National Confederation of Catholic Family Associations

The Confédération nationale des associations familiales catholiques (CNAFC), commonly known as the Associations Familiales Catholiques (AFC), is a French non-profit family movement founded in 1955 as the successor to the Association catholique de chefs de famille (ACCF), which dates back to 1905. It operates as an association under the French law of 1901 and is recognized as being of public utility (reconnaissance d'utilité publique) since 2004. The CNAFC confederates local AFC associations across metropolitan France and overseas territories, representing around 21,000 active member families in 280 local AFCs (as stated on its website) and 25,000 member families in 2020 according to Wikipedia. It is one of the seven national family movements with general recruitment that are members of the Union nationale des associations familiales (UNAF). The movement's mission is threefold: to promote the family founded on marriage and open to life; to discern local needs of families and take initiatives to meet them; and to be a permanent source of proposals for economic, social and political actors. It engages in advocacy on family policy (defending the large family card and universal family allowances) and education (school curricula). Locally, AFCs offer services such as clothing exchanges, rental of albs for first communions, and organize events and conferences. Since 1990, they have run "Chantiers-Éducation" discussion groups for parents, integrated since 1999 into the national network for parental support (REAAP) and under agreement with the Ministry of Education. The CNAFC is known for its conservative Catholic positions and has mobilized against laws on contraception (Neuwirth, 1967), abortion (Veil, 1975), divorce by mutual consent (1975), the PACS (1998), same-sex marriage and adoption (Taubira law, 2013), and the 2020 bioethics law on medically assisted procreation for all women. It also opposed the 2021 end-of-life bill. In 2010, it took legal action against the Hellfest music festival. The organization publishes brochures on education, bioethics and family policy, and since 2013 has held an annual "université d'été des familles". Its current president, since 2019, is Pascale Morinière.

The history of the AFC begins in 1905 with the evolution of the law governing religious associations. The first association was founded by Chanoine Tournier, named "Association catholique de chefs de famille" (ACCF). Its purpose was to support Catholic education and to "ensure respect for consciences in public education". In 1911, the ACCFs, which had multiplied, grouped into a National Union of ACCFs. Three years later, in 1914, there were 762 associations and 32 departmental federations in France. That same year, at a congress in Lyon, the ACCFs formalized their goal of promoting the family according to Catholic doctrine and morality. In 1920, the ACCFs participated with other family movements in the Lille congress, which adopted the first declaration of family rights. In 1923, they took part in the "Estates General of the Family", defining the broad lines of a birth policy for political leaders. In 1955, the ACCFs adopted new statutes and created the Confédération nationale des associations familiales catholiques (CNAFC), which groups the associations familiales catholiques (AFC). The two missions of the movement were presented at the general assembly in Saint-Étienne in 1960: to defend the spiritual, moral and material interests of families through increased participation in Udaf and Unaf and direct interventions with public authorities, and to put into practice the Church's family doctrine; and to provide families with spiritual support and educational aid necessary to fulfill their mission as spouses, parents and educators, along with practical services. The CNAFC signed an agreement with the Conference of Bishops of France in 1992, renewed year after year. In 2004, the movement obtained recognition of public utility and benefits from several ministerial approvals. It is one of the seven "national family movements with general recruitment" members of the Union nationale des associations familiales (UNAF). In 2017, the CNAFC had 73 departmental federations and 309 local associations. In 2020, it brought together 25,000 member families. The confederation has the legal status of an association under the 1901 law. Since the creation of the CNAFC in 1955, eight presidents have succeeded each other: Roger de Saint-Chamas (1944-1958), Louis Reverdy (1958-1985), Régis de Crépy (1985-1994), Jean-François Chaumont (1994-2001), Paul de Viguerie (2001-2007), Antoine Renard (2007-2014), Jean-Marie Andrès (2014-2019), and since 2019 Pascale Morinière. The CNAFC has three missions: "to value the family founded on marriage and open to life"; "to discern locally the needs of families and take initiatives to respond"; "to be a permanent force of proposal with economic, social and political actors". At the national level, its demands to public authorities concern family policy (notably the defense of the large family card and family allowances without means testing) and education (such as the content of school programs). At the local level, the AFCs offer several services to member families (clothing exchanges, rental of albs for first communions, etc.) and organize friendly events and conferences for them. Since 1990, the AFCs have formed discussion groups called "Chantiers-Éducation", also open to non-members, allowing parents to exchange on their children's education. In teams of 6 to 10, parents meet once a month during the school year. These discussion groups, numbering 600, have been integrated since 1999 into the Réseau d'écoute, d'appui et d'accompagnement des parents and are subject to an agreement with the Ministry of National Education. They are cited by the Inspection générale des affaires sociales (Igas) as "a good example of what can be done to support and empower parents, which has an impact on schooling, children's behavior at school, parent-school relations...". The CNAFC has organized each year since 2013 a "université d'été des familles" where questions such as ecology, bioethics or political engagement are addressed. A training module "Cap DSE" created in 2020 is intended to make known the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. In terms of societal mobilization, in 1967 the AFCs mobilized against the Neuwirth law on the contraceptive pill, as well as in 1975 against the Veil law and the law on divorce by mutual consent. In 1984, they joined demonstrations against the Savary bill. After having fought the PACS in 1998, they mobilized in 2013 against same-sex marriage and the right to adoption by same-sex persons provided by the Taubira law. In 2020, the AFCs demonstrated against the bioethics law relating to medically assisted procreation "for all" and the manipulation of embryos. They opposed the 2021 end-of-life bill. In June 2010, the CNAFC summoned in summary proceedings the organizers of Hellfest to provide "the detailed program of the festival, including the title of songs that will be performed by invited groups" in order to exercise control over texts likely, according to the Confederation, to harm "adolescents in full identity growth...".

• 2021

  Oppose end-of-life bill.

• 2020

  Demonstrate against bioethics law on PMA for all; create Cap DSE training module.

• 2019

  Pascale Morinière becomes president.

• 2013

  Mobilize against Taubira law on same-sex marriage and adoption; first université d'été des familles.

• 2010

  Summon Hellfest organizers in summary proceedings.

• 2004

  Obtain recognition of public utility and ministerial approvals.

• 1999

  Chantiers-Éducation integrated into REAAP and agreement with Ministry of Education.

• 1998

  Campaign against PACS.

• 1992

  Sign agreement with Conference of Bishops of France.

• 1990

  Chantiers-Éducation discussion groups created.

• 1984

  Join demonstrations against Savary bill.

• 1975

  Mobilize against Veil law on abortion and divorce by mutual consent law.

• 1967

  Mobilize against Neuwirth law on contraception.

• 1960

  General assembly in Saint-Étienne presents two missions.

• 1955

  CNAFC created with new statutes, grouping AFCs.

• 1923

  Participate in Estates General of the Family.

• 1920

  Participate in Lille congress adopting first declaration of family rights.

• 1914

  762 associations and 32 departmental federations exist; congress in Lyon formalizes goal.

• 1911

  ACCFs group into a National Union of ACCFs.

• 1905

  First Association catholique de chefs de famille (ACCF) founded by Chanoine Tournier.

Conservative Catholic family movement advocating for family policy and providing services to families in France.

• Chantiers-Éducation

  Parental discussion groups on education, meeting monthly.

• AFC Couple

  Initiatives for couples, including conferences and resources.

• AFC Jeunes

  Activities for young people.

• AFCélib'

  Support for single people.

• Brochures

  Publications on education, bioethics, family policy.

• Université d'été des familles

  Annual summer university on family issues.

1. 1Associations familiales catholiques - Les AFCafc-france.org
2. 2Nos services - Associations Familiales Catholiquesafc-france.org
3. 3AFC Couple - Associations Familiales Catholiquesafc-france.org
4. 4Brochures proposées par les AFCafc-france.org
5. 5Confédération nationale des associations familiales catholiquesfr.wikipedia.org
6. 6Wikidatawikidata.org