CFC-International Council to reinforce tie with RP bishops

MANILA, July 6, 2008—Couples for Christ-International Council (CFC-IC), has been seeking the support of Philippine Bishops to strengthen cooperation between them.

“CFC-IC has designed suggestions and recommendations on how to improve and strengthen the relationship between our shepherds [bishops] and CFC-IC so that together, we can fulfill our shared mission of spreading God’s will to all,” said Joe Tale, executive director of CFC-IC International Council, in a [letter addressed to all the bishops of country, dated June 4.

Tale also said that CFC-IC is gearing up for a new springtime of its evangelization and values formation mission.

“We have lined up Christian life and community values programs for 62,000 settlers along the railroad tracks now recoated in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Taguig, and take care of OFW’s and their families left behind in the Philippines,” Tale said.

CFC-IC also asked the bishops to pray for CFC-IC that its resolution of the conflict that has embroiled CFC-IC community may grow in positive manner.

CFC is a lay Catholic group established in 1981 by Fr. Herb Schneider, SJ and Vic Gutierrez. CFC got split from its original group “Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Community” in 1993.

Last year, CFC got split further into two—CFC-Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL), which is headed by Frank Padilla, and the CFC-International Council (CFC-IC), which works with Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga, the social arm of CFC-IC that builds law-cost houses for the poor across the country.

Last month, both the groups were battling each other for the use of the CFC name after the Securities and Exchange Commission lifted the 2003 revocation order on the use of the name Couples for Christ Foundation Inc.

Meloto and Padilla, both founding members of one of the country’s biggest Catholic lay group, stepped down from the board of CFC last year over debates on the group’s direction.

CFC-FFL and CFC-IC are trying to win the support of Philippine bishops and trying to show their allegiance to Church hierarchy in the country. (Santosh Digal)