Pope Francis sends forth missionary families

At the conclusion of the X World Day of Families, Pope Francis invites families to “announce the beauty of being family with joy!”

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis has a mission for Catholic families: “Proclaim the beaty of being family with joy! Proclaim the grace of Christian marriage to children and young people.”

The Holy Father addressed his “missionary mandate” especially to participants in the tenth World Meeting of Families, which concluded Saturday night with a joyful Eucharistic liturgy celebrated by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in St Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis was in attendance at the Mass, and pronounced the homily.

Following the ceremony, Pope Francis’ Missionary Mandate to families was distributed to those present. Copies of the Mandate were also given out on Sunday to pilgrims and visitors who had come to St Peter’s Square for the weekly Angelus.

“Give hope to those who have none”

In his Mandate, the Pope invited young families to “be guided by those who know the way,” and more established families to “be companions on the journey for others.” And for families who have lost the way, he encouraged them not to be overcome by sadness, but to “trust in the Love that God has placed in you, [and] beseech the Spirit each day to revive it.”

His call included the exhortation to “give hope to those who have none,” to “be the ones to ‘sew’ the fabric of society and of a synodal Church, creating relationships, multiplying love and live,” to “be a sign of the living Christ,” without fear of what the Lord is asking of them or of responding generously to His call.

Open yourselves to Christ, listen to Him in the silence of prayer. Accompany those who are most fragile, take responsibility for those who are alone, for refugees, for the abandoned.

This report was originally published on Vatican News website. Please click here to read the full text.