The Large Hilario Family. Pope Francis & Population

MANILA: As the world's population marches on, as Filipinos march to different drums, I have been marching to the beat of a different drummer, myself. My wife Amparo Reynoso and I have a large family, 8 girls and 4 boys, 1 biological mother, 0 test tube baby, 0 extracurricular activity, 0 purchase, 0 adoption, 0 abortion. Chipper by the dozen.

When my children were only 6 or so, my Peace Corps friend Mike P joked, "Why, you never heard of family planning?" Ever the quick wit, I shot back, "Of course I have. I plan to have 12!" And there you have the 12. Was the joke on me? Yes, if you believe the population mongers. No, if you believe in Pope Francis, and as Roman Catholics we do.

We are a mixed family. We are Catholics: my wife, I, Cristina, Jose Mario, Maria Lorena, Paul Benjamin, Cynthia Mae, Jennifer Claire, Daphne Cassandra, Edwin Dante, and Graciela Antonia. They are Bread of Life: Teresa Leonor and July Salvador. She is Victory Christian Fellowship: Neenah Bonafe. We do not impose our beliefs on our children.

Ideally, members of a family work under the principle of complementarity. In his address to the Synod on the Family, Pope Francis said (ANN, 17 November 2014, en.radiovaticana.va):

I would like to begin by sharing with you a reflection on the title of your colloquium. “Complementarity”: it is a precious word, with multiple meanings. It can (refer) to situations where one of two things adds to, completes, or fulfills a lack in the other. But complementarity is much more than that. Christians find its deepest meaning in the First Letter to the Corinthians where Saint Paul tells us that the Spirit has endowed each of us with different gifts so that, just as the human body's members work together for the good of the whole, everyone's gifts can work together for the benefit of each (cf 1 Cor 12). To reflect upon "complementarity" is nothing less than to ponder the dynamic harmonies at the heart of all Creation. This is the key word, harmony. All complementarities were made by our Creator, because the Holy Spirit, who is the Author of harmony, achieves this harmony.

Complementarity happens or is made to happen when one thing completes or connects with another for a common good. Pope Francis says complementarity is also pointed out by St Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, when he likens the community of believers to parts of the human body that work together for the good of all. Complementarity works for all, as it achieves harmony.

An ideal family achieves complementarity. Pope Francis does not say it directly, but I see it: Ideally, a larger family achieves higher complementarity because, as he himself said 28 December when he met some 7,000 members of large families from across Italy at the Vatican (ANN, 30 December 2014, ncregister.com):

The sons and daughters of large families are more inclined to fraternal communion from early childhood. In a world that is frequently marred by selfishness, a large family is a school of solidarity and sharing; and these attitudes are of benefit to all society.

He was addressing members of Italy's National Numerous Family Association on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the association as well as the Feast of the Holy Family that day. He glorified the family, saying:

You have come here with the most beautiful fruits of your love. Maternity and paternity are gifts from God, (and) your task is to receive this gift, to be amazed by its beauty and to let it shine in society. Each of your children is a unique creation that will never be repeated in the history of humanity. When we understand this, that each person is willed by God, we are astonished by the great miracle that is a child. A child changes your life!

He then addressed the young ones:

You, children and young people, are the fruit of the tree that is the family: You are good fruit when the tree has good roots, grandparents, and a good trunk, the parents. The great human family is like a forest, in which the trees bear solidarity, communion, fidelity, support, security, happy moderation and friendship. The presence of large families is a hope for society.

Good families have good fruits (children) that come from good trunks (parents) that are supported by good roots (grandparents). Families are designed for solidarity, communion, fidelity, support, security, happy moderation and friendship; therefore, larger families that stay together no matter what can do more for society.

The presence of grandparents is very important: a valuable presence, both in terms of practical assistance, but, above all, for their contribution to education. Grandparents conserve the values of a people, of a family, and they help parents transmit them to their children. Throughout the last century, in many countries in Europe, it was the grandparents who transmitted the faith.

Not only are grandparents the source of life of parents and children, they also conserve the values of the people, of the family, and they help the parents transmit the knowledge and skills to the children.

Article 31 of Italy's Constitution calls for special attention to large families but, Pope Francis says, this "doesn't get an adequate response in the facts. They remain just words." So, he says, "I hope … there will be greater attention from politics and public administrators at every level to give support to these families." (I hope the same for my country, the Philippines.)

Why is the family important? The family is not simply important; it is the basic unit of society, as in biology, the cell is the basic unit of life. "Every family is a cell of society," Pope Francis says. "Large families are (even) richer and more vital cells."

Today, Pope Francis says, "marriage and the family are in crisis." Marriage and family are no longer public commitments. "This revolution in manners and morals has often flown the flag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human beings, especially the poorest and most vulnerable."

We must reverse with a counter-revolution. To this end, Pope Francis says:

It is necessary first to promote the fundamental pillars that govern a nation: its non-material goods. The family is the foundation of co-existence and a guarantee against social fragmentation. Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child's development and emotional maturity. That is why I stressed in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium [Joy of the Gospel] that the contribution of marriage to society is "indispensable"; that it "transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple."

The foundation of a country is the people, and the family is the foundation of complementarity and unity. Children have the fundamental right to grow up with their biological families and their parents have the fundamental duty to create the suitable environment for their children's intellectual development and emotional maturity. The family is the fundamental contribution of marriage and is not dependent on the feelings and fleeting needs of the father and the mother. Without the family, there is no society to speak of, only chaos brought about by anarchy.

But don't large families largely contribute to over-population that largely contributes to poverty? On Pope Francis warned the Conference of G20 nations through a letter to Chair Tony Abbot, who is Australia Prime Minister, against unchecked consumerism, not unchecked population (Katie Valentine, 13 November 2014, thinkprogress.org). Pope Francis reminded the leading countries, including the US, China and the EU, that they have their own unemployed and starving peoples. Limitless people or limitless wants? "There are constant assaults on the natural environment, the result of unbridled consumerism, and this will have serious consequences for the world economy," he wrote. Worldwatch Institute told National Geographic in 2004, "Most of the environmental issues we see today can be linked to consumption." Limitless wants of limited people, the unpoor. In another instance, Pope Francis said, "They don't understand that love for the poor is at the center of the Gospel" (Kashmira Gander, 30 October 2014, independent.co.uk). "Demanding this isn't unusual; it's the social doctrine of the Church."

Yesterday, New Year's Day, Pope Francis asked God to "grant peace in our day – peace in hearts, peace in families, peace among the nations" (ANN, news.yahoo.com).

So, from Pope Francis and the large Hilario Family: A large peace be with you!