The Fourth World Meeting of Families

John Paul II, three years ago, in Rome, chose Manila as the place where the Fourth World Meeting of Families would be held. It will take place from Wednesday, January 22, through Sunday, January 26, at the Philippine International Convention Center, in 14 host parishes all over Metro-Manila, and in the Luneta.

The principal event is the International Theological and Pastoral Congress, which will be held in the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, January 22, 23, and 24. For the event 68 speakers have been assembled, from all over the world. 78 countries will be represented, 4,700 delegates have already been registered.

On the morning of Saturday, January 25, Masses will be celebrated in 14 chosen parish churches, in the various languages of the delegates:

• Africa will be hosted at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, in Parañaque.

• Asians will assemble at San Felipe Neri Parish in Mandaluyong.

The Chinese will hear Mass at the Lorenzo Mission Institute, in San Carlos Seminary, in Makati.

• The English will go to Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, in Parañaque.

• Our Lady of the Remedies Parish, in Malate, Manila, will play host to the delegates from Europe.

• The Italians will go to Saint John Bosco Parish in Makati.

• The Latin Americans and Spanish will be the guests of Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish in Makati.

• The French will assemble at Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish, in Bel Air, Makati.

• Holy Family Parish in San Andres, Manila, will host some of the local delegates.

• The Shrine of Saint Joseph, in Quezon City, will host other local delegates.

• Saint Anthony Parish in Singalong, Manila, will hold Mass for local delegates.

• The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, on Broadway in Quezon City, will host local delegates.

• San Fernando de Dilao Parish in Paco, Manila will hold Mass for local delegates.

• Santo Niño Parish in Tondo, Manila will host local delegates.

The total number of foreign groupings is eight. The local groupings are six. All six are necessary, because of the great number of delegates that will be pouring into Manila from the Provinces, and because the Filipinos really operate in 87 different dialects.

After the Mass, on Sunday morning, January 25, each host parish will hold a barrio fiesta, for their guests. This is designed, principally, to introduce the foreign families to the joyous rural culture of the Philippines.

At two in the afternoon of Saturday, January 25, the venue of the World Meeting moves to the Luneta. At that time the Festive Meeting of Families will begin its pre-programming. At five the testimonies of families, from all over the world, will begin. From six to eight in the evening, the testimonies will be aired on satellite, and John Paul II will react to the family testimonies on inter-active satellite television.

A great crowd is expected for this. And since the Philippines has been branded, internationally, as terrorist territory, the security will be out of this world. The military have been studying this World Meeting for a full year. They have attended every meeting of the Central Committee, in full force. They will field 1,900 soldiers and policemen, all carefully trained for the posts that they will man.

The testimonies of the families will end at eight in the evening, and the Vigil of Youth will began. The Festival of Youth, if you remember, was held in August. Twenty five thousand young people flooded the whole compound of the Cultural Center. They were singing and dancing in the Folks Arts Theater from six in the evening until six in the morning.

The Vigil will be studded with stars. There will be deep spiritual reflection, and prayer, but the general mood will be joyous, from eight in the evening until midnight. At twelve, Mike Velarde will take over, with El Shaddai. From midnight until five in the morning.

At five, on Sunday morning, January 26, they will begin preparing the Grandstand for the final Mass. The principal celebrant will be His Eminence Cardinal Lopez Trujillo, who is the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and the Papal Legate for this World Meeting of Families. The Mass will begin at seven in the morning, and is scheduled to end to nine.

At the last Mass of World Youth Day, in 1995, John Paul attracted the largest crowd ever assembled by mortal man – five million people, filling the Luneta, and all the streets around it. The crowd was so great, and so tightly packed, than John Paul himself could not get through! Despite the fact that he was in his Pope Mobile, and escorted by the military! They had to bring him to Malacañang, put him in a helicopter, and land him in back of the Luneta Grandstand.

The crowd for this event, certainly, will be smaller. But still, great pre-cautions have been taken to re-route traffic, and to control the parking of all the vehicles that will bring the delegates to the Luneta. The plans of Security, in vivid colors, look like the plans for the Normandy Invasion in World War Two. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines, will be present for the opening of the World Meeting of Families, in the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. And she will attend the final Mass in the Luneta.

Because this is a World Meeting of Families, special events have been scheduled for the young. At the Philippine International Convention Center, from Wednesday, January 22, through Friday, January 24, there will be a Congress of Sons and Daughters, for those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. A Congress for the Pre-teens, between the ages of six and twelve. And even a Congress for Toddlers, between the ages of three and six. This was done, because you could not expect a father and mother to have their toddlers at home when they attend this World Meeting. The security for Toddlers, Pre-teens, and Youth is idiot-proof. The Philippines is taking absolutely no chances of adverse publicity, on our care for the young.

John Paul will not be here. But he will be with us, in spirit. His heart is here. It was in the Philippines that he began to respond to the youth, who were chanting: "John Paul Two, we love you!" His response, with his whole heart, was: "John Paul Two loves you, too!"

And the beautiful thing about this World Meeting is that it is concentrating on one of the principal problems of every nation: the family! The family is under fire. In many countries, the family is dissolving. This World Meeting is trying to strengthen the family, which is the unit of our civilization. As the family goes, to goes the world. In the simplest terms, this World Meeting is trying to build the Church of the Home.