This collection gathers several addresses by the cardinal on the family, published in a year when Christian families from around the world will gather in Milan to celebrate with the Holy Father.
The family is portrayed in its weakness and poverty, yet also as the foundational cell of our society—a shelter in the storms of crisis, a "transmitter of a heritage built on the gift of love, sacrifice, and mutual care, as well as shared responsibility and commitment—a heritage that becomes the natural force of life and the very cement of civilization."
The cardinal remains the tender shepherd we have known, watchful over his flock. Confronted with situations that seem irreparably broken, he never stops pointing toward possible paths forward, meeting the Church's great educational and pastoral challenges with constant mercy and hope.
Even in 1984, the cardinal offered a sharp reading of the ethical and social context in which the Italian family lived—a diagnosis that speaks urgently to our own moment. Perhaps for this very reason, his careful interpretation of the biblical story of Joseph and his family, offered in another chapter, carries such force.
It is a story in which the fragility of a family emerges alongside its strength, rooted in God's hidden, providential, and reconciling power. One small but significant note deserves mention: the communities of Fede e Luce receive recognition here for their role in supporting families with a handicapped child, helping them discover how God is reflected even in these little ones.
The volume addresses many other themes that can deepen our understanding of what it means to be a Christian family today—not hiding its struggles, but revealing its joy and beauty.
C.T., 2012