The Order present at World Meeting of Families in Ireland

The members of the Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre for Ireland actively participated in the IX World Meeting of Families, organized at the end of August 2018 in Dublin, in the presence of Pope Francis who asked forgiveness for the scandal of abuses committed on minors by members of the clergy in this country, encouraging the bishops to continue their efforts to remedy past mistakes. A sort of WYD of the families, these world meetings created by Pope John Paul II in 1994 allow faithful to celebrate, pray and reflect on the central importance of marriage and the family for the Church.

116 countries were represented at the event where the Irish Lieutenant Peter Durnin and the local group of Knights and Dames welcomed the families who came from the Holy Land thanks to the help of the Order together with Msgr. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem. The commitment of the Order was also highlighted by the Irish Catholic press in conjunction with this World Meeting of Families. Looking beyond the devastating media headlines that have overshadowed the message of hope of these days, the fact remains that more than 300,000 faithful prayed with the Holy Father during the final mass at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. “It was a prophetic, comforting experience of many families involved in the evangelical journey of marriage and family life; families’ disciples and missionaries, a ferment of goodness, holiness, justice and peace”, the Pope commented on his return to Rome during the general audience on 29 August.

At various times, testimonies "have also shown us how faith takes place in everyday life, ‘around the home table’, and the importance of communication between generations," he underlined, adding that "the world needs a revolution of love, of tenderness! And this revolution begins in the heart of the family". The next World Meeting of Families will take place in Rome in three years.

(September 2018)