Madrid, Spain, Jan 4, 2012 / 12:08 pm
European bishops called on Catholics gathered Dec. 30 in Madrid’s Colombus Square for a public Mass to uphold family values in an increasingly hostile society.
During the event, Archbishop Jean Pierre Cattenoz of Avignon in France voiced gratitude for the Christian family “at a time in which the world is seeking to destroy the family and life.”
In statements to Europa Press, he defended what he called the traditional family which stems from the union of one man and one woman, against other concepts of the family that have become widespread in France and Europe. He also urged Europeans not to lose hope in their efforts to support Christian principles on the dignity of human life.
Bishop Zbignierw Kiernikowski of Siedlce in Poland urged Europeans to strengthen their faith in Christ and to help marriages become more stable by resisting “the present-day circumstances that are against the family.”