Brussels, 22 April 2025
The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) mourns the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, following the announcement of the Sede Vacante on Easter Monday 21st April 2025.
FAFCE join its prayers for the eternal rest of his soul.
Since the beginning of his health problems, many families have prayed for the recovery and rest of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Pope Francis had personaly met representatives of FAFCE in 2017 at the 20th anniversary of FAFCE. In his address, he asked FAFCE to “develop with creativity new methods and resources, so that the family can exercise, both in the ecclesial and the civil sectors.”
Pope Francis also met with FAFCE in 2022 at the 25th anniversary of FAFCE. In his speech, he gave FAFCE the mission of “encouraging the creation and consolidation of family networks.”
Read here : https://www.fafce.org/address-of-pope-francis-for-the-xxv-anniversary-of-fafce/
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.
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”.
Founded in 1997, the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe is an umbrella organisation with a two-fold mission: to present the voice of the family at EU and international level; and to encourage the work and development of family associations. FAFCE has 32 Member organisations from 20 countries across Europe.
