Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Cardinal Scola: Family 2012 was an extraordinary event that has left us with a huge responsibility

Pope Ratzinger with Cardinal ScolaAn “extraordinary” event that “leaves us with a huge responsibility.” 

This is how the Archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola described the VII World Meeting of Families, adding that “extraordinary events are important in our lives when they boost the ordinary.”  
 
Scola and the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, were visibly satisfied by the outcome of the event as they gave a general presentation of the Family 2012 event, together with the President of the Milan Family Foundation 2012, Mgr. Ermino De Scalzi.

Scola stated that the event “highlighted the tradition and great proactiveness of the Church of Milan: a meeting such as the one with the confirmation candidates in San Siro cannot be improvised.” 

The Archbishop of Milan did not miss the opportunity to criticise journalists, urging them: “Just face it, the opinions expressed by the Italian media are not those of the public: the people of God love the Pope.”
 
“There is a big difference between what you say - Scola said, addressing journalists - and what the people are experiencing. You may be at the forefront of things, but this has often proven to be dangerous.”
 
De Scalzi, on his part, thanked those working behind the scenes: “through their hard work they have helped keep standing, a building that was built in three years.”   
 
The cardinals then went over some key moments of the Pope’s visit. 

With regards to the Pope’s suggestion for twinnings between parishes to help Greek families facing hardship, Scola said the Diocese of Milan “will act on the Pope’s precious suggestion in the second phase of the Family Work Fund” instigated by his predecessor, Dionigi Tettamanzi and developed further by Scola himself.
 
Antonelli, on the other hand, spoke of the next World Meeting of Families which will be held in Philadelphia and “will continue along the path paved at the Milan Meeting: in the next three years we want to follow a path of continuity.”
 
The figures for the event were also read out during the press conference: from the one million people that were present at Bresso airport, to the 350 thousand who attended the Evening of Witness. 

Then there were the figures relating to spectator numbers: over 2 million people watched the mass on Italian television channel RAI 1, three million watched the Evening of Witness event,1, 4 million watched the Pope’s speech in Piazza Duomo and 1, 2 million watched the concert at La Scala on Italian television channel RAI 3.