Bangalore (AsiaNews) – The Christian family in Asia is threatened, primarily by the "media promoting a culture of death", this according to Card Varkey Vithayathil, who spoke to AsiaNews on the eve of the 11th Asia Pacific Congress (ASPAC) scheduled November 12 to the 15 in Bangalore. Its main topic will be the "Family, a conscious choice of happiness".

The family, the Cardinal said, is the "light of the world" but if "one wants a truly happy family, one must follow the teachings of Christ".

"Christians," he explained, "believe in Christ but are unwilling to follow the Church's precepts. This is rooted in selfishness and lack of loyalty to the laws of God. The current crisis in Christian families is compounded by the lack of selfless love".

In a world in where modernisation and globalisation threaten some of the fundamental bases of the family, the Congress is meeting to highlight what makes a strong family and study how to make this happen and what it means.

The main objectives of the Congress are:

- understanding how families function today in Asia;

- identifying what makes strong and wholesome families;

- exploring the ways the Asian family can meet these standards. (NC)