Dr Montserrat Gas-Aixendri, director of the Institute of Advanced Family Studies at UIC Barcelona and lecturer at the Faculty of Law, recently took part in two international gatherings held in Rome as part of the Jubilee of Families.

On 2 and 3 June, Dr Gas-Aixendri was among the invited experts at the seminar Evangelising with the families of today and tomorrow: ecclesiological and pastoral challenges, convened by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. The event, chaired by Mons Dario Gervasi and Dr Gabriella Gambino, brought together over fifty specialists from around the world to explore ways of providing pastoral support for families.

The seminar combined keynote talks and working groups and highlighted the need to foster Christian communities that are welcoming and active. In his message to participants, Pope Leo emphasised that listening to and walking alongside families is a pastoral urgency and not a mere option.

The canon law expert also took part in the conference Family Networks for the Future of the Church, held on 31 May at LUMSA University (Libera Università Maria Ss. Assunta) in Rome. There, she gave a talk entitled “Research to transform: science in the service of the culture of the family”, representing the International Network of Family Institutes (REDIUF), which she currently chairs.

These international congresses reaffirm the importance of promoting academic reflection and interdisciplinary dialogue on the central role of the family in society and in the mission of the Church. UIC Barcelona and the Institute of Advanced Family Studies are firmly committed to research and training in family guidance, which are essential tools for addressing the cultural challenges of our time.