Denver, Colo., Jun 19, 2011 / 06:42 am
In an era of family breakdown and easy divorce, there is still hope for Catholic families to grow and develop under the leadership of fathers – both biological and spiritual. But men today must confront new challenges to their traditional roles.
“The greatest force pulling apart fathers and children is divorce,” said Brian Caulfied, editor of the website Fathers for Good. He told CNA that over time, children of divorce “generally have little or no contact with their biological fathers.”
“It's tough to put a broken glass back together, and the pieces never again quite fit,” said Caulfield, the father of two children.
An analysis released in June 2011 by the Pew Research Center shows that in 1960, 11 percent of children in the U.S. did not live with their fathers. The number increased in 2010, with 27 percent living away from their paternal figure.