Tom Ward at Warsaw

Dr Tom Ward was one of the speakers at the World Congress of Families in Warsaw earlier this month. He was speaking on behalf of the National Association for Catholic Families. The following is an extract from his speech:

The Rights of the Family
Pope John Paul taught us that loving the family means identifying the dangers and evils that menace it in order to have the knowledge, ability and confidence to overcome them. True optimism is based on realism. The United Kingdom is a nation in an advanced stage of the Culture of Death. Our policies have a pivotal role in the attack on families both in that quarter of the world which shares our Common Law Jurisdiction and in the European Union. As a family doctor of almost 40 years standing and as a founder of an association of families I now wish to highlight three dangers to our families.

Danger 1
The failure of many of those in authority in the Church to follow the unequivocal teaching of the Popes on the grave immorality of the artificial separation of the unitive from the procreative components of human sexuality in spite of the evidence of the damage done to marriage and young people from contraception, from the horrors of IVF and now the sinister homosexual revolution. It is urgent that the beauty of Humanae Vitae is now taught. Only such a recovery will bring great hope of a new spring -time to our dying continent.

Danger 2
In the United Kingdom a legal infrastructure has now been laid down for a massive attack on the Church and on our families. In particular the Sexual Orientation Regulations seek to privatise and penalise the Magisterial teaching of the Church on human sexuality, marriage and the family. The financial penalties are severe. The lives of our families are based on these God-given truths. We will respond to these threats to our families by continuing to joyfully announce these truths to all and by remaining totally faithful to our beloved Holy Father Pope Benedict.

Danger 3
The usurpation by the State of the right and duty of parents to be the primary protectors and educators of their children. The removal of this God-given inalienable right leaves their children without protection from pressures both for premature sexualisation and now homosexualisation.

So how better to respond to these challenges than with these words of Pope John Paul II?

‘Be not afraid - The power of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection is greater than any evil which man could or should fear…There is every reason for the truth of the Cross to be called the Good News.’

That is our hope.

Dr Thomas Ward
President, National Association of Catholic Families
The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima 2007

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