ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK Marriage and Family Life Diocesan Listening Day 30 th October 2004 TheThree Question s Listening to my FamilyListening to my Family Families in today’s worldFamilies in today’s world And families in the ChurchAnd families in the Church TypicalResponses 1513 Leaflet Responses 11 Group Responses 61 e.mail Responses 44 Parish Responses 3 School Responses

LISTENINGTOMYFAMILY WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU FACE AS A FAMILY? Finances and work 14% Finances and work 14% Distance from family 19% Distance from family 19% Child/Parent relationship 8% Child/Parent relationship 8% Issues dealing with children 8% Issues dealing with children 8% Marriage issues 5% Marriage issues 5% External Pressures 4% External Pressures 4%

What do you most enjoy about Family Life? Togetherness and sharing 52%Togetherness and sharing 52% Family activities 23%Family activities 23% Children 10%Children 10% Family environment 6%Family environment 6%

What are your hopes for your family? Well Being 25%Well Being 25% Children’s success andChildren’s success and well-being 18% well-being 18% Children becoming Good Christians 15%Children becoming Good Christians 15% Immediate Family cohesion 12%Immediate Family cohesion 12%

What else do you want to say about Family Life Time and pressure 5%Time and pressure 5% Children’s issues 3%Children’s issues 3% More time for God 3%More time for God 3% Children/adult transition 2%Children/adult transition 2% Family/marriage breakdown complicates relationships 2%Family/marriage breakdown complicates relationships 2%

FAMILIESINTODAY’SWORLD Does today’s world make family life difficult for you? Lack of values and good role models 28%Lack of values and good role models 28% Stress 15%Stress 15% Work and Finance 12%Work and Finance 12% Christian View being lost 7%Christian View being lost 7% Environment 3%Environment 3%

How is family helped by the world around you? Support and communication from family and friends 25%Support and communication from family and friends 25% Technology 18%Technology 18% Good opportunities and standard of living 5%Good opportunities and standard of living 5% Finance 3%Finance 3%

What do you hope for as a family from the wider community? Community, Friends and Family 22%Community, Friends and Family 22% More importance given to Christian message and values 7%More importance given to Christian message and values 7% Media to take be more responsibility with regard to content 4%Media to take be more responsibility with regard to content 4% Children’s issues 4%Children’s issues 4% Care and respect for the elderly 2%Care and respect for the elderly 2%

What else do you want to say about family life in today’s world? Moral decay of Society 10%Moral decay of Society 10% Children’s issues 8%Children’s issues 8% Finance and Work 6%Finance and Work 6% Declining authority of the Church 4%Declining authority of the Church 4%

FamiliesInTheChurch What difficulties do you experience as family in the Church? Issues with children 21%Issues with children 21% Loss of message and failure to modernise 12%Loss of message and failure to modernise 12% Marriage 3%Marriage 3% Schools 2%Schools 2% Abuse of power by both clergy and laity 2%Abuse of power by both clergy and laity 2%

How does the Church help you in your family life? Spiritual help 35%Spiritual help 35% Sense of `belonging’ 24% Sets standards of behaviour 8% Provision of Catholic schools and Sunday schools 5% Sacraments 5%

What do you hope for as a family from the Parish Community in which you live? Support 21%Support 21% Community Spirit 19%Community Spirit 19% Understanding and tolerance 10%Understanding and tolerance 10% Modernisation of Church and message 4%Modernisation of Church and message 4% More support in Marriage 3%More support in Marriage 3%

What else do you want to say about family life in the church? Church must make itself more attractive and modern 15%Church must make itself more attractive and modern 15% Young People 8%Young People 8% Families in the church 5%Families in the church 5% Forgiveness 2%Forgiveness 2% Segregation from other people and other churches 2%Segregation from other people and other churches 2%