Visit of the Pirola Couple from Australia at the Dicastery

Msgr. Carlos Simón Vázquez received, on behalf of Prefect Farrell, the Australian couple Ron and Mavis Pirola who visited the Dicastery a few days after the Dublin World Meeting of Families at which they participated as speakers. After exchanging impressions and comments on the Irish event, the Prefect’s delegate inquired about the situation of the institutions of marriage and the family in Australia, where there will be political initiatives regarding them in the coming weeks.

Ron and Mavis stressed the importance of the marriage catechumenate, the role of parents in their children’s education, and the urgency of promoting unity among families in view of spreading the Gospel of the family. They emphasized that family associations of a civil and ecclesial nature are physiological realities of family life and play an irreplaceable role in society and in the Church. In addition to giving the Dicastery the marriage preparation programs that are implemented in Australia, the Pirolas presented various initiatives available online that are already being used for the pastoral care of marriage and accompanying families in Australia.