WHILE the Pope, cardinals and hundreds of bishops and theologians meet in Rome to discuss the Church’s teaching on family life, all of us ought to be concerned as most of us were born into a family, either good, bad, broken or dysfunctional or none at all. Single parents are in the millions around the world.

Our parent’s relationship with each other and their values or lack of them is what initially shaped our character, personality, emotions and life experience. We are what we are by this life forming experience. What comes after is due to the choices we make in the face of worldly challenges and opportunities, positive or negative. They may be blessings and gifts, or greed or selfish desires. Free choice is what marks us as human, makes us saints or sinners.