The Family & Human Life

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Foreword: I have now lived long enough to witness many changes in the Church and in the world. The sexual revolution is certainly one event that has brought about many changes. It initially promised greater freedom and happiness, only to leave us with much less of both. We need to rediscover the tried and true certainties of the Gospel if we want to be authentically free and happy. However, in today's social and political climate this is very difficult. The Church's gospel of life and love, as beautiful as it is, struggles to be heard above the noise and sirens of the alternative 'gospel' of license and promiscuity. Chastity, fidelity, abstinence are words not often heard in today's world. Pope St John Paul II left us many great legacies, most particularly his teaching on love and sexuality, commonly known as Theology of the Body. While affirming traditional teachings, St John Paul II 're-packaged' Church teaching in a positive light, extolling the beauty and wonder of the human body and sexuality, highlighting their true meaning and purpose. Every effort must be made to proclaim Theology of the Body to today's young people. Many attempts to present Theology of the Body to the world have already been successful, most notably the establishment of the John Paul Institute for Marriage and the Family in many countries, including Australia. The book The Family and Human Life is another step to address an important need. Written for younger people, it seeks to provide a solid introduction to the Church's teaching on critical matters relating to human happiness, including marriage, children, family, as well as the Church's response to the developing areas of reproductive technology and ethics of life and death. I am particularly pleased to see numerous quotations from the writings of modern-day Popes, including St John Paul II and Benedict XVI. I wish to thank the authors, Robert Haddad and Bernard Toutounji, for their work in this project and hope that The Family and Human Life enjoys widespread circulation and success. + George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, April 2011