Pope supports Italian bishops' promotion of pro-family policies

Published: 2007-05-24

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI gave his full support to the Italian bishops' efforts to promote public policies aimed at helping the traditional family. Addressing the annual meeting of the Italian bishops' conference May 24, Pope Benedict said the bishops' pro-family initiatives were "in full agreement with the constant teaching of the Apostolic See." The bishops have been criticized by some for "interfering" in Italian politics, and the president of the bishops' conference, Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, has been given a police escort after receiving death threats. Pope Benedict told the bishops that while the church respects the separation of church and state "we cannot help concerning ourselves with that which is good" for the person, created in the image of God, and for society. The gathering of some 1 million people in Rome May 12 to celebrate the traditional family and call for family-friendly policies confirmed the fact that Italians still believe in the family, the pope said.

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