Bishop Urges More Support for Families by Churches

For immediate release 17th July 2009

The Bishop of Hereford has urged clergy and churchgoers to give more support to married couples and families. Speaking to delegates at the Diocesan Synod, the governing body of the Diocese, Bishop Anthony Priddis said that marriage and family life were issues that were addressed badly in the church. .

“Many parishes are involved in marriage preparation work and in weddings,” he said, “but we are very poor at any follow up afterwards and research has shown that couples are surprised by our lack of interest after the big day.”

Bishop Anthony said there is a cycle in family life. Babies are baptised in our churches, contact is maintained through Mother & Toddler Groups, through school, and work with young people,  to marriage preparation and then to baptism again.

“The work we a do here gives us opportunities but do we connect them up?” he asked. “What do we need to strengthen and support these relationships? Can we do a bit more?

The Bishop drew attention to the Good Childhood report released earlier this year by The Children’s Society which put the needs of children firmly on society’s agenda. He reminded those present that that report showed up the gap between the sort of childhood some children got and the one that they wanted or would have liked.

“There is brokenness in so many of these reports. We need to look at things with the eyes of children,” he said, “we need to ask is there more that we can do to strengthen the loving relationships that they, and we, desire for them.”

Bishop Anthony Priddis has been involved in work around Marriage and Family Life since becoming a Bishop thirteen years ago. He is currently the lead Bishop in the Church of England in Safeguarding Children.