Australia’s delegates have wrapped up their World Meeting of Families adventure after the final Mass with Pope Francis and tens of thousands of the world’s Catholic faithful on Sunday.
Haberfield family educator Anne Grey and Austral family educator Veronica Leva said one of the highlights was US Bishop Robert Barron’s talk on the family as a school of virtue and love.
He explained how being a person of virtue and love is not something that “just happens”, but come from habits which are created within a family, they said.
“He said it’s like with baseball or golf you don’t teach your children to play by just handing them a golf club and saying ‘Swing it around’.
“You have to give guidance, and the family is so important in creating those habits of love and virtue and that will help society at large.”
Bishop of Armidale Michael Kennedy and Auxiliary Bishop Terry Brady both said they found the experience “uplifting” and sensed the Church’s unity in diversity particularly during the celebrations of the Eucharist.
“The highlight for me of the World Meeting of Families is not so much the talks that we attended but just being together with the families throughout the week,” said Bishop Kennedy.
“It’s just great. It’s not just the families who have loved it, it’s the bishops and priests who love it too.”
Pope Francis began the closing Mass in Phoenix Park by reading a handwritten address asking for forgiveness for abuse by the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Click to read more about the closing of the World Meeting of Families.