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01. The Cursillo Movement (Movimiento de Cursillos de Cristiandad), is an ecclesial worldwide movement acting within the pale of the Catholic Church. The movement feels called to actively participate in the great task of evangelisation. Its apostolic purpose consists in carrying the Christian faith into the various environments of life through the living testimony especially through its members. Its specific objective is then evangelising the environments.

02. "The Cursillo Movement is a movement of the Church which by means of its own method makes it possible for people to live what is fundamental for being a Christian, and to live it together; it helps people discover and fulfil their personal vocations, and it promotes the creation of core groups of Christians who leaven heir environments with the Gospel." (The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement, No. 74)

03. The Cursillo Movement was born in Spain, precisely on the Isle of Mallorca, between the years 1940 to 1949. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, several lay people and some priests clearly recognised that, as a consequence of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, even lay people also have an active and peculiar role in the mission of evangelising mankind. This initiators´ group was formed mainly by laypeople lead by Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló, as well as some Bishops, among whom the then Bishop of Mallorca, Juan Hervás Benet and Mons. Sebastián Gayá Riera.

04. In a very short time the movement spread throughout Spain. From there it was diffused through the countries of the American continent. During the 2nd Vatican Council, numerous Latin-American bishops witnessed the positive experiences they have had with the Cursillo Movement, stressing that it favoured the prizing of lay people in the Church. In the meantime, the Cursillo Movement was spreading to all continents.

05. The Cursillo Movement characteristic is mainly to share a living faith in order to spread it. In doing so all individuals assume their personal responsibility, but their engagement is supported by a group that shares ideas and life. Of particular importance is the harmonious co-operation between lay people and priests. Each has a specific task, each has a personal ´charism´, but all are together engaged in achieving the same goal: the evangelisation of the environments as leaven.

06. The achievement of this goal is pursued with a unique kerygmatic methodology which consists of three moments: Precursillo, Cursillo, Postcursillo. The themes and contents of the three-day Cursillo Weekend are similar around the world. They are the fundamental contents of the Creed of our Catholic faith: Jesus Christ, the grace, the sacraments, the Church, the apostolate, the study of the truths of faith, the experiences of faith.

07. It is unique to the Cursillo Movement that it has very few structures. The main responsibility lies with the "Diocesan Secretariats" and the "National Secretariats", as outlined in "The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement" (Cf. FICM No. 592 and 594). The "International Groups" and the "World Organisation of the Cursillo Movement" (OMCC) stand in the service of ecclesial community, unity, information, co-ordination and support.

08. The Cursillo Movement enjoys worldwide pastoral acceptance and recognition by significant Shepherds of the Catholic Church. Many cardinals and bishops around the world welcomed the co-operation of the Cursillo Movement in the evangelisation tasks of their own dioceses. Even the Roman Pontiffs of the last decades have publicly and repeatedly expressed a particular appreciation of the Cursillo Movement.

09. At the first World Ultreya held in Rome, on 28th May, 1966, at St Peter´s Square, the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, said: "Cursillos de Cristiandad: that is the word, purified through experience and affirmed by its fruits, that today travels with citizenship rights through the streets of the world." (AAS 58,1966, 500). The same Pope addressed words of recognition and encouragement to the 40.000 Cursillistas gathered in Mexico City for the second World Ultreya, on 23rd May, 1970.

10. Pope John Paul II personally attended several encounters of the Cursillo Movement and has strengthened the Cursillistas present as well as the entire Movement with words of encouragement. At the third World Ultreya celebrated in Rome, during the Jubilee year, on July 29th, 2000, at St. Peter´s Square, the Holy Father thanked the Lord "for everything that the Church had accomplished and would continue to accomplish through the Cursillo de Cristiandad".

11. On the occasion of 1998 Pentecost, at the great encounter of the ecclesial movements and laypeople communities, at St. Peter´s Square, in Rome, the Holy Father expressed his hope that the movements would work even more closely together with the appropriate Dicasteries of the Holy See. The Cursillo Movement, now complying with this desire of the Holy Father, presents the Statute of the OMCC to the Pontifical Council for the Laity for canonical recognition.



Article 1 - The OMCC is the Cursillo Movement co-ordination body, responsible for the mutual exchange of information, initiatives and reflections of the International Groups and of the latter with the National Secretariats, as well as of programmatic opportune guidelines, serving thus to the dynamic unity of the Cursillo Movement at the World level.

Article 2 - The OMCC is a service organisation and exercises its authority over the International Groups, the National and Diocesan Secretariats within the limits of what is provided by this Statute and prescribed by the Code of Canon Law. Article 3 - The OMCC objectives are the following:
a. to support the Cursillo Movement in its faithfulness to the Church and its Magistery;
b. to preserve the identity and unity of the Movement in its essence, faithful to its original charism, to the book "The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement", and to the conclusions resulting from the "World Encounters";
c. to promote unity and co-operation among the International Groups;
d. to co-ordinate the International Groups so that they achieve their objectives;
e. to reflect about the role of the Cursillo Movement at worldwide level;
f. to help introduce the Cursillo Movement in the countries where it is not operating yet.



Article 4 - The OMCC is composed by its own Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of each one of the International Group.

The International Group is the organisation that congregates - in a given region or continent - the National Secretariats recognised by their respective Episcopal Conferences. (cf. FICM 594).

Article 5 - The OMCC pursues its own objectives and performs its own services through the Executive Committee which is formed by the President, the Vice-President, the Ecclesiastic Counsellor, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

The Executive Committee is responsible for the implementation of the agreements and recommendations reached at the World Encounters.

Article 6 - Each International Group has its own Executive Committee whose members are: the President, the Vice-President, the Ecclesiastic Counsellor, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

The number of members of an International Group Executive Committee might vary from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 8, and are appointed by the National Secretariats of the country elected to be the headquarters, by the absolute majority of the National Secretariats related to each International Group.

Article 7 - Any National Secretariat may only belong to one International Group. Any National Secretariat is entitled one vote, the vote by delegation being vetoed.

Article 8 - The main task of the International Groups is co-ordinate the National Secretariats that forms them and favours the rapport between them and the OMCC.

Article 9 - The International Groups of the Cursillo Movement must be confirmed by the OMCC. The International Groups should be constituted at regional, continental or linguistic level, and be approved by the World Encounters.

Article 10 - In performing its tasks, the OMCC should take into high consideration the pastoral organisations of the Universal Church and the pastoral plans of the respective Episcopal Conference, in addition to the efficiency of the apostolic work.

Article 11 - Those countries or group of countries where the Cursillo Movement exists but, for valid reasons in the judgement of the OMCC, do not belong to an International Group, will receive temporary co-ordination services directly from the OMCC.

Article 12 - According to the rotation system already existing, every four years the headquarters of the OMCC is entrusted to a different International Group.

The Group designated as the OMCC headquarters may or may not accept this responsibility. In case of non-acceptance, the OMCC Executive Committee should call the International Groups for an extraordinary meeting in order to proceed to an ulterior designation.

Article 13 - The designated International Group elects, by absolute majority of the votes of the National Secretariats present at the election meeting, the National Secretariat of the country where the headquarters of OMCC are to be. Any new International Groups will only be eligible as the OMCC headquarters three years after being instituted and officially recognised by the OMCC.

The headquarters elected for the OMCC, should not be identical to the headquarters designated for the International Group.

Article 14 - The National Secretariat of the country designated as headquarters of the OMCC nominates the Executive Committee of the OMCC, composed of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 people. Within the Executive Committee, the following functions will be chosen: President, Vice President, Spiritual Counsellor, Secretary and Treasurer.

Article 15 - The tasks of the members of the Executive Committee of the OMCC, are the following:
a. The president represents the Movement, that is, together with the International Groups. He calls the International Groups, prepares the meeting agendas, chairs and moderates the meetings and encounters of the OMCC. In cases of parity of votes, his/her vote decides.
b. The vice-president assists the president and substitutes him or her in his or her absence.
c. The spiritual counsellor cares that the Movement reaches its spiritual and apostolic objectives through his doctrinal service, the sacraments celebration, supporting the life and prayers of its members, invigorating the evangelisation activity and promoting ecclesial communion.
d. The secretary is responsible for the minutes of the Encounters, and in co-ordination with the President, is in charge of the current correspondence.
e. The treasurer manages the contributions of the International Groups. He/she prepares every year the budget and the financial statements where records of the incoming and outgoing funds should be shown.

In designating the members of the Executive Committee of the OMCC, the respective National Secretariat has to take into consideration the person´s capability.



Article 16 - The OMCC will render the following services:
a. periodic meetings - at least every two years - with the International Groups Executive Committees;
b. intercommunication of the International Groups;
c. periodic organisation of "World Encounters";
d. publishing of an "Information Bulletin";
e. official representation of the Cursillo Movement, at world level, particularly at the Pontifical Council for the Laity.



Article 17 - The OMCC will meet at least every two years. Such meetings will be attended by the Executive Committee of the OMCC and the Executive Committee of the respective International Groups.

The topics to be discussed in the meetings will be previously agreed upon with the International Groups.

During the meeting the Executive Committee will present a report on the activities accomplished and planned. The same will do the Executive Committees of the International Groups.

Article 18 - Extraordinary meetings of the OMCC may be called when either two International Groups thus require, or the Executive Committee itself finds it necessary. In both cases the Executive Committee will send to the International Groups the agenda in which the matters to be studied will be explained in synthesis.

Article 19 - For the conclusive recommendations of both ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the OMCC, the approval by the absolute majority of the International Groups attending the meeting is requested.

For a voting to be valid, half plus one of the summoned must be present. The voting by delegation is vetoed.

Each International Group will have the right to only one vote. In case of parity, the voting of the president of the Executive Committee of the OMCC will decide.



Article 20 - The president of the OMCC will ordinarily summon World Encounters every four years, after consulting the International Groups. Although the president might summon it extraordinarily, he/she should only do so after consulting the respective International Groups.

All National Secretariats recognised by the respective Episcopal Conferences and registered at the respective International Group will be invited to those Encounters and will have the right to vote. The voting by delegation is vetoed.

In order to approve decisions at the World Encounters, except for which is provided by Articles 21 and 23, the majority of the votes of the National Secretariats attending is required.

The president of the OMCC can invite countries having the Cursillo Movement, even if they do not have constituted a National Secretariat yet. In such cases, a written authorisation by the respective Episcopal Conference which states that the chosen delegates are, for all effects, the representatives of all the Diocesan Secretariats of that country, will be required. The invited country will attend but not vote.

The president of the OMCC can invite those persons and countries he/she judges convenient after consulting the other members of the OMCC. The invited persons will attend but not vote.

Article 21 - It is up to the World Encounter to care for the faithfulness of the MCC to its original charism as stated in the MCC definition (cf. FICM No. 74).

The book "The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement" (FICM), fruit of previous World Encounters, is the book that legitimately expresses the self-comprehension of the CM original charism. Therefore, only a World Encounter legitimately summoned and gathered together is the only CM guarantee of its faithfulness to the original charism, and can only authorise changes to its contents with the majority of two-thirds of the votes of the National Secretariats attending.

Article 22 - The World Encounters have the following objectives:
a. to propitiate reflection about the CM at world level;
b. to help achieving unity on the fundamental issues of the CM;
c. to bring the CM to a more incisive and vital presence in the contemporary world circumstances;
d. to allow sharing of experiences;
e. to study the spreading of the Christian message in the world;
f. to approve possible changes to the book "The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement" (FICM);
g. to approve proposals of changes to the present Statute.

Article 23 - In order to approve alterations to the Statute and to the book "The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement" (FICM), a two-third majority of the votes of the National Secretariats attending is required. Each National Secretariat has the right to one vote. The voting by delegation is vetoed.



Article 24 - For an efficient and regular information of the National and Diocesan Secretariats, the OMCC publishes a Bulletin. The Bulletin contains minutes and documents pertinent to the Movement and the relationship of the International Groups.

The Bulletin will also refer the main papal, episcopal and the Pontifical Council for the Laity documents which will contribute to deepen spirituality within the Cursillo Movement.

The Bulletin will comment on the most important events of the Cursillo Movement and the Church, will promote the discussion about texts of general interest, even old ones, and will diffuse books and magazines on the Cursillo Movement.



Article 25 - The OMCC retains the publishing rights of all documents of the World Encounters.

The OMCC has the right to publish, jointly or separately, all the texts produced in the World Encounters and reserves the right of translations and publication as co-editor.

The publishing rights for "Fundamental Ideas" remain solely with the OMCC.

In order to publish an edition, the National Secretariats need to obtain the copyright from the OMCC president and, as far as sales are concerned, royalties must be paid to the OMCC. Both author´s or country´s copyrights must be respected.



Article 26 - The International Groups will equally share all expenses of the yearly budget of the OMCC.

Article 27 - At the end of the four years, the outgoing Executive Committee submits a report of the incoming funds and of the expenses. Such report, after being examined by a special commission formed by three representatives of the International Groups and constituted ´ad hoc´ during the World Encounters, will be forwarded to the International Groups attending the Encounter to be approved by the OMCC.



Article 28 - The amendments to this Statute are reserved to the exclusive responsibility of the World Encounters of the Cursillo Movement when suggested by the National Secretariats. Such amendments, for whose approval a two-third majority of the attendees is required, have to be subsequently approved by Pontifical Council for the Laity.