About us
The International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA) was born in 1987 as a result of a meeting between various groups of Catholic Action in Rome, during the Bishops’ Synod on the lay faithful in 1987.
The support by Blessed Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, then president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and the publication of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, which makes an explicit reference to Catholic Action (CFL 31), favoured the constitution of this Forum. The key-point of reference is the document Apostolicam Actuositatem (AA 20).
The founder countries are: Argentina, Austria, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Paraguay, Romania (Greek rite) and Spain.
The Pontifical Council for the Laity (now Dicastery of Laity Family and Life) recognised IFCA in 1995 and gave its definite approval to its Normative Document in 2000.
Our logo
The organs of the Forum are: the Assembly; the General Secretariat.
ASSEMBLIES
The Assembly is the Forum’s main organ. Its members are all the CA Associations and the Federations of CA Movements accepted in the Forum. The Assembly meets in ordinary session every four years and in extraordinary session whenever called by the General Secretary and after a resolution passed by the vote of the majority of its members.
SECRETARIAT
The General Secretariat is made up of: five lay people coming from five Forum Member Countries which are elected every four years and which reflect CA’s diversity. These five members nominate the Secretariat Coordinator from among themselves. The Secretariat Coordinator chooses the Secretary and the Administrator from outside the members of the Secretariat. These become members of the General Secretariat but have no right to vote.The five elected members, the Secretary and the Administrator make up the General Secretariat. The Ecclesiastical Assistant is part of the Secretariat.
(from IFCA’s Normative Document)
Our way of working
COORDINATING GROUPS
for continents and regions
Africa
America
Europe-Mediterranean
Holy Land and the Middle East
Asia
for age-groups
Adult Youth Children
for priest assistants
NETWORK PARTICIPATION
in favour of the environment, against human trafficking, for justice and peace
RELATIONS with Catholic international bodies
MAIN STEPS
1987 First meeting of the founding countries
(Argentina, Austria, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Paraguay,Romania, Spain) during the Bishops’ Synod on
“The vocation and mission of the laity in the Church and in society”.
Costitutional Assembly
1991 Rome
Ordinary Assemblies
1994 Vienna – Austria
1997 Buenos Aires – Argentina
2000 Rome – Italy
2004 Rome/Loreto – Italy
2008 Rome – Italy
2012 Iasi – Romania
2017 Rome – Italy
2022 Rome – Italy
International Congresses/Conferences
2004 Rome-Loreto
2017 Vatican City
2022 Rome
NETWORK PARTICIPATION
in favour of the environment
against human trafficking
for justice and peace
RELATIONS with Catholic international bodies
IN COOPERATION WITH
the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life
Continental bodies of the Church
