LETTER TO FAMILIES

From: Letter to families by John Paul II – 1993.

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The State is thus called upon to play a role in accordance to the principle mentioned above [The principle of subsidiarity]

Whenever the family is self-sufficient, it should be left to act on its own; an excessive intrusiveness on the part of the State would prove detrimental, to say nothing of lacking due respect, and would constitute an open violation of the rights of the family.  Only in those situations where the family is not really self-sufficient does the State have the authority and duty to intervene.

 …

Every effort should be made so that the family will be recognized as the primordial and, in a certain sense "sovereign" society! The "sovereignty" of the family is essential for the good of society.  A truly sovereign and spiritually vigorous nation is always made up of strong families who are aware of their vocation and mission in history.  The family is the heart of all these problems and tasks.  To relegate it to a subordinate or secondary role, excluding it from its rightful position in society, would be to inflict grave harm on the authentic growth of society as a whole.