World Meeting of Families


The World Meeting of Families is a gathering of the Roman Catholic Church that has occurred every three years since 1994. 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." Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland and award winning Catholic academic and author, has described the meeting as a “right wing rally”. It is the biggest gathering of Catholic families in the world. The most recent meeting took place in Dublin and the next meeting is scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy in 2022.
DateCityCountryThemeNotes
1994RomeItalyThe Family, the Heart of the Civilization of Love
1997Rio de JaneiroBrazilThe Family: Gift and Commitment, the hope of humanity
2000RomeItalyChildren: Springtime of the Family and of the ChurchPart of the Great Jubilee
2003ManilaPhilippinesThe Christian Family: Good News for the Third Millennium.Pope John Paul II was unable to attend due to the progression of his Parkinson's disease.
2006ValenciaSpainHanding on the Faith in the Family
2009Mexico CityMexicoThe Family: Teacher of Human and Christian Values
2012MilanItalyFamily, Work & Celebration
2015PhiladelphiaUnited StatesLove is our mission: The family fully alive
2018DublinIrelandThe Gospel of the Family: Joy for the WorldPope Francis's visit to Ireland was centred on the meeting.
2022RomeItalyFamily love: a vocation and a path to holinessWas originally scheduled to be held on the 5th Anniversary of the post-Synod of Youth Apostolic Exhortation of Amoris laetitia and three years after the promulgation of the Apostolic Exhortation of Gaudete et Exsultate However, the 2021 World Meeting of Families was later postponed to June 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.