ROME— A cardinal urged the Couples for Christ to embrace a broader mission by bringing the light of Christ to “wounded” and “forgotten” communities around the world.
Speaking during Mass for the CFC Global Convention in Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome, on May 17, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan challenged members not to be complacent with their calling.
“Don’t be content with little dreams,” David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said in his homily.
“Your mission is not only to raise Christ-centered families,” he said. “It is to be a light to the nations— to bring Christ to every place where families are wounded, broken, forgotten, and searching for meaning.”
Quoting Pope Francis, the cardinal reiterated the pontiff’s call for the church to reach out to those on the margins.
“Insiders, go out to the outsiders,” David said. “Jesus met people where they were—in marketplaces, on the road, by the lakeshore, at the well.”
He also cautioned against church practices that alienate those on the threshold of faith, including rigid dress codes and cultural expectations that may discourage seekers from drawing closer.
David emphasized that Christian mission does not begin with personal plans or even community goals.
“It is a mission that God initiates,” he said. “It is far greater than our personal dreams or even our collective aspirations.
He reminded the CFC community that the Holy Spirit continues to move through the church today, empowering ordinary believers to fulfill an extraordinary mission.
“If the mission comes from God,” he said, “the joy of the Spirit will accompany it. And in Christ’s own words: ‘You will do greater things.’”
Delegates from across the world filled the Centro Mariapoli Internazionale for the first phase of the CFC Global Convention, held May 16–18.
Held for the first time outside the Philippines, the conference is divided into two phases. The second will take place May 23–25 at the same venue.
The events commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Vatican’s recognition of CFC as an international lay association of the faithful with pontifical rights, and the 30th anniversary of CFC’s mission in Europe.
Founded in Manila in 1981, CFC has about 900,000 members in 160 countries, including approximately 800,000 in the Philippines.
In addition to its aim of renewing and strengthening the Christian family, CFC operates a social outreach arm, ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor), which supports poor families through scholarships, housing, formation, livelihood programs, and disaster response.
