In less than a month’s time, the city of Rome will host the World Meeting of Families, which was last hosted in Dublin in 2018.
A press conference was held on Tuesday 31 May at the Holy See Press Office to announce details of the meeting, which will take place from 22- 26 June. Among those participating in the briefing was Professor Gabriella Gambino, Undersecretary at the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.
She said that despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dioceses in Rome and around the world were gearing up for the 10th World Meeting of Families.
The 10th World Meeting of Families, which has as its theme, “Family love: vocation and a path to holiness”, will open on Wednesday 22 June with the Festival of Families in the presence of Pope Francis in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.
The Pastoral Congress will take place from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 June which will also take place in the Paul VI Hall.
On Saturday afternoon there will be a Mass in St Peter’s Square presided over by Pope Francis, and on Sunday there will be the Angelus after which the Holy Father will deliver his traditional WMOF mandate to families.
Announcing more details on the Pastoral Congress, Professor Gambino said it would be unlike those of previous editions in that it will not have academically structured conferences with theological-doctrinal content, but will be a moment of meeting and listening with families.
She said, “The aim is to develop the theme chosen by the Pope, taking into account some strong indications emerging from Amoris Laetitia, a text that presents itself with very clear programmatic lines for the possible developments of family pastoral care in the coming years.”
The Congress will be built around five main conferences on a number of fundamental themes, such as difficulties of families in today’s societies; the preparation of couples for married life; and some situations of ‘existential periphery’ within families.
Festival of Families on Wednesday 22 June
Speaking about the Festival of Families, Monsignor Walter Insero, Director of the Social Communications Office for the Diocese of Rome noted, that it would be the opening event of the Meeting and will be entitled “The beauty of the family.”
The Festival will feature testimonies from families, as well as performances from artists, including Italian singing trio, Il Divo.
Patrons of the WMOF2022 announced
During the press conference the Pope’s Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, that the first married couple to be declared Blessed, Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, will be the patrons of the 10th World Meeting of Families.
ENDS
