Brussels, the 19th December 2025

From 26 to 27 November, FAFCE participated to the sixth Assembly of the Forum of Catholic-inspired NGOs in Rome, held in the context of the Jubilee. More than one hundred people took part to the Assembly  from 64 different international organizations, with the participation and support of the Permanent Representatives of the Holy See to the International Institutions  of New York, Geneva, Rome, Paris, Brussels or Strasbourg, representatives of the Secretariat of State, several dicasteries who exchanged views on their work and mission and to discuss better ways to collaborate.

On the first day, Wednesday 26 November, the welcome and introduction of the Nuncios and Permanent Observers of the Holy See to intergovernmental organizations was delivered by Johan Kettlers. The opening address was given by Msgr Daniel Pacho, Under-Secretary for Multilateral Affairs of the Secretariat of State’s Section for Relations with States and International Organizations.

Msgr Pacho sent an encouraging message: “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:1)

“The Forum, in fact, thanks to the synergy of its members, contributes concretely to the building of an international community based on peace and fraternity. This coordination is developing at different levels, among you within the different platforms of the Forum, and with the Holy See, in close collaboration with the papal representatives, in order to strengthen and increase the univocity of the voice of the Gospel, which is the only source of inspiration for all our actions”.

Over the two days of the forum, three panels were presented by NGOs from all over the world. One panel focused on the theme of “Human Dignity,” with subtopics including health care, human dignity and social and economic empowerment, migration, and ethical challenges. Within this panel, the role of faith in advocacy was addressed by Sr Michelle Loisel (Daughters of Charity).

The second panel was moderated by FAFCE together with the Geneva Platform and focused on the Common Good. The introduction to the topic was given by FAFCE Project Manager Maria Waszkiewicz, followed by a presentation on the meaning of the Common Good based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Sr Sarah Garcia, FMA, accompanied by a video. The subtopics presented included international solidarity, development, family and demography, and migration.

On the topic of family, the organizations Mater Care and Femina Europa contributed interventions. Bogdan Chazan (Mater Care) spoke on “Optimising Demography from a Catholic Perspective: Why and How Should We Support Procreative Plans and Their Successful Implementation?” Marion Sénellart de Vrière (Femina Europa) presented “Femina Europa’s Perspective on Demography and the Common Good.”

FAFCE President Vincenzo Bassi also intervened, recalling the importance of the family as a place of hope. “Without the family, fundamental principles such as equality, freedom, solidarity, peace can not be fully understood.”

The Forum ended with a panel discussion on Peace and  on the last afternoon on the 27th with a round table with the Permanent Representatives of the Holy See, at the United Nations in New York, Geneva, the UNESCO in Paris and the European Union in Brussels.

FAFCE wishes to thank the whole coordination team for the organisation and the enriching exchanges.