Vie Montante Internationale

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Vie Montante Internationale (VMI) ( French : Vie Montante. Mouvement Chrétien des Retraités ; English : Life Ascending International ; Spanish : Vida Ascendente Internacional ; German : Ascending Life ) is the name of the international Roman Catholic "Movement for the Elderly". In this context, the word "Montante" / "ascending" means "getting older". The Association of Believers was founded in Rome in 1985 . It is a member of the “Conférence des Organizations Internationales Catholiques” (COIC) based in Geneva and, as a non-governmental organization, has an advisory status in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). VMI is represented in 44 countries around the world and has almost 250,000 members.

history

The first movements emerged in the 1950s within the Catholic Action in Paris . Under the direction of André d'Humières (1887–1975), groups of older people met who wanted to articulate themselves in the church as representatives of the “third age”. With the support of Auxiliary Bishop Stanislas Courbe in the Archdiocese of Paris , who was the first general secretary of Catholic Action in France, the development continued in 1962. An association of believers was formed, which expanded to Belgium , Switzerland , Canada and some African countries. Cardinal Eduardo Pironio , then President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity , supported the establishment of “Vie Montante Internationale” and the global expansion of the movement. The Latin American Bishops Council (CELAM) supported and coordinates its activities and actions with VMI and is a member of the “International Federation of the Third Age”. On March 25, 1996, VMI was recognized as an international association of the faithful by the Pontifical Council for the Laity .

Self-image

The VMI, as an association of older people, would like to bring the social competence of old age into the church . She wants to strengthen the status of the elderly in our society and pursues the values that John Paul II (1978–2005) demanded in his letter "The dignity of the elderly and his mission in the Church and the world" in 1998 and she wants to promote the pastoral care of the third age.

Organization and expansion

During the general assembly (GV), the highest organ of the association, called every four years , the programs and activities are decided. An international board of directors is elected at the AGM, consisting of a president, treasurer , continental officials, the vice-president and the church assistant . The permanent secretariat is appointed by the president and supports him in his day-to-day work; he is also assigned a general secretary. Worldwide, the VMI is represented in 44 countries from Africa , Asia , Europe , North America and South America and has around 250,000 members. The headquarters are located in Paris .

literature

  • The Spiritual Communities of the Catholic Church - Compendium (No. 123, Vie Montante Internationale, pp. 340–341), St. Benno-Verlag, Leipzig, 2006, ISBN 3-7462-1995-7 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Vie Montante Internationale, International Secretariat: Vida Ascendente en América Latina . Neuilly-sur-Seine 1992, p. 2.
  2. ↑ dbk ; Pastoral Commission, On the Trail of Life, Insights and Help in Getting Older , January 1st, 2000 dbk.de