The Christian Family Movement (CFM)

I got married to Josie some 42 years ago. At that time, the State had not yet expressly recognized in the very Constitution itself, the importance of marriage and the family in nation building. The only expression of the State’s concern and respect for marriage was found in the inert and impotent words contained in the legal tome known as the Civil Code declaring marriage as an "inviolable social institution". The binding force of this token policy on the indissolubility of a validly contracted marriage was as fragile as the chaff tossing in the relentless winds of change then battering our society brought about by modern and secular concepts on marital relationship. Newly married couples during those times were indeed embarking on a somewhat perilous journey of raising a family along a path strewn with so many thorns that could inflict deep wounds on their conjugal life. Their union was shakily anchored on the untested and superficially inculcated notion that marriage transcends the purely physical sphere of human interaction and is something instituted by Christ Himself and therefore more sacred. Indeed several seemingly valid and enticingly convincing arguments have been advanced then, even by some ministers of the Church, justifying couples to flout this most solemn commitment in certain extreme cases where "love" has allegedly flown out of the conjugal nest.

But as expected, every challenge arising in every age invariably begets protagonists ready, willing and daring enough to confront it. During our early years of marriage, a relatively young movement founded by an American couple about seven years before was silently but effectively making headway among Filipino couples in various parishes. This was the Christian Family Movement (CFM) brought to our shores in 1956 by Pat and Patty Crowley, the husband and wife team from Chicago who captured the hearts and minds of some married couples in Makati, headed by Tony and Teresa Nieva. Such meeting led to the establishment of the CFM Philippines on February 8, 1956 with the Nievas as the first National President couple. The single unit blossomed into numerous units spread all over the archipelago from faraway Zamboanga down south to the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions up North. Since its founding, CFM has acted as the vanguard in the struggle for the preservation of the sanctity of marriage and the family. Some of the other couples who headed and nurtured the movement during its growing up years were Sito and Sony Sison, Joe and Annie Meily, Fred and Lorrie Ples, and Mon and Glo Garcia. Our very own Philippine Star Publisher Manong Max Soliven and his loving wife Precious were once upon a time also a chair-couple of their CFM unit in San Juan. Yesterday, at Fontana in Angeles City, the CFM culminated its 28th Biennial Convention geared towards the bigger Golden Anniversary Celebration in Oct. 2006. Rollie and Josie Mesa are this year’s President while Roger and Nora Panlasigui will be the President on its 50th year.

My wife Josie and I were recruited to form a cell-type unit of the CFM among newly married couples in our neighborhood in the Immaculate Conception Parish of Cubao Quezon City sometime in 1964. By that time we already had our first baby Joyce. The original seven pairs in our unit no. III were Rey and Nanette Boucher, Rene and Inday Pronstroller, Benny and Sally Mantes, Eden and Sylvia Chuanico, Tony and Zeny Licuanan, the Caraig couple and Tony and Mely Cabacungan. We would meet twice a month rotating among the residences of the members. The format of our meeting was basic and simple but very practical and therefore effective. It was divided into three portions that call us to (1) observe, by listening to some spiritual readings; (2) judge, by applying the readings to the day to day problems we encounter in our family and in the community; and (3) act, by adopting some measures or courses of action we should undertake to solve the problems presented. The meetings were capped by some spiritual talk from the priest-chaplain of the unit.

These cell meetings yielded so many fruits. We grew not only spiritually but also in our social duties to the community. Our unit spearheaded the putting up of a credit union in our parish that is now a multi-million peso entity providing needed financial assistance to parishioners. Our members also joined as Namfrel volunteers or PPCRV members during elections. On the spiritual level, the CFM has evolved so many programs to protect and strengthen marriage and the family as a basic autonomous social institution. As early as 1959, it was already conducting the Pre-Cana Conference or pre-marriage counseling to prepare engaged couples intending to take the plunge. Then in 1969 it introduced the Marriage Encounter Weekend (ME) among couples. Since then, ME has become the most important vehicle in the reinforcement and strengthening of husband wife relationship. As a spin off from the ME, the Marriage Enrichment or "Tipanan" likewise came about. This was followed by the Family Encounter, Sons and Daughters Encounter, Solo Parents. Encounter and even Priests Encounter.

During our 42 years of marriage, so many "hurricanes" came into our life.

Crisis after crisis beleaguered our marriage and family both internally and externally. It was bumpy all the way. But CFM and its family life programs, particularly the ME equipped us with the needed tools to weather all the storms, to raise all our children in the best traditions of the Catholic Church and even to become evangelizers. And so Josie and I face the sunset of our lives with stronger marital bond and sturdier faith and confidence that we will preserve the sanctity of our marriage upon reaching our golden milestone and even beyond, up to the very end.

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