by Roberto Alessandrini
What does it mean to be a family today?
As a priest committed in pastoral work, I can state that being a family today is something exciting. And this, despite the difficulties, also the anthropological ones, since in the concept of family today, a diverse composition has been included, compared to the traditional one.
What are the difficulties of families today?
The individualistic mentality, by which one turns in on oneself. On the contrary, I believe that among the members of the family there should be the will to stay together and to grow, without necessarily copying the pattern of the patriarchal family of the past. Households need to confront and make experience with the others. Another obstacle is that families are not yet recognized as social subjects. Besides, many young people do not have a job and cannot create new households. But I wish to say that the desire and the vocation to get married have not faded.
What do you see as positive and added values today in comparison with the households of the past?
The man-wife relationship today is more equal, with an exchange of roles that strengthens the couple and makes it united and indissoluble. Besides, more space is given to affectivity. It is essential for the family to be not only a nest, but an educative agency as well.
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How does “Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco” follow and help the families?
The Centre is a big community that carries out many activities, such as the Feast of the Family, which is celebrated every year in May. Furthermore, some of our collaborators, adequately formed, help the households in their relationship with their own children, also with the support of priests and psychologists. We have a group of families, born here in “Borgo”, called “Bosco’s Roots”, that share a communal journey, through spiritual and human formation and an exchange on some themes. Recently a group was created to devise initiatives, conferences and meetings on topics such as the relationship between husband and wife or between parents and children. And finally many families are engaged each year in animating the “Estate Ragazzi” summer activities.
