Freeing the Family for it to take its leading role.

Although many do not see the truth of or the value of the family we cannot say this of the Teacher of all humanity, Benedict XVI. His witness to families at the recent International Congress of the Family has been listened to by countless families across the world. They came to listen to him and to hear his proclamation of the Gospel. At the recitation of the Rosary on 17th January he said:

"It is therefore necessary to promote a family culture and policy that the families themselves can develop in an organized manner. For this reason I encourage them to join associations that promote the identity and rights of the family, in accordance with an anthropological vision consistent with the Gospel, while I invite the said organizations to cooperate with one another to ensure that their coordinated activity may be more effective."

Why do we want the coordinated activity of the family to be more effective? Because it is the family which has a life-giving mission to humanity; many who have tried to act in the family's stead and have given us instead death! Do not listen to them.

The following day he spoke again to the Congress at the end of Mass saying: "This World Meeting of Families has aimed to encourage Christian homes so that their members may be people who are free and rich in human and Gospel values, on their way towards holiness; that is the best service that we Christians can offer contemporary society."

The proclamation of the Holy Father to families is life-giving because it engenders real freedom in those who are the architects of society - spouses and their families- so that they can embrace and reveal the mission which is theirs through marriage, a mission which both the Church and the world need to give way to. The Holy Father has been inspiring families to a new initiative and to really take the lead in embracing life, creating real human and Christian culture, forming the Church and forming society. Christian families are listening to the Gospel - the consequences of this will be remarkable for the New Evangelisation!