SW News: The conference of the Catholic bishops of the EU member states (COMECE) and the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) have inked a memorandum of understanding to boost mutual cooperation when it comes to promoting family policies. On Monday, March 20, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the president of COMECE, and Vincenzo Bassi, who heads FAFCE, signed the MoU.

During the ceremony, the top prelate said, “It is essential to support families and look at the problems they face”. By signing this pact, both entities will be able to get the best out of each other’s expertise in their respective areas. From now onwards, FAFCE will witness its ties with the Church in EU nations getting stronger. It will also be an observer at the meetings of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission. 

When it comes to framing family policies, bishops in the EU nations will benefit from FAFCE’s grassroots-level experience. Cardinal Hollerich said, “We are grateful for the service that FAFCE gives to the Church in Europe. It is not by chance that this agreement has been reached during the synodal path. Together, in the context of a more fragmented and individualistic society, we wish to offer our contribution to the common good. It is essential to support families and look at the problems they face.”

During the ceremony, Bassi said the memorandum of understanding was an example of how priests and Christian families and family associations can come together and join hands to explore new avenues to express the beauty of the family. He said this tie-up will also call on European institutions to consider the family as the building block of the future.

The signing of the pact is the institutionalization of a long collaboration going back several years. There have already been joint events with the active participation of both the bishops and FAFCE. They recently brought out a Reflection Paper on the role of elderly people when there is a big change demographically.