ADDRESS TO COUNCIL PLENARY FOCUSSES ON FAMILY, COUPLES IN CRISIS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 18, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning addressed the participants of the 15th Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family which is currently underway in Rome on the theme "Pastoral Ministry for the Family and Couples in Difficulty."

The Pope highlighted the need for prayer, the Sacraments and spiritual guidance in the life of couples, saying this is all the more important "when lifestyles proliferate ... that place into doubt the value of matrimony, even believing it to be impossible for spouses to give themselves reciprocally in joyous fidelity. ... A badly understood sexual education also harms family life."

"How important it is," said John Paul II, whose 1981 document, "Familiaris Consortio," was the inspiration for the theme of the plenary, "to promote family support for couples, especially young ones, with the help of families that are spiritually and morally sound! This is a fruitful and necessary apostolate, especially at this historic moment."

The Pope's closing remarks were dedicated to the importance of dialogue within families, between parents and children, especially in the formative years. If parents do not find the time to talk with their children, he said, the children "will seek models and lifestyles elsewhere, that often are false and harmful for the dignity of man and for true love. Banalyzing sex in a society saturated with eroticism, and the lack of reference to ethical principles, can ruin the lives of children, adolescents and young people."

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