VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2003 (VIS) - One of the principal celebrations of the Fourth World Meeting of Families, which started January 22 in Manila, took place this afternoon in the presence of delegates from 77 countries, the papal envoy, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and prelates from the Philippines and around the world.
A focal moment of the ceremony, which began at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. in Rome) and included a liturgy of the light and testimonials from families representing the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, was a television linkup with Pope John Paul. The Pope blessed the candles that were used and led a brief prayer referring to light. Following the witnessing by families, the Holy Father addressed the assembly, estimated to be 2 million faithful.
John Paul II spoke in English to the families and his speech was also released in Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish. At the end of his speech he said he was "pleased to announce that the Fifth World Meeting of Families will be held in Valencia, Spain, in 2006."
"My thoughts and prayers are with you, dear families of the Philippines and from throughout the world, as you gather in Manila for your Fourth World Meeting," began the Pope. "With great affection I greet all of you in the name of the Lord! On this occasion I also offer a prayerful greeting to all the families of the world which you represent."
"In the theological-pastoral session just concluded," he noted, "you discussed the theme: 'The Christian Family: Good News for the Third Millennium'. I chose these words with your World Meeting in mind, in order to highlight the sublime mission of the family."
John Paul II entreated Christian families "to proclaim joyfully to the whole world the wonderful treasure which you, as domestic churches, possess! Christian couples, in your communion of life and love, in your mutual self-giving and in your generous openness to children, become, in Christ, the light of the world."
"Above all," he urged, "be 'good news' for the third millennium by remaining faithful to your vocation. Whether you were married recently or many years ago, the Sacrament of Matrimony continues to be your own special way of being disciples of Jesus, contributing to the spread of the Kingdom of God and growing in the holiness to which all Christians are called."
The Pope told married couples to "accept fully and without reserve the love which, in the Sacrament of Matrimony, God first gave to you. ... Stand firm in the one conviction which can give meaning, strength and joy to your life: Christ's love will never abandon you, His covenant of peace with you will never fail."
"The grace which you received in marriage," he remarked, "remains with you through the years. Its source is in the pierced heart of the Redeemer. ... It is the grace of a selfless love which forgets the hurt it has suffered, a love faithful unto death, a love bursting with new life. It is the grace of a generous love, which believes all things, bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things, a love which has no end, a love which is greater than all else."
The Holy Father said he knew that "such a love is not always easy. Daily life is full of pitfalls, tensions, suffering and even fatigue. But on this journey you are not alone. Jesus is always present at your side, just as he was for the newlyweds at Cana in Galilee during a moment of difficulty."
"Be 'good news for the third millennium'," exhorted the Pope, "by bearing convincing and consistent witness to the truth about the family. The family founded on marriage is a patrimony of humanity, a great good of priceless value, necessary for the life, development and the future of peoples. According to the plan of creation established in the beginning, the family is the setting in which the human person, made in the image and likeness of God, is conceived and born, grows and matures."
He told his audience that he was "grateful for the testimonies which you have given this evening, and which I have carefully followed. They bring to mind my own experiences as a priest, as Archbishop of Krakow and in the nearly twenty-five years of my papacy. As I have often said, the future of humanity passes by way of the family."
John Paul II again urged Christian families "to show by your daily lives that despite numerous difficulties and obstacles marriage is able to be fully lived out as a meaningful experience and as 'good news' for the men and women of today. Be leaders in the Church and in the world."
In concluding, the Pope told couples that "if you wish to be 'good news for the third millennium', do not forget that family prayer is a sure way to remain united in a way of life in harmony with God's will. When I proclaimed the Year of the Rosary several months ago, I recommended this Marian devotion as a prayer of the family and for the family. By reciting the Rosary, families 'place Jesus at the center, they share His joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in His hands, they draw from Him the hope and the strength to go on'."
The Pope then imparted his Apostolic Blessing and told couples to "make the Gospel the guiding light of your families."
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