The 5th World Meeting of Families will be held at Valencia, in Spain, from 4 to 9 July. Convened by John Paul II on 22 February, this year’s meeting will be dedicated to the theme “The transmission of the faith in the family”. “It was a personal decision of John Paul II recalled Cardinal Alfonso Lòpez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family that Benedict XVI has renewed with great joy”. In a letter sent to Cardinal Trujillo, Benedict XVI declared that “the Church cannot stop proclaiming that, in accordance with God’s plans, marriage and the family are irreplaceable and do not admit of other alternatives”. The idea of the meeting of families dates back to 1981, with the publication of the apostolic exhortation “Familiaris Consortio”. The first world meeting of families was held in Rome in 1994. Since then it has been held every three years: at Rio de Janeiro in 1997, in Rome in 2000 and in Manila in 2003. Five events characterise it: an international congress on pastoral theology; a congress devoted to children; celebrations for families on pilgrimage; a celebratory meeting with testimonies from families; and the concluding Mass presided over by the Pope or by his delegate. Over a million people representing 76 countries have so far participated in the meetings.
