'Kids have right to father, mother'

(ANSA) - Assisi, November 10 - Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) chief Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco told assembled bishops Monday that children "have the right to a father and a mother".
    Children are not "subordinate to the desires of adults," the cardinal said.
    "Weakening the family by creating new figures (that) displace the founding nucleus of the individual and the human being, is irresponsible".
    The chief of Italy's bishops went on to bewail Italy's high youth unemployment rate, which stands above 40%.
    "The number of those so dispirited they have given up looking for work is on the rise," said Bagnasco. "We are losing an entire generation. What is to become of so many young people?" The cardinal called for fighting unemployment by making sure Italian production remains in Italy.
    "We must ensure that our industrial and professional heritage...remains solidly anchored at home," Bagnasco said.
    "Economic hardship bordering on misery is weighing on the endurance of families," he added, calling for a renewal in politics based on "listening to the suffering of others".