by Xin Yage

In Taiwanese society, divorce, careers and materialism threatened the marriage. However, the Church provides attentive pastoral care, and the faithful stand by values that underlie society. Involved in a debate over same-sex unions, the government itself has been challenged.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - Divorce, careers and materialism threaten "marriage and the Catholic family in Taiwan. This is why we are waiting for a new roadmap from the Extraordinary Synod, to revive the family ministry and the Christian message," said mother, a father and a priest who spoke to AsiaNews about the meeting convened by the Pope at the Vatican to meet the "urgent challenge" that the contemporary family represents for the Church.

Prof Chen (陳 老師) teaches at the oldest Catholic school in Taipei, the Blessed Imelda's School, 靜修 女中. Fr Gino Picca (​​王秉鈞 神父) has lived in Taiwan for more than 50 years and is the parish priest at Holy Family (聖 家 堂), the largest parish in Taipei. Mr Xu (徐先生), father of two teenagers, teaches catechism in the parish.

"Yesterday at Mass, we mentioned the Extraordinary Synod with a prayer by Pope Francis," Mr Xu said. "Over the past few months parishioners and priests at Holy Family Parish answered questions sent by Rome. It was an interesting opportunity to talk about it".

Fr Picca prepared the Sunday homily "inspired by a document by Mgr Paglia (president of the Pontifical Council for the Family), which studied at length the family and its difficulties in today's culture.

"Faith is not supported by a 'Christian' culture like in other contexts of mission. It is necessary to make a highly motivated choice. For this reason, in Taiwan we underlie the importance of personal choice to live day by day."

According to Professor Chen, "in Taiwan ordinary people obviously appreciate the family as an institution, but just like other institutions it is attacked in many ways. Firstly, divorce is very much present, more and more I would say. Within families, there are many difficulties in the relationship in couples and with the elderly."

"We might say that most families take care of the elderly, but the pressure from work and career can sometimes play tricks. Very often, time that could be used to take care adequately of the elderly is lost."

"Parishes are very supportive families," Mr Xu said. "The main mission is to take care of the education of children with the catechism on Sundays.

"I know that our parish - but from my experience so do all parishes - invests a lot of energy in Sunday school for the little ones. Parents are organised in other groups coordinated by a couple with experience to discuss family problems. They read together a reference book and discuss the problems and expectations of family life."

As for Christians who are separated or divorced, an issue on which the Extraordinary Synod is working, Mr Xu noted that "Holy Family Parish invites them to join in any of our groups which are attentive to people and their problems. They definitely have different experiences. Some divorces see people give up. In others, violence plays a role. In others, it is infidelity."

For Fr Picca "a lot of care is given to keeping families together. The parish is very welcoming and follows up with those who are separated. Bishops do what they can to help families, proposing ways to undertake the mission for those who are married."

The parish, said the catechist, "deals with those who are separated but want to be part of the Christian community. People are asked to speak and understand their situation. We become friends, and naturally friends then ask their friends to help them. A couple leads the Sunday meetings for other couples and for those who are separated."

"This couple is prepared by life experiences. They lead a life of stability, are united and happy in their vocation, and can carry out this mission. Each semester we evaluate how we can improve this type of pastoral care, trying to get more people to be in charge of the apostolate of families."

According to Fr Picca, this can be broadened to include the whole Church of Taiwan. "Archbishop John Hung Shan-chuan (洪山川), who heads the Bishops' Conference, is worried a lot about families. His pastoral work in the last decade is proof of it."

Taiwan is also in the middle of a long parliamentary process for a law that would recognise stable same-sex partnership (同性 婚姻).

For this reason, Professor Chen emphasised a broader perspective that covers an entire political line.

"Not only the Church, but also the government understands the importance of the family as the core of society. Last week the diocese urged its members to participate in a government initiative, a sort of competition 'for a more edifying family'."

 "The parishes send the names of some families who can participate in this competition. We value the united family based on the healthy life of couples, and want to strengthen that. The Taiwanese government endorses policies for a healthy family life against the forces of disintegration."

"Sometimes we get confused when some of society's pillars are questioned like the family. But for us, it is comforting to see that every weekend more than 1,200 people participate in parish Masses on a regular basis.

"Not only is participation stable, but the community has been growing steadily each year. For example, at each Easter, between 60 and 70 adults ask to be baptised in our parish alone. Some get baptised with their spouse, others with their boyfriend, others alone and then enrich the lives of their partners."

In conclusion, Fr Picca noted that "we understand that the most important thing is to learn to listen and talk, learn to be a family that wants to talk and communicate within. It seems to us that the bishops and Pope Francesco want to remind us this through the Extraordinary Synod".

• taiwan
• vatican
• family
• synod