Dublin, Ireland, has been chosen by Pope Francis to host the next World Meeting of Families from 21-26 August 2018, guided by the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”.

Held every three years, this major international event brings together families from across the world to celebrate, pray and reflect upon the central importance of marriage and the family as the cornerstone of our lives, of society and of the Church. The event has at its heart the following key moments:

21 August 2018, a National Opening of WMOF2018, which will take place simultaneously in all the different dioceses of Ireland.
22 to the 24 August 2018, a three-day Congress. Each day will reflect on the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World” chosen by the Holy Father and will include an enriching programme for adults of keynote speakers, workshops, talks, testimonies and discussions; an engaging and exciting programme for young people as well as fun activities for children. The Congress will also include daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayerful activities, exhibitions, cultural events and musical performances.
Saturday 25 August 2018, a Festival of Families, comprising a reflective concert style event within a prayerful and joyful atmosphere, in which personal stories of faith will be shared by families from all continents.
Sunday 26 August 2018, WMOF2018 will close with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration, that will gather thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world.

The main events of the WMOF2018 will take place in Dublin, at a large conference venue as well as in other venues in and around the city. It is also anticipated that related events, including the hosting of international groups, will take place all over the island of Ireland. All official events will be ticketed. More details of the programme and the venues will be made available on this website closer to the date of the event.

Thousands of families and individuals from all over Ireland and the world are expected to attend. Some people may come together, others might come on their own, others as part of an organisation. Adults, youth and children are all invited to take part.

The WMOF is organised by a host diocese chosen by the Pope. For 2018, Pope Francis chose the Archdiocese of Dublin, in Ireland. To fulfil this task, the Archdiocese of Dublin has appointed a team to work with the families, young people, women and men, clergy, religious and others from all over Ireland who will be involved in the planning of the event. Father Timothy Bartlett has been appointed as Secretary General and Anne Griffin as General Manager for WMOF2018.

Will Pope Francis attend the World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin?

It is too early to know if Pope Francis will attend WMOF2018 in Ireland. What we do know is that he has said he would like to be with us. His programme is normally announced just a few months prior to any event. Such a visit by Pope Francis would bring great joy to Irish Catholics and others, but the final decision will depend on many factors.