The great Feast of Testimonies: The Pope embraces all the families of the world from Milan

 

Sitting amidst some Italian families and families from the world, the Holy Father was welcomed by Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, who thanked him for “having come to celebrate together with the many families united here in Milan and with families from all over the world. Your presence”, he said, “gives us faith and courage because it testifies to how much the Church cares for the family, and how much God Himself cares for the family”.

The Holy Father took part in the celebration replying to a number of questions on the theme of the Seventh World Meeting of Families: “The Family: Work and Celebration”. The first person to ask a question of the Pontiff was Cat Tien, a Vietnamese girl of seven, who had shown a desire to know something about the Pope’s family and about when Joseph Ratzinger was her same age.

 “The crucial point for my family was always the Sunday, which started on Saturday afternoon when my father read the Sunday readings from a book where the texts were explained”. said the Holy Father. “The next day, we went to Mass and then ate together. I sang a lot with my family; my brother was a musician. Then I remember the journeys, and the walks. We were one soul and thrived on the joy of simple things, and on reciprocal love that was very strong. When I try to imagine Heaven, I think of the time of my youth, we were happy. Heaven must be similar to how my youth was, and I hope to return home by going to the other side of the world”.

Serge and Fara from Madagascar have been engaged for four years and are soon to be married. They asked the Holy Father the meaning of the words “forever”. “Words”, they said, “that attract us more than any other, but which at the same time, frighten us”.

 “In Europe, until the 1800s, there was another dominant model of Marriage. Marriage was a contract between clans, through which people tried to defend their status”, said the Pontiff. “Today, Marriage is no longer based on the will of others, but it is a free choice, preceded by falling in love and engagement. Often we think that love alone can guarantee the “forever”, which is absolute, but that is not so. Falling in love is beautiful, but it is not always perfect. Alone, sentiment is not forever. The passage from engagement to Marriage requires a series of inner experiences and the desire of love must include reason and will. In the Marriage rite”, continued  Benedict XVI, “we do not say ‘are you in love’, but ‘will you’, have you decided, which involves will and reason. The whole of man is involved with his capacity, his discernment of reason and the will to say yes, this is my life. At the Marriage at Cana, the second wine was better than the first: love must grow and mature, involving the parish, the Church, friends, the right communion of life with others, with families that share the same experience, the same life and the same faith”.

The Paeologos family from Greece asked the Pope to talk about the theme of marriage in crisis. “There are days – and nights, when we ask ourselves what can be done so as not to lose hope”, they told the Holy Father, “what can the Church say to all these people, to these people and families without any prospects?”.

 “Words are not enough, we should do something concrete, and we all know we are incapable of doing something concrete”, said  Benedict XVI. “In politics, the sense of responsibility of those parties that promise things they cannot realize must grow so that they don’t just try to obtain more votes for themselves but are responsible for the good of all. Politics is human responsibility to man and to God.

“A lot of people suffer and must accept the reality without the opportunity of defending  themselves from the difficulties – the Pope continued. - Everyone must do everything possible for themselves, for the families, for the others,  knowing that many sacrifices are necessary to go ahead. I think that solidarity among families in towns and in parishes could help. We have active useful and important cultural exchanges, but it's time that a family from Italy, German, France  takes the responsibility to help another family. Be sure that many others and I  are praying for you and this prayer is not just word but it opens the hearth to God and creativity”.

Family Rerrie comes from the neighbourhood of New York. Jay is Jamaican, he is an accountant, while Anna is a teacher aid. They have six children and asked the Pope how  they can find the right harmony between family and work. “In the whirlwind of such a lot of boosts deriving from the contemporary society – they asked the Pope – how can they help family to live the feast according to God's hearth?  

“It's a big issue – the Pontiff said- and I think to understand this dilemma between two priorities”. The Pope addressed to employers inviting them to “ think of families and of helping them because the two realities, family and work, can be reconciled. Giving a bit of freedom is healthy also for the enterprise because it strengthens the love for work and the work place.”

“Then we need – the Pope stressed – to experiment a certain creativity and to bring everyday  some joyful elements and attention in the family accepting the obscurities and thinking of this great good that is the family.  And finally it is Sunday, the feast day, the Lord's day and as such the man's day: let's defend the man's freedom defending Sunday”.

Last question to the Pope was asked by Maria Marta and Manoel Angelo Araujo, couple from Brazil who raised the issue of  marriage breakdown that continue to rise all over the world. They asked the Holy Father “words of hope” for those “couples of remarried people who want to move closer to the church but when they are denied the sacraments, their disappointment is huge.”

“The problem of divorces and remarried people is one of the huge sufferings of the contemporary Church- Benedetto XVI answered. We don't have recipes, the suffering is great and we can only help parishes and the individuals promoting the prevention, deepening  love, helping couples and accompanying them during the Marriage, in order that families are never alone but accompanied in the everyday life. They must feel the love of the Church, they must feel loved and accepted even if they cannot receive the Eucharist. They must see that they are living in the Church in this way. Even if there isn't the Confession, the friendship with a priest is important. They can feel the Eucharist and  be spiritually nourished in Christ”.

Between a question and another one Benedetto XVI has witnessed the performance of artists such as the gospel singer Lois Kirby, the Italian-Somali Saba Anglana, Francesco Garolfi and Ron.  Some families told their story and prayed with the Pope.

On the stage there were some famous Italian actors: Serena Autieri, Paolo Bonacelli, Myriam Catania, Pamela Villoresi and Giuseppe Cederna.

The song of the Our Father has been introduced by family Govoni from Cento, near Ferrara, one of the countries affected by the earthquake of recent days.  Mariacristina and Giuliano greeted the Pope after he addressed to those who were in connection from San Felice sul Tanaro: “Dear friend, you know that we deeply feel your pain, your suffering and we want to work to help you, we don't abandon you”, the Pope said recalling the activity of Caritas, of the Church, of the State and the active communities. Each of us – he concluded- want to help you in prayer and materially”. At the end of the Our Father Benedetto XVI gave the Solemn Blessing and then he returned to the Archbishopric for the night.

The evening has continued until 10.30 pm with a performance of Dulce Pontes, of the Israeli singer Noa on the stage with Gil Dor, Clelia Sguera and Nico Arcieri, the Sonohra with Hevia, the Gypsy group Alexian Group.

Source: www.family2012.com