Dear Friends,
We attended the XVth ICCFM World Assembly of Families from June 29 to July 3, 2023 in Vac, Budapest, Hungary
The theme was Fighting with Hope, in Unity, for the Family.
We were blessed to have 5 Bishops attending the Assembly - Bishop Gerardo Alminaza from the Philippines, the ICCFM Chaplain; Bishop Zsolt Marton, Bishop Laszlo Varga and Bishop Laszlo Biro from Hungary; and Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka from Malawi, Africa.
There were delegates from Hungary, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, USA, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Malawi, Philippines, Thailand and India.
We thank Balazs & Krisztina Menesi, CFM Presidents of Europe and their team for hosting the Assembly. The interesting talks on the theme and sharing by couples after each talk of their lived experience, the hospitality, arrangements for food and accommodation, competent translation into English, Hungarian and Spanish, the entertainment and excursions made the Assembly enjoyable and fruitful for the participants.
On July 3rd the 19th General Assembly (Board Meeting of voting members of ICCFM) was held. Epifanio and Wilma Cua of the Philippines ended their term as Presidents. The new ICCFM Presidents are Sergio & Dora Trevino of Mexico. Vice Presidents are Laurie and John Prysbyz of the USA.
The 3 major talks were built around the CFM methodology of Observe - Judge - Act.
Bishop Lazlo Varga presented the Observe part with the theme spiritual warfare. Bishop referred to the signs of the times, ie, the different manifestations of
darkness and chaos in today's world and how the Father of Chaos and Lies, Satan, is behind it all. He touched on the following: elimination of God from history,
education and culture; a world without God which has become inhuman; chaos in all areas of life from conception to old age; sexual revolution with its attendant
spin-offs; worldwide ecological emergencies; global warming turning into global burning; floodgate of refugees; extensive death caused by the pandemic; global
ethics, without appearing to be persecution, destroying Christian values (like wolf in sheep's clothing); individual freedom and values placed above Christian
values and divine revelations. Christianity today is first among the most persecuted religions in the world. Bishop Varga ended with the words - "Do not be afraid"
our Lord assures us for it is not you who must fight against them, but God. Chronicles 20:15. "Fear not" Jesus has promised and he will keep his promise.
Bishop Lazlo Biro presented the Judge part by speaking on Hope (fighting for hope in Unity with the family). He spoke about our hope in Christ based on faith in a
God who always creates something new in the life of man. Our hope in Christ is to be shared with others for we were saved by hope. Salvation has been given to us
in such a way we have been given hope - something to wait for, someone to wait for. God and hope go together. That is why Pope Benedict XVI's Second Encyclical says "We are people of spring, people of hope. God creates our redemption. We have a future. What a gift to wait for."
ICCFM Chaplain Bishop Gerardo Alminaza delivered the Act part by speaking about Unity. The strongest sign of hope we can give to others is by becoming true images of the Triune God by being united loving couples, families and Christian communities. Pope Francis invites us in Amoris Laetitia and Laudato Si to look at our family life and the world around us "with the gaze of Jesus". The human family, in a certain sense, is an icon of the Trinity because of its interpersonal love. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, the most Holy Trinity is in our spiritual DNA. Pope Francis reiterated this when he wrote that "The Triune God is a communion of love, and the family is its living reflection". Unity is the plan of God for every family and it is the starting point and goal of everything we do as a family and in the family. What a great responsibility we have to strive to grow in holiness as families! It is our privilege and our task to cooperate with God's grace in order to better reflect each and every day the love and communion of God. It is possible that some of us may feel our family is so messed up, it's hopeless and we are feeling guilty or ashamed. But know that we have all been wounded in some way. None of our families are perfect. We all have baggage to work through and memories to be healed, and relationships to be reconciled. However, we trust that God is working through our families in ways we may not be able to understand fully right now.
We thank Pip and Wilma Cua for their dedicated service as Presidents and for their initiatives like the quarterly program "An Hour in the Mission",annual Christmas program, annual ICCFM Foundation Day celebration all by Zoom with countries worldwide participating; Fr Peyton's Rosary Brigade along with the Holy Cross Fathers; and CFM Beyond Borders (CFM group meetings online with members from different countries). God bless them and their commitment to CFM.
We congratulate Sergio & Dora Trevino and their team. We know they will accomplish great things during their tenure. Our support and best wishes are with them.
Anita and Lukose Vallatharai
Asia Continental CFM Presidents
THE CFM ASIA CONTINENTAL ASSEMBLIES
The dream of two couples. Only a few Asian participants were at the 3rd World Assembly of Families and 7th ICCFM General Assembly in 1986 in Chicago, Illinois. David and Aloma Lobo of CFM India and Nop and Elma Muangkroot of CFM Thailand were drawn together closely during the meeting, discussing ways to make CFM Asia more effective. It was then that their dreams of an Asian continental conference took shape, and they ambitiously planned to convene the first CFM Asia Continental Conference before the next ICCFM World Assembly in 1989. They pledged with each other to bring in at least one country each: the Lobos intended to invite CFM Sri Lanka and the Muangkroots set their hopes on CFSM Singapore. With full confidence, both couples just presumed that CFM Philippines would take an important role in their continental convention plans.
Elma visited Dennis and Fanny Chua of CFSM Singapore, who became very enthusiastic about the Asian gathering. It is important to acknowledge Dennis Chua as the main "think tank" and developer of many CFM/CFSM Asia conference themes. His mind worked very quickly and his notes were chaotic, but his ideas on family action were profound and logical, and he was definitely an expert on Cardinal Cardijn's OBSERVE-JUDGE-ACT methodology, having been a YCW member. Dennis came to Bangkok to plan the conference with Nop and Elma and Nic and Lilia Austriaco, conference chairpersons who played an essential role in the first Asian convention and deserve special acknowledgement. CFM Thailand National Chaplain Rev. Fr. Charles Cotant, CSsR, gave his full assistance, including raising conference funds.
David and Aloma did their work on Sri Lanka and succeeded in getting the full cooperation and support of CFM Sri Lanka Chaplain Rev. Fr. Hubert Peiris.
The 1st CFM Asia Continental Convention. As hoped for, CFM Philippines, the biggest and the strongest CFM in the region, gave its unreserved backing and collaboration, and the First Continental Conference of the Christian Family Movement and the Christian Family and Social Movement of Asia became a reality on March 18-20, 1988, in Thailand, on the theme, The Christian Family in Asia: Its Evangelical Mission. Six Asian countries were represented: India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Among the delegates from the Philippines were Joe and Charito Hilario, who would later become CFM Asia presidents and convene well-attended Asian conferences because Joe's job involved traveling to Asian countries where he would personally invite CFM members to the meetings. The following is a complete list of the CFM/CFSM Asia Continental Conventions: