There is global agreement (illustrated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [1989], the most widely adopted human rights treaty) that optimal support for a child comes from a caring and protective family. In addition, Catholic social teaching (outlined in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church) seeks the whole development of the child within a family setting, affirming God’s plan for family to be a child’s most important source of love, emotional support, and spiritual guidance. Yet, when vulnerable parents and families do not have the resources to meet their basic needs or are otherwise unable to access fundamental protections, the risk of child-family separation increases.
The phenomenon of preventable child-family separation is as old as time. Societal approaches to children at risk of losing parental care are largely informed by cultural beliefs and habits. Faith-based perspectives and responses are—and have always been—an important part of this equation. Christian faith communities have responded to child-family separation in various ways throughout history, contributing to both the propagation and prevention of child-family separation across time and contexts. The Faith and the Family Forum has considered this history in a series of webinars focusing on the theology of the child, children’s care and protection, and the Church’s role in child-family separation through the development and use of residential care worldwide, during American slavery, in Indigenous communities, and in migration policy and response.
For this topic, the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues asks: How is the Catholic Church learning from this history, supporting vulnerable children, families, and communities, and helping to prevent unnecessary child-family separation?
Laura Mößle, Research Fellow, Institute of Anthropology, Pontifical Gregorian University; Anthony Ssembatya, Research Fellow, Institute of Anthropology, Pontifical Gregorian University | February 26, 2024
