World Meeting of Families

{{short description|Gathering of the Roman Catholic Church}}

The World Meeting of Families is a gathering of the Roman Catholic Church that has occurred every three years since 1994.{{cite news|first=Marie|last=O'Halloran|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pope-francis-may-visit-ireland-for-world-meeting-in-dublin-1.2369094|title=Pope Francis may visit Ireland for world meeting in Dublin|newspaper=The Irish Times|accessdate=28 September 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928090347/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pope-francis-may-visit-ireland-for-world-meeting-in-dublin-1.2369094|archivedate=28 September 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0927/730695-pope/|title=Speculation Pope Francis may visit Ireland in 2018|publisher=RTÉ News|date=27 September 2015|accessdate=28 September 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928084432/http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0927/730695-pope/|archivedate=28 September 2015}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905121902/http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/get-involved/wmf2015creativewinners/|url=http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/get-involved/wmf2015creativewinners/|title=Contest Winners Announcement|publisher=World Meeting of Families|accessdate=22 August 2018|year=2015|archivedate=5 September 2015|url-status=dead|via=Wayback Machine}}{{cite web|title=Viaggio Apostolico del Santo Padre a Cuba, negli Stati Uniti d'America e Visita alla Sede dell'Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite (19–28 settembre 2015) {{!}} Francesco|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/travels/2015/outside/documents/papa-francesco-cuba-usa-onu-2015.html|website=w2.vatican.va|accessdate=28 September 2015|language=it|trans-title=Apostolic Visit of the Holy Father to Cuba, and the United States and the United Nations (19-28 September)}}{{cite web|title=A guide to seeing the pope in Philadelphia on the last weekend in September|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Fox News|date=16 September 2015|access-date=28 September 2015|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/a-guide-to-seeing-the-pope-in-philadelphia-on-the-last-weekend-in-september/}} It is organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which "promotes the pastoral care of families, protects their rights and dignity in the Church and in civil society, so that they may ever be more able to fulfill their duties."{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19880628_pastor-bonus-roman-curia_en.html|publisher=Holy See|accessdate=29 September 2015|title=Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus|at=art. 139}}{{cite web|url=http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/about-the-event/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905102420/http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/about-the-event/|title=About the Event|publisher=World Meeting Of Families|url-status=live|year=2015|archivedate=5 September 2015|accessdate=28 September 2015}} It is the largest gathering of Catholic families in the world. The most recent meeting took place in Rome, Italy in 2022 (it was supposed to be held in 2021, but was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/apostolic-journey-ireland-cardinal-farrell-next-wmof-2021.html|title = Next World Meeting of Families to be held in Rome in 2021 - Vatican News|date = 26 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/04/20/200420b.html|title = Declaration of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni}}