Christians in communion

The spirituality born of the Charism of Unity offers a specific contribution to the fulfilment of Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). The life of the new commandment (cf. Jn 13:34) lays the foundations for the fulfilment of His promise “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). It is His presence that breaks down prejudices and builds new spaces for dialogue. Chiara Lubich defined this as a “dialogue of life” that is meant to support other types of dialogue and “create a people prepared to live ecumenism”.

Ecumenical meetings of bishops

Ecumenical little towns

In Ottmaring (Germany) in 1968, an ecumenical little town of witness was founded at the request of the Focolare Movement and the “Fraternity of Life in Community”, an evangelical fraternity that has made Jesus’ prayer for unity its own (cf. Jn 17). Based on the model of this first little town, others have been established, for example in Welwyn Garden City, north of London, and near Den Bosch (Mariënkroon), in the Netherlands.

Formation activities and communion

Since 1962, Ecumenical Weeks have been promoted, these are international meetings open to all Christians from various Churches, so as to grow in mutual love and bear witness to the unity of the one people of Christ. Starting in 1981, “Ecumenical Schools” and short courses of ecumenical formation have been held in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, and more recently elsewhere.

Bishops from various Churches meet regularly to deepen their understanding of the charism of unity and to increase communion in Christ.

Ecumenical networks

In 1999, “Together for Europe” was launched, a journey of communion between more than 300 movements and communities of various Christian Churches working for a united and reconciled Europe. This is a collaboration based on mutual love, for the common good, with a commitment in support of life, for the family, peace, the poor, a fair economy and the protection of the environment.

In 2025, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a collaboration with other Christian groups began.

There is also collaboration with international, national and regional organisations such as the World Council of Churches, the Global Christian Forum, and national and regional ecumenical councils and groups.

New developments

In 2017, the Patriarch Athenagoras I – Chiara Lubich Ecumenical Chair was inaugurated at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano, the little town of the Focolare Movement near Florence (Italy).

History

As early as 1955, a Swiss architect who was a member of the Reformed Church had a personal encounter with the Movement. In 1961, in Darmstadt (Germany), a group of Evangelical-Lutherans, listening to Chiara Lubich, were impressed by her proposal for a life centred on the Word of God. In the same year, the “Centro Uno” for Christian Unity was founded in Rome, as a place, a fraternal space where Christians from various Churches could feel welcomed and at “home”. Igino Giordani was its director until his death in 1980.

In 1961, visits to Rome began, first by German Lutherans, and soon Christians from the Swiss Reformed Church and Anglicans joined them. Later, there were also faithful from many other Churches who wanted to deepen their understanding of the Movement’s spirituality of unity. In 1966, Chiara Lubich met the Primate of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey, and in time also his successors. In 1967, the first of 25 meetings took place with the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras I, and later with his successors up to the current Patriarch Bartholomew I. In the same year, the first contacts were made with the World Council of Churches and, more recently, with the Global Christian Forum, a platform for dialogue between Pentecostals and various Churches. The spirituality of the Focolare has also been welcomed by Christians from the Eastern Orthodox Churches: Syriac Orthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian and Assyrian Churches.