OFFICIAL NAME
International Confederation of Christian Family Movements
Confederación Internacional de Movimientos Familiares Cristianos
ACRONYM
ICCFM
CIMFC
ESTABLISHED
1966
HISTORY
On September 7, 1966, in Venezuela, during the fourth Latin American Encounter in Caracas, the assembly spoke of “The Social Mission of the Family”. There the Mexican delegation proposed that an international group be formed to exchange information among the continents, an idea originated a year earlier by José and Luzma Alvarez-Icaza at the Christian Family Movements (CFM) convention in Notre Dame, Indiana. Thus, this gave birth to the International Confederation of Christian Family Movements in collaboration with the couple, Pat and Patty Crowley from USA, and other couples from other countries that were present in the Assembly.
In 1968, the Confederation of Christian Family Movements (or its acronym “ICCFM” which was used later on) was already making plans on a global scale for the "International Year of the Family" despite having been founded only two years earlier. Six years later, the United Nations held its first "International Year of the Family" in 1974.
On June 23, 1989, ICCFM was recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity as an international association of lay faithful. Also, the ICCFM was recognized by the United Nations as a non-governmental agency. The Confederation was granted Consultative Status by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
IDENTITY
The mission of the International Confederation of Christian Family Movements is to promote, encourage, and help the Christian Family Movements so that the organizations and their members live their human and Christian vocations and bear witness to the essential values of the family based upon the faith as announced by the Gospel and proposed by the teachings of the Catholic Church. The ICCFM shall support the expansion of the CFM in those countries where it is established and shall strive to establish it where it does not exist.
The ICCFM’s vision is to be recognized at a world level as an organism of the Church and civil society which influences in all environments, by its structure and capacity to unite the efforts of the Christian family movements that work in favor of family and life, Christian and human values.
ORGANIZATION
The Confederation is composed of three types of members that fulfil the requirements established in its Constitution. Full members of the Confederation are Christian Family Movements (CFM). Associate members are lay organizations which share the Christian ideals of the ICCFM and which are involved in working for the family. Supporting members are those organizations or centers which share the Christian ideals of the ICCFM and which are involved in the study, research and promotion of the family.
At International Level, ICCFM has an elected President team composed of the President-couple and the Chaplain for a term of three years.
There is a General Assembly that is the governing body of the Confederation that is composed of the President Team of the Confederation, the Past President team, the Vice-presidents-couple, and the Continental Presidents teams of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania.
At Continental level each continent is organized in a way that enables its member countries to achieve effective communication and promotes an efficient exchange of experiences and strategies of operation, formation and expansion.
At National level, the CFM of each country has a structure appropriate to its situation and to the needs of its families, and works to do. Each country has the prerogative to elect a National President Couple to lead its Movement.
WORKS
The ICCFM is a confederation of Christian Family Movements (CFM) and other Christian family-oriented organizations in the Catholic Church which offer its members formation processes so that their members continue to grow in the love of God and neighbor by prayer and service to other families as proclaimed by the Gospel and guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Its main goal is to promote human and Christian values in the family and community in order to empower families to educate other families and their children in the faith, defend human life since conception, and become actively committed to the integral development of the community through its members.
PUBLICATIONS
Electronic Bulletin “Link/Lazo” a yearly submission.
CFM’s formation materials, and bulletins by country.
WEB SITE
www.iccfm.org (English)
www.cimfc.org (Spanish)
HEADQUARTERS
CFM Nazareth Home
N. Domingo Street corner Big Horseshoe Drive,
Horseshoe Village,
Quezon City 1112
Philippines.
E-mail: president@iccfm.org (President-couple)
