ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARKARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK

Marriage and Family LifeMarriage and Family Life

Diocesan Listening Day Diocesan Listening Day

3030thth October 2004 October 2004TheThe

ThreeThree

QuestionQuestionss

•Listening to my FamilyListening to my Family

•Families in today’s worldFamilies in today’s world

•And families in the ChurchAnd families in the Church

TypicalTypical

ResponsesResponses1513 Leaflet Responses 11 Group 1513 Leaflet Responses 11 Group ResponsesResponses

61 e.mail Responses 44 Parish 61 e.mail Responses 44 Parish ResponsesResponses

3 School Responses3 School Responses

LISTENINGLISTENING

TOTO

MYMY

FAMILYFAMILY

WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU

FACE AS A FAMILY?FACE AS A FAMILY?

• Finances and work 14%Finances and work 14%

• Distance from family 19% Distance from family 19%

• Child/Parent relationship 8%Child/Parent relationship 8%

• Issues dealing with children 8%Issues dealing with children 8%

• Marriage issues 5%Marriage issues 5%

• External Pressures 4%External Pressures 4%

What do you most enjoy What do you most enjoy about Family Life?about Family Life?

•Togetherness and sharing Togetherness and sharing 52%52%

•Family activities 23%Family activities 23%

•Children 10%Children 10%

•Family environment 6%Family environment 6%

What are your hopes What are your hopes for your family?for your family?

•Well Being 25%Well Being 25%•Children’s success and Children’s success and well-being 18%well-being 18%•Children becoming Good Children becoming Good

Christians 15%Christians 15%• Immediate Family cohesion Immediate Family cohesion

12%12%

What else do you want to What else do you want to say about Family Lifesay about Family Life

•Time and pressure 5%Time and pressure 5%

•Children’s issues 3%Children’s issues 3%

•More time for God 3%More time for God 3%•Children/adult transition 2%Children/adult transition 2%

•Family/marriage breakdown Family/marriage breakdown complicates relationships 2%complicates relationships 2%

FAMILIESFAMILIES

ININ

TODAY’STODAY’S

WORLDWORLD

Does today’s world makeDoes today’s world make

family life difficult for you?family life difficult for you?

•Lack of values and good role Lack of values and good role models 28%models 28%

•Stress 15%Stress 15%

•Work and Finance 12%Work and Finance 12%

•Christian View being lost 7%Christian View being lost 7%

•Environment 3%Environment 3%

How is family helped by the How is family helped by the world around you?world around you?

• Support and communication Support and communication from family and friends 25%from family and friends 25%

• Technology 18%Technology 18%• Good opportunities and Good opportunities and

standard of living 5%standard of living 5%• Finance 3%Finance 3%

What do you hope for as a What do you hope for as a family from the wider family from the wider

community?community?• Community, Friends and Family Community, Friends and Family 22%22%

• More importance given to Christian More importance given to Christian message and values 7%message and values 7%

• Media to take be more responsibility Media to take be more responsibility with regard to content 4%with regard to content 4%

• Children’s issues 4%Children’s issues 4%• Care and respect for the elderly 2%Care and respect for the elderly 2%

What else do you want to say What else do you want to say about family life in today’s about family life in today’s

world?world?

•Moral decay of Society 10%Moral decay of Society 10%•Children’s issues 8%Children’s issues 8%•Finance and Work 6%Finance and Work 6%•Declining authority of the Declining authority of the

Church 4%Church 4%

FamiliesFamilies

InIn

TheThe

ChurchChurch

What difficulties do you What difficulties do you experience as family in the experience as family in the Church?Church?

•Issues with children 21%Issues with children 21%

•Loss of message and Loss of message and failure to modernise 12%failure to modernise 12%

•Marriage 3%Marriage 3%

•Schools 2%Schools 2%

•Abuse of power by both Abuse of power by both clergy and laity 2%clergy and laity 2%

How does the Church help you in your family life?

•Spiritual help 35%Spiritual help 35%•Sense of `belonging’ 24%•Sets standards of behaviour

8%•Provision of Catholic schools

and Sunday schools 5%•Sacraments 5%

What do you hope for as a family from the Parish Community in which you live?

• Support 21%Support 21%• Community Spirit 19%Community Spirit 19%• Understanding and tolerance Understanding and tolerance

10%10%• Modernisation of Church and Modernisation of Church and

message 4%message 4%• More support in Marriage 3%More support in Marriage 3%

What else do you want to say What else do you want to say about family life in the church?about family life in the church?

• Church must make itself more Church must make itself more attractive and modern 15%attractive and modern 15%

• Young People 8%Young People 8%• Families in the church 5%Families in the church 5%• Forgiveness 2%Forgiveness 2%• Segregation from other people Segregation from other people

and other churches 2%and other churches 2%