EUROPA/SPAIN - Preparations for 5th World Meeting of Families in July 2006 in Valencia: programme will include Family Feast and International Congress

Friday, 9 September 2005

Valencia (Fides Service) - Preparations are underway for the 5th World Meeting of Families organised by the Catholic Church which will be held next year 2006 in July in Valencia, Spain. Recently Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family was in Valencia for a series of meetings with the organisers. This was the second such visit, after the first on June 14 to view possibile sites for the event in particular the main open air Mass expected to draw thousands of Catholic families from all over the world, between 1.5 and 2 million people. The Cardinal also visited Valencia Fair where 5,000 delegates of family movements and associations from all over the world will take part in a Family Congress. The Fair will also host an International Family Exhibition of pro-family initiatives and projects launched by different countries, institutions and associations.
In May this year Pope Benedict XVI confirmed the theme and the venue for 5th World Meeting of Families, as announced by Pope John Paul II in 2003: “Handing on the Faith in the Family” Valencia, July 2006. (see Fides 30/5/05).
At the meeting in Valencia the Cardinal discussed preparations with Bishop García-Gasco of Valencia and auxiliary bishops, including Bishop Esteban Escudero delegate president delegate of the 5th World Meeting of Families, Bishop Juan Antonio Reig of Segorbe-Castellón vice president of the Spanish Bishops’ Commission for Lay Apostolate and members of the organising committee who include professors at Valencia’s Catholic Univeristy and the Valencia branch of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family. The Cardinal was informed of preparations with regard to communications and was assured that information in different languages on the event including illustrations of the logo will to be sent to Bishops all over the world. He approved proposals to reserve a special place for married couples who have celebrated silver and golden wedding anniversaries and to hold concerts and other forms of entertainment.
Organisers expect thousands of families to attend, between 1.5 and 2 million people. The provisional programme includes Family Feast 1 - 7 July; international Family Congress 4 - 7 July, special Masses for Families in different languages and at different venues; Family Prayer Vigil 8 July and culminating World Meeting of Families Mass on 9 July hopefully presided by Pope Benedict XVI. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 9/9/2005 righe 31 parole 434)


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