VATICAN, January 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pope John Paul II called on Christians, and “who believe in the importance of the family based on marriage” to “join forces at all levels” in order to defend and promote the family as a “fundamental social good.”
Speaking on the first Sunday after Christmas, the commemoration of the “Holy Family” of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Pope explained that the family “is a human and divine reality.” He warned that, “In our day a misunderstood sense of rights sometimes troubles the very nature of the family institution and of the conjugal bond.”
“We must proclaim the Gospel of the family with joy and courage,” said the Pope. He reminded Christians of their duty to “promote the values of marriage and the family, both by the example of their own lives and by cooperation with other men and women of good will”
See the full address.