Directory of International Associations of the Faithful

The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, initially published in 2006 by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, lists the international associations of the faithful in the Catholic Church that have been granted official recognition. ^[1] It gives the official name, acronym, date of establishment, history, identity, organization, membership, works, publications, and website of the communities and movements. ^[2]

Recognition of similar national associations as Catholic is granted by the country's Episcopal Conference, and it is for the local bishop to grant recognition to local associations. ^[3]

List

The following is a list of the international associations that have received recognition, according to the Vatican website, which provides linked descriptions of each organization. ^[4]

Organization name	Acronym/ Also Known As	Founder	Established	Place established	Pontifical recognition	Notes
Adsis Communities	Adsis	Fr. José Luis Pérez Alvarez	1964	Bilbao, Spain	30 August 1997
Amigonian Cooperators	A.Cs		1992		8 December 1992
Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt	Schoenstatt Movement	Fr. Josef Kentenich	18 October 1914	Schoenstatt Shrine, Vallendar, Germany
Bread of Life Community		Pascal and Marie-Annick Pingault, Bruno and France Bouchet	1976	Évreux, France
Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Communities and Fellowships	Catholic Fraternity		1990	Vatican City	30 November 1990	Defunct as of 2019, replaced by CHARIS [5]
Catholic Integrated Community	KIG
Catholic International Education Office	OIEC
Chemin Neuf Community	CCN
Christian Life Community	CVX
Christian Life Movement	CLM
Claire Amitié
Community of the Beatitudes
"Comunità Domenico Tardini" Association
Conference of International Catholic Organisations	CICO
Cooperators of Opus Dei
Couples for Christ	CFC
Emmanuel Community
Encounters of Married Couples	Dialogues
Encounters of Youth Promotion	EYP
Fondacio. Christians for the World	Fondacio
Foyers de Charité
Fraternity of Charles de Foucauld	FCF
Fraternity of Communion and Liberation	CL	Fr. Luigi Giussani	1954	Milan, Italy
Fraternity of St Thomas Aquinas groups	FASTA
Heart's Home
Heralds of the Gospel	EP
Holy Family Association
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Mercy Association	CIM, Totus Tuus
Institute for World Evangelisation	ICPE Mission
Intercontinental Christian Fraternity of the Chronic Sick and Physically Disabled	FCIPMH
International Alliance of Catholic Knights	IACK
International Association of "Caterinati"
International Association of Charities	AIC
International Association of Faith and Light
International Association of Missionaries of Political Charity
International Catholic Centre for Cooperation with UNESCO	CCIC
International Catholic Centre of Geneva	ICCG
International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services	ICCRS		1978	Brussels, Belgium	14 September 1993	Defunct as of 2019, replaced by CHARIS
International Catholic Child Bureau	BICE
International Catholic Committee for Gypsies	CCIT
International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medical Social Assistants	CICIAMS
International Catholic Conference of Guiding	ICCG
International Catholic Conference of Scouting	ICCS
International Catholic Migration Commission	ICMC
International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs	ICMICA-Pax Romana
International Catholic Rural Association	ICRA
International Catholic Society for Girls	ACISJF
International Catholic Union of the Press	UCIP
International Christian Union of Business Executives	UNIAPAC
International Confederation of Professional Associations of Domestic Workers	IAG
International Confederation of the Volunteers of Suffering Centers	International Confederation CVS
International Coordination of Young Christian Workers	ICYCW
International Council of Catholic Men	FIHC-Unum Omnes
International Federation of Catholic Associations of the Blind	FIDACA
International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations	FIAMC
International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements	FIMCAP
International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists	FIPC
International Federation of Catholic Universities	IFCU
International Federation of L'Arche Communities	L'Arche International
International Federation of Pueri Cantores	FIPC
International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements	FIMARC
International Forum of Catholic Action	IFCA
International Independent Christian Youth	JICI
International Kolping Society	IKS	Fr. Adolph Kolping
International Military Apostolate	AMI
International Movement of Apostolate in the Independent Social Milieus	MIAMSI
International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth	MIJARC
International Movement of Catholic Students	IMCS-Pax Romana
International Movement of the Apostolate for Children	MIDADE
International Union of Catholic Esperantists	IKUE
International Union of Catholic Jurists	UIJC
International Union of European Guides and Scouts - European Scouting Federation	UIGSE-FSE
International Young Catholic Students	IYCS
Jesus Youth	JY
Lay Claretian Movement	MSC
Legion of Mary
Life Ascending International	VMI
Light-Life Movement	RŚŻ
"Living In" Spirituality Movement
Marianist Lay Communities	MLC
Memores Domini Lay Association	Memores Domini
Militia Christi	MJC
Militia of the Immaculata	M.I.
Missionary Community of Villaregia	CMV
Missionary Contemplative Movement "P. de Foucauld"
Oasis Movement
"Pope John XXIII Community" Association
Prayer and Life Workshops
Pro Deo et Fratribus - Family of Mary	PDF-FM
Promoting Group for the Movement for a Better World	PG of the MBW
Regnum Christi Apostolic Movement
Salesian Cooperators Association	ACS
Salesian Youth Movement	SYM
Sanguis Christi Union	USC
Sant'Egidio Community
Schoenstatt Women's Apostolic Union
School of the Cross
Secular Missionary Carmel	CMS
"Seguimi" Lay Group of Human-Christian Promotion
Sermig
Shalom Catholic Community	CCSh	Moysés Louro Azevedo Filho	9 July 1982	Fortaleza, Brazil	22 February 2007	Statutes approved by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 [6]
Silent Workers of the Cross Association	SODC
St Benedict Patron of Europe Association	ASBPE
Society of St Vincent de Paul	SSVP	Frédéric Ozanam	1833	Paris, France	1845
St Francis de Sales Association
Teams of Our Lady	END
Teresian Apostolic Movement	TAM
Teresian Association	T.A.	Fr. Pedro Poveda Castroverde
Union of Catholic Apostolate	UAC
Work of Mary	Focolare Movement
Work of Nazareth	ODN
Work of Saint John of Avila
Work of Saint Teresa
World Catholic Association for Communication	SIGNIS
World Federation of Nocturnal Adoration Societies
World Movement of Christian Workers	WMCW
World Organisation of Former Pupils of Catholic Education	OMAEC
World Organisation of the Cursillo Movement	OMCC
World Union of Catholic Teachers	WUCT
World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations	WUCWO
Worldwide Marriage Encounter	WWME

Other international associations of the faithful

Although not yet included in the latest available edition of the Directory, the Neocatechumenal Way received its definitive approval from the Pontifical Council for the Laity on 11 May 2008. ^[7]

References

1. "The Directory is a response to the invitation extended by John Paul II to the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Christifideles Laici to draw up a list of associations which have received the "official recognition and explicit approval" of the Holy See."( Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Postsynodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, no 31) "The Holy See - Roman Curia - Pontifical Councils - Pontifical Council for the Laity". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
2. Directory of International Associations of the Faithful Archived April 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
3. Code of Canon Law, canon 312 and canon 322
4. International Associations of the Faithful: Directory, accessed 9 August 2019
5. "Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships". 2019-09-06. Archived from the original on 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
6. "Comunidad Shalom recibe reconocimiento pontificio". ACI Digital. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
7. Pontifical Council for the Laity Newsletter no. 16/2008

External links

• Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
• New Communities and Movements