Fr Alin Nica, coordinator of the hospital and charity clergy within the Archdiocese of Bucharest, said on Sunday in an interview with Radio România Cultural that many addictions emerge when dysfunctions exist within the family.
The priest explained that interpersonal relationships are increasingly affected by today’s culture, which emphasises immediate, effortless satisfaction.
“Many addictions appear when certain dysfunctions arise within the family: lack of parental attention towards children, or harmful social circles.”
“This entire culture of everything being one click away has also damaged interpersonal relationships, which are beginning to fall under this imperative of immediacy, comfort and the desire to obtain as much as possible through minimal effort,” Fr Alin Nica explained.
The Church’s teachings offer solutions
The priest stressed that the Church offers solutions to the problems facing today’s families, including addiction, and that God’s help is essential in overcoming such struggles.
“This issue of addictions, which has many forms, is extremely important. Through the teachings of Holy Scripture, the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the entire Tradition of the Church, the Church offers guidance so that every Christian may have a living relationship with God through prayer, participation in the holy services, and a living and dynamic relationship with one’s spiritual father.”
“Many addictions are in fact passions — that is, sins — which are repeated until we become enslaved by these impulses. And to fight these tendencies, we need God’s help. We need personal prayer, but also prayer in communion with others,” Fr Alin Nica said.
“We should not be afraid”
The coordinator of the charity priests of the Archdiocese of Bucharest called for hope, even as contemporary society appears to face serious difficulties, with people paying less attention to one another’s needs and relationships becoming increasingly fragile.
“We are no longer attentive to the needs of those around us, and from this come divorce, the deterioration of relationships between parents and children, and the cooling of empathy towards our neighbour.”
“Everything happening around us should not frighten us; every period in history has had its own difficulties. Everything the Church offers can help man concretely. The Church’s message is not something anachronistic that no longer helps us. A person can live according to the Gospel message even in today’s society, without fear,” the priest stated.
Many people, yet deeply lonely
Fr Alin Nica also spoke about life in urban environments, where populations are large yet people are paradoxically becoming increasingly isolated. The solution offered by the Church, he said, is parish life.
“Patience also implies hope. You endure patiently, knowing that God helps you. You do not fall into despair, panic or anxiety, because God loves each one of us and will give us what is beneficial at the right moment.”
“Patience is a virtue acquired over time. It is acquired especially when a person cooperates with God’s grace and does not rely solely on personal abilities. Through humility, God compensates for our weaknesses.”
“Paradoxically, although there are so many of us, we are alone. We do not know one another. That is why parish life helps address this problem.”
“In urban settings, there is no longer time even for meeting with family and relatives, let alone neighbours or other acquaintances. We find ourselves in a different social reality and therefore need solutions adapted to the present situation. One of these solutions is life in communion within the parish,” the priest added.
Photo: Radio România Cultural
