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The aim of this thesis is to show that the family is a true Sanctuary of
Life, the dwelling place of God, a place where life is bred and protected.
Another reason is that the family is the micro unit or the basic cell of human
society and, as Pope John Paul II teaches in Familiaris Consortio, “the
5
future of humanity passes by way of the family”. The Church considers the
family as the primary place where she can focus her particular attention and
gives highest priority to promoting the integrity and welfare of human life in
its fullness. She believes that the Christian family is a Domestic Church and
has worked and sought to attribute this name properly to family life.

Methodology & Sources

The methodology used is mainly narrative, analytic, historical and
theological. Basically, the sources used can be divided into two groups:
theological and sociological. For theological sources, the Sacred Scripture
remains an extremely important norm. The documents of the Second
Vatican Council and Post-Conciliar documents are also considered. Papal -
primarily of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II - and other magisterial
teachings on the family, hold a special place in the sources. Non-magisterial
authors that are relevant to our topic have also been included. Sociological
sources used mainly describe the traditions and customs of the families in
the archdiocese of Kottayam and Kerala.

Limitation and difficulty

The study is limited to those teachings of Pope John Paul II on
family as Domestic Church and as Sanctuary of Life and the mission
implied in these teachings. In this effort, particular attention is given to
Familiaris Consortio. Regarding the family traditions and customs of the
Southist community, there are a limited number of documents. The studies
of these customs that do exist are on sociological, liturgical, cultural and
historical levels. As far as is known by the author, this is the first time an
attempt has been made to do a moral and theological analysis of the family
customs and traditions of the Archdiocese of Kottayam.

Division and Content of the Study

The study is divided into four chapters, each beginning with a short
introductory note and ending with a brief conclusion. This conclusion, while
providing a summary of what has been treated in the chapter, intends to

5 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, no. 86, 22 November,
1981, in AAS 74, 1982, p.188. English Translation, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1981.

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