Cardinal Bertone: “The definition of marriage has been destroyed”

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jul 27, 2005 / 22:00 pm

During his recent visit to Argentina, the Archbishop of Genoa, Italy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, denounced the disintegration of marriage as created by God and the destruction of the definition of marriage.

Cardinal Bertone told local reporters that the parents of today are “the internet, the computer, the newspapers and television.”

“They substitute for the parents, who should be the first teachers of life and the teachers of the faith in Christian families. They should be the ones in charge of transmitting the identity of human nature.  But today parents face many difficulties in cultivating this identity,” he said.

According to the cardinal, “Now, when the definition of woman, of man, of husband, of wife is destroyed…everything gets confused.  You see what is happening in Spain with [President] Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.  Each person can choose his or her own identity.  It’s the disintegration of the plan of marriage which God has created for human nature and which has been respected throughout history.”

“You can see how the Greeks, the Romans, the Indians of the Orinoco River had a concept of marriage and the family, with some diversity, but with the common foundation,” the cardinal added.

Likewise, he warned, “Poverty humiliates and spoils the human condition.  It’s terrible.  Capitalism is a heavy blow mainly to the poor and destroys the family structure. Therefore, politicians should put the family at the center.  They should think of measures that promote the good of the family, which is the primordial cell of society.  If the family is destroyed, the supposedly democratic society is also destroyed,” Cardinal Bertone said.