They said: “Pope Francis asked that the 9th World Meeting of Families take place in Dublin from 22 to 26 August 2018. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin is its President and host, and last May the Holy Father chose “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World” as the theme for the Dublin-based pastoral event.
Held every three years, and coordinated by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the World Meeting of Families is the largest gathering of Catholic families in the world and it celebrates family life and the Church’s commitment to support families.
“On Saturday 22 October next, the co-chairs of the Council for Marriage and the Family of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, will formally launch preparations for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in 2018. This formal launch will take place in the context of a day-long conference entitled “The Joy of Love, Amoris Laetitia and the World Meeting of Families in Ireland” which will be held in DCU Saint Patrick’s Drumcondra Campus in Dublin. Representatives of dioceses and parishes from around the country, as well as various groups whose mission is to support the sacrament of marriage and offer pastoral outreach to families, will also be in attendance on 22 October.
“The complementary themes of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortations Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) and Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love – on love in the family), and his apostolic encyclical Laudato Si’ (Praise Be – on care for our common home), are informing the content of the catechetical programme that will accompany the preparations for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in 2018.”