November 2025

COP30 in Brazil - Protecting people and the planet - Remembering José Calatayud - Pax Romana's new leaders - One of Belgium's last worker priests - Cardijn on the parish

Nov 22, 2025

Friends,

Welcome to the November edition of our newsletter!

The COP30 conference is taking place in Belem, Brazil this month. We feature Pope Leo’s message to the Churches of the Global South meeting there. Plus we share a post from IYCW Aspac on climate action by the Philippines YCW.

We also share the very sad news from the International YCW of the death of our friend and colleague, José Calayatud, who died earlier this month in Malaga, Spain. All of us who knew and worked with José send our condolences to his family and friends.

The Pax Romana ICMICA movement has just elected a new international council at its General Asssembly in Lisbon.

This month is also a time of more significant anniversaries, including the Pact of the Catacombs inspired by Cardijn’s vow to devote his life to the working class. It’s also the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II document, Apostolicam Actuositatem, to which Cardijn and the YCW leadership of that time contributed greatly.

We have a video (in French) of an interview with the “last worker priest” from the Belgian Diocese of Liège.

And we share another of Cardijn’s classic articles, namely “The YCW and the parish”,” published in 1925. This is available in English and the original French on the Joseph Cardijn Digital Library website.

Thanks for your support.

The Centre International Cardijn Team

Pope’s message to COP30: Creation crying out in floods, storms, heat

“Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat,” Pope Leo said in a video message to churches of the Global South gathered at Belem, Brazil for the COP30 climate talks.

“I greet the particular Churches of the Global South gathered at the Amazonian Museum of Belém, joining the prophetic voice of my brother Cardinals who have taken part in COP 30, telling the world with words and gestures that the Amazon region remains a living symbol of creation with an urgent need for care,” Pope Leo began.

Creation crying out in floods, storms, heat

Protecting people, protecting the planet

The Young Christian Workers of the Philippines (YCW-Phil) continues to raise the voice of young workers for justice and dignity. On its latest initiative, YCW-Phil organized a forum on “Social Protection Responsive to Climate Change,” bringing together 25 participants from different base groups across the country.

The activity was part of a synergy program between YCW Philippines, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), and IYCW-ASPAC, with support from the World Solidarity Movement (WSM). The forum became a space to connect two urgent struggles — the fight for social protection and the fight for climate justice — highlighting that a just society is also a livable planet for all.

Protecting People, Protecting the Planet: Workers Pushes for Social Protection Responsive to Climate (IYCW Aspac)

Pax Romana professionals elect new team

Pax Romana ICMICA, an international lay movement of Catholic academics and professionals, elected Catalan poet and human rights activist, Dr Carles Torner, as its new president, and Italian lawyer, Gabriella Serra, as secretary-general (photo above). Vice-president for Asia and the Pacific is Korean human rights specialist, Anselmo Lee.

The election took place at the movement’s quadrennial General Assembly in Lisbon, Portugal on 15-16 November 2025.

Pax Romana professionals elect new team

Pax Romana ICMICA-MIIC

60th anniversary of the Pact of the Catacombs

This year we will again celebrate a special commemorative ceremony at the Domitilla Catacombs on Saturday 29 November 2025 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Pact of the Catacombs.

For more information, please contact Stefan Gigacz: aci@australiancardijninstitute.org

MORE DETAILS

60th Anniversary Celebration

Remembering Jose Calayatud

Dear José, just a few weeks ago, you were at the IYCW office, with many stories to share as always, … a true living archive of our movement. After five hours of training for the team and the new secretary general, the shy and sincere smile remained on your face! We were tired but you seemed full of energy and motivation!

“Well, I’m retired... if you need me, I’m here to support you,” you said.

Indeed, retirement and the cancer you had been fighting so bravely over the last years did not prevent you from continuing to assist us. Nor did they prevent you from devoting yourself to your passion, photography. You were so excited to show us some of your beautiful pictures.

You have been a vital part of the IYCW, helping us understand one another across our different languages and cultures. For almost 40 years, you devoted yourself to interpretation and communication, building friendships with countless leaders and comrades around the world.

Goodbye José, our friend, our colleague, our comrade! (International YCW)

Restarting the clock on the role of lay people & lay movements

Writing to Cardinal Marc Ouellet in 2016, Pope Francis recalled “the famous phrase: ‘the hour of the laity has arrived’.”

This was a sentiment often expressed in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, the first ecumenical council to dedicate a chapter of a document, Lumen Gentium, to the laity in 1964, and a year later the first to devote a whole decree to the apostolate of the laity, namely Apostolicam Actuositatem in 1965.

Since then, however, as Pope Francis lamented, “it seems the clock has stopped” on that hoped for hour of the laity. So much so that the 60^th anniversary of Apostolicam Actuositatem, which falls this month – 18 November 2025 – is passing almost unremarked.

Stefan Gigacz, Restarting the clock on the role of lay people & lay movements (Cardijn Research)

The last worker priest from Liège

This is a video interview in French with Fr André Antoine, the last worker priest from the Diocese of Liège in Belgium. His father was a leader of the Walloon JOC. Watch Part 2 on YouTube.