Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jul 20, 2009 / 18:44 pm
The president of the Brazilian bishop’s Committee on Life and the Family, Archbishop Orlando Brandes of Londrina, said last week, “When a family passes on religious principles, the Gospel to their own children, it is fulfilling its mission as the domestic Church.”
The archbishop’s comments were part of the presentation of the 2009 edition of the book, “The Time of the Family,” which is being released to mark the Week of the Family, a Brazilian initiative that will take place in August.
This year’s celebration will focus on catechesis, as “parents are the first catechists” of their children, the archbishop said.
“At the heart of the family founded upon marriage is its vocation to be a natural source of life, the first school of humanity, in which diverse generations learn and exercise each day the joy and virtue of living, not only individually but also together, in the sign of the diverse forms of life: gift, forgiveness, sacrifice, patience and everyday life, joy and sorrow,” he said.
Amidst the various threats facing the family today, Archbishop Brandes said the family must keep sight of “its fundamental mission, which is to be the first school of human and social virtues that contribute what is essential for living together in peace.”