Cardinal Ferrão shares how phones are changing family life at Vatican bishops meeting

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão told a Vatican meeting of bishops on October 8 how a parish in India successfully used phone-free evenings to improve family life. Speaking at a gathering of more than 150 bishops and patriarchs to mark the 10th anniversary of the exhortation Amoris Laetitia, the cardinal shared a story about a family struggling with digital distractions and a lack of communication.

The cardinal, who serves as the archbishop of Goa and Daman and president of the Indian bishops' conference, described a household where children were constantly on their phones and parents lacked the energy to converse after work. After a parish priest visited the home, the family implemented small changes, including one phone-free evening per week, a daily shared meal, and a few minutes of prayer together. Ferrão noted that these steps led to a real change, helping the family face their struggles together.

This local success prompted the parish to expand its family ministry by increasing home visits and asking older couples to support younger families. The meeting, held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, includes presidents of bishops' conferences and heads of Eastern churches to discuss modern challenges such as digital technology, interfaith marriages, and changing relationship dynamics.