Archbishop Chaput: 2015 Meeting of Families a celebration

Archbishop Chaput: 2015 Meeting of Families a celebration

(Vatican Radio) Preparations for the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, Pa., in the United States, are in high gear – and the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, OFM Cap., is looking forward to Papal participation in the gathering. Pope Francis has expressed interest in taking part in person, though there is as yet no official confirmation of his attendance. That was the news out of the Press Office of the Holy See on Tuesday, where Archbishop Chaput and the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, briefed journalists on the progress of the planning stage of the event.

The theme of the 2015 Meeting of Families is, Love is our Mission: the family fully alive. The theme is taken from the writings of the 2^nd century bishop and Father of the Church, St. Irenaeus of Lyon, who said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” In prepared remarks to the gathered journalists, Archbishop Chaput explained, “In like manner, the glory of men and women is their capacity to love as God loves.  Life in a family is a summons to embody that love in everyday life.” 

The press conference was also the occasion to launch the Meeting’s official teaching document: a formation text developed by Dr. Christopher Roberts of Philadelphia with the assistance of an international team of experts, with the purpose of helping parish and diocesan leaders, catechists and other interested persons to prepare for the gathering. Our Sunday Visitor is distributing the book, which offers 10 steps toward understanding, living and teaching the truth about the human person and the family: from the purpose of our creation to the nature of our sexuality; to the covenant of marriage; the importance of children; the place of priesthood and religious life in the ecology of the Christian community; the Christian home as a refuge for the wounded heart the role of the Church; to the missionary witness of Christian families to the wider world.

Currently available in English and Spanish, editions of the book are being prepared in Portuguese, French Italian and German are being prepared by the Pontifical Council for the Family and should be ready by Autumn, 2014.

Following the press conference, Archbishop Chaput spoke with Vatican Radio about the setting of the 2015 World Meeting of Families in the changing social, political and cultural climate of the host country, the United States. “We’re celebrating God’s plan for marriage,” said the Archbishop, adding “marriage is a gfit from God, both so that we might share in His way of loving and that we might share in His creativity.” Archbishop Chaput went on to explain that the event really is being planned as a celebration. “We hope that seeing [Catholic families] fully alive will make where we stand on marriage both clear and attractive to other people,” he said.

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