In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI said, “every home is called to become a ‘domestic church’ in which family life is completely centred on the lordship of Christ and the love of husband and wife mirrors the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church, his bride”. The family, based on the sacrament of marriage, has always been viewed as the "first church", in Catholic teaching.
As Saint John Paul II said, “marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic church”. The family home is also the place where the emotional, physical, educational, and spiritual needs of children are met. It is where children are cared for by their devoted parents; it is the place where the One True Faith is passed along to the next generation.
