinary blessings. This is what can make every day an unprecedented remarkable day — a Christmas Day! “The future of humanity passes by way of the family. It is indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family. Loving the family means being able to appreciate its values and capabilities - fostering them always - identifying the dangers and evils that menace it - creating an environment for its development. The families of today must be called back to their original position. They must follow Christ” (Approprinquat Iam, 1980, Pope John Paul II, Letter). ¤