Pontifical Council for the Family

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The Pontifical Council for the Family is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was established by Pope John Paul II on May 9, 1981 with the Motu Proprio Familia a Deo Instituta and substituted for the Committee for the Family of Pope Paul VI, which had been established in 1973. The Council "promotes the pastoral care of families, protects their rights and dignity in the Church and in civil society, so that they may ever be more able to fulfill their duties."[1]

The Council "works for a deeper understanding of the Church’s teaching"; "encourages studies in the spirituality of marriage and the family";[2] works "to ensure the accurate recognition of the human and social conditions of the family institution everywhere";[3] and "strives to ensure that the rights of the family be acknowledged and defended even in the social and political realm" and "supports and coordinates initiatives to protect human life from the first moment of conception and to encourage responsible procreation." [4] More particularly, the Council "promotes and coordinates pastoral efforts related to the issue of responsible procreation, and encourages, sustains and coordinates initiatives in defense of human life in all stages of its existence, from conception to natural death." [5]

Among the significant documents issued by the Council are The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, (1995) providing guidelines for education within the family; Vademecum for Confessors Concerning Some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal Life (1997) reaffirming the illicit nature of contraceptive acts; and Declaration on the Decrease of Fertility in the World (1998) observing declining demographic trends.

Its president is Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, its secretary is Bishop Karl Josef Romer. There is also an under-secretary. In addition to its advisory board of bishops, members of the Council include laypeople, especially married laypeople "from all over the world." [6] The Council has a Presidential Committee with 15 cardinals, 12 archbishops and bishops, 19 married couples, 39 consultors, and a staff of 10. The Council's consultors include laypeople such as moral theologian Janet E. Smith,[7] Christendom College President Timothy T. O'Donnell,[8]Carl A. Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; José Luis Mendoza, president of the Catholic University of St. Anthony[1], of Murcia, Spain and father of 14,[9] and Jerry Coniker, co-founder of the Apostolate for Family Consecration and Catholic Familyland.[10]

The Council has published the quarterly Review Familia et Vita since 1994. It organizes the World Meetings of Families, convened in Rome in 1994, in Rio de Janeiro in 1997, Rome in 2000, Manila in 2003, and scheduled for Valencia, Spain in 2006.

The Council is based in the Palazzo San Calisto, in Piazza San Calisto, Rome. On 6 May 2006 Cardinals Carlo Caffarra and Nicolas Cheong Jin-Suk were named members of the Congregation.[11]

On June 6, 2006, the Council published a document entitled "Family and Human Procreation"[12]noting that "Never before has the natural institution of marriage and the family been the victim of such violent attacks."

  1. ^ Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, art. 139
  2. ^ Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, Art. 141 — § 1
  3. ^ Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, Art. 141 — § 2
  4. ^ Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, Art. 141 — § 3
  5. ^ The Pontifical Council for the Family
  6. ^ Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, art. 140
  7. ^ Sacred Heart Major Seminary Biography of Janet E. Smith
  8. ^ "Pope Appoints O'Donnell as Consultor to Pontifical Councel Jan. 8, 2003, Christendom College News and Events
  9. ^ "Church's Stance Doesn't Stifle Sexuality, Says University Chief," Nov. 22, 2004 Zenit News Service
  10. ^ Familyland Co-Founder Named Consultor for Pontifical Council Zenit News Service, September 19, 2004.
  11. ^ New Cardinals Get Curial Assignments Zenit News Service, May 7, 2006
  12. ^ Document Deals With "Family and Procreation" Echoes Teachings of "Humanae Vitae" Zenit News Service, June 6, 2006

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