Latvia's demographic indicators point to failures and need for adjustments - Archbishop Stankevics

RIGA - Archbishop Zbignevs Stankevics, the leader of Latvia's Roman Catholics, said in a sermon during the vigil mass on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Aglona that today's insecure situation and demographic crisis in Latvia are an indication of erroneous policies.

As church representatives informed LETA, in his address, the archbishop cited the data of Eurobarometer's spring survey, which shows that the most important issues that Latvian citizens think the EU should address are the Russian invasion of Ukraine and security, followed by immigration and the rising cost of living. As for the country's most important challenges, people complain about the rising cost of living and inflation, and point to the need for more support for public health.

Stankevics said that people in Latvia are depressed by uncertainty about the future. This insecurity is reflected in youth suicides and the fear of making long-term commitments such as marriage, having children and starting a family.

In a situation of uncertainty, the archbishop invoked the words of Jesus, saying that man must return to the truth about man and God in order to find freedom.

Stankevics said that man was created by God with "a mission, a vocation, equipped with talents and abilities, with the necessary potential to fulfil this mission". "The family, in the Creator's plan, is the first place of humanization of a person and of society and the cradle of life and love," the archbishop added, stating that "the message of Christ on marriage and the family must remain intact at a time when so many cultural, social and political factors are leading to a growing crisis of the existing family model".

One of the key words in Stankevics' interpretation of family could be simplicity - "a simple family with a father, a mother and children. Simple, not complicated, where the number of wives or husbands is mixed up, where it is no longer possible to tell which child belongs to which family unit, or where it is no longer possible to distinguish who is the father and who is the mother".

The archbishop also addressed youth suicides, saying that they are a sign that the youngsters have not been heard and supported in time - in the family, at school or at work. It is important for the education system to instill in young people the significance of family and the people around them, and the importance of being there for and supporting one another.

"Latvia's future depends on strengthening the family. The state has a duty to ensure that every member of our society has the opportunity to develop and flourish in every aspect of their personality, physically, mentally and spiritually. This means providing support for various programs and initiatives that prepare people for family life and help them to conceive and raise children," the archbishop said.