Part of a series on the
Roman Curia
Secretariat of State Section for Relations with States
Dicasteries Evangelization Doctrine of the Faith Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors International Theological Commission Pontifical Biblical Commission Service of Charity Eastern Churches Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments Causes of Saints Bishops Pontifical Commission for Latin America Clergy Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Laity, Family and Life Promoting Christian Unity Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews Interreligious Dialogue Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims Culture and Education Promoting Integral Human Development Legislative Texts Communication Vatican Press L'Osservatore Romano Press Office of the Holy See
Institutions of justice Apostolic Penitentiary Apostolic Signatura Roman Rota
Institutions of finance Council for the Economy Secretariat for the Economy Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See Office of the Auditor General Commission for Confidential Matters Committee for Investments
Offices Prefecture of the Papal Household Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
Institutes Labour Office of the Apostolic See Vatican Apostolic Archives Vatican Apostolic Library Fabric of Saint Peter Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology Pontifical academies AVEPRO Supervisory and Financial Information Authority Domus Vaticanae
Interdicasterial commissions Particular Churches Church in Eastern Europe Consecrated Religious Candidates to Sacred Order Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia
Commissions and committees International Eucharistic Congresses Historical Sciences Advocates Swiss Guards Disciplinary Financial Security Institute for Works of Religion Healthcare Sector Verification and Application of Mitis Iudex in the Churches of Italy
History Immensa Aeterni Dei Reform by Pius X Reform by Paul VI Reform by John Paul II Reform by Francis Roman Inquisition Former dicasteries Congregation of Bishops and Regulars Congregation for Borders Congregation of Ceremonies Sacred Congregation of the Index Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics Congregation of the Vatican Press Sacred Congregation of the Consulta Sacred Congregation of Rites Apostolic Chancery Apostolic Dataria Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters Special Administration of the Holy See Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei Pontifical Council for Social Communications Pontifical Council for the Family Pontifical Council for the Laity Cor Unum Justice and Peace Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers Evangelization of Peoples Promoting the New Evangelization Catholic Education Culture Apostolic Camera
Related topics Pontifical commission Dicastery Acta Apostolicae Sedis Advocates of Roman congregations Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Catholicism portal
v t e

The Pontifical Council for the Family was a pontifical council of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church from 1981 to 2016. It was established by Pope John Paul II on 9 May 1981 with his motu proprio Familia a Deo Instituta, replacing the Committee for the Family that Pope Paul VI had established in 1973. The Council fostered "the pastoral care of families, protects their rights and dignity in the Church and in civil society, so that they may ever be more able to fulfill their duties."^[1]

Its functions were shifted to the new Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life on 1 September 2016.^[2]

Description

The Council "worked for a deeper understanding of the Church’s teaching"; "encouraged studies in the spirituality of marriage and the family";^[3] worked "to ensure the accurate recognition of the human and social conditions of the family institution everywhere";^[4] and "strove to ensure that the rights of the family be acknowledged and defended even in the social and political realm" and "supported and coordinated initiatives to protect human life from the first moment of conception and to encourage responsible procreation."^[5] More particularly, the Council "promoted and coordinated pastoral efforts related to the issue of responsible procreation, and encouraged, sustained and coordinated initiatives in defense of human life in all stages of its existence, from conception to natural death."^[6]

The Council's last President was Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia. In addition to its advisory board of Bishops, members of the Council included laypeople, especially married laypeople "from all over the world."^[7]

On 6 June 2006, the Council published a document entitled Family and Human Procreation, noting that "Never before has the natural institution of marriage and the family been the victim of such violent attacks."^[8]

Presidents

• Committee for the Family:
  • Maurice Roy 11 January 1973 – 16 December 1976^[9]
  • Opilio Rossi 10 December 1976 – 9 May 1981^[10]
• Council for the Family:
  • James Knox 4 August 1981 – 26 June 1983^[11]
  • Edouard Gagnon 7 July 1983 – 8 November 1990^[12]
  • Alfonso López Trujillo 8 November 1990 – 19 April 2008^[13]
  • Ennio Antonelli 7 June 2008 – 26 June 2012^[14][15]
  • Vincenzo Paglia 26 June 2012 – 1 September 2016^[16][17]