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 of the Youth section in 1926, was elected President by the Bureau (not nominated by the Holy See).

WUCWO comprised 166 organisations from 66 countries from all over the world, numbering 36 million women. From 1952 onwards many countries from Africa, and also from Asia Pacific and Oceania joined WUCWO, consolidating it as truly international in scope.

Among these 166 organisations were large international organisations such as International Association of Charities (IAC). Also, since its foundation, the International Society for Girls has taken 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 Pope Pius XII in 1947 in which he stated that the mission of Christian women was equal to that of men as a necessary factor in 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 inform him of the importance that Catholic women attached to the WUCWO Day of Prayer which had been inaugurated many years before by Mrs Steenbergh-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 Week in Ghent of the World Federation of Young Catholic Women together with the World Federation of Young Catholic men.

1954

Study Days in Fatima: “The life of faith and the interior life, Family life, Apostolic life both social and civic”. The statutes were amended to remove all official participation by the World Federation of Young Catholic 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 that 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 a campaign against hunger, even before FAO. 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 Pope Pius XII for the eleventh anniversary 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 the FAO where WUCWO and Pax Christi took a leading part, thus bringing about the mobilisation of the International Catholic Organisations (ICOs).

1957

Fourteenth International Board in Rome: “Mission of Catholic women in today’s world”. The three discussion themes were: Catholic women working in the world, Formation of the personality of the adult woman, Hunger in the world. The “bureau” was enlarged.

In the preceding week the World Congress of the World Federation of Young Catholic Women also took place in Rome. “The inner life in a technological world”.

1959

Study Days in Paris: “Present to Christ, present to the world”.

1961: CELEBRATION OF WUCWO 50th ANNIVERSARY

The International Council was held in Rome (April 29-May 5) on the eve of the Ecumenical Council with the theme “Catholic women, source of unity in Christ and in his Church”. Four main points:

• Women’s three vocations (Spiritual, Human, Social).

• The technical world working towards unity.

• Catholic women, agents 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 requests 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 women and their 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

Pilar Bellosillo was part of the delegation chosen to assist at the solemn opening of the Council, and also to be an observer, 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 Silent Church, Adult Education, State of Women, Women and Work, Family-Childhood, and also three internal Commissions: Finances, Affiliations, Bulletins.

1964-1965

Pilar Bellosillo was 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 God’s work in its historical context.”

Those in charge of WUCWO raised another issue :

“The organisation on its own will not attract members unless it is attuned to life and current issues. We may 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 touch with the problems they encounter on a daily basis.”

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 and Statutory Assembly in Paris. Discussions with the World Association of former pupils of the Sacred Heart Schools (AMASC). The president of the Union of Major Superiors (women) was invited to the study days.

1967

International Council in Rome: “ In a new world, woman’s role as 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 (1985), Pilar Bellosillo wrote :

“With respect to the Church, according to the study on the freedom of women in the Church, half of God’s people seemed to play a passive role and were governed by the other half. It was then that WUCWO decided to become an honest critical conscience within 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, together we shall continue to suffer the same suffering, pray the same prayers and hope with the same hope.”

1968

As a result of the meeting at Taizé a WUCWO Commission for Ecumenism was created. Many member organisations of WUCWO took 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 show their solidarity with women of other beliefs. Nevertheless, so that the two dates should not be too close, WUCWO Day was initially 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.

That same year, with the founding of specialised Catholic Action, the two young men and women’s ICOs had to reconsider their objectives, and joined forces at the Congress in Berlin to form the 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

Following a survey of the affiliated organisations, it was concluded :

"The enquiry will not bring about a radical change in WUCWO's direction, but it can be said that it is a confirmation of the goals we are aiming for, that is to say, to be at the service of Christian women and of all the women in the world for their education and training. 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 independence of this organisation of Catholic laity in view of the two new organs created in 1967 after the Council, the Council of the Laity (which became in 1976 the Pontifical Council for the Laity) and the Commission Justice and Peace.

1970

International Council in Torhout (Belgium): "Women's Education". WUCWO objectives: Promotion of Women. Involvement for a more just society and for a greater participation in the Church. To achieve this a worldwide 4-year programme of education, openness to work with others and intensification of work in the regions was carried out. There were 17 organisations in Africa, 13 in North America, 29 in South America, 13 in Asia Pacific, 54 in Europe and 4 International. It was also the beginning of regional conferences.

1971

Pilar Bellosillo was one of the four women (two of whom are religious) invited by the Holy See to the Bishops’ Synod.

1974

International Board in Dar es-Salaam (Tanzania): "WUCWO, an agent for change for a more just society". Evaluation, a four-year programme. Two options: 1) regarding women (ecumenical if possible) the improvement of spiritual, human and social life. 2) regarding justice, a programme of education for justice and development. Elisabeth Lovatt-Dolan (Ireland) was elected President. About 150 participants.

1975

International Year of Women. First World Conference on Women in Mexico City. Proclamation of the Decade of Women.

1976

International Study Days at Maria Laach (Germany). Forty-six organisations from all over the world took part in this meeting between those held in Dar-es-Salaam and Bangalore (India).

1977

A Latin American officer chose to stress the regional dimension rather than the international. She caused a large number of organisations in her region to break away, thus depriving them of the support of an organisation like WUCWO to make their opinions known with those of other Catholic women in the world.

Following a statement released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on the admission of women to the priesthood, the WUCWO Board wrote a note which stressed their "desire to maintain dialogue on ministries without being opposed to the hierarchy".

1978

Elisabeth Lovatt-Dolan, President, addressed the U.N. Commission on Disarmament in New York.

1979

General Assembly in Bangalore (India): "Women, Justice, Evangelisation". Elisabeth Lovatt-Dolan was re-elected President. About 160 participants. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was present and addressed the assembly.

1980

Participation at the Second World Conference on Women, which celebrated the mid-point of the Decade of Women in Copenhagen (Denmark).

1983

General Assembly in Antigonish (Canada): "Woman: Identity – development – new communities". Priorities adopted: Spiritual formation; Women and the Church; Education for family life; Taking part in decision-making; Justice-Human rights-Peace; Women and work. Eleanor E. Aitken (Canada) was elected president.

1985

Celebration of WUCWO’s 75th anniversary in Cologne (Germany). Participation in the Conference for Women, Nairobi (Kenya). In the preceding issue of the Newsletter, the President Eleanor E. Aitken underlined the growing attention paid to WUCWO representatives, in particular Alba Zizzamia, President of the CONGO (Conference of NGOs at ECOSOC) and Solange des Gachons, Vice-president of the Committee for Continuity of NGOs at UNESCO.

In the same issue, Pilar Bellosillo wrote: "At this moment of history, the awakening of women’s awareness in the world marks the beginning of our liberation. We must work to remove secular oppression. We must "free" the rich potential in each of us. Throughout the whole world, we must give ourselves to the tremendous task of humanising. And to achieve that…what providential opportunities WUCWO gives us !!… We are made in the image of God, together with man…We have the same dignity…Motherhood is just one aspect of women’s vocation: to reach our full potential as human beings…"

1987

General Assembly in Roehampton (England): "Advancement of women – Enrichment for all". About 400 participants. Priorities chosen: Respect for human dignity; Forming networks.

Commissions: Family; Ecumenism; Development and Cooperation; Human Rights; International. Working groups: Bioethics; Women in the Church. Marie-Thérèse van Heteren-Hogenhuis (The Netherlands) elected President.

1991

General Assembly in Guadalajara (Mexico): "Women and life: Vision – Reality-Action". About 450 participants. WUCWO priorities: Aids; Violence against women and children, including pornography; Preferential option for the poor; Environment. Marie-Thérèse van Heteren-Hogenhuis re-elected President.

1994

Participation at the World Conference on Population and Environment in Cairo (Egypt). On this occasion the WUCWO Board voted a statement on WUCWO's position with regard to population and environment in the world.

Synod of African Bishops in Rome. Three African WUCWO Board members were invited and two were asked to address the meeting.

1995

Presence at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen (Denmark).

WUCWO took an important part in the World Conference on Women in Beijing (P.R. of China) as well as in the NGO Forum at Huairou which preceded it.

Four WUCWO women, three of whom were Board members, also took part in the official delegations of their countries. Another Board member from Nigeria was part of the official delegation from the Holy See.

The title of the Conference was: Equality, Development, Peace. During the previous Board meeting, statements had been prepared on all WUCWO priorities, and these were widely distributed in Beijing.

1996

General Assembly of Canberra (Australia): "I make all things new (App.21.5): Women, Reconciliation and Hope". About 700 participants. Priorities voted: Elimination of violence against women; Women and health; Women and decision-making.

Maria Eugenia Díaz de Pfennich (Mexico) was elected President General.