JAKARTA (UCAN) -- A Church official for family affairs has identified poverty, mixed marriage and negative societal influences as current issues of concern regarding the family in Indonesia.

Father Jeremias Bala Pito Duan, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops' Commission for Family Affairs, spoke to UCA News recently on challenges faced by Catholic families in the country. He offered his comments in light of the upcoming Eighth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), which has the theme: "The Asian Family Towards a Culture of Life."

The 51-year-old Holy Family priest said he hopes the assembly, scheduled for Aug. 17-22 in Daejeon, South Korea, will not only produce "beautiful and weighty documents" but also develop practical action plans.

The interview follows:

UCA NEWS: What major problems do families in Indonesia face?

FATHER JEREMIAS BALA PITO DUAN: Today we do not have data about pressing family problems in Indonesia, because no research has been done. But from my visits to many dioceses I can identify some problems.

First is poverty. Many families in villages and cities do not have enough income to support themselves. The growth of industrial centers has deprived farmers of fertile land. As a result, urbanization has rapidly increased. But those who move from villages to cities and towns have inadequate skills, and many end up as beggars. The long economic crisis has increased the number of poor families.

Second is the rising number of mixed marriages. High mobility and plurality of the people make it seem impossible to prevent mixed marriages. Moreover we Catholics are a minority among other religions. Basically the Church disallows mixed marriages, although it also provides dispensations. The problem is whether the Church should let or stop mixed marriages, and how to do it.

Third is the Christian heritage in the family. The Catholic family is the domestic Church, the first and main place where faith values are inherited by children. It's a pity that nowadays families do not exercise their role as a preacher of faith values. This role is replaced by other institutions outside the family. The family hardly has time to pray together. This decreases communication between family members.

Fourth is the problem of dualism in societal life. A Catholic family cannot live separately from society. On one side, Catholics try to live according to Christian faith and teaching, but on the other side, they live in a sick environment full of corruption, divorce, free sex and others. Many Catholic families are infected by these maladies. Sometimes temptations are so huge that if we don't follow the tide, we will be left behind in our community or job.

Are there particular causes for these problem?

In my opinion, the root of the problems is egoism, lust for fun and (people's pursuit of their) personal or group interests. If a person wants to be number one, he or she will think that other people must be blocked or defeated. We forget that other people also have the right to fulfill their needs. People continue to collect riches for themselves. They also bring down other people to preserve their own position. Egoism has infiltrated family life. There no longer is a spirit of sacrifice for the good of other members. People only want to take without giving, to blame without forgiving.

How is the Church responding?

The Church in Indonesia pays great attention to this problem. At the level of the bishops' conference, we encourage and make people aware of the problems. Then, together with dioceses, we look for solutions. Every diocese has its unique situation, so the diocesan family affairs commissions should find proper solutions. We cooperate with the diocesan commissions. We also cooperate with groups that have concern for family affairs such as Marriage Encounter, Couples For Christ and Love Life Movement. All -- from the bishop's conference down to dioceses, vicariates, parishes and even to Catholic neighborhood communities -- have a special section that deals with family affairs.

What obstacles confront the Church?

As far as I see, the main obstacle is the lack of seriousness among pastoral officials in translating pastoral policies concerning the family into action. We realize the importance of the family as the pillar of the Church and society, but we take very little action. In every meeting, we always repeat the cliche about the importance of family but we never do anything about it.

A simple example: How many priests or catechists bring up family as a theme in their sermon? Very rare. Thankfully, some dioceses have already established a family year in their own region. At least during this declared year, the family gets special attention.

What is the impact of communications technology on family life in Indonesia?

The impact is huge. Positively, communications media strengthen relations between family members. Communications media serve as a means of learning for family members. Thanks to the development of communications technology, a company director could run his or her company from home.

But communications media inevitably also bring negative effects. Family members are so dominated by media that there is now the "silent" family, where each member is occupied with his or her computer or TV program and does not care for or communicate with the others.

Is the theme of the approaching FABC assembly relevant?

From the working paper we received, the central theme of the upcoming general bishop's meeting is about the impact of science and technology on family life. There has been a magnificent development of technology today, and families, as the smallest units of society, are the most affected. The existence of the family institution is threatened.

This theme is very relevant. It underlines the importance of the family institution amid emerging trends such as "no family," same sex marriages, cohabitation and free sex. The FABC theme underlines the message of Pope John Paul II that the family is very important, and that the future of mankind lies in the family. If families are strong, society will be strong, but if families are broken, society also will be broken. The theme emphasizes the significant role of the family as the agent of life renewal.

How is the Indonesian Church preparing for the event?

Each episcopal conference is expected to present an intervention that includes today's family situation, related theological reflections and pastoral recommendations. For the Indonesian bishops' intervention we have held discussions with experts to get input. We also sent questionnaires to dioceses. Jakarta-based Atma Jaya Research Centre of Atma Jaya Catholic University helped us present the current situation and condition of families in Indonesia. For pastoral recommendations, we cite several priorities that need to be dealt with in the coming five-to-10 years, for example the pastoral program for the accompaniment of newly married couples.

What concerns of the Indonesian Church will be presented at the assembly?

First it is true that changes and developments of the world today greatly influence the family. This is especially true of communications media. In fact, media could bring a family closer and it could also loosen family ties. Media education is needed to make sure that media build rather than destroy family life in society.

Second there is dualism in life. On one side, people are willing to be faithful to their Christian faith, but on the other side, seductions and temptations from the world and society are also strong and these sometimes shake their faith.

Third is about parenting. What is the role of parents in the education of their children in an ever-changing world marked with freedom and communicativeness?

What do you expect from the assembly?

My hope is that all bishops of Asia have the same vision about the importance and urgency of the family apostolate. I also hope the assembly will not only produce beautiful and weighty documents but also establish pastoral priorities that would be followed up and then evaluated at future conferences.

END