An important meeting took place on Friday, 10 November, in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in the U.S. Capital. It was the ceremony for the conferral of an honorary Degree in Education awarded to Chiara Lubich by the Catholic University of America. Three thousand people filled the basilica. Among those present were Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim African-American delegations.
Cardinal Hickey of Washington spoke of the signs of a new “springtime in the Church”.
In the laudatio he emphasised the prayer of Jesus – “That all may be one” – which lies at the heart of the spirituality of the Focolare Movement and which continues to inspire great numbers of people of every religious tradition to endeavour to reach this goal. In her address, Chiara Lubich traced a new pedagogy: the spirituality of unity, which has its source in the Gospel.
“It is a pedagogy which moves the world away from being a soulless Babel to being an experience of God in our midst, who is capable of embracing the whole of humanity.”
Professor David Schindler, a theologian from Washington, in an interview spoke of a “timely response” in view of the current situation in America, and of the shattered hopes and the cynism that is so widespread today. “It’s enough to see what’s happened in this election,” he commented.

The last leg of the intense schedule in Washington was Chiara Lubich’s meeting with students and academic staff at the Catholic University of America on Tuesday, november 14th.
Before responding to their questions, Chiara wanted to give a strong witness to the action of the Holy Spirit who had brought to life her movement. She said the reason why she has accepted all these awards – this was her 12th honoris causa degree – was for the glory of God, “so that they may see the good works of the Father” not only in the spiritual sense, but also “to demonstrate that God, and his Spirit, had brought about a renewal also in the human field”.
Through the dialogue that ensued, what emerged was truly this renewal in the field of study, of the economy, of pedagogy, of theology in their relationship with other religions.
Professor Schindler highlighted the source underlying everything Chiara had achieved: “No economic, social or political activity can do without the realism of innocence through which love transpires”.