Last updated on October 10th, 2022 at 08:12 am
With the presence of more than five thousand registered attendees and 80 national and international experts, the XIV World Congress of Families began on 30 September, having gathered leaders, organizations, but above all, young people, mothers and fathers, willing to celebrate and strengthen the family as the natural foundation of society, reports Quadratin news agency.
In the opening ceremony, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes read the message sent by Pope Francis, who especially emphasized the attention and affection that families deserve, especially those in difficulty, and those who have been forced to leave their land, as well as those who have no home, no job or who for many reasons suffer because of the crises that hit our world.
In his message from the Vatican, the Holy Father stressed that “God, in his infinite and merciful love, wanted the family to be a community of life with its own autonomous consistency. A community of people who love, who dialogue, who make sacrifices for others and defend life, especially the most fragile”.
Cardinal Aguiar proposed to the government, legislators and businessmen to establish the model of economic incentives for new marriages and to increase them according to the number of children they have, as well as facilities for the acquisition of housing.
Likewise, in order to avoid ideological polarization, he suggested a study to distinguish universal rights from partial rights.
The XIV World Congress of Families began with a welcome address by Manuel Campero, president of the Family Network Council, who said: “It is we adults who, with our poor example, infect young people with fear and discouragement to take the risk of living in love. It is urgent to give them reasons to believe and to hope”.
In addition, he issued a challenge to all the attendees: “I invite you to do things differently; today we are required to replace the verb ‘to say’ with the verb ‘to do’; we cannot do as if nothing happened and leave our mission as a family to schools or other people”.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage and the International Organization for the Family and the World Congress of Families, and Pastor Benjamin Rivera also participated in this first presentation.
The first panel of the day on, themed Strong Families, Sustainable Societies, featured important figures such as Jim Daly, Elder Wilford W. Andersen, Valerie Huber, Princess Gloria Von Thurn und Taxis and Card. Gerhard Ludwig Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Later in the day, interesting proposals were put forward on how to protect and help the family against the current cultural attacks, as well as the different actions that are being carried out by international organizations to create a healthy family environment.
Civic participation, family and work were also discussed, and finally, the panel on education was, among other topics, dedicated to the question of how to take advantage of digital communication in the family.
Along with the talks in the main auditorium, there were activities differentiated by age and subject matter in an attractive and practical way for the youngest, in which the intervention of the influencer Rorro Echávez stood out, who told the young people: “Let’s keep dreaming big.”
The first day concluded with a musical concert by Emmanuel and Mijares, who openly speak out in favor of promoting values in the family and society.