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4.3.2.2.1 Towards the Integral Good of the Human Person

Faith formation starts in the family, and the parents and the elder
members of the family are the first teachers of faith formation. In the
contemporary context, children, born and raised in a family where sanctity,
purity, and a sense of sacrifice are maintained in thought, word and deed,
find themselves in a supportive, nurturing environment. Parents further
contribute to their children’s development when they also maintain an
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atmosphere of love, peace and daily prayer in the family. From the first
moment of birth, the child’s faith life depends on the faith life of the family,
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especially that of their parents.
Besides the faith formation, the parents have the responsibility to
educate their children in the secular sciences, enabling the children to
become fruitful and responsible citizens. Today, parents are concerned to
educate their children in various disciplines of the secular studies. Middle-
class parents in India today take great effort in providing an excellent
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secular education for their children, but the importance of educating them
in the area of faith and morals has not always been given equal
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importance. For a family rooted in the Christian faith, parents do not want
to limit the future of their children to the mere achievement of material well-
being. Encouraging their children to live in sanctity and moral values gives
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them the possibility of a more satisfying future.
Pope John Paul II connected the duty of parents to educate their
children with parental love. He emphasized the importance of educating
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their children in moral values. But what are moral values? Moral
theologian Thomas Srampickal notes: “‘(M)oral values’ refer to those

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Cf. MOOLAKKATT, ARCHBISHOP MATHEW, Circular, no. 124, Faith Formation
Day 2012, Catholic Metropolitan’s House Kottayam, 25 November, 2012.
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Cf. ANIYANKUNJU, P. C., “The Family is a School of Catechism”, in MATHEW
KALLUKULAM (ed.), Swargam Paniyunnavar, (Malayalam), Changanassery, 1998, pp.
60-61.
96 Cf. BéTEILLE, ANDRé, “The Reproduction of Inequality”, in PATRICIA OBEROI
(ed.), Family, Kinship and Marriage in India, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1994, pp.
442-443.
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Cf. MOOLAKKATT, ARCHBISHOP MATHEW, Circular, no. 124, Faith Formation
Day 2012, Catholic Metropolitan’s House, Kottayam, 25 November, 2012.
98
Cf. MOOLAKKATT, ARCHBISHOP MATHEW, Circular, no.143, Catechism Sunday
2013, Catholic Metropolitan’s House, Kottayam, 17 November, 2013.
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Cf. Familiaris Consortio, n.36.

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