Pope Francis has lamented the absence of fathers from families and warned of the consequences for children.
Devoting his general audience address this week to the topic of fatherhood, the Pontiff said that “the problem of our times no longer seems to be the invasive presence of fathers, but rather their absence”.
“Fathers often so concentrate on themselves and on their work and sometimes on their individual accomplishments, that they forget even their family,” he explained, referring to his own experiences when, as Bishop of Buenos Aires, he met with fathers.
“Often, I used to ask fathers whether they took the time to play with their children,” he rcalled, “whether they had the courage and the love to spend time with their children. And their answers were not good: I am too busy, I have too much work to do.”
Stating that absent fathers can leave children feeling like “orphans”, the Pontiff pointed out that “in effect the deviances of children and adolescents may to a considerable extent be due to this lack of examples and authoritative guidance in their everyday life, to this lack of closeness and love from their fathers”.
“They are orphans in their families because their fathers are often absent, also physically, from the home, but above all because when they are present, they do not act like fathers. They do not speak with their children, they do not give their children, by their example accompanied by words, those principles, those values, those rules for life that the young need in the same way as they need bread.
“At times it seems as if fathers are not sure what position they should occupy in the family, or how to educate their children. And so, in doubt, they abstain, they withdraw and neglect their responsibilities, possibly seeking refuge in an improbable relationship of parity with their children,”
Urging fathers to engage more with their children, the Pope warned “the absence of the paternal figure in the life of children and the young produces gaps and wounds that can be very serious”.
The Pope stated his intention to return to the subject of fatherhood during his audiences in early February.
