Top Church Leaders Speak During Opening Of WMOF Conference
By Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Two top church leaders tied to the planning of the World Meeting of Families conference in Philadelphia lay out the agenda for what's billed as one of the largest religious conferences of its kind in the world.
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput was joined by Vatican Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia in emphasizing the commitment of more than 17,500 people from around the world to the spiritual and material needs of family.
"All have come to affirm their commitment to the family as the foundation of a fruitful life, the place where we first learn to love, to share and to be agents of charity and justice in the world," says Chaput.
Paglia, who is the president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, which is overseeing the event, says Pope Francis' arrival this weekend to conclude the conference will be a joyful time for all.
Paglia stated that the Pope cares deeply about the needs of families and that's why those issues are the subject of next month's Synod of Bishops and Cardinals in Rome.