One Million people to participate in the 7^th world meeting of families in Milan

May 22, 2012: Overa a million people are expected to participate in the 7th world meeting of families in the Italian city of Milan scheduled from May 30 to 3 June. The meeting of families will focus on the theme: "The Family: Work and Rest", revealed Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, at a Press conference held at the Vatican on Tuesday.

6,900 people including 900 children are participating in the work of pastoral theological conference with 104 speakers from 27 countries. Approximately 300,000 people participate in the prayer, witness and party on Saturday. On Sunday 3^rd June, will have an attendance of around one million people with Pope Benedict XVI. The families participating in the VII Meeting come from over 90 countries, Cardinal Antonelli added.

The main purpose of this conference is the presentation of the book "The family resource for society," – an important initiative of the Pontifical Council for the Family in preparation for the event in Milan. New insights from new research presented in the book highlight the different contributions, positive and negative, that the various types of families and partnerships bring to society.

Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan, said that the theme of the Meeting - The Family: Work and Rest - refers to the framework of pastoral guidelines emerged from the IV National Congress of the Italian Church "Witnesses of the Risen Jesus, Hope of the world" held in 2006.
It cover the following five areas: emotional life and family, work and celebration, education and culture, poverty and disease, the duties and responsibilities of social life and politics.
The title of the VII World Meeting of Families, connecting the three fundamental aspects of daily life of every man - family, work, rest (feast), added Archbishop Scola.