‘The institution of the family will not die’ – therapist

The family as an institution would not die, even if we tried to eliminate all human relationships from society, Church family therapist Fr Carlo Bresciani said. He was ad­dressing the second annual conference on Familja Soda, Soċjetà b’Saħħitha (Sound Family, Strong Society) held recently by the Gozo Diocese’s Family Commission at Villa Fiorita, Marsalforn.

Fr Bresciani, an adviser to the Congregation for Catholic Education, said that despite the fact that today’s individualistic society did not easily accept marriage and family as being among mankind’s most precious values, the family can never become outdated.

He said the relationship between a man and a woman and between parents and their children, remained the most origin-al and irreplaceable form of relationship, adding that the continuation of mankind’s history depended on it.

Fr Bresciani said the family was the emblematic place where human relationships were born and where they develop.

It was the place where each one of us was generated not only in the physical sense but also in a psychological, cultural, emotional, behavioural and spiritual sense.

A couple having a healthy relationship generated a family with sound relationships.

In the course of Fr Bresciani’s speech couples drew practi-cal suggestions on how to build solid relationships with-in their families and in so doing help create a stronger society.

Among the points mentioned were the need for couples to consciously seek growth in maturity in their relationship within the continuously evolving, dynamic na­ture of family life and the need to do away with perfectionistic expectations and instead recognise and accept each other’s limitations.

Fr Bresciani said a mature marital relationship was not exempt from crises but one where crises were faced with the will and ability to resolve them.

The conference was closed by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech who said it was important to look at the family as a social institution with rights and obligations.