Safe Haven Sunday - Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children
Next weekend (March 2-3), the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is conducting a special program entitled: Safe Haven Sunday - Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children. This awareness- building effort is intended to draw our attention as a church community to the seriousness of the issue of pornography and to recommit ourselves to take steps to ensure our homes are safe havens for all, adults and children alike.
The family home is called to be a safe haven for everyone in the household. But the inappropriate use of technology in the home deprives the family of this safety and is a critical threat to the sanctity of marriage and family life today. Pornography and other online threats are often one click away, and parents can feel overwhelmed with not knowing how to best protect their children in our fast-paced digital world.
In November of 2016, the USCCB released a pastoral response to pornography, called Create in Me a Clean Heart. The Bishops’ intention in writing this document was: 1) to offer healing and hope to those who have been wounded by pornography; 2) to articulate the Catholic Church's response to the pastoral crisis brought about by the production and use of pornography; and 3) to raise awareness of its pervasiveness and harms.
As the Bishop’s document explains, pornography is hurting many people, including marriages and families, single people, priests and religious, and even young children. It cripples the healthy process of spiritual maturity for our young people. The use of pornography impacts the relationships of children with their parents, husbands with their wives (and vice versa), the pastor with his community, and most importantly, our relationship with our Lord. The Bishops state, "The use of pornography by anyone in the home deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and has negative effects throughout a family's life and across generations."
In a means to help protect families, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is setting aside next weekend as Safe Haven Sunday in order to give focused time and resources to address the harmfulness of pornography and other online threats to marriages, family life and culture. In addition to our prayers at Mass next weekend, practical resources will be provided that all caring adults can use to protect themselves and our young people from online risks.
After Mass next weekend, a number of free copies of the booklet, Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture, will be available in the church narthex. This booklet includes a unique seven-day text-to-opt-in program: The Equipped 7-Day Challenge. This Challenge provides practical tips parents and other adults can use to create safer digital environments for themselves and for our young people. But you don't have to wait. You can begin learning now by joining The Equipped 7-Day Challenge: A Digital Crash Course by texting SECURE TO 66866 to receive seven days of emailed digital tips!
Look for Archbishop Chaput’s personal reflection on Safe Haven Sunday in next week’s parish bulletin, along with several readily available online resources. To learn more, please contact the Archdiocesan Office for Life and Family (215-587-5661) or visit www.phillycatholiclife.org.