Valencia Trader

World Family Forum - World Awareness

"Everybody is interested"

Valencian Archbishop Agustin Garcia Gasco used those words to describe the awareness of almost the entire world on the World Family Forum that is to take place in Valencia next July. During his speech prior to the precise details of the event being revealed, Archbishop Garcia Gasco  confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI would participate in the most important events of the Forum.

Later yesterday, it was revealed that during his lightning visit to Valencia, the Pope would make two speeches to the faithful, be received by the Spanish Royal Family as well as Francisco Campos, the President of the Valencian Community in the Palau de la Generalitat – the seat of the Valencian Government – whilst Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will have to travel to the Archbishop’s palace for his interview with Benedict XVI. The Pope will also visit Valencia Cathedral where he will venerate the Holy Grail, and receive the keys of the City from Mayoress Rita Barbera. On top of that, he will use his Popemobile car  to travel 28 streets and squares of Valencia to greet the many thousands of pilgrims who have traveled to the City to take part in the Forum.

Commenting on the arrangements, Valencia Mayoress Rita Barbera stated that the visit of the Pope ‘is of world importance’ and ‘would create a media event of unprecedented proportions, especially since the Pope’s first official visit to Spain is to Valencia, a fact that has filled all the Valencians with a great deal of pride and satisfaction’. In response to repeated questions from journalists over the cost of the Papal visit, Victor Campos, the Deputy head of the Valencian Government stated; “When the budget has finally been concluded we will give an accounting of every Euro spent, which we will have done with pride and our heads held high.”

The only sour note to the proceedings yesterday was the announcement by four trades unions that they were calling for partial 24-hour stoppages of the Valencian Train Service between June 6 and July 9 ‘for the failure to fulfill the working hour agreement for drivers once Line 4 is lengthened. The stoppages will be of two hours during the monthly period between June 6 to July 4 and will extend to all-day stoppages on July 7,8 & 9.