Duszpasterstwo wobec współczesnych zagrożeń rodziny

Abstract

Polish families are facing difficulties which originate from the changes of the political system and the credulous following of the norms existing among the Western societies. One of the most distressful threats posed to the maintenance of the family is the departure from its traditional character. This is expressed in the absence of both parents at home due to their efforts to maintain their paid work rather than to maintain the intimacy of the family bonds. The housing problems and unemployment, which results in labour migration of one of the spouses, are very alarming social phenomena which lead to the absence of one of the parents in the family life and, at the extreme, to the family breakdown. Family life nowadays also faces such pathological phenomena as: the unfaithfulness of one of the spouses, probationary relationships, gay marriages, addiction to alcohol and drugs. Furthermore, in the contemporary families there are often present such acts of violence as: beating the children or sexual abuse. The cult of novelty and the urge for changes disturb the integrity of the family. Therefore, among the duties of the ministry, there is the obligation to remind that marriage is a sacrament of the union between God and the people. Thus, the ministerial preaching should show the spouses how to prevent such threats to their relationship.