ICMICA TEAM AT THE EVENTS OF IMCS-MIEC -PAX ROMANA

IMCS -MIEC held a series of events between September 12 -20, 2024 to which the members of the International Council of ICMICA- MIIC were invited.

12th to 15th September 2024: Empowerment Summit

The summit gathered regional leaders to provide elements that will allow them to make a strategic plan for each region and know how to prepare, present, and implement projects according to the established timelines and schedules, as well as report to the funding agencies, both the results of the work and a balance of the financial resources received, strengthen ethical values to assume such an important task.

At the same time, participants tried to design strategies to carry out continental and global projects, strengthening continental and global projects, intercultural dialogue, and local and international leadership. A list of work commissions similar to our specialized secretariats was proposed and the two movements acknowledged the need to work together on these issues. The international team requested the former leaders of both movements IMCS and ICMICA, at the regional and international level, to carry out this work and to give presentations and lead workshops.

On behalf of ICMICA MIIC, Sylvia Cáceres-Vice President for Latin America and Ana María Bidegain International President accompanied this effort.

The event took place at the Centennial Center in La Roche-sur-Foron, France.

16th and 17th Meeting of the International Council

A meeting of the International Council approved the work plan proposed by the new international team for the period 2024- 2027.

The strategic plan was developed in line with the agenda of the United Nations for Peace, the Youth Jubilee of 2025, and the World Youth Day in Seoul 2027 were taken on board. IMCS plans to hold its World Assembly in Seoul in 2027.

The sale of apartments in Paris was approved to enable IMCS to purchase the house where the Centennial Center is currently located.

18th September: Trip to Rome

19th September 2024: PAX CATHOLICA FORUM

The need to work with other lay movements with similar objectives, vision, and mission was realized, thus the union of PAX ROMANA & PAX CRISTI. This experience has already begun in Latin America with the Alliance for Disarmament and in Asia with the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Day in Nagasaki, Japan.

The Pax Catholica Forum was held at Il Carmelo in Ciampino near Rome, thanks to the work of FUCI (IMCS Italy). The theme of the event was “Youth for a just and sustainable culture of peace in non-violence and care for creation.”

This event is part of the two-year coordination of actions for peace and nonviolence and care of the common home (21st September Peace Day to 21st September 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea).

In this event, ICMICA was represented by Sylvia Cáceres, Vice President for Latin America, Paulinus Prasetyo Nurhardjanto – Vice President of Asia-Pacific-South Region and International President Ana Maria Bidegain.

20th September 2024:  Private Audience with the Pope.

The Holy Father called for the “promotion of social justice and integral human development,” encouraged by “the Catholic faith and its vision of a world ever more in conformity with God’s loving design for the human family.”

He stated that the presence and activity of Pax Romana in academia, in the workplace, or on the streets of cities pursue this end, working to build a more compassionate, harmonious, and fraternal world.

He called on the Pax Romana movements to strengthen education and training for citizen participation at the local and global levels. In this way, “Pax Romana” stands as a prelude to a deepening understanding of “the most pressing social issues of our time,” enabling young people to “promote effective change in their own communities, thus serving as a Gospel leaven.”

The Pope urged the members of Pax Romana to be involved in the synodal process “a shared path of listening, of participation and commitment in a dialogue open to discernment, and also to be attentive to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, the Pope also encouraged participants to welcome the upcoming celebration of the Holy Year 2025 as a special occasion for personal renewal and spiritual enrichment in union with the whole Church.

To arrive at the Holy Door, the symbol of the Jubilee that “reminds us that we are all pilgrims, called together to a deeper union with the Lord Jesus and to availability to the power of his grace, which transforms our lives and the world in which we live,” Francis explained.

He concluded with a call to work for peace, justice, and care for the common home, to work for the development of peace, harmony, justice, human rights and mercy, and thus for the spread of the Kingdom of God in this world.

In this private audience, ICMICA was represented by Sylvia Cáceres, vice-president for Latin America, Paulinus Prasetyo Nurhardjanto, vice-president of the Asia-Pacific-South Asia region, and International President Ana María Bidegain.