Christian Life Communities
By Kyle Shinseki @ 6:07 PM :: 564 Views
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The ACU is what is known in the Roman Catholic Church as a Christian Life Community (CLC).  CLCs began with the establishment of the first Marian Congregation in Rome in 1563.  There was a renewal of interest in such Congregations in the early part of the last century and in 1922 began what might be called the “golden age” of the Marian Congregation.  As a result, Pope Pius XII published the Apostolic Constitution Bis saeculari in 1948, which called for a renewal of Marian Congregations and an emphasis on the lay apostolate. Shortly thereafter, the World Federation of Marian Congregations was organized and the first General Assembly of the Federation was held in Rome in 1954.

One of the founding organizations of the World Federation was the ACU. In fact, the first president of the World Federation was agrupado Dr. José Ignacio Lasaga.  Like many Catholic organizations, Marian Congregations went through significant changes in their focus and structure after the Second Vatican Council, including the use of the term “Christian Life Community” instead of Marian Congregation.  Today, the ACU is one of 58 national CLCs that are full members of the Federation, which includes groups from every continent.

The CLC World Federation is governed by the General Assembly, a gathering of national CLC member groups such as the ACU.  General Assemblies are held approximately every 5 years in different countries. The Executive Council, with offices in the Vatican, has the responsibility to coordinate with national CLC federations and run the day-to-day activities of the World Federation in the periods between General Assemblies.  The Council has three permanent members designated by the Jesuits and 9 members elected by the Assembly. The three permanent members are Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., Father General of the Jesuits; Alberto Brito, S.J., Ecclesiastical Vice Assistant; and Guy Maginzi, Executive Secretary.

The most recent General Assembly was held in Nairobi, Kenya during the summer of 2003.  Nearly 200 people attended, representing 53 national federations.  One of the most pressing issues discussed was the mission of CLCs – social action, spirituality, or leadership formation.  One major challenge in reaching agreement on a common global mission is the socio-economic disparity between national federations in developed countries and those in developing nations.  A second issue raised was the role of the local ecclesiastical assistant.  The World Federation continues to address these issues in order to build Catholic apostolic communities faithful to the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

For further information, visit the website of the World Federation of CLCs.