The Couples for Christ (abbreviated as CFC) is an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement whose goal is to renew and strengthen Christian values. It is one of 122 International Associations of the Faithful. The organization is affiliated with the Vatican recognition from the Pontifical Council for the Laity. It is led by an International Council, which operates in the Philippines under the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and can report directly to the Vatican. The community is made up of family ministries, social arms, and a pro-life ministry.
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History
Couples for Christ (CFC) traces its origin to Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1981 by the charismatic community Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP; Filipino for "The Joy of the Lord") as its outreach to evangelize married couples.
The approach and strategy were to invite prospective couples to a private home and bring them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social environment.
Beginning with the first 16 couples who joined the weekly gathering, CFC became a Christian family life renewal program which was later made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active, supportive relationship with one another.
The growth of CFC stemmed from its heart for mission and evangelization and its commitment to sharing God's love with others, beginning from the basic unit--the family. It did not take long for CFC to realize that while couple renewal was essential, it would be incomplete without family restoration.
Since 1993, CFC established the family ministries, namely:
- Kids for Christ
- Youth for Christ
- Singles for Christ
- Handmaids of the Lord
- Servants of the Lord
In 1996, CFC was approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines as a National Private Association of Lay Faithful and in 2000, was recognized by the Holy See (Vatican) as a private international association of the lay faithful of Pontifical Right.
Through the years, CFC has blossomed worldwide. It is now present in dioceses across all 81 Philippine provinces and 163 countries. It has become a dominant force for the renewal of the Christian family life and the church, earning its special leadership seats as participants to the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, an event organized by Pope Francis in 2014.
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Membership and Community Life
Any validly married Catholic couple can become members of CFC. Although a Catholic movement/organization, CFC remains open to having non-Catholic Christians as members.
Christian Life Program
Those who want to join CFC will have to go through a weekly seminar series called the Christian Life Program (CLP), which usually spans 13 weeks or sessions. The CLP serves as the primary Evangelization approach, a core activity of CFC members.
At the end of the CLP, couple-participants are invited to dedicate themselves to the Lord as CFC members and to commit to participating actively in the life of the community and of the Church through regular prayer meetings, attendance in community assemblies and teachings, participation in parish life.
CLP graduates are then grouped into cell groups called "households," consisting of at least 4 and up to 7 couples under the pastoral care supervision of a family head.
The CLP is also the point of entry for those who wish to join CFC's Family Ministries:
- Singles for Christ, for single young professionals
- Handmaids of the Lord and Servants of the Lord, for women and men who are widowed, single parents or those whose spouses choose not to join
- Youth for Christ (for teenagers) and Kids for Christ (for pre-teens) through attendance in a regular camp or similar activity.
Household Groups
The household groups or simply 'households' meet once a week or bi-weekly. Each member of the household is encouraged to host meetings at their home, when not held in Church meeting spaces. A household group operates as a 'family of families'.
Divisions
Over the course of CFC's existence, there has been some restructuring and changes of leadership, and occasionally, divisions. Despite these, the members at large are mostly unaffected, and the respective communities continue to flourish.
CFC and FFL
In 1993, a group led by Francisco Padilla, one of the original members recruited by LNP in 1981, severed CFC's ties from LNP citing differences in evangelization approaches. Padilla was CFC's Executive Director until 2007.
In August 2007, the same group of leaders announced the creation of a separate group known as Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL). This development, particularly since it was a direct offshoot of the bi-annual CFC elections that saw Frank Padilla and his group defeated, caused a division of membership within CFC, as some of its membership migrated to Foundation for Family and Life (FFL). FFL applied and was granted approval by SEC to use a defunct CFC foundation created in the 1980s, the Couples for Christ Foundation, Inc. The group continues to use the name, despite a Vatican admonition that "no other group may use Couples for Christ" in their name other than Couples For Christ Global Mission's Foundation, Inc.
CFC leaders have stated that they are open to reconciliation with FFL, but do not expect a quick resolution, particularly since Padilla, current FFL Servant-General, continues to insist that only FFL is recognized by the Vatican. He bases this assertion on a statement issued by one official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines who stated that "in the dioceses in the Philippines there can be two groups of the CFC provided again the bishop of the place will permit. Abroad, FFL may not use CFC in their names." The Vatican has not revoked the recognition given to CFC, evidence cited by CFC that indeed it is the Vatican-recognized CFC.
Padilla's claim to be the founder of CFC, which is supported by FFL, is questioned by CFC. CFC's publication Origins of Couples for Christ directly responds to this claim by including the point of view of Vic Gutierrez, a former LNP leader who was responsible for the conceptualization of CFC in 1981.
Although FFL has received support from some Philippine and foreign dioceses, CFC still retains its recognition as a Catholic ministry nationally in the Philippines and internationally. Many bishops have also declared recognition of CFC in their dioceses, including John J. Myers, Archbishop of Newark.
CFC and Gawad Kalinga
In 2009, CFC-Global found itself being split again into 2 groups, CFC-IC and CFC-Gawad Kalinga. This was triggered when the existing conflict between CFC and GK leaders resurfaced.
Evangelization Approaches
Christian Life Program Revised
In 2014, an update of the Christian Life Program has been released to reflect that CFC is explicitly Catholic, truly global, and devotedly Marian.
ANCOP
ANCOP stands for Answering the Cry of the Poor. It is an umbrella program made for the purpose of consolidating CFC's efforts in 'Building the Church of the Poor,' essentially a social outreach undertaking. Shelter-building for the poor and child-education sponsorship are among its dominant sub-programs. Certain aspects affecting the society are also being addressed through the ANCOP program, such as health, education, livelihood and community development activities.
As a social outreach program, ANCOP also involves sectors such as migrants and their families, uniformed personnel, those in prison, and environment stakeholders. Through ANCOP, sub-organizations like cooperatives and mini-programs like The Cornerstone have materialized.
Ablaze Communications
ABLAZE Communications, or simply "ABLAZE" is registered as a subsidiary of Couples for Christ. It is involved in the production of audio-visual presentations and merchandizing of products.
Liveloud
In 2009, a Catholic worship event called Liveloud has been initiated to introduce Catholic Worship Songs to the community.
See also
- Church Movement
References
External links
- Couples for Christ USA
- Couples for Christ QATAR
- Couples for Christ India
- Couples for Christ - Wellington, New Zealand
- Singles for Christ Global
- Singles for Christ Toronto
- ANCOP - Tekton Foundation
- Couples for Christ in Ireland
- Couples For Christ Ministries in Austria
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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