The great need is for a fully common life, within the family, which will make the family of use to the world around it. In past ages the monastic community was the spearhead. Today I feel it is the family, the Catholic family, which is to be the spearhead for Catholic penetration of a pagan world.

To make common life within the family a reality it is necessary to treat the children of the family as persons. I disagree with the saying, ‘Give me a child until it is seven …'. Apart from the mythical child of five who, on being told he had committed a mortal sin, replied: ‘Oh, but I cannot commit a mortal sin yet because I have not got the use of reason', one trains rather than teaches a child of under seven.