Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Familyfest 2005, promoted by the New Families branch of the Focolari Movement was presented today in Rome. The event, Saturday 16 April 3pm to 4.30 will be broadcast live by Italian television .
Familyfest is an appointment which the Focolarini have been preparing for a long time. After the death of the Pope it seemed natural to dedicate this event involving the family to John Paul II. The programme will help those present to re-live some of the many exceptional moments families of the world and the late Holy Father lived together.
The aim of Familyfest is to give visibility to a type of family which believes and lives values and becomes the cell of a new society.
The programme will include testimony from families, engaged couples, adoptive parents. It will also focus on peace with the testimony of two mothers, one Israeli and the other Palestinian. There will be moments of reflection, comments by experts, short interventions by VIPs and personalities of the world of entertainment live from Tokyo, Algiers and Teheran, testimony of Buddhist and Muslim families. It will also include folklore and artistic performances. Chiara Lubich, the founder, will give the closing speech.
There will also be the launching of a programme of solidarity “One family One home” started in aid of the homeless people around Manila, and extended to Thailand and Sri Lanka struck by the tsunami and the slums around Cochabamba in Bolivia. (P.L.R.) (Agenzia Fides 14/04/2005 - Righe 19; Parole 256)
