Popes on The Family

I discovered a long time ago, that when people discuss a concept at length which has to do with culture or society, it means that thing disappeared long before the discussion.

For example, in the 1980s, the priests began talking about the need for Catholic communities, because such had fallen apart.

The door of the stable was being shut after the horse had bolted.

The same with marriage, education of children, and morals. In days before the later half of the Twentieth Century, things were talked about from the pulpit which were immediate needs, such as in the sermons of St. John Vianney, some of which I noted on this blog in the past several months.

St. John Vianney changed his small village by pointing out over and over again the need for Confession and repentance of the sins of the culture around Ars.

If such problems like drunkenness and wild parties did not exist, he would not have had to discuss these.

Our culture, our civilizing is dying in a manner which would have staggered the inhabitants of decaying Rome. The demise of Western civilization is discussed now after the fact, when families are either broken or dysfunctional, when nations no longer recognize Christ the King as the true ruler and His laws as necessary for order. We have come to the point where those who do not want to face the coming crash must be said to be blind on purpose or just plain silly.

That God will punish the earth is a given. We were told this over and over in the Old Testament as well as the New.

The difference, however, is that we have had almost two-hundred years of excellent Popes, who have, sadly, been largely ignored in their teaching regarding the unit of society, the family.

I am putting some links on the writings of the Popes on the family. Please take time to read, reflect, act, pray. This list is not exhaustive, but would make a nice study for a couples group or home schooling unit.

 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/1994/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_02021994_families_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_10021880_arcanum_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_31121930_casti-connubii_en.html