Speculation is mounting that Pope Francis may visit Ireland following his announcement that Dublin will be the next city to host the World Meeting of Families.
Held every three years and sponsored by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) is the Catholic Church’s largest international gathering of families.
This year’s event took place in Philadelphia, US, last week, while the 2018 event will be held in Dublin.
The idea originated with Pope St John Paul II in 1992 as a way of strengthening the bonds of the traditional family unit around the world.
Family was always a strong theme with Pope St John Paul and, as recollected at Knock over the weekend by Archbishop Eamon Martin, the late pope spoke on the subject in Limerick during his visit to Ireland in 1979.
During a speech, the pope said: “Modern conditions and social changes have created new patterns and new difficulties for family life and for Christian marriage.”
He called on the Irish people to“revere and protect your family and your family life, for the family is the primary field of Christian action for the Irish laity.
“May Ireland always continue to give witness before the modern world to her traditional commitment to the sanctity and the indissolubility of the marriage bond.
“May the Irish always support marriage, through personal commitment and through positive social and legal action . . . Hold high the esteem for the wonderful dignity and grace of the sacrament of marriage.
“Respect the God-given cycle of life, for this respect is part of our respect for God himself, who created male and female, who created them in his own image, reflecting his own life-giving love in the patterns of their sexual being.”
First meeting
The first WMOF took place in Rome in 1994, the International Year of the Family.
Every three years since that meeting, families from all over the world are invited by the pope of the day to attend this global gathering.
In 1997 it took place in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, in 2000 the venue was Rome again, the 2003 event was held in Manila in the Philippines, the 2006 event was held in Valencia in Spain, 2009 was in Mexico City, while the 2012 gathering was in Milan.
At the WMOF conference, families share their thoughts and prayers, working together to grow as individuals and family units.
Families participate in discussion groups on the Christian family’s role in the church and society, led by distinguished speakers.
Each WMOF also has a theme. Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive was the theme for the Philadelphia event, emphasising the impact of family life and love on our society.
