GENEVA -- While delegates to the World Congress of Families II, including members of the LDS Church, agree that traditional families are the basic unit of society, tactics on how to boost family-friendly policymaking on the national and international level vary widely.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' representatives to the congress, which includes scores of political leaders and policymakers, have avoided advocacy of a specific political strategy by which to cause change.Instead, Elder Bruce Hafen of the First Quorum of the Seventy, President Mary Ellen Smoot of the general Relief Society and President Margaret Nadauld of the Young Women, have each taken the pulpit to point out the folly of anti-family legislation. All called for a return to moral values.
They have focused on LDS teachings that stress teaching moral virtues in the home, while urging individuals of all faiths who agree with family values to use their influence -- particularly at the United Nations -- to effect change.
Elder Hafen said because many of the congress participants are LDS scholars and volunteers, "some wonder if the fact that the church is here is a signal that the church is becoming more political. The answer is no."
He noted that three distinct groups -- academic, political and religious -- are represented at the congress and said each has a separate role to play. Brigham Young University's Board of Trustees, which includes members of the First Presidency, "are aware of and support" the role BYU faculty and staff members are playing, "but they represent BYU and the academic community, not the church institutionally."
Meeting Wednesday for the third and final day in the Noga Hilton here, the 1,500 delegates to the congress -- co-sponsored by BYU's World Family Policy Center -- come from 85 nations and represent every major religion. As discussions proceed about how to strengthen the traditional family, it is clear that religious and cultural variations are being set aside to affirm the value of traditional family life and definition of marriage as one man and one woman.
Other religious representatives, particularly Cardinal Lopez Trujillo representing the Vatican, have a long history of political involvement on issues including abortion, the spread of contraceptives and opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage.
Cardinal Trujillo told reporters during a press conference he believes the strength of an interfaith coalition dedicated to preserving the traditional family can be as effective as anti-family forces have been in the past.
He said the Vatican will cooperate with other pro-life organizations in trying to sway legislation. "I think this cooperation is proper and it is needed also. . . . I think it's a natural cooperation of religions," that while "not eternal in nature" will nonetheless lead the charge in reversing the escalating trends of abortion and contraception, particularly in Third World nations.
He noted the Pontifical Council on the Family, of which he is president, has long been active with other major religions, including Muslim and Jewish organizations, at international venues on issues dealing with the family.
Catholic leaders here have expressed great concern about abortion and so-called "family planning" policies that inundate Third World nations with contraceptives. Several presenters here have said such policies are heavily funded by radical feminist groups through the United Nations. in an attempt to control the birthrate.
Catholic teaching opposes abortion and all forms of contraception.
Cardinal Trujillo predicted that as Marxism -- an ideology that "was promoted to be eternal" -- collapsed to the surprise of many after decades of dominance in many parts of the world, so will the "culture of evil" that plots against the traditional family fall away as religions continue to unite.
He said "the power of truth" and the economic reality of a shrinking worldwide fertility rate will ultimately prove that population control measures have been "evil" and "terribly misguided."