“He is so
authentic,
like an uncle
who will
love you no
matter what,”
Professor Smith
says of the
Holy Father.
Papal pilgrims at the
National Shrine.
Welcoming the Holy Father
Two Talks at World Meeting of Families
Prof. Janet Smith, Fr. Michael J. Mc“Joy permeated the whole place,”
Givney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Professor Smith says, who also was kept
Heart, gave two breakout session presen- busy during WMF conducting media intations at the World Meeting of Families terviews. “After thirty years of congresses,
Congress (WMF) held in Philadelphia, it is clearer than ever. If you don’t have
Pennsylvania, September 22-25. An es- strong families you won’t have a strong
timated 17,000 people, including entire culture. So it is not surprising that Pope
families and many young people, attend- Francis has focused on families.”
ed the congress. St. John Paul II began the
A highlight of the World Meeting of
WMF in 1994 as a way to “strengthen the Families for Professor Smith was having
bonds of family across the globe.”
dinner with David Daleiden of The Center
Professor Smith’s first presentation for Medical Progress. Mr. Daleiden
was “Loving the Elderly.” She shared the produced the videos that exposed
struggles of caring for a mother afflicted the baby-parts scandal of Planned
with dementia. “It has been one of the Parenthood. Professor Smith calls him
hardest—and most wonderful things— “an extraordinary person” for remaining
I have ever done,” she says in a recent so steadfast despite media attacks and
phone interview, believing the ordeal lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood. She
has helped her to grow in the virtues, is one of Mr. Deleiden’s consultants on
such as patience.
moral issues.
In her second presentation, “The ProPope Francis included a visit to Philaphetic Character of Humanae Vitae,” delphia to end his Apostolic Journey
she defended Pope Paul VI’s prediction: to the United States. The visit allowed
that widespread use of