"There is an ideological colonization that we have to be careful of that destroys the family."
That was the clear warning of Pope Francis to families in his reflection of the Gospel during the "Encounter of the Families" held last 16 January 2015 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
However, some were confused at what he really meant because Pope Francis did not elaborate the kind of "colonization" which is destroying the family. He also added that this threat will come from the outside.
To make everyone understand what his strong words were really about, the Vatican's spokesman told journalists that same-sex marriage falls within this category of the so-called "threat."
In an address to more than millions of Filipino families in the Philippines and all over the world, Pope Francis decried repeatedly the "new ideological colonization that tries to destroy the family." He also warned against increasing efforts "to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life."
The message is consistent with what Pope Francis said earlier earlier in the day in a mass at the Manila's cathedral where he told thousand of priest and bishops to "Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family."
He then warned the faithful against "powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture."
During a press briefing later in the evening after the MOA event, the head of the Holy See press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed to journalists that this "colonization" of which Pope Francis spoke refers in part to gay marriage.
"I think that it is well-known that the perspective of the Church about the family is that the family is based on the union of the marriage of a man and a woman."
For Catholics, the family is "the union of the man and the woman, and the children that come from this union," the spokesman added. "If there are persons that desire to have community in other ways ... this is not for us a family."
That was the clear warning of Pope Francis to families in his reflection of the Gospel during the "Encounter of the Families" held last 16 January 2015 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
However, some were confused at what he really meant because Pope Francis did not elaborate the kind of "colonization" which is destroying the family. He also added that this threat will come from the outside.
To make everyone understand what his strong words were really about, the Vatican's spokesman told journalists that same-sex marriage falls within this category of the so-called "threat."
In an address to more than millions of Filipino families in the Philippines and all over the world, Pope Francis decried repeatedly the "new ideological colonization that tries to destroy the family." He also warned against increasing efforts "to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life."
The message is consistent with what Pope Francis said earlier earlier in the day in a mass at the Manila's cathedral where he told thousand of priest and bishops to "Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family."
He then warned the faithful against "powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture."
During a press briefing later in the evening after the MOA event, the head of the Holy See press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed to journalists that this "colonization" of which Pope Francis spoke refers in part to gay marriage.
"I think that it is well-known that the perspective of the Church about the family is that the family is based on the union of the marriage of a man and a woman."
For Catholics, the family is "the union of the man and the woman, and the children that come from this union," the spokesman added. "If there are persons that desire to have community in other ways ... this is not for us a family."