Unity, stability of migrant families must be defended, pope says

Published: 2008-05-15

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The unity and stability of families, including migrant and immigrant families, must be defended "with courage and patience," Pope Benedict XVI said. Addressing members of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers May 15, the pope said the traditional family always must be supported. "One must not forget that the family, including the migrant or itinerant family, is the original cell of society and must not be destroyed," he said. The family is "the community in which, from infancy, one is taught to adore and love God, learning the grammar of human and moral values and how to make good use of freedom in truth." Many families find it difficult to live up to their calling, he said, but the challenges multiply for families who are on the move together or whose lives are marked by long periods of separation. The plenary meeting of the pontifical council looked at "families who find themselves, for whatever reasons, separated from their homes and homelands," said Cardinal Renato Martino, council president.

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