“Imagine a world… where diversity is richness”

 In London, the most cosmopolitan capital of Europe and throughout Great Britain, the gathering entitled “Imagine a world… where diversity is richness” is gaining wider and wider interest. Through talks, reflections, life experiences, and artistic numbers, the meeting aims at expressing the common commitment of Christians of different denominations and ecclesial communities and of followers of other religions to build a world of peace and unity in brotherhood. The chosen venue is significant: Westminster Central Hall, where the First General Assembly of the United Nations was held in 1946, and where Mahatma Gandhi spoke in 1941.

Chiara Lubich will tackle the most widespread question: “What lies ahead for a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society?”. She is an awardee of the 1996 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education, foundress and president of the Focolare Movement. Right in London, when she received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1977, the Movement received a decisive impetus in the direction of interreligious dialogue. Since then the Movement all over the world has channeled its efforts in this direction.

Some 2,000 participants are expected – people belonging to different Churches, as well as representatives of different religions (Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, for example). Among the leading personalities who have accepted the invitation are: Sikh leader Bhai Sahib Ji Mohinder Singh of Birmingham; Dr. Zaki Badawi, President of the Council of Imams and of Mosques in Great Britain; and Madame Didi Athavale, leader of a widespread Hindu movement, the Swadhyaya Family.
Anglican Bishop Tom Butler, leader of the organization “Interreligious Network for Great Britain”; Glasgow Archbishop Mario Conti who is particularly involved in ecumenism; a well as Baroness Shirley Williams, well-known personality and leader of the liberal democrats in the House of Lords will also be present.

On June 15 (Tuesday), Chiara Lubich was received in audience at Lambeth Palace by the Archbishop of Canturbury, Rowan Williams, Primate of the Church of England (Anglican Church) and First inter-pares (first among equals) among the Primates of the Anglican communion worldwide. Dr. Williams assumed this position on February 27, 2003.

The ecumenical chapter of interrelationships with the Anglican Church started in 1965, when a number of Anglican ministers participated at a meeting in Grottaferrata (Rome) among Catholics and Evangelical Lutherans. They were touched by the atmosphere of reciprocal love which led them to recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
In 1966, in London, Archbishop Michael Ramsey, then Primate of the Church of England, met Chiara at Lambeth Palace. He told her, “I can see God’s hand in this Work,” and encouraged her to spread the spirituality of the Movement in the Church of England. His successors, Coggan, Runcie and Carey were of like mind.

The following day (June 16, Wednesday), upon the invitation of the Rector of St. Mary’s College (of the state university of Surrey, London), Chiara Lubich gave an address on “The new Movements and the Marian profile.” Her talk concluded a series of conferences on “Mission and Evangelization”. Last year, the series was dedicated to Cardinals Connell, Pulic, Grinze, Napier, Williams, Daly, O’Connor and Stafford, while this year it was about the Movements, communities and ecclesial spiritualities.