Vatican City, Mar 21, 2018 / 03:40 am
During his Wednesday general audience Pope Francis was presented with the official icon for the World Meeting of Families, announcing afterward that he will travel to Dublin from Aug. 25-26.
In his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims, Pope Francis made special mention of a group of Irish pilgrims in attendance for the presentation of the official World Meeting of Families icon, telling them, "I intend to travel to Dublin from August 25-26."
He then thanked authorities and all those working to prepare for the trip. The official program for the papal visit has yet to be released; however, Francis did not mention any other cities in his announcement and is expected to stay in Dublin for a short visit primarily focused on events related to the family gathering.
The theme for this year's World Meeting of Families (WMOF), which will take place Aug. 21-26, is "The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World." The topic was chosen by Pope Francis and is based on his 2016 apostolic exhortation on love in the family, Amoris Laetitia.