Vatican announces "catalogue" of new international movements and lay associations in the Church

Vatican City, Nov 22, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Vatican has announced the recent publication of a "Catalogue of International Associations of the Faithful" in response to Pope John Paul II's request in the Apostolic Exhortation "Christifideles laici" for an index of associations which have been officially approved by the Holy See.

The 300 page volume, which is available in Italian, will be available in English, Spanish and French which was published in Italian and which will soon be translated into English, Spanish and French.

The catalogue lists 123 associations of the faithful ranging from the more traditional groups to newer ecclesial movements and communities, all approved by the Holy See.

Each association is listed according to its official name in the original language, and contains the following data: the year of its foundation, history, identity, structure, presence in the world, activity, publications, web sites and the contact information of the headquarters.

Associations that depend juridically on the Congregations for the Clergy, the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life and the Evangelization of Peoples, as well as groups that work exclusively on the national or diocesan level, are not included in the list.