its splendor, will the building of the civilization of love truly begin." At the closing of his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America, John Paul II even issued a special invitation to Catholic families to be "domestic churches" so they can be "true centers of evangelization" (EIA 76).

Thus, one can understand why John Paul II said that "ministry to families is an extremely important dimension of the Church's evangelizing task,"77 urging "a constant increase of pastoral initiatives directed to families" (EIA 46). He warned that the family, established by God at the beginning of creation, is being threatened by practices such as divorce, abortion, infanticide, and contraception (EIA 46). He stressed the need to reassert "that the foundation of human life is the conjugal relationship between husband and wife" (EIA 46), and that life and family must not be separated (EIA 63). He also stressed the urgent need for catechesis on marriage and family, "including a spirituality of fatherhood and motherhood" so the family can be a "domestic church" (EIA 46). In particular, John Paul II noted the need to form couples in the teaching of Humanae Vitae and the theological development that has followed that document.78 He said we "must find the right language and imagery to present this teaching in a comprehensible and compelling way,"79 and he suggested to the bishops of the United States that "the teaching of the Magisterium, the development of the 'theology of the body,' and the experience of faithful Catholic couples have given Catholics in the United States a uniquely powerful and compelling opportunity to bring the truth about human sexuality into a society that sorely needs to hear it."80

In saying that the parish should be "the center of the new evangelization,"81 John Paul II said, "The strength of parish life ... can be judged above all from the way families pass on the faith."82 He said, "The parish is a 'family of families' and should be organized to support family life in every way possible."83 He urged, "Since the Christian family is the 'domestic church,' couples must be helped to relate their family life in concrete ways to the life and mission of the Church," and "pastoral planning should also give adequate attention to the needs of ordinary families seeking to live up to their vocation."84 John Paul II even pointed out that pastoral care

77 Ibid., Address, June 5, no. 6.78 Ibid., Address, Oct. 2, no. 2.79 Ibid., Address, June 5, no. 6.80 Ibid., Address, Mar. 17, no. 4.81 Ibid., no. 5.82 Ibid., Address, May 21, no. 5.83 Ibid., Address, June 5, no. 5.84 Ibid., Address, May 21, no. 5.

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The Nucleus of the New Evangelization

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