Archbishop Paglia: Church needs to explore Theology of the Family

By Devin Watkins

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia has called for a renewed proclamation of the Gospel of the family, saying the theological reflection on the subject remains insufficient.

He spoke on Thursday in Changanassery, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, at the opening of a course for family pastoral experts organized by the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family.

“Starting with the magisterium of Pope Francis and the great changes marking the present era,” noted Archbishop Paglia, “theology is confronted with a new challenge, that of addressing the topic of the family in an adequate and renewed manner.”

He pointed out that a comprehensive Theology of the Family, considered as a body of relationships, has not yet been completely explored, even though much study has been done on the husband/wife union and spousal love, along with numerous studies on marriage from a juridical-canonical perspective.

Family: ‘Locus of matrimonial fruitfulness’

The new course seeks to deepen the theology of marriage and restore the significance of the family as the locus of Christian sacrament’s fruitfulness.

Archbishop Paglia said the goal is to explore the family not just as a consequence of marriage but as its development and extension into society.

The President of the Pontifical Academy for Life also criticized the societal trend to “eliminate the difference between man and woman,” calling it a “loss for everyone.”

“The biblical message is clear: man and woman come from God and are inextricably linked to each other,” he said. “It is impossible for one to live without the other. The man–woman creaturely polarity is constitutive according to biblical humanism.”

He also reaffirmed the Church's indissoluble bond with her children, likening it to Christ's bond with the Church, highlighting God’s unconditional love for sinners.

AI and the Church

Archbishop Paglia's visit to India will continue on Friday as he participates in the plenary assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) in Bangalore.

He is scheduled to speak on the implications of Artificial Intelligence for the Church and humanity.