Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma
“Protect your family.”
This was the message of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma during the launching of Marriage, Family and Life of Cebu Archdiocesan Foundation, Inc. (MFL-CAFI) on Thursday.
Palma spearheaded the establishment of the new foundation, which promotes the value of marriage as a sacrament, and family life as a gift.
To strengthen family ties, Palma pointed out what he believes is the most basic distraction for families: television.
“We spent so many hours on TV. One-fourth of our lives is on the TV. What role models do we get from TV? The program is meant to influence through education, teaching, company of good people and the experiences. Kay malimot man ang mga bata kay maoy makita sa TV (Children will forget because of what they seen on TV). There has to be a program that tells them that there are many good things to develop, to nourish love within the family,” he said.
Among others, the foundation will spearhead pro-family projects such as hosting mass weddings, seminars for couples and families, trainings in dealing with children, and forum on natural family planning.
Fr. Eligio Suico, president of MFL-CAFI, echoed Palma’s call to give more value to family life.
“We need to celebrate life, we need to celebrate marriage. The purpose of life is to be happy,” he said.
Suico added that the reason of broken relationships is the wrong interpretation of love.
“The common reason is materialism. Usa na sa mga hinungdan nganong daghang kakulian sa pamilya (That is one of the reasons why there is a conflict between the family). Atong interpretation sa love is “being formed.” Love should be interpreted as being with and as being formed. Sige lang kag hatag unya wala kay kauban. Lisod sad kong sige kag uban pero wala sad kay gihatag (You always give but you got nobody to give it to. And it’s also difficult to have somebody with you but you’re incapable of giving love),” he said.
Another officer of the foundation, Nicolasito Catingan, shared his own view of why some marriages fail.
Catingan, who serves as the information officer of MFL-CAFI, said that if the very foundation of the union is weak and wrong, the couple will most likely break apart in the long run.
“If the purpose of their marriage is they love each other and they want to build a family, it would last,” Catingan added.
Douglas Gacasan, auditor of MFL-CAFI, emphasized the significance of a strong family in building a strong nation.
“If we have a very weak family, we have a very weak nation. Importante kaayo nga lig-onon ang pamilya kay naa diha ang kalusogan sa nasod (It is important to have strong ties in the family for the betterment of our country),” he said.
With the establishment of the MFL-CAFI, Palma and the foundation’s members encourage Cebuano Catholics to always bring marriage and the family as the true foundation for genuine progress of the human society and for the nation to survive.