ROME— Two Vatican officials will travel to the Philippines this month for the 45th anniversary celebration of Couples for Christ, one of the world’s largest Catholic lay movements.
Bishop Dario Gervasi, adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and Fr. Giovanni Buontempo, coordinator of the office responsible for relations with ecclesial movements and associations of the faithful, have confirmed their participation in the anniversary events.
Their attendance was endorsed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, highlighting the Vatican’s support for the international Catholic movement founded in the country and now present in more than 100 nations.
The Vatican representatives are scheduled to take part in a Clergy-Lay Congress on June 18 at Space at One Ayala in Makati City, organizers said.
The congress will center on the themes “Dilexit Nos” (“He loved us first”) and “Dilexit Te” (“He loved you personally”), reflecting on God’s love and the Christian call to mission.
Organizers said the gathering is anchored on the anniversary theme, “One Family,” inspired by the movement’s 2026 pastoral theme, “In the One, we are one!”
The event will explore how the grace of Baptism calls Christians to become witnesses of faith amid division, inequality and other social challenges while strengthening communion within the Church.
Participants will also reflect on the Church’s preferential love for the poor, drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ encyclical “Dilexit Nos” and Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation “Dilexit Te.”
In partnership with CFC’s Work with the Poor–ANCOP and Missio Amare, the congress will examine practical ways Catholic communities can respond to the needs of marginalized sectors and vulnerable families.
Gervasi and Buontempo will deliver separate presentations, offering perspectives on the Vatican’s engagement with lay faithful, ecclesial movements and Catholic communities around the world.
As part of the anniversary celebration, Gervasi will also preside over the closing Mass on June 20 at New Clark Stadium in Capas, Tarlac, where thousands of members are expected to gather for the culmination of the event.
