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Augustinians Support International Day of Families

May 15, 2009

Augustinians of the Midwest are encouraged to mark the United Nations' International Day of Families, May 15, 2009, in their communities and ministries. The Augustinians invite and encourage all who identify with Augustinian spirituality and traditions to do likewise.

This Day highlights many of the family values that form a basic part of Catholic moral teaching.

The observance recognizes the importance of the family as the basic unit of society. The International Day of Families provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and can become a powerful mobilizing factor on behalf of families in all countries, allowing them to lobby for the protection and support of family issues appropriate to each society.

Theme for 2009

The Families Day theme for 2009 focuses on Mothers and Families: Challenges in a Changing World.

“The mother-child relationship is vital for the healthy development of children,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “Yet women continue to face major - and even lifethreatening - challenges in motherhood.”

Ban listed several of these challenges, including

• Reducing mothers' death in childbirth and pregnancy-related complications, which are 300 times more likely in least-developed countries than in developed countries

• Eliminating violence against women, which harms not only women and girls, but also families, communities and society as a whole

• Ensuring access to education for women and girls, the benefits of which accrue not only to individual families but to whole countries, unlocking the potential of women to contribute to broader development efforts

“As we strive to support mothers in their caregiving work, we should develop and expand family-friendly policies and services,” Ban said.

This 2009 theme follows up on and complements the 2008 Families Day theme, Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges.

Charter of the Rights of the Family

The Charter of the Rights of the Family, presented October 22, 1983 by the Holy See to all persons, institutions and authorities concerned with the mission of the family in today's world, focuses on the basic rights that all families need and deserve to function and grow. Although the document gives special attention to marriage as the “natural institution to which the mission of transmitting life is exclusively entrusted,” the Charter focuses on protecting the family on all levels.

Article 4 maintains that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,” taking a direct stand against abortion and embryonic experimentation.

Borrowing from the Convention of the Rights of the Child, this article also maintains that all children in or out of the womb, born to single women or married parents, orphaned, handicapped or perfectly healthy deserve special protection and assistance from the government and society into which they are born.

The Charter challenges societies and governments to ensure the protections of the family, lobbying for individuals' freedom to enter into marriage of their own free will, raise a family of the size of their own choosing (without being forced to resort to birth control), maintain foremost control of their children’s education, freely pass on religious and cultural beliefs to the children, and to earn a sufficient family wage that allows the family to live comfortably and does not require the mother to work outside of the home.

The Catholic Church strongly supports the institution of family, and celebrates its importance in our lives. The U. N.’s International Day of Families provides us with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joy of family.

How You Can Observe the International Day of Families

Suggestions for observing the International Day of Families include

• Have a family discussion that explores issues and offers options on promoting healthy families in general and the challenges of motherhood in particular.

• Become familiar with the Charter on the Rights of the Family. (See “More Resources” below.)

• Teach children about the importance of healthy families. how mothers can handle challenges and how fathers can be responsible parents, through classroom activities, family discussion, or taking part in an event with the whole family.

• Encourage school, church and public agency officials to exhibit publications, photographs, children’s drawings, posters, and other material on healthy families, responsible fatherhood and the challenges of motherhood in church halls, schools, and other public spaces.

• Write or telephone your elected officials asking them to promote policies that foster healthy family life and responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Find your federal officials and communiciate with them by postal mail, e-mail or telephone:

  •        Contact the President of the United States (Opens new window)

  •        Find your Representative in the U. S. Congress (Opens new window)

  •        Find your U. S. Senators (Opens new window)

• The most obvious way to celebrate the International Day of Families is, of course, to act in ways that build healthy families: Spend time with your own family, read to your children, make an effort to gather together to share a meal, send a card to thank a mother or mother-figure for being a part of your life, pick up the telephone to let family members know you are thinking of them, give a hug to your children or spouse or parent, or remember family members, especially mothers, in your prayers for the day.

More Resources

       » Learn more about the International Day of Families (Opens new window)
             Information from the United Nations

       » U. N. Secretary-General's Message for International Day of Families 2009 (.pdf file - Opens new window)
             Observations from Ban Ki-moon      (Adobe Reader required - Get free download if needed)

       » The Human Family, a Community of Peace: Pope Benedict XVI (Opens new window)
             Message on the natural family, the global human family and peace

       » Read the Charter on the Rights of the Family (Opens new window)
             Presented by the Holy See to all concerned with the family in today's world

       » Marriage and Family ~ U. S. Catholic Conference (Opens new window)
             Catholic initiative to promote healthy marriages and families

Other UN Days Reflect Christian Values

      » Augustinians Support International Days
             Seven U.N. Days reflect Catholic Christian values