The 10th World Meeting of Families was held in Rome from June 22 to 26 . The theme of this edition was “Family love: vocation and path to holiness”, chosen by Pope Francis. The event was organized by the Diocese of Rome and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
The missionary couple João Edson Queiroz and Goretti Queiroz and the priest of the Life Community, Father Silvio Scopel, Local Assistant of Fortaleza, participated in the World Meeting representing the Community, as well as some members of the Shalom Mission in Rome, who served in the music ministry in some moments of the encounter.
Shalom Community at the World Meeting
For João Edson Queiroz, General Assistant of the Shalom Community, it was an honor to participate in this event. He explained that this year was very different from previous events, due to the pandemic. In this edition there were only three representatives of every movement, pastoral, ecclesial reality and diocese of the whole world. “It was a great honor for us to represent the Shalom Community and in particular the families of the Life and Covenant Community and the families of the Shalom Work“, said João Edson.
According to the missionary, they had the great grace to participate and pray for all the families of the Community. “We put as our intention in the moments of prayer and in the meetings with the Holy Father, all the families of the Community and of the Shalom Work so that, in this year that the Meeting is multicultural and diffuse, these graces will also be poured on us and on all the Shalom families who gathered from all over the world, he explained.
According to Goretti, about two thousand delegates from 120 countries made part of this meeting. “The congress had moments of encounter, listening and discussion among the agents of family and marriage pastoral care. There was also an opportunity to meet and discuss new proposals for the evangelization of families”, said João Edson. According to the Dicastery, these people were invited by the episcopal conferences and the synods of the Eastern churches.
Thus, in response to the Pontiff’s request, this year the Shalom Community met in Fortaleza to hold the Congress of Shalom Families, on 25 and 26 June, where the participants could experience the same grace of the World Meeting.
History of the World Meeting of Families
The World Meeting of Families is an initiative created by Pope John Paul II in 1994. That year, the United Nations declared the “International Year of the Family” and the Pontiff also wanted to celebrate the occasion in the Church. The first edition was held in Rome on October 8 and 9 of the same year.
Unlike previous editions, the congress did not have lectures structured academically with theological-doctrinal content, but was a moment of meeting, listening and discussion between the agents of family and marriage pastoral care, according to Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
At the request of Pope Francis, the even took place simultaneously in the dioceses and communities around the world. All this so that they can feel protagonists at a time when it is still difficult to be all together in the same place, due to the pandemic.
Program
The Dicastery and the diocese of Rome guide a common program for all local meetings: inauguration, Eucharistic adoration, Holy Mass, lectures, testimonies, festive celebration with families and closure, “always keeping the spirit of freedom and creativity of the dioceses”, as the Central Commission of the event says in a press release.
In Rome, the following conferences that were held:
- Domestic Church and Synodality;
- Accompanying the early years of marriage
- Identity and mission of christian families
- Marriage catechumenate
- Family as a path of holiness
To know more about the program: https://www.romefamily2022.com/en/programma/
About the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
In 2016, Pope Francis established the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, bringing together the competences and functions that until then were part of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family.
“The Dicastery is competent in those matters pertinent to the 1Apostolic See1 for the promotion of life and the apostolate of the lay faithful, for the pastoral care of the young, the family and its mission, following God’s plan and for the protection and support of human life”(Statutes of the Dicastery, art. 1)
The Dicastery is composed of the prefect (Cardinal Kevin Farrel); secretary (Father Alexandre Awi Mello); undersecretary for the laity (Dr. Linda Ghisoni); undersecretary for family and life (Dr. Gabriella Gambino); now the “capo ufficio” Father João Chagas and other members and consultants like Moysés Azevedo, founder of the Shalom Community.
Message of the Pope for the World Meeting of Families
The event took place in Rome and in other dioceses around the world at the same time, so Francis thanked the bishops, parish priests and family pastoral workers who have called families to moments of reflection, celebration and fraternity.
“Above all, I thank the married couples and families who will bear witness to family love as a vocation and path to holiness.” –
Information
X World Meeting of Families- Family Love: A Vocation and Path to Holiness
When: June 22-26, 2022
Location: Rome, Italy