Reflections by Gianni Geraci published on the Blog Groupodelguado.blogspot on November 18, 2014

Today the newspapers report, among the other statements of Pope Francis, also that according to which: "Children have the right to a mother and a dad".
The solicitations of a friend prompted me to write some reflections on this statement that someone (legitimately) has read as a condemnation of homosexual parenting.

One thing must be said immediately: that the Pope reminds believers that the commitment to give a father and mother to each child is a value, not only is it right, but it is also sacrosanct.

In reading this invitation, however, we must also remember that the Church itself, throughout history, has often put aside this value, to promote others that seemed most important to it: just think of the institution of oblation, which led hundreds of thousands of parents to "oblance" the children (which said in a nutshell means giving and entrusting them) to many monastic communities that, without worrying to give them a father and a mother. tender age (as shown by the contracts that were signed with numerous dances, which were paid precisely to breastfeed the little ones among these future monks); Or think, just not to go too far in time, to the habit of taking ten years old children and locking them in minor seminars to cultivate their vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life; Or finally, think of that great company of charity that were the "moms by vocation" with which Don Zeno Saltini, the founder of Nomadelphia, tried to give a family to many minors who did not.

This historical excursus shows that the Church has not always given the same importance to the values ​​at stake in the process that leads to parents to commit itself to that formidable project that consists in having a child and in helping him to become an adult person.
And, if the past can help us understand the present, it also shows that it is not said that there are no other values ​​in the game, in addition to those who pushed the Pope to say that "children have the right to have a father and a mother".
It is no coincidence that no person of common sense, in the name of the value that pushes to say that "every child has the right to have a mom and a dad", he would ever dream of removing young children from a parent who remains widowed. This simple observation allows us to say that the one remembered by the Pope, even if it is a value, is certainly no absolute value.

In the last twenty years, for example, it has been realized that this phrase that seems universal, in reality, can replace others that are even more universal and that allow you to consider experiences that the Pope excludes.
It can be said, for example: "Every child has the right to have parents who welcome him and who do everything to make him become a peaceful adult" and you can ask yourself if these parents must necessarily be a man and a woman.

The Pope replies yes and, with him, many people respond inside and outside the church. However, there are many other people who do not think so, so much so that in numerous states there are laws that allow singles or homosexual couples to adopt minors. Who is right?

In light of the research that have been carried out in the United States on the children of homogenitorial couples, it seems that the Church is wrong, because, beyond the sad stories that can tell both the children of heterosexual couples and the children of homosexual couples, the indices that measure the overall well -being of these people do not present significant differences.

On the other hand, even without resorting to the studies of the sociologists of American universities, we all have in front of the experience of people who, despite having grown up in families where, for some reason, one of the parents was missing, they did not experience this experience as an insurmountable difficulty and have been able to build their more than satisfactory life.
Waiting to better understand how things really are in the light of a wider experience that will be in the near future each must do their part.
The Pope and the leaders of the Church, if they are convinced of doing the right thing, can and must continue to remember how important the value of guaranteeing every child "the right to have a father and a mother" is.

Catholic homosexual couples who, in conscience, are convinced that they are called to have a child, have the task of following their conscience and making this choice even if the church they are part of it does not agree: more responsibilities will have to take on, but if they are adult Catholics they have all the tools to do it (if they are not adult Christians then, perhaps they are not even enough adults to have children).

Among other things, their experience will be precious to help the Church itself better understand a phenomenon that, for obvious reasons, at the moment, knows only "by hearsay".

Finally, the states have a duty to regulate rights and duties of unconventional couples who choose to have children. Because even if the Pope says that: "Children have the right to have a father and a mother", in reality, then, there are (and there have always been many children who do not have a father and mother and, of these children, a responsible state, has the duty to deal with, for example by protecting their right to maintain links with all the people who exercise, towards them, parental roles, even when, for any reason, these people should of the child (it is essentially to allow the partner of the parent with whom he lives the child to adopt the latter in such a way not to be, from a legislative point of view, a perfect foreign).

Forse sono stato lungo, ma non è con una battuta che si risolve il problema dei tanti bambini che nascono al di fuori di quel sistema di diritti che sta tanto a cuore al papa, e che però, nella realtà, da che mondo è mondo, non sempre viene seguito.