“The
Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image
of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy
Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it
reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to
partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer
and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity.
The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary
task” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2205).
“The Christian family…is the first
community called to announce the Gospel to the human person
during growth and to bring him or her, through a progressive
education and catechesis, to full human and Christian
maturity.” (On the Family, Pope John Paul II)
“The
relationships within the family bring an affinity of
feelings, affections and interests, arising above all from
the members' respect for one another. The family is a
privileged community called to achieve a "sharing of
thought and common deliberation by the spouses as well as
their eager cooperation as parents in the children's
upbringing” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.
2206).
“The
conjugal community is established upon the consent of the
spouses. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of
the spouses and to the procreation and education of
children. The love of the spouses and the begetting of
children create among members of the same family personal
relationships and primordial responsibilities” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, no. 2201).
ŠThe
Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin USA