Christian families in Asia facing crises: Cardinal Vithayathil

Bangalore, Nov. 8, 2004 – Christian families in Asia are facing crises due to their failure to follow precisely the teachings of Lord Christ, according to Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, who spoke to the media on the eve of the the 11th Asia Pacific Congress (ASPAC) scheduled November 12 to the 15 in Bangalore.

The main theme of the conference will be the “Family, a conscious choice of happiness”.

The Christian family in Asia is threatened, primarily by the “media promoting a culture of death”, said the Cardinal. “The family is the “light of the world” but if “one wants a truly happy family, one must follow the teachings of Christ”.

“Christians,” he explained, “believe in Christ but are unwilling to follow the Church’s precepts. This is rooted in selfishness and lack of loyalty to the laws of God. The current crisis in Christian families is compounded by the lack of selfless love”.

In a world in where modernization and globalization threaten some of the fundamental bases of the family, the Congress is scheduled to meet to discuss and highlight what makes a strong family and study how to make this happen and what it means.

According to the Cardinal, the main objectives of the Congress are:
– understanding how families function today in Asia;
– identifying what makes strong and wholesome families;
– exploring the ways the Asian family can meet these standards.