Two world meetings

The international Fair of the family, the congress on pastoral theology, the rosary with children, the vigil with testimonies and the final mass with Benedict XVI: these are the main events of the 5th World Meeting of the Families to be held in Valencia from 1 to 9 July with the slogan “the transmission of the faith in the family”. The programme of the event is available on line on the website of the Holy See (www.vatican.va), among the materials placed at public disposal by the Pontifical Council for the Family. The first World Conference of Catholic TV channels will be held in Madrid, from 10 al 12 October 2006. Here is some further information on the two events. THE POPE IN VALENCIA . The Vigil and the final Mass will be presided over by Benedict XVI, whose arrival in Valencia is scheduled for Saturday 8 July at 11.30 am. On the same day the Pope will also meet the Spanish premier Josè Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in the archbishop’s residence in Valencia. There are two main novelties in this meeting: the International Fair entirely dedicated to the family and the Rosary of Families. The International Fair will bring together enterprises, associations and various NGOs. A “play area” will also be installed where families will be able to play with their children. The International Congress of Pastoral Theology on how to transmit the faith in the family will be held from 4 to 7 July. It is expected that 29 cardinals from 25 countries and representatives of the Greek, Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches will participate in it. FOR CHILDREN AND FOR GRANDPARENTS . Another Congress will be aimed at children from 4 to 7 July; some 1,500 youth aged between 16 and 25 will attend it. The congress will tackle the challenges of youth today, such as insertion in the labour market, the commitment to marriage and forming a new family, vocation, the alternatives to the culture of recreation and leisure time, religious freedom in the university, on the workplace and in the political world. A third congress, dedicated to grandparents, will be held on two afternoons. Two main themes will be discussed: “Grandparents and the transmission of the faith” on Wednesday 5 July, and “Grandparents and the family” on Thursday 6. The Rosary of Families will be celebrated on the Seaside Promenade at Malvarrosa on Friday 7 July at 20.30: over 40 children from Valencia will enact the mysteries of the Rosary. A series of liturgical celebrations for the various language groups will be held in the churches of the city on Saturday 8 July, beginning at 10 am. A meeting of festivity and witness will take place on Saturday 8 July, at 9.00 pm, with the participation of families from various parts of the world and artistic displays. The solemn eucharistic concelebration presided over by the Holy Father will take place on Sunday 9 July, during which some married couples that have completed 50 years of marriage will renew their marriage vows. A MULTIMEDIA PORTAL AND A LOGO. Meanwhile the organizing committee of the meeting has placed on line a multimedia portal (www.contenidosemf.com) to publicise the contents of the event and promote the values of the family. The portal intends to offer, in a “simple and appealing” language, the thought of the Church’s teaching on the family, marriage, love and sexuality. From the web page it is also possible to download 80 multimedia products, including animations on the education of children and conjugal love. For information and enrolment consult: www.wmf2006.org. In the logo of the event, the idea of the family as the fundamental cell of society, through which the social fabric is built up, is conceptualised in a drawing. The terrestrial globe in the various colours represents the many cultures and races, the cross is the imprint that families bear in the world. OVER 2000 CATHOLIC TV CHANNELS IN THE WORLD . Placing the emphasis on the contents, dignity and quality of Catholic TV: that’s one of the objectives of the first world Congress of Catholic TV channels due to be held in Madrid later in the year, from 10 to 12 October 2006. Monsignor Enric Planas, general coordinator of the international committee that is organizing the event ( www.congresomundialtv.com http://www.congresomundialtv.com ), spoke of it in Barcelona. “The world Congress – he said – is a great opportunity for the Church in Spain, to strengthen its presence in the field of television, through the launch of its own mass media, of decided Catholic identity and high professional quality, such as the project of Popular TV promoted by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference”. “We will try to combine our efforts to be more effective, share experiences, technologies and audiovisual products – explained Father José María Gil Tamayo, director of the Secretariat of the Commission for the means of communication of the Spanish bishops, in a briefing to SIR – because there’s one image that unites us and identifies us: catholicity, i.e. universality”. At the present time there are some 2000 Catholic television channels in the world. The honorary president of the congress will be the Princess of Asturias, Her Royal Highness Letizia Ortiz.