Worldwide Marriage Encounter: a new association recognized by the Dicastery

On Wednesday March 11^th 2026, in the offices of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, more than thirty delegates representing five continents took part in the ceremony granting Worldwide Marriage Encounter canonical recognition as an international private association of the faithful.

The Decree of recognition is dated February 2^nd 2026, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and also approves the associations statutes, and grants it juridical personality in canon law.

The Prefect, cardinal Kevin Farrell, gave his encouragement to the current International Ecclesial Team - Mr. and Mrs. Clarel and Danielle Marie (Mauritius) with Bishop Michael Warfel (USA) - for the important work that Worldwide Marriage Encounter undertakes in order to help couples discover their faith and the power of the sacrament of matrimony, through the renewal of their commitment to one another.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter is marked by the intuition that couples could discover God’s love in their lived experience, in their commitment to love each other, and in the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship, and that ministry to these couples could be led by couples and priests working together.

For over forty years Worldwide Marriage Encounter has carried forward this apostolate, constituting a treasure of spiritual experience which, with today’s Decree from the Dicastery, is recognised as a treasure for the whole Church.