1961: Celebration of fifty years of WUCWO
Celebration of fifty years of WUCWO
The International Board was held in Rome (April 29-May 5) on the eve of the Ecumenical Council with the theme " Catholic woman, source of unity". Four main points: the three feminine vocations (Spiritual, Human, Social); the technical world heading for unity; the Catholic woman, agent for unity; the responsibility of the Christian conscience in the face of hunger in the world.
Pilar Bellosillo (Spain) was elected President, and Marie du Rostu Vice-President once again.
In preparation for the Second Vatican Council, WUCWO sent opinions and proposals:
" Very respectfully, WUCWO ventures to present several requests formulated at the wish of and with the collaboration of Catholic women from various continents, so that the requirements of the integral Christian formation of woman and her opportunities for making a contribution to the Church may be studied more and more deeply and adapted to present day circumstances. In the event of the laity being allowed to take part in the preparatory work of commissions, WUCWO asks if there would be the possibility of envisaging the acceptance of women's participation with due respect to their abilities".
1962 : Mlle Pilar Bellosillo was part of the delegation chosen to assist at the solemn opening of the Council, and also to be an auditrice, as President of WUCWO, an organisation uniting about 36 million women worldwide.
1963 : Proposal of Statute "ad experimentum" of Regional Commissions in WUCWO. Five Commissions on general topics, called external commissions were formed: the Church of Silence, Adult Education, State of Women, Women and Work, Family-Childhood, and also three internal Commissions: Finances, Affiliations, Bulletins.
1964-1965: Pilar Bellosillo is involved in the work of the Council during the session revising Schema 13 ( preparation of " Gaudium et Spes" , and also in the Commission "Marriage and Family". Speaking about the lay men and women associated with the work of these commissions, Paul VI referred to them as " Experts on life". Twenty years later, Pilar said : " my great conviction is gradually taking shape: to be at the service of others, at the service of their fulfilment as both people and Christians. To be at the service of God's plan for the world. To support in history the cause of God.
This same year those in charge of WUCWO questioned : The organisation on its own has no attraction unless it is awake to life and current issues. We might wonder why nowadays the majority of young women do not spontaneously join organisations. And yet we see that they do come when their organisations are in contact with their personal problems."
There was an Ecumenical meeting of women in Rome with Pilar Bellosillo and WUCWO became deeply involved in the International Conferences on the Status of Women (Iran, Uruguay), on Population, and, in the Council of Europe, on Women and Work.
1966: Study Days: Statutory Assembly in Paris. Discussions with the World Association of past pupils of the Sacred Heart Schools ( AMASC). The president of the Union of Major Superiors (women) was invited to the study days.
1967 : International Board in Rome: " In a new world, woman, co-artisan of a new humanity." This Council was followed by the World Congress of the Apostolate of the Laity also held in Rome. Inauguration of the campaign for human rights. Establishment of the working group "Women and the Church". In the Newsletter marking WUCWO's 75 years, Pilar Bellosillo writes : " In what concerned the Church, according to the inquiry, half of the people of God seemed to be passive and were governed by the other half. It was then that WUCWO decided to be critically aware, both openly and inside the Church. It was at that time that the working group "Women and Church" was formed".
Thanks to the Council there was awareness of the ecumenical dimension. An international Ecumenical Conference of women was held in Taizé (France) in June. It was organised by the Conference of ICOs, and by the Department of Cooperation between men and women in the Ecumenical Council of Churches in collaboration with the Universal Alliance of Christian Women's Unions. Pilar concluded "In the future we shall continue to suffer together the same suffering, to pray together the same prayer, to hope together with the same hope."
1968 : As a result of the meeting at Taizé a WUCWO Commission for Ecumenism was created. Numerous member organisations of WUCWO take part in the "Women's World Day of Prayer" founded by Protestants in 1887 for worldwide ecumenical prayer in the first week of March. WUCWO then held two distinct days of prayer, WUCWO Day, begun in 1952, and the World Day of Prayer. This was for two reasons:
On one hand, to strengthen the identity of Catholic women and the spirit of solidarity inherent in WUCWO Day (collections that day), on the other hand to be in solidarity with women of other beliefs. Nevertheless, so that the two dates should not be too close, WUCWO Day was first of all postponed to May at the General Assembly in Torhout (Belgium) and then (at the General Assembly in Guadalajara, Mexico) left to each organisation's free choice. From 1969 onwards the preparation of WUCWO Day was entrusted to a different country each year.
Pilar Bellosillo was officially delegated by the Holy See to represent the Catholic Church in an ecumenical women's group recognised by the Holy See and the World Council of Churches.
This same year with the birth of specialised Catholic Action, the two young male and female ICOs had to reconsider their objectives, and joined up at the Congress in Berlin to form Young Catholic Women's and Men's Federation. This new organisation was dissolved in 1981 at their General Assembly in Nairobi, due to the small extent of their influence.
1969 : As a result of a survey of the affiliated organisations, we read: "The enquiry will not bring about a radical change in WUCWO's orientation, but one may say that it ratifies the ends in view, that is to say, to be at the service of Christian women and of all the women in the world for their education and formation. In brief, to bring about the advancement of women in every domain."
The Assembly of the Conference of ICOs took place in Fribourg. Pilar Bellosillo and Marie du Rostu played an important part in safeguarding the autonomy of this organisation of Catholic laity in view of the two new organs created after the Council, the Pontifical Council of the Laity (which became the Pontifical Council for the Laity) and the Commission Justice and Peace.
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