Pope urges thousands of families in Valencia to create loving homes

Published: 2006-07-10

VALENCIA, Spain (CNS) -- Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of families from every corner of the globe, Pope Benedict XVI urged mothers and fathers to be open to life and to create a home based on love, acceptance and mercy. Though this seaport city was still reeling from a July 3 subway disaster that left 42 people dead and dozens more injured, the atmosphere during the pope's July 8-9 visit was full of joy and celebration. The pope journeyed to Spain's third-largest city to help close the July 1-9 Fifth World Meeting of Families and to focus on its theme, "The Transmission of Faith in the Family." In his July 9 closing Mass homily, Pope Benedict emphasized that families have a duty to make sure "the good news of Christ will reach their children with the utmost clarity and authenticity." Handing down church teaching and Gospel values also entails consistently living out those same values of love and charity, the pope said to hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Valencia's ultramodern, outdoor City of the Arts and Sciences center.

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