THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES
The theme chosen for the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Rome is, “Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness. The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) will conclude the Year of the Family, a celebration of families in honour of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Amoris Laetitia’. The celebration began on March 19, 2021, the day ‘Amoris Laetitia’ was released 5 years ago on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph. The meeting will reflect on the spirituality of the family in light of the call to holiness expressed in ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’.
MOF is the acronym for World Meeting of Families, created by Pope John Paul II in 1994. In fact, that year was declared “International Year of the Family” by the United Nations. Pope Wojtyla also wanted a Year of the Family to be celebrated in the Church at the same time; so, the 1st World Meeting of Families was created, which was held in Rome on 8 and 9 October 1994. It was promoted, just like subsequent editions, by the Pontifical Council for the Family; in 2016, this Vatican body was disbanded and merged with the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. A World Meeting of Families has therefore been held since 1994 every three years and in different places around the world. The pattern followed has always been
fairly similar, with an international Theological-Pastoral Congress at the start and ending, in the presence of the Pope, with a vigil and Festival of Families along with a great final Eucharistic celebration.
The logo designed for the 10th World Meeting of Families evokes the oval shape of Bernini’s colonnade in St Peter’s Square, the quintessential iconic place of the Catholic Church. It refers back to its original meaning, which is the welcoming and inclusive embrace of the Mother Church of Rome and of her Bishop, extending it to every man and woman throughout time. The barely visible human figures under the dome with the cross hanging above them represent husband, wife, children, grandparents and grandchildren. They aim to bring to mind the image of the Church as a “family of families” suggested by Amoris Laetitia (AL 87) in which “The experience of love in families is a permanent strength for the life of the Church” (AL 88). The cross of Christ that looms up towards the sky and the protective walls seem almost upheld by the families, who are real living stones of the ecclesial construction. On the left, along the thin line of the colonnade, we notice the presence of a family that is in the same position as the statues of the saints on the columns in the square. They remind us that the call to holiness can be achieved by everyone. They are meant to emphasise how it is possible to be holy in the essential living of ordinary life. The family on the left, which appears behind the line of the colonnade, also indicates all non-Catholic families, far away from the faith and outside the Church, who are watching the ecclesial event taking place from the outside. The ecclesial community has always looked at them with attention. We can also notice how dynamic the figures are that are moving to the right. They are moving outwards. They are outgoing families, examples of a non-self-referential Church. They are going in search of other families in an attempt to bring them closer and share the experience of God’s mercy with them. The predominant yellow and red are a clear reference to Rome’s coat of arms, a graphic design intended to express a deep bond with the community.
In view of the above, we have received some guidelines to celebrate it in each Diocese. In our Archdiocese on the 22nd of June, we shall be having a Eucharist celebration in North Goa at Caranzalem Church and at Navelim Church in South Goa at 4.30 p.m. respectively. On 26th June 2022, to culminate the WMOF, a Solemn Mass will be held at Se Cathedral at 10.00 am and our Archbishop will be the main celebrant. As a spiritual preparation for this day and keeping in mind the spiritual well-being of our families, the Diocesan Family Service Centre, have prepared reflections for Rosary to be prayed in the families for the month of May and June 2022. We hope and pray that praying the Rosary together in the family, keeping various intentions each day related to family values, challenges and struggles will help each family to make their family a holy, happy and healthy family.