Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster has said the Synod of Bishops needs to focus on the family as a source of joy. In an interview with Vatican Radio he said that while we did not want to lose "the precious teaching of the Church", it was important to appreciate afresh “the joy that people have and find and make in their families”. That way, he said, the Church might help governments and cultures around the world recognise that the family was the "fundamental building block of society". The cardinal said that consultations with Catholics in Britain had shown the "passionate love people have for their families”. Whatever problems they face, he says, the family remains “the most important thing in their lives”. He also said the small-group discussions gave participants "more time to get to know each other".