General audience: the dignity of marriage
Vatican City, 29 April 2015 (VIS) – Following last
Wednesday's catechesis on God's original plan for man and woman as a
couple, the Pope spoke at today's general audience about marriage,
recalling that Jesus' first miracle took place during the wedding at
Cana, when He transformed water into wine and thus ensured that the
celebrations could take place. “This fact reminds us of Genesis, when
God completed His creation with his masterpiece: man and woman”, he
said. “And Jesus began His miracles with this masterpiece, in marriage. …
Thus Jesus teaches us that the masterpiece of society is the family:
the man and the woman who love each other. ... Since that time, many
things have changed but that 'sign' of Christ contains a message that
remains valid”.
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| Marriage at Cana by Giotto, 14th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“Nowadays it does not seem easy to describe marriage as a
celebration that is renewed over time, in the different seasons in the
entire life of spouses. It is a fact that fewer people marry. Instead,
in many countries the number of separations is increasing, while the
number of children is in decline. The difficulty of staying together –
both as a couple and as a family – leads to bonds being broken with
increasing frequency and rapidity. … In effect, many young people are
led to give up the plan of an irrevocable bond and a lasting family.
There is a kind of culture of the provisional: everything is temporary,
and it seems that nothing is permanent”.
For this reason, the Pope continued, one of the questions
we must face nowadays is why young people do not choose to get married,
and seem to have little confidence in marriage and in the family. “The
difficulties are not only of an economic nature, although these are very
important”, he observed. “Many people believe that the change that has
taken place in recent decades was set in motion by the emancipation of
women. But this argument is not valid either. It is an insult, a form of
misogyny that seeks to subjugate women. If men behave in this way, we
are like Adam, when God asked him who had eaten the fruit of the tree,
and he said that the woman gave it to him”.
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| English:
Created by Phil Scoville on June 25, 2005 Downloaded from:
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to share and remix with proper attribution under the following license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“In reality, almost all men and women would prefer
emotional security in the form of a solid marriage and a happy family …
but, for fear of failure, many do not even want to think about it. …
Perhaps it is precisely that fear of failure that is the greatest
obstacle to receiving the word of Christ, Who promises His grace to the
matrimonial union and to the family”. However, “marriage consecrated by
God preserves that bond between man and woman that God has blessed ever
since the creation of the world; and it is a source of peace and good
for all married and family life. For example, in the early times of
Christianity, this great dignity of the bond between man and woman
defeated an abuse considered to be entirely normal in those times, that
is, the right of husbands to repudiate their wives, even for the most
specious and humiliating reasons. The Gospel, the Gospel that announces
this sacrament, ended this culture of habitual
repudiation”.
“The Christian seed of radical equality between spouses
must bear new fruit today”, emphasised the Holy Father. “The witness of
the social dignity of marriage will become persuasive, the witness of
reciprocity between husband and wife, of complementarity. .. And as
Christians we must become more demanding in this respect. For example,
in decisively supporting equal pay for equal work: inequality is a
scandal. Why is it taken for granted that women should earn less than
men? No! They have the same rights. At the same time, the maternity of
women and the paternity of men should be recognised as a richness that
remains valid, especially for the benefit of children. Equally, the
virtue of hospitality in Christian families today retains a crucial
importance, especially in situations of poverty, degradation and
domestic violence”.
“Do not be afraid of inviting Jesus to the wedding
celebrations! And also His Mother Mary!” exclaimed Pope Francis.
“Christians, when they marry 'in the Lord', are transformed into an
effective sign of God's love. Christians do not marry only for
themselves: they marry in the Lord in favour of all the community, of
society as a whole”.
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Late-term
abortions are legal in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom
and other nations around the world. The pro-abortion movement tells us
that the unborn baby in the womb is a ball of cells, a fetus or some
other term used to dehumanize them.
The
Colorado state Senate today passed a bill that would provide justice
for unborn children who are killed or injured in violent crimes against
their mother. The chamber approved the bill on an 18-17 vote with every
Republican supporting the bill and every single Democrat in the Colorado
Senate saying that unborn children are not victims of violent crimes
and do not deserve justice.
In the Middle East, doctors are doing illegal abortions on girls as
young as nine who were kidnapped and raped by ISIS fighters. The Mirror
Online reports that the children are from the Yazidis religious minority
community and ISIS kidnapped approximately 40,000 of them at gunpoint
in 2014.
Roxanna
Haynes, a TV meteorologist and former Fox and CBS reporter, has told
police that her ex-boyfriend forced her to abort their baby and then, a
week later, choked her, the New York Post’s Rebecca Rosenberg reported
today.
Attention
people of Baltimore: Don’t let the riots taking place across the city
impede your ability to kill your baby in an abortion. That appears to be
the message local abortion activists K. Travis Ballie is attempting to
send.
Pro-life
activists with Sidewalk Advocates for Life of Spokane shot video
footage as an ambulance loaded a patient at the Indiana Health Center of
Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Spokane, Washington, then sped
away to a local hospital with lights flashing and sirens blaring.
Last
week, a newborn girl was found dead after being born alive at Muskingum
University in Ohio. Now a corner has determined that the baby died from
asphyxiation and police have identified the mother as a student.
However, the woman has not yet been charged.
In
Pennsylvania, a woman gave birth in her car in the parking lot of
Wendy’s but told bystanders that she didn’t even know she was pregnant.
Thankfully, paramedics arrived right away and she delivered a healthy
baby boy.
Looking for an inspiring and motivating speaker for your pro-life event? Don't have much to spend on a high-priced speaker costing several thousand dollars? Contact LifeNews at news@lifenews.com about having LifeNews Editor Steven Ertelt speak at your event.
