French Region

I. Core Values and Aims

1. Worship and Spirituality

The main aims of the IEF French Region are the following: to work, through prayer and witness, towards unity according to the will of Jesus Christ for his Church; to gather together Christians engaged in unofficial dialogue, meeting in order to discover the people of God in all their diversities.

Its aim is also to form a spiritual community which shares in prayer, liturgical life and meditation upon the Holy Scriptures; to share their faith as Christians with those who come from another horizon, while remaining true to their faith and church life.

Further, it aims to do everything in a spirit of peace and justice; to participate actively in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January; to share daily prayers with other IEF members; to deepen their orthodox spirituality; and to experience ecumenical retreats.

2. Ecumenism, Discipleship and Theology

Two ecumenical weekends take place each year when lecturers speak about a theological theme or give an ecumenical testimony. The Region wishes to be known and recognized by the official ecumenical organisations of each church.

3. Fellowship and Friendship

The Region wishes to help reconciliation between Christian traditions and denominations, and within a certain tradition and denomination, to help foster a better understanding between generations.

II. History

During the summer of 1973, in Paris, Father Yves Marion met Madeleine Renan, a sister of the community Saint François Xavier, the first French member of IEF, who told him: “since you are going to Yugoslavia to animate a holiday camp for young people from Central and Eastern Europe, could you participate in the IEF conference, which will take place in Vodice?”

After finishing his camp, Yves Marion attended the last part of the conference where he met English, German and Spanish members, but he was not too enthusiastic, because there was too little relationship between the leaders and other attendees.

The European and international aspect, however, seemed very important to him. At the end of the conference, he was asked to provide his impressions, and he responded with three main points.

First, more young people would be hoped for; second, more relationship between leaders and other attendees would be desirable, and third, more opening towards other Christian denominations.

He was told that this conference was organized in Vodice in order to enable a meeting between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic bishops of Yugoslavia. Then he was told: “In Dinard, in France, we know a small group of people; could you join them to prepare the conference for next year, 1974?”

In Dinard, in Brittany, Elisabeth Hannay, a member of the Anglican Church and founder of the ecumenical group of Bords de Rance, was among the first IEF members and had attended all the IEF conferences.

In 1972, she proposed to the working party members (Geoffrey William Seymour Curtis CR (1902–1981), Guy Wickenden and Susan Richardson) to organize an IEF conference in Dinard.

In 1973, the working party members went to Dinard to prepare the next conference with the ecumenical group of Bords de Rance. In 1974, the conference then took place in Dinard, and,with enthusiasm, the French region was created with J. C. Cartal, a Reformed pastor, Father Y. Jouanin, Father Yves Marion, A. Delahaie and others.

The first council of six members (Yves Marion, A. M. Holtrup, M. L. Tessier, J. Polet, Y. Jouanin and C. Mottier) met on 2 October, 1974 and Yves Marion was elected as the first president.

The Constitution was written and approved by the first general assembly on December 1974, and was sent to the headquarters of the Paris police to be published in an official French newspaper.

Two years later, the Belgian Region was created. Conference life was very powerful and the term Fellowship took on its full meaning. At this time the international council was composed solely of English members but then, step by step, members of other regions were elected.

III. Structure

The French Region is an association, according to the 1901 law, whose constitution is registered at the headquarters of the Paris police. Its members are (around fifty) persons, who meet each year in a general assembly to approve, by vote, the activities of the year, the treasurer’s report and the next year’s activities.

To implement the decisions of the general assembly, a council, which gathers up to twelve members elected for three years (renewable once) by the general assembly, elects itself a council of management (CoM) composed of the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

It is then the CoM, helped by the council, which implements the projected activities, approved by the general assembly, and closely related to the main orientations of the international CoM.

The French CoM meets at least four times a year and the council at least seven times a year. The resources of the association are from the annual fees paid by its members; and she can receive additional funds from its members or other sources.

IV. Activities and Conferences

The French region organizes two annual weekends. One is in spring, generally out of Paris in order to have contact with regional parishes; the theme of this weekend is generally focused on the international conference theme.

During those days, there are generally two ecumenical lectures or testimonies to aid reflection on the theme. When possible, we attend a liturgy in the local parish. If the place is interesting, we organize fringe events in an atmosphere of fellowship, the better to get to know the place and its cultural surroundings.

The second weekend takes place in Paris in the autumn; since Paris is easier to reach in November. This weekend is made up of two parts: one is a time of reflection with two ecumenical lectures on themes related to an ecumenical or interreligious theme or experience.

The other main part of the event is dedicated to the general assembly, to the various elections, if there are any, and other projected activities for the next year. Fringe events are also organized.

Outside these weekends, the French region participates in the international conference or organizes a mini-conference (for example, Strasbourg in 2008) and participates in important ecumenical meetings or prayers.

Two short newsletters, related to different French regional activities, are published each year, and they are sent to all regional presidents as well as being published on the international website.

V. Hopes and Vision

In the countries where it is present, IEF must be a driving force towards Christian unity according to the will of Jesus Christ. As an international, independent and multi-denominational community, IEF must maintain a permanent and dynamic contact with official ecumenical representative of each Christian tradition. IEF’s future is strongly linked to the following actions.

1. Development of Relationships

IEF must be an ecumenical link between grassroots communities of different Christian traditions: through its international dimension, IEF may enlarge the ecumenical vision of such communities by sharing an experiental knowledge of other denominations.

IEF must reinforce links with already existing ecumenical groups, as well as develop relationships with Evangelical and Pentecostal churches and be aware of various minorities in our midst.

IEF must promote meetings in the media, radio, ecumenical newspapers, national and local newspapers and by the witness of our members who promote IEF by participation in wider ecumenical meetings.

2. Organisation of Meetings and Education

In IEF we must educate ourselves in theology, spirituality and ecumenism. IEF should contribute to basic ecumenical education by organising national mini-conferences with the help of local Christian universities; by participating in educational sessions on ecumenical matters; and by organising meetings and spiritual retreats jointly with other ecumenical groups.

3. Vision for the Future

We must enlarge the French Region, by developing regional groups, by motivating young people’s interest in ecumenism; by developing, for instance, relationships with those responsible in educational movements such as scouts, spiritual-social movements of Christians like Focolare, Pax Christi International or Chemin Neuf.

Young priests and pastors should be more and more involved. We must organise more frequently in France four day mini-conferences, open to other IEF regions; and the theme should be made attractive for young people.

The present international conferences could take place only every two or three years, for instance, by reviewing its organisation and reducing the cost, and thus avoiding economic discrimination.

IEF must work more with the Conference of European Churches (CEC/KEK) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). We should motivate new countries, even outside Europe, to enlarge the international dimension of IEF.