Marking the Feast of the Holy Family, the Italian Association of Large Families celebrated its 10th anniversary with Pope Francis on Sunday 28 December. After a presentation by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and of the past and current Presidents of the Italian Association of Large Families, Pope Francis addressed more than 7000 people, belonging to an Italian association for large families and representatives from various European countries (Spain, France, Germany, Hungary…).
He encouraged them very strongly, saying that “In a world often marked by selfishness, the large family is a school of solidarity and sharing; and this attitude then becomes a benefit for the whole society.” Pope Francis also expressed his gratitude to the numerous parents present in the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican, for the “example of love towards life, that you preserve from conception to natural end, despite all the difficulties and burdens of life, and that unfortunately, the public institutions do not always help you.”
In this vein, he namely welcomed “a network of family associations capable of being present and visible in society and in politics”, citing the paragraph 44 of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, in which Saint John Paul II stated that “families should be the first to take steps to see that the laws and institutions of the State not only do not offend but support and positively defend the rights and duties of the family. Along these lines, families should grow in awareness of being “protagonists” of what is known as “family politics” and assume responsibility for transforming society; otherwise families will be the first victims of the evils that they have done no more than note with indifference.” This was an event that, beyond encouraging many large families in Italy and in the world, confirmed the importance of working and cooperating in favour of families on our continent.
