The Federation of Catholic Family Associations (FAFCE) have released a resolution that they passed on the topic of ‘The Family is the Democratic and Demographic Future of Europe’. We think that the points contained within it are worth reading:
1. The family is the first community of persons and the first network of social engagement. All intermediate bodies start as communities of families. Both the market and the state exist at the service of the community.
2. Democratic principles derive from the Christian experience of human dignity and are transmitted by generations of families; these principles are the result of the sense of responsibility lived out in the family, wherein arise reciprocal respect between man and woman, esteem for the essential role of the elderly, focus on the common good, and generosity. In the family, children grow up to become responsible and engaged citizens, able to care for the weakest and poorest of their communities.
3. Even in the light of the pandemic, the role of the family is also to transmit democratic principles and to share them within their communities, through networks of families and family associations, transcending not only society, but also countries, as demonstrated by the existence of FAFCE.
4. Grandparents and parents play a key role in transmitting knowledge and cultural memory, affirmed by their experience of charity, peace, justice and solidarity.
5. An authentic democracy is not merely the result of a set of rules or an exportable model; rather, it is the virtue of affirming and giving testimony to the dignity of every human person and commitment to the common good.
6. Democracy is impossible without families and their generative contribution to the future of their communities. Families thus should be recognised for their role as agents of democracy, hubs of social action, and protagonists of demographic and family policies. Therefore, the State and public institutions, adopting a bottom-up approach, should favour freedom and the democratic example carried out by families, respecting the principle of subsidiarity.
7. Generational sustainability constitutes a necessary condition for democracy in Europe: without new generations to uphold democracy, there is no future for Europe or its democratic culture.
You can read their full statement here.
