Action catholique des enfants

The Action catholique des enfants (ACE) is a French Christian popular-education movement that addresses all children aged 6 to 15, regardless of culture, social background or religion. It is a 1901-law association recognised as a popular-education organisation by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and a member of the Church in France. The movement is organised into local ACE clubs: small groups of children led by an adult, divided into age brackets of two to three years, each with its own name — Perlin (6–8), Fripounet (9–11), Triolo (11–13) and Top-Ado (13–15). In these clubs children play, talk and carry out shared projects, experimenting with a life based on human and Christian values that helps them grow into actors and citizens. The ACE publishes quarterly magazines: Ricochet for children aged 6 to 10 and Vitamine for young teenagers aged 11 to 15; Relais, a quarterly for volunteers and leaders, ceased publication in 2014. The movement runs an annual theme campaign over two years to raise children's awareness of social issues that concern them, such as respect for others, the environment and leisure. It has organised a Fête du jeu since 1990 and, since 2005, a national day on the first Sunday of Advent, with around 500 events across France. Internationally, the ACE gave rise to the MIDADE (Mouvement international d'apostolat des enfants). The movement traces its origins to the 1920s patronage networks and to the creation of the journal Cœurs Vaillants on 8 December 1929 by Gaston Courtois and Jean Pihan; it became Cœurs vaillants-Âmes vaillantes, then Action Catholique de l'Enfance in 1956, opened to all children in 1972 and took its present name, Action Catholique des Enfants, in 1975.

In the 1920s in France, 'patronages' brought together many Catholic children from working-class backgrounds. The movement grew across the country without national coordination. From the creation of the journal Cœurs Vaillants on 8 December 1929 by Gaston Courtois and Jean Pihan, in which Hergé's Les Aventures de Tintin were published, readers gathered around the journal, and in 1936 the Bishops officially asked for the constitution of a large movement of Christian children around the journal. Another journal, Âmes vaillantes, was founded on 8 December 1938, and the movement became 'Cœurs vaillants-Âmes vaillantes'. From November 1945 the journal Fripounet et Marisette, intended for children aged 8 to 12 (later simply Fripounet in 1969), appeared. The first national gathering of the 'Cœurs Vaillants' took place in 1953 in Pontoise. In October 1956, the journal Perlin et Pinpin was born, intended for children aged 6 to 8. The CV-AV movement changed its name and became the Action Catholique de l'Enfance in 1956 and gave birth to MIDADE internationally in 1966. In 1972 the movement opened to all children, without distinction of religion, and became the Action Catholique des Enfants in 1975. The first Fête du Jeu took place in 1990 and the first national day on 27 November 2005. On 23 June 2010, the ACE signed a framework agreement with Catholic Education to offer the ACE in schools. In 2015, the ACE participated in the creation of the Fonds de dotation Cœurs Vaillants-Âmes Vaillantes.

• 2015

  The ACE participates in the creation of the Fonds de dotation Cœurs Vaillants-Âmes Vaillantes.

• 2010

  On 23 June, the ACE signs a framework agreement with Catholic Education.

• 2005

  First national day on 27 November.

• 1990

  First Fête du Jeu.

• 1989

  The association campaigns for France's ratification of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, collecting 80,000 signatures.

• 1975

  The movement becomes Action Catholique des Enfants.

• 1972

  The movement opens to all children, without distinction of religion.

• 1966

  The movement gives birth to MIDADE internationally.

• 1956

  The movement becomes Action Catholique de l'Enfance; the journal Perlin et Pinpin is born in October.

• 1953

  First national gathering of the Cœurs Vaillants in Pontoise.

• 1945

  First issue of Fripounet et Marisette in November, for children aged 8 to 12.

• 1938

  Foundation of the journal Âmes vaillantes on 8 December; the movement becomes Cœurs vaillants-Âmes vaillantes.

• 1936

  The Bishops officially ask for the constitution of a large movement of Christian children around the journal.

• 1929

  Creation of the journal Cœurs Vaillants by Gaston Courtois and Jean Pihan on 8 December.

Popular-education movement for children aged 6 to 15, open to all, rooted in human and Christian values.

• Ricochet

  Quarterly magazine for children aged 6 to 10.

• Vitamine

  Quarterly magazine for young teenagers aged 11 to 15.

• Relais

  Quarterly magazine for volunteers, accompanists and leaders; no longer published since 2014.

1. 1Action Catholique des Enfants - Le site de la Fédération nationaleace.asso.fr
2. 2Action catholique des enfantswikidata.org
3. 3Action catholique des enfantsfr.wikipedia.org