Archbishop Diarmuid Martin discusses the preparations for the World of Meeting of Families 2018 ahead of the Ad Limina visit to Rome by the Irish Bishops.
- “My biggest hope is that it will be an occasion to renew confidence in the family”
- “Pope Francis has said now to so many people that he wants to come to Dublin for the Meeting that we can be sure that is his intention”
- “No one is more aware than Pope Francis of the difficulties that families encounter”
- “Their life within their own four walls is a really genuine Christian vocation which is vital in today’s society”
The members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference are currently undertaking their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit to Rome – or “to the threshold of the Apostles”. The Ad Limina normally occurs every five years and its purpose is to strengthen the bishops’ communion with the universal Church and with the successor of Saint Peter, Pope Francis. The Irish Bishops are scheduled to meet Pope Francis on Friday 20th January 2017.
The 9th World Meeting of Families which will take place in Dublin from 22 to 26 August 2018. The theme for WMoF 2018 is “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”.