Constitution of the WMF Foundation 2006 (21-01-2005)

Valencia - The Foundation for the Fifth World Meeting of the Families in 2006 has been constituted today in a meeting attended by its Members - the Archbishop of Valencia, Agustín García-Gasco, the President of the Generalitat, Francisco Camps, the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá and the President of the Diputación of Valencia, Fernando Giner.

In the meeting, which took place at midday today in the Palace of the Generalitat, there has been created the Patronage which will have as Honor Presidents Francisco Camps and Monsignor Agustin Garcia-Gasco; as Vice-president, Rita Barberá; as Executive President, the auxiliary Bishop of Valencia, Monsignor Estaban Escudero, and as secretary the Vice-president of the Valencian government, Víctor Camps, who were also present in the meeting.

The new Patronage and the Foundation have also agreed to assign two commissioners for the co-ordination of the preparations of the Meeting: Enrique Pérez Boada, head of the Valencian Institute of Finances, representing the civil institutions, and Antonio Corbí, secretary for the Archbishop of Valencia, representing ecclesiastical institutions.

In the meeting, the members of the Patronage watched the promotional video of the meeting and also saw its official logo. The logo is a circular globe-like image "grouping portions of different colors which represent the continents in blue, yellow, green and red. It is formed in a cellular design", stated the sources of the Foundation constituted today. Thus the diversity of the different cultures is symbolized. "The design of the symbol reflects the fact that each part is both a family and a cell the whole of which creates our social framework", the same sources stated.

When the constitutive session ended, the Archbishop of Valencia expressed his gratitude to "all the Valencian institutions and citizens of Valencia for making this compromise for the organization", he appealed to all the families of the world as the "guarantee of a living society and similarly a church which is a living testimony of faith in Jesus Christ."

For his part, the President of the Generalitat, Francisco Camps, emphasized "not only the international impact which the meeting will have, but also and most of all, the great opportunity the event will bring to the interior of our own families." Camps is convinced that it will be the "most important meeting in the history of Valencia."

Likewise, the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá, expressed her immense excitement, pride and gratitude for the fact that Valencia will host the next World Meeting of the Families. "It is an honor that Valencia will be hosting such an important event because it means there is great confidence in Valencian institutions, citizens and church," she added.

On the other hand, the President of the Diputación of Valencia, Fernado Giner, also expressed the "pride and satisfaction that represents for his institution being a part of the Foundation for the fifth World Meeting of the," and defended the family institution as "a basic and fundamental cell of society".