HOW KNOWING WHAT IS THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES BLENDS PRAYER ... POPE FRANCIS (2469 hits)
The World Meeting of Families, which culminates with a visit by Pope Francis this weekend, begins today in Philadelphia.
But what is it exactly? And who will foot the bill for the many preparations being made for the papal's visit?
Organizers describe the conference that blends prayer, religious instruction and faith-themed lectures as the world's largest gathering of Catholic families.
With more than 18,000 people signed up, this year's will be the most attended of the eight World Meetings. That's double the registrations for the last World Meeting, in Milan in 2012.
And with the big event comes big costs and spending.
City officials said they finalized a contract Tuesday with the World Meeting of Families.
Based on the contract, the organizers of the event will reimburse the city $12 million for monies spent on preparations for the pope's visit.
Of those funds, nearly $5 million is for law enforcement and nearly $4 million is for the fire department.
The World Meeting of Families was conceived by St. John Paul II in 1992. (The first one wasn't held until 1994.) He started the event to explore family bonds and the role of families in society. He presided over the inaugural edition in Rome during the UN's International Year of the Family.
More than 100 countries will be represented this year, with the highest number of registrants coming from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Pakistan and Vietnam.
The conference is held every three years and is sponsored by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family. The events will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Arch Street in the city.
The event ends with a closing ceremony at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon.
"Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015 is "Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive," emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society,"
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