Intercontinental Christian community for people with health problems

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The intercontinental Christian community for people with health problems ( en .: Intercontinental Christian Fraternity of the Chronic Sick and Physically Disabled , fr . : Fraternité Chrétienne Intercontinentale des Personnes Malades Chroniques et Handicapées Physiques , abbreviation: FCIPMH ), also as "Fraternity of people with Disability ” or“ Frater ”for short, was founded in France in 1945 . It is an association of believers in the Roman Catholic Church recognized by the Holy See and has 35 communities as full members worldwide and maintains contacts with 21 organizations.

history

1945 grouped around Father Henri François (1897-1986), a sick chaplain and hospital chaplain , a community of disabled people. They asked to form a solidarity community in which they could help each other, but also received help. The first group established itself in the Diocese of Verdun (France) during a spiritual celebration in Benoite-Vaux near Verdun, it called itself "Fraternité Cathlique des Infirmité", about 100 people took part in the founding service. In 1949, disabled people from several French dioceses took part in the first study conference. In 1950 they met in Lourdes , in 1952 the brotherhood received episcopal recognition from the Assembly of Cardinals and Archbishops of France and founded the first national council. In 1956 the community expanded to Belgium and Spain and in 1957 Germany followed .

In 1960 the International Fraternity of People with Disabilities was founded and held its first international conference in Bury (France), with participants from France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland . International meetings took place in 1961 in Trier , 1963 in Friborg (Switzerland), 1965 in Barcelona , 1966 in Strasbourg , 1968 in Argenteuil (France). The second international conference was held in Rome in 1972 , a total of 380 members were from Pope Paul VI. (1963–1978) received in an audience . The community took the name “Catholic Brotherhood of the Sick and Disabled” and welcomed participants from Germany, Austria , Belgium, Spain, France, the Netherlands , Italy , Madagascar , Peru , Switzerland, Yugoslavia and Portugal . In 1975 the Fraternity and the Pontifical Council for the Laity concluded a cooperation agreement. Between 1975 and 1985 the national and intercontinental associations merged and organized independent events in the form of conferences and study days. In 1985 the Fraternity celebrated its 40th anniversary and since 1992 the International Committee has sent a delegate to the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care . On February 11, 1995, the Association received the Decree of Recognition from the Pontifical Council for the Laity as an international association of believers under papal law. With the revised statute and approval by the Holy See in 2006, the organization bears the name "Intercontinental Christian Community for People with Health Disabilities"

Self-image

The main focus of Frater is the mutual support and help of chronically ill people and people with disabilities . It serves to strengthen self-confidence and is intended to help overcome social and financial disadvantages. For this purpose, mutual visits, correspondence and telephone contacts are arranged. Cross-religious meetings, excursions and trips are offered on a regular basis. For public presentation, the Christian ecumenical organization takes a position on the situation of the disabled in society , it develops specific catalogs of tasks and presents its demands in public. Its central concern is evangelization and pastoral care of sick and disabled people.

Organization and expansion

Organization chart of the Fraternity of People with Disabilities

The executive and governing bodies are the “Intercontinental Core Committee”, the “Intercontinental Council”, the “National Councils” and the “Diocesan Groups”. The International Core Committee is a permanent body and is responsible for everything that happens in the intercontinental associations. It is currently headquartered in Grao de Castellón (Spain). The members of the Intercontinental Council are represented in it with one representative from each member country, the heads of the continental councils, the intercontinental advisor and a deputy. It meets once a year and prepares the world congresses , which are held every 4 to 5 years. The Intercontinental Councils include Africa, Europe and the American Intercontinental Council . America is divided into 3 regions: Region I consists of Central America and the Caribbean , Region II comprises the Andean countries and Region III is represented by Brazil . The intercontinental fraternity has 35 full members and 21 contact members distributed around the world. Germany is represented by the umbrella organization “fraternity of people with disabilities in Germany” which consists of 36 diocesan groups. The Intercontinental Organization's operations include recreational and rehabilitation facilities in France, Belgium, Brazil and Spain.

literature

  • The Spiritual Communities of the Catholic Church - Compendium (No. 65, Christian Intercontinental Community of the Chronically Ill and Physically Handicapped, pp. 191–192), St. Benno-Verlag , Leipzig , 204, ISBN 3-7462-1995-7

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Padre Henri François "El Padre François la Fraternidad" [1]

Web links