November 2024
Lumen Gentium 60 - Marc Sangnier - Student leader canonised - Marcel Callo - Malta's jocist prime minister - Solidarity with Lebanon
Lumen Gentium 60
Dear Friends,
Welcome back to our CIC Newsletter!
We begin this issue by marking the 60th anniversary of Lumen Gentium, the great Vatican II document on the Church with its pathbreaking Chapter 4 on The Laity.
In this spirit, we present the video from this year's Cardijn Lecture by Dr Pat Jones, who shares her memories of Patrick Keegan, the great English YCW leader, lay apostolate pioneer and lay auditor who was the first to address the Council.
We note that Pope Francis has called for a renewal of the study of Church history. And we have several articles in that category in this issue of the CIC newsletter.
You'll notice an article in French on a conference on the life and work of Marc Sangnier, the founder of the French movement, Le Sillon, which greatly influenced Cardijn and the first generation of YCW leaders.
CIC is proud to be a co-sponsor of this event, which will take place at the Catholic Institute of Paris. (Since we do not have the means to produce this newsletter in other languages, we simply recommend that you make use of your browser's translation function where necessary)
We have a very moving video, also in French, on the life of Blessed Marcel Callo, the French JOC leader, who died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Plus a story on Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, a Maltese YCW leader who became prime minister.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis has announced the canonisation of young Italians, including Pier Giorgio Frassati, an active member of the Italian Catholic Student Movement, which is part of Pax Romana IMCS.
We report on the action of the Lebanese Young Christian Students to assist people fleeing war. And we appeal for your solidarity.
Finally, we present our regular features of a Gospel Enquiry by Pat Branson plus a reflection by Richard Pütz on the essence of theology.
And we remember former Peruvian JOC leader, Adelinda Diaz, who died on 13 November, Cardijn's own birth anniversary.
The Centre International Cardijn Team
Adios, Adelinda Díaz, domestic worker leader
Adelinda Díaz was a Peruvian domestic worker, who was a delegate of the Peru JOC at the IYCW World Council in Linz, Austria in 1975.
She remained a social activist for human and labour rights for her whole life.
Adios, Adelinda. Gracias por todo.
Colloque: Marc Sangnier, d’hier à aujourd’hui, un éveilleur
Le Centre International Cardijn a l’honneur de co-parrainer une conférence à l’Institut catholique de Paris le 5 décembre 2024 sur la vie et l’œuvre de Marc Sangnier, fondateur du mouvement Le Sillon.
Inspiré d’une spiritualité profonde, Marc Sangnier (1873-1950) fut le fondateur et l’animateur de plusieurs structures d’éducation populaire à visée sociale (Le Sillon), politique (La Jeune République), pacifiste (la ligue française des auberges de jeunesse).
Ce colloque revient sur l’héritage intellectuel, politique, militant, religieux de cette œuvre immense. Pour chacun de ces domaines, un spécialiste donne une présentation scientifique avant qu’une personnalité engagée dans le militantisme ou la vie intellectuelle ne réagisse en fonction de son expérience contemporaine.
LIRE PLUS
Marc Sangnier, d’hier à aujourd’hui, un éveilleur
Pope Francis calls for renewal of Church history
In a newly published letter, Pope Francis has called for a renewed study of Church history, emphasising collective memory, reconciliation, and a deeper engagement with primary sources to navigate the present with wisdom and faith, Vatican News reports.
He urged seminarians, clergy, and the faithful to embrace history, which continues to play a role in their daily lives.
Reflecting on the value of history as a communal inheritance, he stressed the need to keep “the flame of collective conscience alive,” he said, explaining that by doing so, the faithful can navigate the present with a clearer sense of perspective, rooted in the Church’s lived experience across centuries.
READ MORE
Pope calls for renewal of Church history
Vidéo: Marcel Callo, une empreinte indélébile
Aujourd’hui encore la petite communauté catholique de Thuringe en Allemagne, considère la venue du Bienheureux Marcel Callo (1921 – 1945), dans le cadre du STO (Service du Travail Obligatoire) pendant la seconde guerre mondiale, comme une grande grâce.
Un documentaire en forme d’hommage qui met en avant cette figure de sainteté, modèle pour la jeunesse d’aujourd’hui et précurseur de la réconciliation franco-allemande.
LIRE PLUS ET REGARDER LE VIDEO
Marcel Callo, une empreinte indélébile
Catholic student leader, Pier Giorgio Frassati, to be canonized
Pope Francis has announced the canonisation in 2024 of two young Catholics, Italian student leader, Pier Giorgio Frassati, and Carlo Acutis, a teenage digital technology devotee.
The canonisation of Carlo Acutis will take place during the Church’s Jubilee of Teenagers, scheduled from April 25–27, 2025 while Pier Giorgio Frassati’s canonization will follow later, during the Jubilee of Youth from July 28 to August 3, 2025.
Commenting on Facebook, Pax Romana IMCS leaders noted that “Frassati’s legacy of faith, service, and social justice continues to inspire Catholic youth worldwide to live out their faith in action, embodying the mission of Pax Romana!”
In 1938, YCW founder, Mgr (later Cardinal) Joseph Cardijn wrote to Pope Pius XI backing a call to launch the beatification process for Pier Giorgio.
READ MORE
Student leaders to be canonised
Solidarity appeal: Lebanon YCS organise relief for war refugees
The Young Christian Students (JEC or YCS) movement is in the front lines of the current war in Lebanon.
On 9 September, movement leaders shared their experiences via Zoom with their counterparts from the French JEC (YCS).
In this article, we present the testimonies of movement leaders, learn of their actions and provide an opportunity for our readers to show solidarity.
READ MORE
Solidarity with the Lebanese JEC (YCS) (Solidarity Planet)
DONATE HERE
https://www.helloasso.com/associations/jec/formulaires/3/en
Video: Cardijn Lecture: Patricia Jones: Patrick Keegan at Vatican
Dr Patricia Jones, a former member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and lay auditor at the 1987 Synod on Laity, presented the Cardijn Lecture 2024 on 14 November.
Her subject was “Patrick Keegan, first lay auditor to address Vatican II.”
WATCH THE VIDEO
History: YCW leader became Malta’s prime minister
‘Karmenu – Il-verita’ xejn anqas mill-verita’ (The truth, nothing but the truth) is a book with 24 recollections on the involvement of Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, a Maltese YCW leader who became prime minister, writes Professor Yosanne Vella.
Greatly influenced by Joseph Cardijn, Mifsud Bonnici studied in London, which led to a trade union careerr with the General Workers Union (GWU) from the late 1960s.
He became a leading figure in the Labour Party and succeeded Dom Mintoff as prime minister from 1984-87.
READ MORE
YCW leader became Malta’s prime minister
Gospel: The tomb of prophets
One of the topics focused on in talkback radio recently was the Australian Government’s attempt to provide support for parents who feel powerless in the face of the destructive power of the algorithms used to control their children’s lives, writes Pat Branson.
The Australian Catholic Social Justice Statement for 2019-2020, titled Making It Real, deals with this threat. It is worth the time you take to find it online … in the statement, the authors refer to Pope Francis’ assertion that the Internet is a gift from God … because the authors of the statement address the very same issues highlighted by the Australian Government in its media releases about the purpose of the Bill that will be presented in the Federal Parliament before the end of the current sitting.
If you are reading this Gospel Enquiry, then you are already on the digital highway referred to in Making It Real.
DO THE GOSPEL ENQUIRY
The tomb of prophets (Gospel Enquiries)
Reflection: Theology, a catalyst for world change
In this month's Cardijn Reflection, Richard Pütz ponders the essence of theology. On the one hand, it's the systematic study of religious beliefs, concepts, and practices, he writes. At its core, theology examines questions about:
The nature of the divine/sacred
Religious texts and their interpretation
Faith and religious experience
Religious doctrine and traditions
The relationship between religion and other aspects of human life (ethics, culture, society)
On the other hand, there is a personal experience to theology that often is more focused on the "lived" experiences of meeting the Significant Other we call God.
READ MORE
Richard Pütz, Theology, a catalyst for world change (Cardijn Reflections)
Editorial Note: The purpose of the CIC Newsletter is to share information and promote discussion. Citing or linking to articles does not imply any endorsement by the Centre International Cardijn of the authors' views.
Centre International Cardijn
Contact: info@centreinternationalcardijn.org