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Buenos Aires, Sunday, October 8, 2006

Father Oscar Pezzarini

Afraid of children?

In recent times there has been a lot of talking about life, or about new life, trying to teach “sex education” where what is being “taught” is just how to enjoy riskless “sex”, and when I refer to “risks” I don't just mean diseases but what is often referred to as “pregnancy prevention” as if pregnancy were some “disease” not even to mention the infinite number of theories by which some try to justify “abortion”, on whatever grounds. “Giving life” is an act of the deepest and most sublime generosity, which of course is not just temporary but which is a commitment for life, since a child which is born will need very much care, it will need to be helped in his growth, to be protected and to be attended. For those who prefer the egotism of caring for themselves this is rather a “nuisance”. Afraid of children? It is difficult for me to believe so, although there are many situations which seem to answer in the affirmative to this question, although if we consider that the worst thing for a human being is “selfishness” we will understand that it is not “the child” who is to be feared, but this disease which can result in the human heart closing itself without being able to find full happiness, which is reached when we open up to others.

In recent times there has been a lot of talking about life, or about new life, trying to teach “sex education” where what is being “taught” is just how to enjoy riskless “sex”, and when I refer to “risks” I don't just mean diseases but what is often referred to as “pregnancy prevention” as if pregnancy were some “disease” not even to mention the infinite number of theories by which some try to justify “abortion”, on whatever grounds.

My reflection starts by wondering if by all these “justifications”, educational campaigns, etc. somebody seeks to give free rein to pleasure by pleasure itself and thus, as “everything goes”, we try to find the way of “preventing ourselves”, or if somewhere deep inside there is something such as “fear of children”?

Maybe we must look for one of the chief causes in the notion of “selfishness and generosity”. Some people are just interested in “living their lives”, in the secluded and self-centered conquest of their own happiness, while there are others who understand that true happiness lies in “abandoning themselves” and “opening up” to others, and in this the first place goes to family, particularly the one we can start from the capability of being collaborators in the work of Creation God gave us.

The principle of “giving life” is rooted in human nature, it is not a part of religious perception as some people try to make us believe, but it is something innate to the Human Being; which is proved by the fact that although every time more campaigns are started, they cannot halt those who want to have children, who find full happiness in “giving life” and who understand that the act of love becomes fuller and deeper when it is open to life, not thinking of a child with “fear” as if it were someone who came to “interfere” and become the enemy of people's happiness.

Thus my initial question: Afraid of children? It is difficult for me to believe so, although there are many situations which seem to answer in the affirmative to this question, although if we consider that the worst thing for a human being is “selfishness” we will understand that it is not “the child” who is to be feared, but this disease which can result in the human heart closing itself without being able to find full happiness, which is reached when we open up to others.

Father Oscar Pezzarini
Provincial Superior of the Work of Don Orione in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico

Father Oscar Pezzarini together with Fr. Leonardo Abregú makes us reflect on Saturdays from 8 to 12 AM (GMT-03:00)with "VENTANA A LA VIDA", the Don Orione radio program he conducts on FM PROVIDENCIA, 90.3 MHz together with some residents of the Claypole Cottolengo (Raúl Romero, María Laura Andrada, Alberto Zoroch, Américo Torres), with the production of Roberto Beluzzo and Ignacio Cavalli as technical operator. You can also listen to FM PROVIDENCIA by clicking here.

Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione 0800-333-6746 in Argentina, or +54 (11) 4268-7722 from abroad.

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