Another leading social scientist in the U.S. who highlights the indispensable role of fathers in raising mature and responsible citizens is Ian Rowe. One of his books, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.), echoes the provision in our constitution that states marriage is an inviolable institution. Rowe argues that to effectively revitalize fatherhood, the institution of marriage must be strengthened, not detached from it. In a debate with Richard Reeves, Rowe emphasized that marriage imposes a moral and relational obligation on fathers that other institutions struggle to replicate. Without the firm commitment of marriage, a father’s relationship with his child is often fragile or altogether severed.

In several podcasts, Rowe highlights the serious consequences of absent fathers, particularly for boys and young men. He considers absent fatherhood a “hidden crisis” in America and believes that strong, present fathers—supported by stable marriages and communities—are vital for the flourishing of the next generation. He asserts that marriage uniquely anchors a father’s commitment and engagement, suggesting that when fathers aren't married to the mothers of their children, the relational and moral ties weaken, making consistent involvement far more unlikely.

Rowe encourages public awareness campaigns to shed light on how fathers contribute to discipline, play, and overall child development. He argues that better public recognition of fathers' unique roles could strengthen both parenting and marital bonds. He also supports parenting programs tailored to fathers, including efforts like the “Parenting Inside Out” curriculum in prisons, which has shown positive outcomes for men and their relationships with children post-incarceration. Rowe also believes educational reforms must acknowledge family structure—including father involvement—as a key determinant of student outcomes. Without stable families, even the best schools struggle to overcome the challenges faced by students in fragile home environments.

These basic truths about parenting, arrived at through empirical research in the United States, were actually the foundational principles that motivated a group of Filipino parents some fifty years ago to establish two foundations: the Parents for Education Foundation (PAREF) and the EDUCHILD Foundation (Education for the Upbringing of Children Foundation). Over the last half-century, these associations of parents have helped tens of thousands of parents at all social levels to strengthen their respective marriages and family lives, play a very active role in the upbringing of children, and even establish schools where the motto is “First Parents, second Teachers, and in the third place the pupils.” These parents were inspired by the teachings on the family, parenting, and education by one of the most well-known modern saints of the Catholic Church, St. Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei. In several bestselling books and especially in his oral teachings, St. Josemaria offered answers to such questions as: “What is a family? How can one become a good father or a good mother? What role does the family have in the children’s education and development? How can parents combine authority and freedom? How should families exercise trust and confidence in daily life?”

In the remaining part of this article, I quote verbatim the answers he gave to some of these questions.

“When I think of Christian homes, I like to imagine them as being full of the light and joy that were in the home of the Holy Family. (…) Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice…Husband and wife are called to sanctify themselves in it. It would be a serious mistake if they were to exclude family life from their spiritual development. The marriage union, the care and education of children, the effort to provide for the needs of the family as well as for its security and development, the relationships with other persons who make up the community, all these are among the ordinary situations that Christian couples are called upon to sanctify (…)

“The aim is this: to sanctify family life, while creating at the same time a true family atmosphere. Many Christian virtues are necessary in order to sanctify each day of one’s life. First, the theological virtues, and then all the others: prudence, loyalty, sincerity, humility, industriousness, cheerfulness… Would you like to know a secret to happiness? Give yourself to others and serve them, without expecting to be thanked.

“Parents teach their children mainly through their own conduct. What a son or daughter looks for in a father or mother is not only a certain amount of knowledge or some more or less effective advice, but primarily something more important: a proof of the value and meaning of life, shown through the life of a specific person, and confirmed in the different situations and circumstances that occur over a period of time.

“If I were to give advice to parents, I would tell them, above all, let your children see that you are trying to live in accordance with your faith. Don’t let yourselves be deceived: they see everything, from their earliest years, and they judge everything. Let them see God is not only on your lips, but also in your deeds: that you are trying to be loyal and sincere, and that you love each other and you really love them too.

“This is how you will best contribute to making your children become true Christians, men and women of integrity, capable of facing all life’s situations with an open spirit, of serving their fellow men and helping to solve the problems of mankind, of carrying the testimony of Christ to the society of which they will be a part.

“The parents are the first people responsible for the education of their children, in human as well as in spiritual matters. They should be conscious of the extent of their responsibility. To fulfill it, they need prudence, understanding, a capacity to love and a concern for giving good example. Imposing things by force, in an authoritarian manner is not the right way to teach. The ideal attitude of parents lies more in becoming their children’s friends—friends who will be willing to share their anxieties, who will listen to their problems, who will help them in an effective and pleasant way.

“Being a father or a mother is not simply a matter of bringing children into the world. The capacity for generation, which is a share in the creative power of God, is meant to have a continuation. Parents are called to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the development of their children into men and women who will be authentic Christians.”

To be continued.