The modern world needs the example of faithful marriage between a man and woman more than ever, a leading Irish Bishop has stated.

As thousands gathered at the Marian shrine in Knock, Co. Mayo for the annual National Novena to Our Lady, Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin chose the family as the theme of his address to pilgrims.

Quoting Pope Francis’ own words, Bishop Doran lauded the family unit as “the first school where we learn to appreciate our talents and those of others, and where we begin to acquire the art of living together. For most of us, the family is the principal place in which we begin to ‘breathe’ values and ideals, as we develop our full capacity for virtue and charity.”

Marriage, Bishop Doran went on, “begins with the love of a man and a woman [and] matures into a commitment which allows them to take risks and make sacrifices for one another”.

“It is part of God’s plan that children are born into a family in which the love of a mother and father will give them confidence that they too are loved.”

Citing the example of Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thèrese of Lisieux who will, this October 18, become the first married couple ever to be canonised together in the history of the Church, Bishop Doran said “the married life of Louis and Zélie Martin is a particular reason to give thanks to God for the gift of the family. They are a real live example of how a normal hard-working man and woman can find the path to holiness in married life and can encourage and support their children following that path in their own lives.”

Calling for a greater appreciation of the value of families, Bishop Doran said that it was in society’s interests to protect the family unit.

“In the face of economic difficulties, it can be very difficult for parents to provide for the material needs of their children,” he said, “and…there are children in our society who live and sleep in very inadequate situations and who go to school hungry in the morning. It should not be beyond our capacity as a developed nation to resolve these challenges and we each have our part to play. Just as society depends on the family for its coherence, likewise society has a responsibility towards the well-being of families.”

Bishop Doran continued: “For all the advantages of modern technology, it is certainly not an easy time to begin married life or to be trying to raise children. Maybe there never was an easy time. On the other hand, our world needs the example and the encouragement of faithful married love today, as much if not more than it ever did.”

With this in mind, Bishop Doran called on all faithful to pray for those set to participate in the October Synod on the Family in Rome, a gathering set to explore how the Church can support people in family life.