Bishop Paisie: Christian families pass on faith through example, not tradition alone

“The Christian family remains one of the fundamental settings in which faith is passed on, not because it automatically guarantees religious continuity, but because it is where children first encounter concrete expressions of communion, responsibility and a relationship with God,” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said on Tuesday at the International Theological Symposium in Bucharest.

His Grace presented a paper entitled The Christian Family as a Setting for the Transmission of Faith – Theological and Pastoral Guidelines for the Church’s Mission in the Contemporary World .

The bishop cautioned that “religious affiliation inherited through the family does not always become a personal conviction, and habits acquired in childhood do not endure without an inner commitment”.

The relationship between family and Church The Holy Fathers described the family as a “little church” to show that the life of faith is not confined to the church building but must extend into everyday relationships.

“Prayer, hospitality, forgiveness and care for the vulnerable must become part of daily life. This expression does not equate the family with the Church in the sacramental and…