Pope sends his blessings to participants of the Asian Conference on the Family
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has praised Philippine Bishops for holding the “Asian
Conference on the Family” currently underway in Manila.
The conference, which
runs until 16 May, gathers thousands of religious, educators, lay faithful, and politicians
all over Asia to tackle the present-day situation of the human family.
In a
message signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and addressed
to the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Archbishop
Socrates Villegas of Lingayen Dagupan, the Pope calls upon “all the lay faithful gathered
to deepen their experience of faith and communion (…) so as to be a leaven of Christ’s
love in the midst of humanity”.
Please find below the full text of
the Pope’s message
The Most Reverend Socrates B. Villegas Archbishop
of Lingayen Dagupan President Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
The
Holy Father was pleased to be informed of the “Asian Conference on the Family” to
be held from 13 to 16 May 2014 with the theme “Families of Asia: Lights of Hope”.
Recalling that the “family is the fundamental cell of society where we learn to live
with others despite our differences and to belong to one another” (Evangelii Gaudium,
66), His Holiness calls upon all the lay faithful gathered to deepen their experience
of faith and communion, under the guidance of the Successor of Peter and the Bishops,
so as to be a leaven of Christ’s love in the midst of humanity. Commending all present
and their families to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and Saint Joseph,
the Holy Father willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and
joy in our Lord Jesus.