Church in Ethiopia Working to Promote Family Values ahead of the World Meeting of Families

CANAA || By Makeda Yohannes, Addis Ababa || 17 August 2015

The Catholic Church in Ethiopia has embarked on a program to promote family values by organizing workshops to various groups in preparation for the world meeting of families scheduled to take place in Philadelphia in the U.S. next month.

On June 30, 2015, the Vatican released the comprehensive itinerary for the Pope’s journey to the U.S., which includes his schedule for Philadelphia on September 26-27, closing the 6-day Apostolic Journey.

The Church in Ethiopia is realizing a series of workshops targeting Pastoral Coordinators, Catechists, couples, laity Councils, the youth, Catholic students of universities, Catholic Life Community Movements and Young Catholic Workers under the theme, “Vocation and Mission of Families in the Church and in the Contemporary World.”

According to the National Pastoral Coordinator, Father Hailegabriel Meleku, Family is given great attention as the current situation of families is precarious in Ethiopia and the world.

“All families have a mission to announce the Gospel of the family, the National plan of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat’s summer program is focused around the theme of the family, its vocation and their mission in the Church and the contemporary world,” Father Meleku said.

He clarified that these workshops are serving as a good instrument to identify some of the major socio-cultural challenges of families in the local context and are serving to reduce unawareness about Church’s teachings on family and marriages. There are also witnesses from families with long years of married life and different experiences.

“Marriage between men and women and family are not only human design but it is a call from God or a vocation from God, sometimes they say a marriage is planned in heaven” he said.

He further explained that the workshops are aimed to help the faithful listen to their calling and live it as per the teaching of the Catholic Church and to make them aware of their mission of evangelizing the value of family.

He also clarified that the workshop sessions are intended to involve families in the process of the forthcoming Synod, encouraging active participation during the workshops.

The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is currently preparing Catholic families to participate in the upcoming World Meeting of Families’ congress (WMOF) to be held in Philadelphia, USA in September.