Family, a beacon of hope in a wounded world

BURUNDI: AUGUST 16-22, 2026 Human Life International (HLI) Anglophone Africa Regional held a Conference in Burundi on ‘The Family: A Domestic Church – A Beacon of Hope in a Wounded World.’ Various topics on the issue were presented.

Mr Emil Hagamu, The HLI Anglophone Africa Regional Director Emphasised the family / home to be a place of prayer, unconditional love, forgiveness and mutual support.

“Everyday family activities such as sharing meals, serving one another, telling stories and resolving conflicts are opportunities to live out a “daily liturgy of love.”

In his presentation, Mr Hagamu identified the need to strengthen families before they can become beacons of hope in society.

“This requires living the faith at home, educating children in respect for life, human dignity, providing pastoral accompaniment to families in crisis, defending the culture of life and witnessing to faithful and sacrificial marital love,” he said.

A particularly relevant concern raised was the weakening of family relationships in contemporary society. He noted threats such as poverty, unemployment, inadequate access to healthcare, abuse, migration and war.

He also highlighted the growing problem of family members becoming physically present but relationally disconnected because of television and smartphones.

“Principally,” Said Hagamu: “Shared meals and genuine conversation are important means of rebuilding family bonds.”

The presentation examined the major wounds affecting the world today from three perspectives namely: The secular, prolife and religious views.

It focused particularly on the crises affecting human life, family, morality and society. From the secular perspective, the presentation identified three major global challenges as armed conflicts and displacement, socioeconomic inequality and environmental degradation.

Wars in the Middle East, Sudan, the Sahel and Ukraine were highlighted for their consequences including loss of life, displacement, hunger and disruption of communities.

Hagamu who is also the Chairman for Prolife Tanzania, also pointed to extreme poverty, hunger and unequal access to healthcare and education, together with climate change, deforestation and resource scarcity.

From the prolife perspective, he focused on what he described as a changing global ethic that challenges traditional Christian and African values concerning human life, marriage, family, chastity, fidelity, justice and respect.

He particularly addressed some wounds as from abortion and contraception presenting them as significant moral and cultural challenges to the traditional understanding of human sexuality, marriage and family.

He presented abortion as a major wound due to the loss of unborn life and its perceived physical, psychological, moral, spiritual and social consequences.

His presentation stressed that abortion effects may extend beyond the immediate decision to women, families and wider society. He also examined contraception from a Catholic perspective, emphasising the Church’s teaching that marital sexuality has both unitive and procreative dimensions.

His presentation further discussed possible physical, psychological and social effects associated with contraceptive methods and raised concerns about historical coercive population-control programmes.

According to Hagamu, denying objective truth and universal moral standards can weaken social cohesion, make moral accountability more difficult and create uncertainty about fundamental values.

At the same time, he acknowledged the importance of respecting cultural diversity while maintaining universal human dignity and rights.

“Generally, “Hagamu said: “The wounds of the modern world are not only wars, poverty and environmental crises, but also moral and cultural confusion concerning human dignity, life, sexuality, family and objective truth.”

He therefore called for a renewed commitment to protection of human life, respect for the family, responsible choices and the pursuit of truth…”

Hagamu challenged participants to recognise both the visible wounds of society and the deeper moral and spiritual wounds behind them, and to respond by defending human dignity, truth, life and values that strengthen families and communities.

The Executive Secretary for Education Department of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Dr Ronald Okidi addressed the Catholic responsibility to promote and protect human life, strengthen families and uphold the dignity of every person.

“Every human person possesses dignity simply by being human. Human worth does not depend on age, health, productivity, usefulness, independence or whether a person was planned or wanted…” said Dr Okidi who is a Catholic priest.

He challenged participants to reject any mentality in which a person’s right to belong depends upon being healthy, convenient, productive or wanted.

“This means receiving life as a gift, protecting vulnerable persons, accompanying those who are wounded or experiencing difficulties, and building communities where choosing and sustaining life becomes genuinely possible,” Dr Okidi said.

His presentation addressed abortion as an important challenge to the protection of human life. While affirming the Catholic teaching on the protection of unborn life, he also emphasised the need to understand and address the circumstances that can lead women to consider abortion.

He said: “These include fear concerning health, economic hardship, difficult living conditions, social pressure and abandonment by fathers. The Catholic response is holding together two responsibilities; defending the unborn child and accompanying the mother in her difficulties.”

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Okidi consequently called for practical support structures rather than merely condemning women facing difficult pregnancies.

The Priest also addressed euthanasia and the treatment of people who are seriously ill or experiencing great suffering describing Christian response as one of presence, accompaniment and care, rather than abandonment.

Particular emphasis was placed on palliative care, pain relief, spiritual accompaniment, human presence and support for caregivers.

“Sick, elderly or dying person remains a valued member of the community and should never be made to feel that his or her life has become a burden,” stated.

On the matter of responsible parenthood and the family, Fr Okidi distinguished between abortion, contraception and responsible parenthood and emphasised the Catholic understanding of fertility within marriage.

He positively presented responsible parenthood rather than simply opposition to particular practices.

He also presented as the family as ‘school of life’ and the ‘domestic church.’ It is where life is welcomed, nurtured and formed and where parents become the first educators of their children in faith, chastity, human dignity and love.

An important point running through the presentations was that pro-life ministry cannot be separated from strengthening families.

Families experiencing poverty, inadequate food, unsafe childbirth, lack of employment, poor housing or difficulties in educating children require practical support. His presentations broadened the prolife mission beyond the unborn child.

They called for the dignity of mothers, children living in poverty, persons with disabilities, victims of trafficking, migrants and refugees, the sick and the elderly to be defended and respected. The Vice Chairperson for Prolife Tanzania, Elimina Kalunga focused on the theme “A Family as a Beacon of Hope.”

Her presentation emphasised that the family has the potential to become a strong and loyal “team” and an important source of hope, stability, formation and healing in a rapidly changing and wounded society.

The presenter explained that the family does not automatically become a beacon of hope; rather, this depends on how family members relate to one another, communicate, share responsibilities and live out values.

In a world experiencing rapid changes in employment, prices, social media and other social pressures She presented the family as a stable environment where members can support one another, solve problems together and learn values such as integrity, hard work, care, respect, fairness and gratitude.

Encouraged to speak openly, avoid hiding problems until they become serious, listen to one another and provide support rather than judgment.

She stressed that every family member has an important place and responsibility in building a happy and healthy family.

Elimina called upon families to recognise that the transformation of society begins at home.

“A strong family produces responsible individuals, responsible individuals contribute to healthy communities and healthy communities contribute to a better society,” said Elimina.

According to Elimina, the family must not simply survive the challenges of a wounded world, but must become a place where hope, faith, love, responsibility and respect are deliberately formed and transmitted to the next generation.

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