Families Praying for Families

(January 17, 2009) When a Catholic family gets together, it's not unusual that they take some time out to pray. Even less when that family is the universal Catholic Church. Thousands of families have gathered this week in Mexico City to participate in the 6th World Meeting of Families, which will culminate Sunday with a closing Mass. More than 10,000 participants have been crowding the Expo Bancomer in the mountain capital to attend the pastoral-theological congress since Wednesday.Participants have been attending a full schedule of conferences, roundtable discussions and musical entertainment, as well as meeting and greeting the hundreds of priests, bishops and cardinals in attendance. But in the midst of all this activity, thousands of participants have come to the event to pray for their families, and to obtain the plenary indulgence Pope Benedict XVI conceded to those who are participating both physically and spiritually in the meeting. Gloria Barroso, director for liturgy of the family encounter, said that those participating in the event can attend one of the five Masses a day that are said in a conference room on the upper floor of the centre. Many of the cardinals and bishops attending the conference have presided at one or more of the Masses. "Attendance at the Masses has been very good," she said. "We had confession all day. About 10-12 priests have been hearing confessions all day. Many people have gone to confession.”