SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE ABOUT THE FAMILY

Abstract

The theory of family is at the heart of classic Christian social doctrine, since family exemplifies every sociality such as an ecclesial community, a work collective, a local community, a nation, humanity. Modern family crisis leads to the transformation of the social teaching when interpersonal relations become an example. In particular, relations between a husband and a wife in a family, relations between a person and God, relations within a monastic community, relations within an ecclesial Eucharistic community become a general ideal proposed for the secular sociality. In the ethics of family life, the social teaching of Constantinopolitan Patriarchate places special emphasis on the absolute dignity of the individual from the moment of conception to natural death. Large attention is paid to the protection of children from various menaces in the society, effective measures are suggested in order to avoid the crimes against children. The apology of all aspects of sexual life of a family is also provided, various biases with regard to women and marriage are condemned. Generally, the social teaching of Constantinopolitan Patriarchate on a family is the expression of ethics of Christian realism where the recognition of the absoluteness of certain values is joined with the readiness to understand and forgive human errors. In the doctrine of the family, social doctrine from the standpoint of communitarianism passes to the adoption of the principles of Christian personalism.