Brussels, 22 April 2025
The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) expresses its heartfelt sorrow at the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, following the announcement of the Sede Vacante on Easter Monday, 21st April 2025.
In this moment of silence and reflection, we unite with the universal Church in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul and his return to the father, giving thanks for a life devoted to the Gospel, to the poor, and to the beauty of family life.
From the beginning of his health struggles, FAFCE’s family Members across Europe and beyond have held him close in their prayers — first asking for healing, and now for peace and eternal joy in the presence of God. His legacy of compassion, simplicity, and tireless love for the family will continue to guide and inspire us.
FAFCE has long been inspired and encouraged by the Pope’s declarations and priorities. FAFCE would like to express its gratitude for the inspiration and encouragement that Pope Francis has transmitted to the Federation, and especially for putting the family in the center of his ministry, from the very beginning.
FAFCE president Vincenzo Bassi declares : “Every time I met him, he was strongly encouraging for our work and supportive of our project to expand family networks all of over Europe and beyond. It was clear to everybody that he concretely put the family as the starting point of his pontificate as the school of relationship and universal fraternity.”
Pope Francis had twice personaly met representatives of FAFCE. In 2017 at the 20th anniversary of FAFCE he praised the work of our family associations that “should help remind everyone that there is no better ally for the integral progress of society than to favour the presence of families in the social fabric”. FAFCE continues to remind his emphasis that “families are thus a kind of leaven that helps to make the world more humane and more fraternal, where no one feels rejected or abandoned.” Further he ecouraged FAFCE to “develop with creativity new methods and resources, so that the family can exercise, both in the ecclesial and the civil sectors.”
The second time in 2022 at the 25th anniversary of FAFCE, Pope Francis gave FAFCE the mission of “encouraging the creation and consolidation of family networks.” Pope Francis adressed several ongoing topics, amongst them the demographic crises: “This demographic winter is very serious. Please, be attentive to it! There is a very close link between this regenerative poverty and the loss of a sense of the beauty of the family: Witness to the social dignity of marriage will become persuasive precisely by being a witness that is attractive (Catechesis, 29 April 2015).
Each time, Pope Francis asked the guests to pray for him. A request that FAFCE members fulfilled in full communion with the successor of St Peter.
We keep in our memories his hope and faith in our mission. “Families cannot be left alone; they need communities of families who know how to create that quality in the interpersonal relationships that our grandparents lived in their villages. Only together are families truly generative, open to life, welcoming and missionary.”
FAFCE will answer his call to: “keep moving forward in your service! Please, ensure that the organization is all about service, streamlined and ever ready to respond to the demands of the Gospel“.
