On June 1, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave opening remarks at a conference at UN Headquarters entitled “The Impact of Good Parenting on Children and Society: The Many Benefits of Nurturing Children’s Integrity in the Home.” The Conference was held to mark the Global Day of Parents, adopted by the United Nations in 2012.

In his remarks, Archbishop Auza emphasized the importance of mothers and fathers and of their joint, selfless and life-long dedication to raise the next generation, stating that the future of humanity depends on how well parents fulfill that mission. He referred to Per Krohg’s mural in the UN Security Council Chamber as an illustration of the importance of the family to peace in the world and made the point that good parents are similarly key to forming the persons and culture necessary to achieve the other pillars of the UN charter: the promotion and defense of human dignity, sustainable development, and the honoring of treaties and international agreements. He regrets, however, that the contributions of parents do not get the attention and credit they deserve, because of excessive individualism, the exaltation of the State against other institutions and allegiances, and treating broken families as the rule rather than the exception. The Global Day of Parents, he said, is an opportunity to highlight and acknowledge the contributions of moms and dads toward the good of children and society and to gratefully acknowledge the gifts each of us has received from our parents.

His statement can be found here.