Opening day for World Meeting of Families, Pope sends greetings

Pope Francis praying, Vatican Media

Pope Invites to Pray for Families in Difficulty; Says Family Is Where Hope Is Forged

Sending Tweet for Start of World Meeting of Families, Remember Those Hitting Tough Times

August 21, 2018 13:40Deborah Castellano LubovPope and Holy See

“Today the World Meeting of #Families begins in Dublin. Let us join in prayer with all the families of the world, especially those in difficulty. @WMOF2018 @LaityFamilyLife.”  This is Pope Francis’ tweet published on August 21, 2018, on the occasion of the opening of the 9th World Meeting of Families, organized in the Irish capital, which will involve families from 116 countries on 5 continents.Later the same day, the Pope tweeted: “The family is where hope is forged.”

The WMOF’s opening ceremony, which will take place in the evening in Dublin and in all the dioceses of the country, has for its theme “The joy of love in families is also the joy of the Church.” Three days of pastoral congress will follow, centered on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia . 

The international event will culminate with the arrival of Pope Francis on Saturday, Aug. 25, who will attend the Family Festival that evening, and the grand concluding Mass at Phoenix Park on August 26.

In a briefing in the Holy See Press Office today, the Press Office Director, Greg Burke confirmed the Pope will meet with sex abuse victims privately in Ireland, and that details will be released only afterward.

Burke also noted that Pope Francis has been in Ireland before to study English for two months in 1980. However, all his speeches over the weekend in the country will be in Italian.