“A society which does not care for the family is a society which turns against itself”. Card. Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), recalled this today as he opened the second day of the International Theological Pastoral Congress, which is taking place in the context of the 7th World Meeting of Families (Milan, 30 May - 3 June). The cardinal called on society to take charge of the family as a whole: “There is a need to guarantee not only stability but also a healthy culture of the family, where the beauty of the natural family is seen as the foundation of living together”. CEI president went on to stress that “the family founded on marriage as its deep and vital origin is rooted in the one and triune heart of God”. Men and women are “marked by this origin” and “the family is the first basic form of social life”. (continued)

Card. Bagnasco went on to reflect on the issue of work, the focus of the second day of conference, recalling that work is “marked by success and disappointment”. Man is called to “show serious commitment to work, bearing in mind that there are limitations and goals that are beyond man’s reach. The loss of the sense of limit has often resulted in man taking wrong and harmful paths”. We have to be careful to avoid a serious risk: “sooner or later, unbridled consumerism and competitiveness may backfire against man”.