Beginnings >Creation >Development of Activities

Beginnings

The origin of Roman Catholic sports federations goes back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. France, Belgium and Italy were the pioneers. The very idea of creating an international organisation was launched in 1906 at a gymnastics competition held between the FGSPF (France) that had been founded in 1898 and the FASCI (Italy) that had just been founded in May 1906.

It was decided to create a first sporting event in which all the Catholic sports federations would compete. The event was placed under the patronage of Pope Pius X, and was held in the Belvedere Court of the Vatican, in Rome, in 1908. More than 2000 athletes arrived from France, Belgium, Ireland, Canada and Italy and participated in this first Grand Concours Catholique de Gymnastique et de Sport.

The Pope Pius X, who personally attended all of the sports gatherings, granted the sportsmen a special audience. The Holy Father wished “that the Confederation should spread in the same way as the Church, so that we are all united in a single mind and a single heart, to the benefit of the same action”.

Creation

It was through the impetus of Dr Paul Michaux, president of the FGSPF (France) that during the International Gymnastics Competition held in, the Union Internationale des Oeuvres Catholiques d’Education Physique (U.I.OC.E.P) was founded in 1911.

The new organisation was officially created on 13 December, 1911 in Rome. Its goals were to bring young Roman Catholic sportsmen together and to contribute, across frontiers, to the good relations between peoples and allow each of them to advertise the advantages and characteristics of their own country.

Under the presidency of Count Mario de Carpegna (Italy), the union included Alsace (a French region that had become part of Germany in 1870), Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The first important UIOCEP sporting event was held in Rome in 1913.

Development of Activities

Interrupted by the Great War of 1914-1918, the activities of the union were soon resumed in 1919, and other countries joined the Union, including Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Alsace became French once again in 1918 and rejoined the FGSPF.

Sports disciplines developed quickly and important international events were held throughout Europe. From 1922 to 1939, there were gatherings at Maribor (1920) Brno (1922) Paris (1923) Prague (1929) Antwerp (1930) Vienna (1936) and Ljubljana (1938) and these cities successively welcomed thousands of young people who came to compete in the sporting events in a climate of sporting friendship and Christian commitment.

World War II caused profound changes in the world. When the peace finally arrived in 1945, the Union had to start again, but this time it was experiencing difficulty.

The separation of Europe into two camps caused the Catholic sports federations in the eastern bloc to be disbanded, and it was not until the fall of Berlin Wall, in 1989, and its political consequences, that some of the old federations could be welcomed back. This was the case of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 1947, the Union became known as the Fédération Internationale Catholique d’Education Physique (F.I.C.E.P), and a few years later the Federation Internationale Catholique d’Education Physique et Sportive, though the initials FICEP were retained. At the same time, it was decided to open the organization’s activities to women, and a Women’s Commission was created in 1947, whose first president was Marie-Thérèse Eyquem (France)].

In addition to its European federations, FICEP now welcomes two African countries resulting from decolonisation, Madagascar and Cameroon.

FICEP has organised a number of seminars to consider the theme of the Identity of our movement and our commitment to Christians in the world of sport and youth, in order to achieve greater co-operation between peoples in the service of our institution. In 1998, a colloquium was held in Paris, at UNESCO, as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the French FSCF. The theme was “Sporting Activity and Spiritual Freedom” and it was held in collaboration with FISEC (Fédération Internationale Sportive de l’Enseignement Catholique). The Final Resolution is evidence of our desire to propagate respect for monotheistic religious cultures and currents of thought in the service of the liberation of mankind.

Today, FICEP contains nine European federations, namely Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland, and two African federations, those of Cameroon and Madagascar. Many contacts are currently being forged with other European countries. The federation currently has some four million members in Europe alone.

FICEP is recognised as an international non-governmental organisation by UNESCO (status A) and it has been approved as an International Catholic Organisation by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, whose headquarters are in Rome.

It develops its sporting and youth activities along with its Christian and humanistic values and in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It tries to be open to everyone and wants it activities not to be a source of alienation for people, but one of awakening and freedom of body and mind.

Rome 1913