Italian Catholics to Focus on Life, Family and Dialogue

Conclusions of 4th National Church Congress

VERONA, Italy, OCT. 24, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The Church in Italy has identified life, marriage, family and interreligious dialogue as the main issues of focus for the next 10 years.

These conclusions were made at Italy's fourth national ecclesial congress on the theme "Witnesses of the Risen Jesus, Hope of the World." __The meeting, which drew more than 2,700 people, including delegates from all the Italian dioceses, took place in Verona, from Oct. 16-20.

The final message issued by the participants explained that their "hope is a person: the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen."

The message continued: "We want to experience our affections and family as a sign of the love of God; work and leisure as moments of a fulfilled existence; solidarity that bends over the poor and the sick as an expression of fraternity; the relationship between the generations as a dialogue oriented to release the energies that each one has in his interior, orienting them to truth and goodness; citizenship as an exercise of responsibility, at the service of justice and love, on a path of authentic peace."

Among the great challenges facing them today, the participants singled out in their conclusions: "the promotion of life, of the dignity of every person, of the value of the family based on marriage," and "the dialogue between religions and cultures."

Some 26,000 parishes were represented in the meeting, which were attended by 11 cardinals, 222 bishops, 608 priests, 41 deacons, 322 men and women religious, 15 consecrated lay people and 1,275 laymen.

Also participating were 30 immigrants residing in Italy, youth delegates and more than 500 journalists.

The event's Web page received some 300,000 hits while the meetings were in progress.

Church in Italy

Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan and president of the event's preparatory committee, opened the congress. He said that the hour of the laity had arrived in the Church, and that it was time to "translate the Second Vatican Council into Italian."

Benedict XVI addressed the meeting on Oct. 19. In his discourse he delineated the challenges facing the Church in Italy.

In the afternoon, the Holy Father presided over a Mass in Verona's soccer stadium.

In his homily he said the secret to transmitting the faith is to first have a personal encounter and friendship with him.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope's vicar for Rome and president of the Italian episcopal conference, closed the congress, stating that in the forthcoming decade, when secularization is foreseen to advance at a galloping pace, the Catholic Church will have the challenge to develop "the sense of ecclesial belonging" in her children.

The conclusions of the event, which takes place every 10 years, will be gathered in a pastoral note which the bishops will study and approve in their general assembly in May.