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Skriven 2006-07-03 11:45:06 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

FAMILY: ADULTS MUST RENEW AND TRANSMIT THEIR FAITH

VATICAN CITY, JUL 2, 2006 (VIS) - The Fifth World Meeting of Families, which
will take place in Valencia, Spain next Saturday and Sunday in the Pope's
presence, was the theme of Benedict XVI's comments before praying the Angelus
with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at midday today. Today's
Angelus was the Pope's last before his apostolic trip to Valencia and his
summer holidays, which he is due to spend in Italy's Valle d'Aosta region.

The Holy Father recalled that the first such gathering of families took place
in Rome in 1994 on the occasion of the International Year of the Family
promoted by the United Nations. It was then that John Paul II wrote his famous
Letter to Families. Subsequent World Meetings of Families have been held in Rio
de Janeiro (1997), Rome (2000) for the occasion of the Jubilee of Families, and
Manila (2003). "It is important," Pope Benedict said, "that today's families
also hear the memorable appeal launched 25 years ago in the Apostolic
Exhortation 'Familiaris consortio' by John Paul II: 'Family, become what you
are!'."

The Holy Father proceeded: "The theme of the forthcoming Valencia meeting is
the transmission of faith within the family. This is what has inspired the
motto of my apostolic visit to that city: 'Families, live and transmit the
faith!' In so many of today's secularized communities, the primary need for
believers in Christ is precisely that of renewing the faith of adults, that
they may become capable of communicating that faith to the new generations. At
the same time, the path of Christian initiation of babies and children can
become a useful occasion for parents to draw near the Church once more, and
deepen their knowledge of the beauty and truth of the Gospel.

"The family," he added, "is a living organism in which a reciprocal exchange of
gifts takes place, what is important is that the Word of God, which keeps the
flame of faith alive, should never be lacking. During the rite of Baptism, in
an extremely significant gesture, the father or godfather lights a candle at
the great Easter candle, symbol of the risen Christ; then, addressing the
members of the family, the celebrants says: 'ensure that your baby, illuminated
by Christ, always lives as a child of the light'."

The Pope concluded: "In order to be authentic, that gesture - which contains
all the significance of the transmission of faith within the family - must be
preceded and accompanied by the commitment of parents to deepen their knowledge
of their own faith, reviving its flame through prayer and the assiduous
practice of the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist."
ANG/FAMILY/... VIS 060703 (460)

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