Preparations for the WMF in Rome (20-11-2004)

Vatican City - The Pope extolled the values of the family today, reaffirming that it is an institution that is grounded in matrimony and it is about this that the Church has applied its manifestation for St. Peter: "We must obey God more than man.

Today in the Vatican John Paul II welcomed those attending the Plenary Assembly for the Family, whom he encouraged to work in favor of this "irreplaceable natural institution and fundamental element of the good communities in society."

In this respect, he referred to the fifth World Meeting of the Families that will take place in Valencia, Spain, in 2006 and he gave his warmest regards to the beloved land of Spain.

The family "has its roots in the heart of God" according to the Pope, so that "whoever destroys this basic fabric of human co-existence, without respect for its identity and with the modification of its duties, causes a very deep wound in society and often creates wrongs that are unable to be compensated.

He also stated the importance of Christian families "with the strength given by the grace of sacrament" he added that his mission in the society and founding of the church has not lost strength. On the contrary it has become more and more emergent.

He said that young families must be the main objective in the actions taken by the church since they must face new values and responsibilities and are exposed "especially in the first years of matrimony to the eventual difficulties like the adjustment to a common life and the birth of their children."

The Pope was also satisfied with the movements in favor of life and family, happening throughout the world whose dynamism "is a valuable help", most of all for "men and women who develop and become a family gifted with children."

The World Meeting of the Families will take place in Valencia in 2006 and is expected to attract around 2 million people. It will take place on a stage that may be located either in the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste or the Malvarrosa beach, with a huge floating alter, or the Palacio de Congresos roundabout.

That's what the Archbishop of Valencia, Agustin Garcia-Gasco said to the Pontifical Council for the Family which gathered in Rome and was presided over by the Holy Father. According to sources of the Archbishop, the Ricardo Tormo circuit has an area of a thousand and a half square meters in the Cheste municipality. It is 20 km away from Valencia and is 15 km from the local airport.

Its design is that of an American circuit which allows sheer visibility of its route from all equidistant points.

For its part the roundabout located in front of the Palacio de Congresos of Valencia has a central area of 7,000 square meters including fountains and ponds to which four great avenues converge and are able to cater to the multitudes attending in the Meeting.

Lastly, the third possibility for the central act is the Malvarrosa beach, with a length of over 3,000 meters and a width of between 60 and 80 meters. In this case the project includes the possibility of putting a huge floating altar in the sea.

Likewise, within the project presented by the Archbishop of Valencia, there will also be a theological and pastoral conference on the family, which will take place within the context of the scheduled events planned for the World Meeting of the Families in 2006, taking place in the pavilions of the Valencia fair. In this congress, according to the same sources, more than 10,000 people are expected to attend.

Garcia-Gasco has also presented in Rome an official webpage of the 5th World Meeting of the Families (www.wmf2006.org), which is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German and offers detailed information which will be continuously updated as the dates and places of the celebration are agreed upon, as well as images and maps of the city.

The page, which will include new services, includes a section with documents on the history of the World Meetings of Families, amongst which there are details on the one that took place in Manila in 2003, including pictures and messages.