Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Valencia (Agenzia Fides) - Today and tomorrow, 6 and 7 July, the Archdiocese of Valencia is commemorating the Pope's visit for the 5th World Meeting of Families last year. This evening at 10pm parishes, family movements and associations from all over the diocese will gather in Our Lady's Square in front of the image of the pilgrim Mother of God, for the recitation of the Family Rosary presided Archbishop of Valencia Agustín García-Gasco with his auxiliary Bishops.
Saturday 7 July at 7pm the Archbishop will preside a special Mass of thanksgiving in Valencia cathedral. Also on 6 July at 7pm the Theology Faculty of Valencia will host an academic act on the Pope Benedict XVI addresses last year during the World Meeting of Families. Speakers will include Bishop Esteban Escudero. To commemorate the last year's Meeting special material was prepared and distributed to parish and movements to "give new impulse to family pastoral in parishes and to return to the Pope's words in Valencia and relive the spirit of those wonderful days".
Dioceses in many different countries have launched initiatives as fruits of 5th Meeting for Families such as Counselling Centres, synods, congresses, courses based on the Pope's teaching at the memorable event. In Cuba Family every diocese is set to open its own Counselling Centre to offer guidance to families along the lines of the contents of the congresses held during the World Meeting of Families, said a missionary from Valencia Blas Silvestre. These Centres, under the direction of the local Bishop, will have a team of five to ten experts, psychologists, social workers, pedagogues, teachers, doctors and priests, who will give couples with advice and counselling to deal with family crises, education of children as well as psychological e spiritual assistance.
In the Argentinean diocese of Posadas Bishop Juan Rubén Martínez encouraged his people to reread and reflect on the Pope's addresses during last year's World Meeting of Families as a means of preparation for the 1st diocesan Synod organised to mark the 50 anniversary of the diocese. Among other things, the synod will treat the subject of the family as "witness of communion ", and strive to outline family pastoral for the coming years.
In Taiwan, the Pope's addresses in Valencia last year were translated into Chinese by Spanish missionary Esteban Aranaz to serve as a basis for marriage preparation courses for engaged couples.
In Zimbabwe, Spanish missionary Ricardo Dávila published a series of “booklets” of reflections on the Pope's words on the Family which are used for formation courses for engaged and married couples. In Madagascar, Catholics who travelled to Valencia last year for the World Meeting of Families, shared videocassettes of the event with the people in various parishes accompanied by texts in Malagasy. World Meeting of Families follow up initiatives, such as courses, days of reflection and meetings have been promoted by Bishops' Conferences and dioceses in many other countries to foster in depth reflection on the contents of the Event and propose new ways and means of family assistance and support. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 6/7/2007; righe 37, parole 518)
