|
January 23, 1998, in the Miami Herald
Excerpts from the Vatican translation of Pope John Paul II's homily,
delivered Thursday in Spanish in Santa Clara, Cuba:
The family,
the fundamental cell of society and the guarantee of its stability, nonetheless
experiences the crises which are affecting society itself. This happens when
married couples live in economic or cultural systems which, under the guise of
freedom and progress, promote or even defend an anti-birth mentality and thus
induce couples to have recourse to methods of regulating fertility which are
incompatible with human dignity. There is even an acceptance of abortion, which
is always, in addition to being an abominable crime, a senseless impoverishment
of the person and of society itself.
The social situation experienced in this beloved country has created not a
few difficulties for family stability: for example, material scarcities—as
when wages are not sufficient or have a very limited buying power—dissatisfaction
for ideological reasons, the attraction of the consumer society. These and other
measures involving labor and other matters have helped to intensify a problem
which has existed in Cuba for years: people being obliged to be away from the
family within the country, and emigration, which has torn apart whole families
and caused suffering for a large part of the population.
The family, the school and the church must form an educational community in
which the children of Cuba can "grow in humanity.'' Do not be afraid; open
your families and schools to the values of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which are
never a threat to any social project.
It is true that in the area of education, public authority has certain
rights and duties, since it must serve the common good. Nonetheless, this does
not give public authority the right to take the place of parents. Consequently
parents, without expecting others to replace them in a matter which is their own
responsibility, should be able to choose for their children the pedagogical
method, the ethical and civic content and the religious inspiration which will
enable them to receive an integral education. They must not expect everything to
be given to them.
Associated Press
Copyright © 1998 The Miami Herald |