Archbishop Seán Brady was among 34 Presidents of Bishops Conferences who entrusted Europe to Our Lady at Fatima last weekend.The Plenary Assembly of the Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE) gathered in the shrine of Our Lady, from 3rd to 7th October 2007 for their annual Plenary Assembly to consider themes on marriage and family, ecumenism and the European Union.
At the culmination of the meeting on Saturday night, Cardinal Erdö, CCEE President, and the Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences read a prayer entrusting Europe and its inhabitants to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Earlier the bishops looked at marriage and the family, considered from a legal, institutional, social and pastoral point of view in all European countries.
A scenario which is both worrying and rich in contrast emerged.
On the one hand, surveys clearly show that marriage and family are priority ideals for European youth; on the other hand, in practice, marriage both religious and civil, are decreasing, and separation, divorce and single-parent families as well as children born out of wedlock are on the increase.
The traditional form of family is undergoing a crisis.
“Today, families live in an environment which is marked by individualism and secularisation. Many people today consider marriage as a simple contract between two persons. The increasing number of legislative instances undermining traditional Christian reality of marriage and family life are cause for concern. Should Europe lose the concept of family, it will lose its future,” said the bishops.
The Church today also faces new challenges linked to the increase of mixed marriages between Christians of different Christian confessions and between persons of different religions.
The phenomenon of migrations is also separating members of the same family and becoming one of the main causes for separation and divorce.
However the bishops could also see positive trends.
“There is evidence of innumerable families living out their own vocation with coherence and joy. More and more young couples are eager to get together and to commit to living their marriage in full and having more children. There are also signs of rebirth and attention to the family on the part of the political world. There is a new conscience of the basic quality of the family especially for what concerns the demographic question, the contribution of the family to social cohesion and education of children,” they said in their final statement.
The bishops said it was the duty of the Church and of all Christians to mobilise to promote the family, and for marriage as the “primary and fundamental unit of society.”
The most significant response to this situation is in the discovery of the richness and human depth of marriage between one man and one woman.
Prayer of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe entrusting the Church to Our Lady:
Mary, our blessed Mother,watch over the Church in Europe
which we entrust to your maternal love.
May we be open to the Good News,living peacefully in unity and harmony.
Give us the grace to welcome the stranger in need,and to be generous to the poor, the homeless and those without work.
May we proclaim with joy the Gospel of hope.
Mary, blessed among all women,you embraced the will of the Father.
To your heart we dedicate our familiesand our young people,those who are growing old,and the frail in mind and body and those who are sick.
We ask you to console all those who suffer, are wounded and broken.
Open every heart to Jesus your Son.
Mary, ever Virgin,to you we commend the Church in Europe.
May we be transformed by the Holy Spirit,to become witnesses to the holiness of life, stewards of God's creation, ambassadors for peace and reconciliation and faithful servants of Jesus Christ who consecrated himself to the Father, giving his life to take away our sin and opening the way to eternal life.
Mary, Mother of the Church,pray for Europe, pray for us.
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