MILAN, JUNE 4, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday before praying the midday Regina Caeli with those gathered in Bresso Park for the conclusion of the VII World Meeting of Families.
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Dear brothers and sisters!
I cannot find the words to thank everyone for this Feast of God, for this communion of the Family of God that we are. At the conclusion of this Eucharistic celebration, I greatly thank God who granted us this great ecclesial experience. For my part I offer an affectionate thank you to all of those who worked for this event, beginning with Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family – thank you your Eminence! – and with Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan – thank you! Also for this beautiful temple of God that he gave us. I thank all of those in charge of organizing and all of the volunteers. And I am happy to announce that the next World Meeting of Families that will take place in 2015 in Philadelphia, in the United States. I greet the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Monsignor Charles Chaput, and I thank him for his offer.
[The Holy Father then greeted those present in various languages before leading the recitation of the Angelus. In English he said:]As we conclude this celebration by turning in prayer to the Virgin Mary, I wish to extend my thanks to all who have contributed to the success of this World Meeting of Families, particularly to Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, to Cardinal Angelo Scola, to the Archdiocese and City of Milan, and to the many people from Italy and abroad who have prayed and worked so hard to make this meeting a time of grace for all. I now have the joy of announcing that the next World Meeting of Families will take place in 2015 in Philadelphia in the United States of America. I send my warm greetings to Archbishop Charles Chaput and to the Catholics of that great city, and look forward to meeting them there along with numerous families from all around the world. May God bless you all!
[His last remarks before the Angelus were in Italian:]Dear families of Milan, of Lombardy, of Italy and of the whole world! I greet all of you with affection and I thank you for your participation. I encourage you to always be in solidarity with the families who are experiencing great hardships; I think of the economic and social crisis, I think of the recent earthquake in Emilia [in Italy]. May the Virgin Mary accompany you and sustain you always! Thank you!
[Translation by Joseph Trabbic]
