Statutes

«Ecclesia de Eucharistia vivit» (John Paul II, Encyclical letter on the Eucharist in relation with the Church, 17-IV-2003, n.1).
     According to the available historical information, the first vigil of nocturnal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was held in the roman church of Santa Maria in via Lata the night of the 19th to the 20th of November of 1810, upon the initiative of the Reverend Don Giacomo Sinibaldi, then canonical coadjutor. An association of faithful whose first president was Lorenzo Giustiniani arose in order to ensure its endurance The association was erected as a Pious Union in the year 1851 and as an Arch confraternity in 1858. With the passing of time, nocturnal adoration was extended throughout the world, giving rise to numerous diocesan adoration associations, erected by the respective bishops.
     During the International Eucharistic Congress celebrated in Barcelona in 1952, there arose the project to unite the diverse adoration associations through the creation of an international council. This initiative was successively strengthened during the International Eucharistic Congress of Munich, held in 1960.
     On the 10th of October of 1962, eve of the solemn opening of the Second Vatican Council, Pierre Regnier, then president of the Parisian nocturnal adoration, accepted the initiative of the Venerable Arch Confraternity of Nocturnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and convoked an international meeting in Rome. That meeting marked the beginning of the Worldwide Federation of Nocturnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Since then, diverse adoration associations throughout the world have adhered themselves to the Federation, and have been later grouped by works of national or regional character.
     In the General Assembly of the Federation, celebrated in Rome during the Great Jubilee year 2000, the amplification of its objectives was decided upon, as well as the creation of an international Eucharistic conglomeration, the initiative of which was presented to the Holy See.
     As Article six of the present Statutes states, the Federation proposes, among other ends, «to foment, stimulate and spread the worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, through nocturnal adoration as well as through any other way in accord with the orientations of ecclesiastic hierarchy».
     Since its beginnings, the Federation has impelled the creation of new adoration associations, has fomented the participation in national and international Eucharistic Congresses, has promoted pilgrimages to Sanctuaries, as well as fulfilling other works which contribute to the edification of the People of God.
     Both the Second Ecumenical Council Vatican II as well as the post-conciliate Magisterium have placed special interest in the associative forms of participation in the life of the Church, manifesting their deepest regard and consideration for them. (cfr. Decree on lay apostolate Apostolicam actuositatem, 18, 19 and 21; John Paul II, Post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christifideles laici, 29).
     In the same sense, the Servant of God John Paul II wrote in the beginning of the new millennium “the duty to promote the diverse associative realities is of great communal importance, both in the more traditional forms and in the newer guises of ecclesial movements. Such associations continue giving the Church a dynamism which is a gift from God, constituting an authentic springtime of the spirit.”(Apostolic Novo Millennio ineunte, 46)
     In consequence:
     Considering that the Pontifical Council for the Laity, through the decree dated the 6th of December, 2003, erected the Worldwide Federation of Nocturnal Adoration of the Sacramental Jesus and Other Eucharistic Works as an international public association of the faithful, with juridical status, and approved its Statutes for an experimental period of five years;
     Having passed said period of time and attending the instance presented to this Department by Mr. D. Eduardo Moreno Gómez, exercising as President of the Federation, in which he solicits the definitive approval of the Statutes;
     Considering that the only modification proposed to this Department consists in the change of the denomination of the Federation which will henceforth be called The Worldwide Federation of Eucharistic Works of the Church, and that this modification was unanimously approved on the 16th of June of 2008 during the Federation’s General Assembly held in Quebec;
     Favorably accepting the change of denomination of the Federation;
     Taken into account articles 131-134 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus, on the Roman Curia, as well as canon 312, § 1, n. 1 of the Code of Canon Law, the Pontifical Concil of the Laity decrees:
     1) The confirmation of the erection of the Worldwide Federation of Nocturnal Adoration of the Sacramental Jesus and other Eucharistic Works, with public juridical status, which henceforth will be denominated as The Worldwide Federation of Eucharistic Works of the Church, according to canons 298-320 and 327-329 of the Code of Canon Law.
     2) The definitive approval of the Federation’s Statutes, duly authenticated by the Department.
     Given in Vatican City, the 22nd of January of 2009, Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr.

PREAMBLE
     The World Federation of Nocturnal Adoration was founded during the course of a meeting held in Rome on the 10th of October of 1962, by several national Associations, through the initiative of the VENERABLE BRO-THERHOOD OF THE NOCTURNAL ADORATION SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF ROME. Any association which requested perpetual canonical admittance could join the Brother-hood, thus enjoying in virtue of such admittance the benefits and privileges granted to said Brotherhood by His Holiness Saint Pious X, on the 8th of August of 1906.
     The World Federation has been governed according to the Statues drawn up in the foundational meeting and by the agreements made in the different General Assemblies; in 1986 a draft was prepared to modify the initial Statutes, but said draft was never formally approved.
     As a lasting memory of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, dedicated by the Holy Father John Paul II to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharistic, it was considered opportune to extend the outreach of the Federation, with a view to constituting a GREAT WOR-LDWIDE EUCHARISTIC ASSOCIA-TION, to which effect it is necessary, not only to vary the denomination of the present World Federation, but also to revise the current Statutes in the light of the future requirements of the new Association and therefore the present STATUTES have been drawn up, as in the Articles detailed below.
CHAPTER I
NATURE, HEADQUARTERS AND LANGUAGE
     Article 1. The World Federation of the Church’s Eucharistic Works is a Confederation of Lay Associations erected by the Holy See and constituted publicly and legally in agreement with canon 313 CCL. It’s government and internal operations depend on the present Statutes.
     In spite of they character seglar, they be able, also, to belong to Companies federated, Priests and consecrated persons of life, in accord with to established by the canonical Right, enriching the contents and activities of the members of the Federation.
     Article 2. The motto of the Federation shall be ADOREMUS IN AETERNUM SANCTISSIMUM SACRAMENTUM, and this motto shall appear on the top left hand corner of all official documents, surrounding the symbol of the former Federation.
     Article 3. The Federation, as a organism of the laity of the Universal Church, is linked to the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis, whose President will permanently exercise permanently its supervision, control and direction.
     Article 4. The head office of the Federation shall be that of the current President.
     Article 5. The official languages of the Federation shall be Spanish, English and French. Each member shall advise the President in which of these official languages he wishes to receive and send the necessary communications, in order to maintain the best possible relationship with the Federation.
CHAPTER II
OBJETIVES
     Article 6. The objectives of the Federation are:
     * To foster, stimulate and propagate the cult of the Blessed Sacrament, both by means of         nocturnal adoration, and by any other means in accordance with the orientations of the         Church’s Hierarchy.
     * To cultivate the sprit of brotherhood and mutual aid among all members, annually sending         them an updated list of the associates and their respective head offices.
     * To collaborate with and support its members in negotiations aimed towards creating new         Associations of the nature referred to in Article 7, and always in accordance with the         Church Authority of the corresponding territory.
     * To procure and manage through all possible means, and requesting the necessary help to         do so, a permanently updated census of all types of Associations in the world which have         the objective to foster and propagate the cult and/or adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
CHAPTER III
MEMBERS
     Article 7. All associations of national or territorial character throughout the world, which have as an objective nocturnal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament may become members of the Federation.
     All other associations which, by means other than those specified in the previous paragraph, have as an objective the promotion and/or practice of the cult to the Holy Eucharist, may also be members of the Federation.
     By joining the Federation, all its members are considered to be canonically attached to the Brotherhood mentioned in the first paragraph of the preamble to these Statutes.
     The request for membership in the Federation should be submitted in writing by the interested Association to the examination of the Executive Council which, will then submit it to ratification by the General Assembly.
     Identical procedures will be observed in the case of voluntary separation of members from the Federation.
     Article 8. Should there be associations which cover several Dioceses, membership can only be held by the one which presides over the rest, or the one which acts as coordinator.
     Article 9. All the Associations which are currently members of the WORLD FEDERATION OF THE NOCTURNAL ADORATION SOCIETY, shall be considered as Founding Members of the Federation.
     Article 10. The members of the Federation are committed to:
     * Maintain the necessary contact with the Executive Council.
     * Inform the President regarding their activities, and whenever pertinent, their publications.
     * Reply to the questions which may be made by the Federation, and properly respond to         questionnaires which they may receive from the Federation.
     * Participate personally, or by delegating their representation, in the meetings of the         General Assembly.
     * Perform the duties for which they have been named and/or elected.
     Article 11. Each member of the Federation will be governed by his own Statutes or Regulations, the prescriptions and conditions of which cannot essentially contradict the precepts of these Statutes, to which all members are subject.
CHAPTER IV
GOVERNMENT
     Article 12. The Federation will be governed by the General Assembly, and by the Executive Council.
     Article 13. The maximum authority of the Federation resides in the General Assembly, which is composed by the members of the Executive Council and by the President, or someone representing him, of each one of the Associations which constitute the Federation. All, or each of them, may delegate, in writing and through the Vice President of their zone, their representation to another person with the right to attend the Assembly.
     Article 14. The Assembly shall meet in an ordinary manner whenever there are International Eucharistic Congresses, which are normally held every four years, and in an extraordinary manner whenever summoned by the President.
     Article 15. The General Assembly of the Federation will be summoned by the President with a minimum of 9 month’s notice, indicating the matters to be discussed in the meeting. During a period of 3 months following the notice, the members of the Federation may propose other matters which they consider should be discussed, so that 6 months prior to the Assembly, all members shall receive the definitive agenda.
     Article 16. The Assembly shall be valid to all effects and purposes, in the second summons, after half an hour has elapsed from the time fixed for the meeting, whatever the number of attendants.
     Article 17. The agreements reached shall be valid with the majority of affirmative votes of the attendants, or those represented in the meeting.
     Article 18. At the initiative of the President or of any of the Vice-Presidents, Regional Assemblies may be held, grouping together members of a given geographic area, by language groups, etc., to discuss matters of mutual interest. Should these Assemblies be summoned by a Vice-President, the President should be invited to attend.
     Article 19. The General Assembly must :
     * Elect the President and propose his appointment to the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
        The proposal will be formalized by the Secretary of the Assembly, by means of are quest         made to the Presidency of the before mentioned Consilium.
     * Revise, ratify or censure the activity of the Executive Council.
     * Approve or censure the accounts presented by the Secretary-Treasurer.
     * Ratify the admission of new members to the Federation.
     * Agree upon whatever it may consider necessary for the efficacy of the Federation, and the         compliance of its objectives.
     Article 20. To fulfill the first of the items listed in the previous Article, the definite Agenda mentioned in Article 15 will include a list of the candidates who aspire to the position, together with a brief curriculum vitae provided by the candidates themselves (once they are aware of the provisional Agenda referred to at the beginning of said Article), so that the attendants or those represented in the Assembly have information regarding the candidates.
     Article 21. The Presidents, representatives, or associates of the federation members who comply with the formality established in the previous Article, may apply to the Presidency.
     Article 22. In order to execute the agreements of the Assembly, and for the normal functioning of the Federation during the period between two Assemblies, there will a Executive Council, composed by the Church Assistant, the President, the Joint President or Vice Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice Secretary and the Counsellors.
     Article 23. The Executive Council shall meet, in ordinary session, at least once a year, and always on the day prior to the celebration of the General Assembly. Between the meetings, the agreements, consultations and/or the contacts necessary to maintain the good functioning of the Federation shall be adopted and/or maintained by letter, through the President, and the agreements or decisions shall be valid with the vote in favour of at least half plus one of the votes cast.
     Article 24. In spite of the contents of the previous Article, the said Executive Council may also be summoned in a partial manner, calling those Counsellors who the President may deem convenient, in order to submit to them those matters he may consider opportune. These partial meetings shall be merely of a consultive character, and regard matters upon which the President wants to be advised.
     Article 25. The Church Assistant shall be proposed by the President, (subject to the consent of the Ordinary of the place of work of the said Priest) to the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis in which the Federation is integrated and linked, the opportune appointment of which corresponds exclusively to the President of the mentioned Consilium.
     Its functions will be those of its Department :mainly to safeguard the correct spiritual action of the Federation and of its Government, to supervise the fulfilment of the objective of the Federation, to promote the worship and the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, to promote those means considered most adequate to the objectives pursued and to transmit to the different organisms of the Federation the orders, indications, suggestions and corrections formulated or entrusted to the Federation by the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
     Article 26. In accordance with Article 19, the President shall be elected by the General Assembly, and appointed by the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis. The first voting process shall require an absolute majority vote, and a second voting process a plurality vote.
     Article 27. They shall be candidates for the Presidency those mentioned in Article 20, whose personal curriculum vitae figures in the definitive Agenda of the General Assembly.
     Article 28. The President elected in a General Assembly shall exercise his functions until the next General Assembly is held, and may only be re-elected for a second consecutive term, unless a contrary agreement is made by three fifths of the attendants or represented members in the Assembly. In case of re-election, the formality foreseen in the first part of Article 19 shall not be necessary.
     Article 29. The President shall:
     * Summon the General Assembly and the Executive Council.
     * Propose the Church Assistant.
     * Name the Joint President and the Vice President or the Vice Presidents.
     * Name the members of his Executive Council, of which at least one shall be an expert in         canonical legislation.
     * Name the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Vice Secretary.
     * Maintain fluent epistolary contact with the Presidents of the federated members, and         transmit to all of them the information and suggestions which he may receive from each         one of them.
     * Periodically inform the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis about the functioning of the         Federation, and transmit to all the members the suggestions which said Consilium may         make.
     * Initiate the epistolary contact referred to in the last part of Article 6 and in Article 23, and         the function indicated in this Article.
     Article 30. The Joint President named by the elected President shall assist in the matters assigned to him, and shall substitute the President in case of vacancy, resignation, sickness or temporary absence, to which effect this position should be held by a member of the Federation who resides in the same place as the President. In the first two cases detailed above, the Joint President shall assume office until the next General Assembly is held.
      Article 31. The Vice-Presidents, whose number, scope and titles shall be established and named respectively by the President, shall exercise their role in their assigned areas, in accordance with the functions which the President may delegate to them.
     Article 32. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be named by the President from among the Members of the Associations which form the Federation in the country where the Federation resides.
     Article 33. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
     * Draw up and keep the Minutes, correspondence and all other documents of the         Federation.
     * Obtain from the associated members the historical and statistical data necessary for the         general information of all the members.
     * Maintain custody of the funds and property of the Federation, registering incomes and         effecting payments authorized by the Assembly, by the Executive Council or by the         President, and submits an annual written report to all members of the Federation, and in         each Assembly meeting to all the members who attend.
     * In the same way, the information alluded to in the previous disposition will annually be         placed in the knowledge and tentative approval of the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
     This submission will be understood and complimented with the submission of the annual report by the President to the before mentioned Consilium, according to the determination of article 29. The economic information corresponding to the pertinent year will be annexed to the annual report.
     Article 34. The Vice-Secretary shall fulfill the supporting functions that the Secretary-Treasurer may ask him to perform, and shall substitute the Secretary-Treasurer in case of vacancy, absence, sickness or resignation.
     Article 35. The Counsellors shall be named by the President from among the associated members residing in the country where the Federation is based, and they shall collaborate with the Presidency and comply with the tasks entrusted to them.
     Article 36. As established by these statutes, whenever a change occurs in the Presidency, there is a period of temporary government, until the appointment of a new President is duly formalized by the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis, during which period all the positions shall remain in force with the attributives conferred to them.
     Article 37. The insignia of the Federation, in the form of a medal, may be worn be the members of the Executive Council specified in Art. 22.
     Article 38. Due to the worldwide character of their representation, the members of the Executive Council who attend any Eucharistic act organized by a member of the Federation wearing the insignia of their position will have the right of prelature concerning the application of liturgical norms.
CHAPTER V
ECONOMIC SUSTENANCE
     Article 39. Considering that the material goods of the Federation are ecclesiastical goods, according to canon 1257 they are subject to the legal implications established in book V of the Code of Canon Law.
     Each member of the Federation shall contribute to the general expenses with the annual quantity which will be determined by the Assembly, based upon a budget of expenses submitted by the Secretary-Treasurer.
     Article 40. In accordance with the last point of Article 33, at the end of each year the Secretary-Treasurer shall inform all the members in writing with regard to the status of the Treasury and shall communicate an approximate budget for the following year, so that each member may decide, in accordance with their conscience and possibilities, the amount of their contribution, which may be different to the one agreed upon as a consequence of the budget submitted to the previous Assembly.
     Identical information will be sent to the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis in accordance with the last of the obligations indicated in the article 33, in the form indicated in the second paragraph of the same.
     Article 41. The difficulties or impossibility to effect the contributions referred to in the last two Articles shall in no case be the cause of separation from the Federation.
     Article 42. The funds of the Federation shall be kept in a Bank Account bearing the name of the Federation, in the place where the Federation is temporally located. The identification of said Account shall be communicated by the Secretary-Treasurer to all the members of the Federation.
     Article 43. The annual contribution established in Art. 39 and 40 should be transferred to said Account in the month of January and in the currency of the country in which the president resides. Such transferrals may be substituted with bank checks made out to the Federation.
     Article 44. To dispose of the existing funds, the joint signatures of the Secretary-Treasurer and of the President, or whoever they may in turn authorize, shall be required.
     Article 45. The funds of the Federation may be used only and exclusively by agreement of the General Assembly or the Executive Council, or by authorization of the President. The funds may not be used for objectives other than those of the Federation.
CHAPTER VI
ENFORCEMENT AND MODIFICATIONS
     Article 46. The present statutes will govern in a provisional manner from the moment the definitive draft is drawn up by the Committee named in the Assembly held in Rome, on the 22nd of June, 2000, and in a definitive manner 100 days after their approval by the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
     Article 47. Any modification of the present Statutes from the moment of their validity, will require the majority agreement of the federated members adopted by at least two thirds of such.
     The validity of any such agreement will require the express approval of the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
CHAPTER VII
DISSOLUTION
     Article 48. The Federation may only be dissolved due to a serious cause through the decision of the Holy See, having previously heard the President and the other directors.
     Furthermore, the Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis will be able to decree the Federation’s dissolution upon its previous request, in case of the disappearance of three fifths of its members or by the impossibility to fulfil the aims for which it was created, once the existence of these requirements has been verified.
     Article 49. In case of dissolution caused by any of the above mentioned motives, property of any nature which the Federation may possess shall be placed at the disposition of the, Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis.
     Final disposition. In all that which has not been explicitly foreseen in the present Statutes, the Federation will be governed by the effective canonical dispositions regarding the matter at hand.