Theme: Contextualizing the Pax Romana ICMICA – MIIC in the new global reality.
Date: 24th September 2022
Time: 2pm GMT (5pm EAT, 4pm SAT, 3pm CAT, 2pm WAT).
Languages: French and English (Simulateneous translation)
INTRODUCTION
The International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs – (ICMICA MIIC – Pax Romana) is a global community of Catholic intellectuals and professionals from more than 60 countries committed to the spirituality of action – dedicated to evangelizing the professional and intellectual milieu.
Inspired by the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching, ICMICA supports its members to think, reflect and act on concrete issues facing our world and our Church. Since 1946, ICMICA has brought together a wide range of individuals, small communities, national movements or federations, and international networks with a shared commitment to support each other across borders and to integrate faith and action for a more just world.
Vis-à-vis the challenging environment marked by the increase of insecurity, civil wars and conflicts, weakening of democracies, advancement of new forms of authoritarianism, rise of inequality, poverty and hunger, corruption, human trafficking, progressive weakening of the international order, invasion and war in Ukraine, inability to confront the environmental crisis, Catholic Professionals are challenged to think and find solutions.
The reform of the Church proposed by Pope Francis to build a synodal Church, taking up the proposal of the Second Vatican Council, allows us to rethink about our commitments. The movement members need to redefine their strategies and review their contributions as movements of professionals and intellectuals.
As professionals and intellectuals, members must think and act to implement practical solutions to the growing threats to the well-being of all people and peace in the world.
Pax Romana has a long experience of work in the world and in the Church. It has maintained its representation as a civil society organization within United Nations agencies that seek to solve many of these serious problems facing humanity.
Like any other movements within the Catholic Church, Pax Romana faces the challenges of declining membership at a local level; it has difficulty in recruiting new members, and sees some decline in terms of engagement and activism, in resources mobilization, and many more.
To start a conversation about these situations and to define a new direction for the movement, the International Council of the ICMICA is proposing to hold a study session to invite members to a global reflection. The study session will be preceded by a continental consultation conducted by the vice presidents of each region.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY SESSION
- To support the exchange of information among the regions in order to
- Understand the current context in which they find themselves, from the perspective of Human Rights, especially for the “discarded or ignored” and the peripheries.
- Make explicit commitments to the fundamental interests of the members according to the diverse contexts in which they live and are involved.
- To gather the entire family of the ICMICA to reflect on the mission and the situation/state of the movement at the local and global level, in the current historical and ecclesial context.
- Conduct a global reflection and consultation to redefine strategies and approaches on how the ICMICA carries out its mission in order to be able to respond to the signs of the time.
EXPECTED RESULTS
At the end of the study session, it is expected to:
- Have a clear understanding of the contexts in which each region finds itself and the state of the movement.
- Have a better understanding of the main problems faced by the members, and engage them in the search for solutions.
- Create global thematic teams (specialized secretariats) to lead and inform the movement on different issues and support its representations at the UN, and at the Council of Europe.
- Have a clear and well-documented plan of action and way forward, taking into account the emerging virtual and technological reality.
- Facilitate the exchange of good practices among ICMICA members in different regions to address challenges and strengthen the spirituality of action.
- Facilitate access to information to help members better understand the situation of the movement globally and the challenges arising from the new reality.
THE SITUATION OF THE MOVEMENT IN THE REGIONS
Relationship of the movement and/or its members with the Church
- How is your relationship with the Bishops’ conferences?
- How is the relationship of the regional office with the regional bodies of the bishops’ conference?
Extension
- Do you consider your institution sustainable in terms of member participation? Is there a plan to ensure longevity or growth/expansion within your region? What are those plans?
Relationship with ICMICA International
- What do you consider to be the added value for the national movements in belonging to ICMICA Pax Romana (give examples)?
- And for the members?
- How can we strengthen joint international action?
- What changes are necessary according to the new global situation?
Activities and mission
- What are the main activities of the national movements in your region? Do you have regular activities as a community? What have been your contributions to society?
- What are the areas of interest (thematic areas) of the movements at national and regional level?
- What are the main challenges faced by the national movements in carrying out their mission?
- What are the main challenges of the national movement in the framework of its membership in Pax Romana?
- What do you plan to do in the future?
Relations with other organizations: Synodality and Interreligious Dialogue.
- Relations with other Catholic groups: do you have any kind of collaboration with IMCS, IYCS, IYCW or other lay groups or movements or religious congregations?
- Do you have relationships or joint project with non-Catholic, Christian religious groups?
- Do you have meetings or activities with groups of other religious denominations?
- Is the ICMICA of your region a member of any civil society network?