ANGELUS: A SIGN OF HOPE THROUGH CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2002 (VIS) - After his encounter with the community of the Roman parish of St. John Nepomucene Neumann, John Paul II appeared at the window of his study at noon to pray the Angelus with the numerous pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square.

Among those present were many children who came with figurines of the Baby Jesus to be blessed by the Pope, as is customary on the third Sunday in Advent.

"Your joy," said the Holy Father addressing the children, "is in harmony with the spirit of joy typical of the third Sunday in Advent. Christmas," he continued, "is par excellence the feast of the family because God, being born into a human family, chose it as the first community consecrated by his love."

Finally the Pope recalled the celebration of the 4th World Meeting with Families on January 22 and 26 of 2003 in Manila, Philippines. Previous meetings were held in Rome (1994), Rio de Janeiro (1997) and again in Rome during the Jubilee Year. "The next meeting," he affirmed, "will help to promote once again the Gospel of the Family in the third millennium. ... The world needs a sign of hope to come from Christian families."

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