Preparations going on for World Meeting of Families

(January 16, 2013) The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Families has been working non stop, since it announced that the 7^th World Meeting of Families will take place from May 30th to June 3rd in Milan, north Italy. “The Family: work and celebration” is the theme of the triennial international event, which is being organized by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family in collaboration with the host archdiocese, Milan. Council president, Card. Ennio Antonelli said his office is offering catechesis in several languages, including in Chinese and Arabic to prepare families. They are also working on a conference that deals with the spirituality of married couples and also why it's key for couples to share quality time with their children. The meeting will have two phases. First, the theological-pastoral congress will take place. The second phase will include the Pope's arrival. Around 10,000 are expected at the Congress and up to a million people are expected to attend the Pope's closing Mass on June 3rd. The World Meeting of Families has been described as the World Youth Day for families. Back in 2006, a million people attended the celebration in Valencia, Spain. Milan archdiocese has arranged a series of meetings in the city and adjoining towns to invite families to accommodate participating families from around the globe. Blessed John Paul II initiated the World Meeting of Families as a way to deepen the Catholic faith of families, holding the first such meeting in Rome in 1994. The only Asian host diocese has been Manila, in the Philippines in 2003. The last meeting was held in Mexico City in 2009