In most cultures, the family is an institution at the foundation of social organisation. Historically, it has been closely linked to traditional marriage, but over time new family models have emerged, reflecting social, economic, and cultural change.
Forming a family—with its high times and low times —remains, today as yesterday, one of the most important stages of the human journey. In this space of intimacy and trust, the family proves to be the privileged place for the spouses’ fulfilment, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. It creates the conditions for children’s growth and development, accomplishing that irreplaceable and delicate role of passing on educational and spiritual values that guide their path and give meaning to existence.
These highly relevant themes were explored in the webinar “The Gift of Love: Marriage and Family”, held on Monday, 15 December 2025. The event, promoted by the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD Italy), was the fourth meeting of the year in the series of talks entitled “The Course and Value of Human Life: Spiritual Dimension and Practical Life”.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Carlo Zonato, President of Universal Peace Federation (UPF Italy), who stressed that building a harmonious and peaceful society cannot be separated from supporting and safeguarding the institution of the family.
Next to speak was The Right Rev. Luis Miguel Perea Castrillon, Bishop of the Anglican Church of Europe. He had been invited by Mrs. Maria Gabriella Mieli, UPF Italy’s External Relations Coordinator. She was the moderator of the webinar.
The bishop explained that Anglicanism allows priests to marry, while also recognising celibacy as a valid and practised choice of life. For married ministers, he clarified, their wives are actively involved in their mission. In this way, the ministry becomes a shared project between the man, the woman, and God. He went on to say that the Anglican family seeks to reflect the Holy Trinity and takes the Holy Family as its example. This model should not be interpreted in an idealised or romantic way, but as a concrete reality made in effort, work, sweat, and daily difficulties—where love, respect, understanding, and mutual support, nonetheless, prevail and constitute its foundation. The bishop concluded by reaffirming a moral commitment to promoting the family model that respects civil laws and democratic principles and based on the union between a man and a woman, considering it the basic unit of society and regarding it as a successful model since the dawn of humanity.
The next speaker was Mr. Giuseppe Cali’, Director of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU Rome) and Head of FFWPU Training in Europe. He focused his remarks on educating young people and on the sacredness of the marital bond. With the words that family life should be lived as a place of joy, the speaker noted that, to the contrary, it is often perceived as a source of suffering or a battleground. His aim, instead, is to show the younger generation that family life can be a space of awe and wonder, if it is grounded in solid principles rather than in disorder. He explained the concept of sexuality as the foundation of morality, comparing the human conscience to a compass needle. Distractions, materialism, and the distorted sexuality of modern society can confuse the needle and cause people to lose their bearings. A spiritual approach to married and family life represents an effective method for removing interference and making it easier to find the right direction again. He described the Blessing ceremonies—often celebrated collectively—practised by FFWPU not as an intrusion of a couple’s intimacy, but as an entry into a global fraternal community. These celebrations, he concluded, aim primarily to promote a “culture of heart” founded on love, with the purpose of overcoming barriers of race and religion.
Prompted by the audience’s interest, the second part of the meeting moved into an in-depth discussion of the complex challenges to marital stability and to family balance in our society. In response to suggestions about helping couples in difficulty, the speakers stressed the need to recover the ability to listen, to recognise the value of silence as a way to resist the noise of society that negatively affects relationships, and to rediscover what one truly desires from life. The importance of maintaining one’s personal identity within the relationship was also highlighted, since love should not erase the person, but rather enhance each one’s uniqueness through mutual self-giving.
When asked how to “modernise” marriage, the discussion turned to the importance of premarital preparation and the need for young people to develop an attitude of generosity before marriage, including through volunteer work because marriage represents the union of two generous characters, not two selfish ones. It was also explained that marriage cannot be “modernised” or transformed into something else without losing its sacred essence, and that the real challenge is to remain faithful to its original meaning.
The discussion also addressed how our society has reversed values and priorities; what should be relative—materialism and appearances—has become absolute, while what is essential—divine laws and internal life—is considered negligible. The final aim was to counter this distortion by rediscovering the value of the invisible and the practice of giving in order to find that authentic joy we all seek.
In conclusion, Mrs. Maria Gabriella Mieli quoted Pope Leo XIV, who sees marriage as the “standard of true love”—total, faithful, fruitful, and the foundation of the family and of society—while Mr. Carlo Zonato expressed the hope that the “seeds” sown during the debate may bear fruit in the new year, inviting everyone to rediscover the spirituality of the individual and that of the couple.