Philippine president declares 'National Family and Marriage Week'

May 12, 2014 - Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Monday declared May 12-18 as National Family and Marriage Week, a day before the Catholic Church's Asian Conference on the Family opens in Manila. In his declaration, Aquino cited the constitutional provisions on state recognition of the "sanctity of family life" and the state's protection of marriage as an "inviolable institution" and foundation of the family. The president declared the need to promote nationwide awareness that "marriage is the natural institution for the transmission of life".

The Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family and the Philippines Catholic bishops' conference are co-hosting the conference in Manila. Peachy Yamsuan of Manila Archdiocese’s information office, said at least eight bishops representing Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Taiwan are expected to attend the meeting. Bishop Jean Laffitte, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family, will be meeting educators and catechists, legislators and politicians, bishops, and family life ministers from Asia during the week. Organizers of the meeting said that the conference aims to "generate discussion" on the 1983 Charter of Rights of the Family and its impact on Asia. The charter was promulgated by St John Paul II three decades ago.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, said in a statement that the charter is "a prophetic appeal in favor of the institution of the family, which should be respected and defended from all forms of usurpation". The charter came two years after Familiaris Consortio the apostolic exhortation of St John Paul II on the role of the Christian family in the modern world. (Source: UCAN)