World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations

1947 : Eleventh International Congress in Rome preceded by a study week "Christian Woman's contribution to the Human Community". In order to obtain consultative status with UNESCO the "Youth Section" broke off from the Union to become the World Federation of Young Catholic Women.  Nevertheless it remained closely linked to UILFC and its president took part in meetings of the Bureau. In the same year IUCWL obtained consultative status with ECOSOC. In the following years UILFC gained it with other U.N. agencies. Even though, between the two wars, UILFC spoke at the league of Nations it was from then on that IUCWL representatives, then WUCWO's, made the voice of Catholic women heard at the International centres of New York, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Paris and Strasbourg.

The extent of their undertaking increased from day to day. The Commission on the Status of  Women gave IUCWL a favourable opportunity to make the voice of Catholic women heard, which, very often, was the universal voice of women.

In thus taking part in international life, the IUCWL women showed fidelity to the words of His Holiness Pius XII during an audience he granted them: " In the role of defending the Church against the danger of being engulfed in the "temporal" sphere, an injunction promulgated several decades ago continues to gain  adherence: return to the purely "spiritual". This injunction should be the opposite: for the Faith, for Christ, in every way possible, presence everywhere where vital interests are involved.wherever the soul of a nation is forged by education."

1950 : Study week in Fribourg (Switzerland) to prepare the International Council for the following year.

1951 : Twelfth International Council in Fribourg (Switzerland): "International Life".  A statement noted a new situation where the catholic woman  had a personal role to play in a newly developing international community. Her responsibility is to be present " to develop and assert, as opportunities occur, the rights and requirements of an international catholic conscience in face of general opinion." There was work on the statutes and this draft was sent to the Secretariat of State for information before drawing up the final document to be voted on in 1952.   In October 1951, Mgr Montini (Future Paul VI) replied personally, commenting on several points. In particular, he insisted on the importance of having more members elected to the Bureau and fewer ex officio . He wondered if it was not preferable to have the President elected by the whole Council (later called the General Assembly) rather that by the Bureau. This last suggestion was not followed and the President was elected by the Bureau, as stated in the draft document. She would therefore no longer be named by the Holy See but elected from among three candidates proposed to the Secretariat of State by WUCWO.

WUCWO MATURITY 1952-1999

1952 : Thirteenth International Congress in Rome: "Peace in the world and the contribution of Catholic women"; the new statutes were voted in by the Bureau and approved by Rome. The Union officially adopted the name of World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO). Marie du Rostu (France) already Vice-President in 1926, was elected President by the Bureau ( not nominated by the Holy See).

At this time WUCWO comprised 166 organisations from 66 countries from the five continents, numbering 36 million women. From 1952 onwards many countries from Africa, and also from Asia Pacific and Oceania joined WUCWO which was becoming highly developed with a real international scope. Among these 166 organisations, there were large international organisations such as International Association of Charities (IAC). Also, since its foundation, the International Society for Girls has been taking part in Board meetings  with the right to speak but not to vote.

1953 : Study Days at Mont St Odile (France): "The personality of the Christian woman in International Life" Marie du Rostu referred to an address given by Pius XII in 1947 in which he insisted that women's mission should become equal with that of men, as a necessary factor of civilisation and progress.

In November during a Board meeting, and on the occasion of the Marian Year, it was decided that the President should write to Mgr Montini to tell him of the importance that the Catholic women attached to the WUCWO Day of Prayer which had been inaugurated many years before by Mrs STEENBERGHE - ENGERINGH and which was celebrated on March 25. "On that day they are happy to know they are united with their sisters throughout the world, and to pray with them for the intentions of the Universal Church."

Study Days in Ghent of the World Federation of Young Catholic Women together with the World Federation of Young Catholics.

1954 : Study Days in Fatima: "The life of faith and the interior life, Family life, Apostolic life both social and civil". The statutes were modified to remove all official participation by the World Federation of Young Women. They were approved again by the Holy See. It is important to mention amendments appearing in the statutes of 1952 and 1954 particularly in reference to the vocabulary: WUCWO is composed of affiliated members and corresponding members, which are organisations and not individuals. The International Council is composed of  all affiliated members and meets every two years. The "bureau" of 14-20 persons is named for four years and meets at least twice a year. (It was only in 1979 the International Council became "General Assembly", and the "bureau" became the Board.) A Cardinal protector was assigned and a "general" chaplain appointed by the Holy See.

1955 :  Study Days in Copenhagen (Denmark). The same year, "Marie du Rostu, then President of WUCWO, launched, even before FAO, a campaign against hunger. This historic manifesto was the starting point of numerous programmes throughout the world and set in motion a new awareness in the Catholic world." (Mgr Delaporte, Bishop of Cambrai, France). Pax Christi and the Secours Catholique (Caritas) took part, basing their action on the speech made by Pius XII for the eleventh birthday of the FAO. The project came to fruition in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) at the Eucharistic Congress during a meeting with Mgr Lalain (Chile) and Mgr Helder Camara (Brazil). As a result, probably in 1961, the official "Campaign Against Hunger" came into being during a meeting of  FAO where WUCWO and Pax Christi took a leading part, thus bringing about the mobilisation of the International Catholic Organisations (ICOs).

1957 : Fourteenth International Committee in Rome: " Mission of the Catholic woman in today's world". The three themes for work: the Catholic woman working in the world, Formation in the personality of the adult woman, Hunger in the world. The "bureau" was enlarged.

In the preceding week the world congress of the FMJFC also took place in Rome. " The inner life in a technological world".

1959 : Study Days in Paris: Present to Christ, present in the world".