Coffee: an opportunity to go beyond
Some months ago in Milan, the Youths for a United World got together to plan an initiative which would focus on Genfest 2018 in Manila, Philippines. It was then that they revived the idea of selling coffee, as was done on the occasion of the Genfest of 2012 in Budapest. After obtaining a special price from a wholesale distributor, they created the labels which featured the guidelines of the activities and logo of the event. They decided to designate the funds obtained to: support the Filipino people struck by Typhoon Vinta last December, help those arriving in Manila from the farther countries, and add to the funds for general expenses in the organisation of the Genfest. One of the youths of Milano recounted that the idea came up when “we asked ourselves how we could spread the news of the Genfest here. Being an event to promote brotherhood among people, which covers material and interpersonal relationships, it seemed that one of the most representative elements was this desire to socialize, stay together, and as in our culture, share time enjoying a beverage or some coffee: that break you take during the day, which can become the occasion to exchange and share ideas, and to go beyond…” This time it was easier than in 2012, since we already had our contacts. After deciding how to go about it, we contacted the supplier and received 4,000 packets of coffee in a month’s time in the central depot of Milan. In the meanwhile, in the various parts of the region, around 20 people volunteered to create small storage in their homes. The labeling process was done by them and “it became an occasion to get together and dine together, […]. We did this not only in Milan but also in other regions where youths and families are helping one another. Lastly, this activity created many opportunities to meet people we haven’t seen for some time, thus consolidating fraternal relationships.” For further information: caffe2018manila@gmail.com Source: United World Project
Sylvester and his dignity
I saw him out of the corner of my eye as I was rushing into the supermarket. He was behind a tree; it was almost as if he wanted to hide from something or someone. I saw him more clearly when I was leaving and he was directly in front of me. I already had two euro in my hand to give to him but I felt uncomfortable at the idea of being the “donor” who was giving some change to the “beggar.” We are both human beings, aren’t we, even if life has treated us differently? As I gave him the money, I spontaneously said, “Hello. I’m Gino. What is your name?” “Sylvester,” he replied with an embarrassed voice. “Have you got a problem?” I asked. There was a moments silence. Later I understood that this was more due to not understanding Italian than to feeling this was a difficult situation. “No. Everything’s fine,” he said. I wasn’t convinced and so I continued, “Look me in the eye and tell me if you have a problem.” Again he answered, “Everything is fine.” As I was approaching my car, I could hear him making his way towards me; “Yes, I have a problem. I want to work.” I shook hands with him as a sign that I had understood. His face and his wounded dignity entered into my heart. We exchanged contact details because we didn’t want to lose touch. That is how Sylvester and I became friends in spite of language and cultural diversity. It was a meeting between two people where each one had his own sense of dignity. From that day onwards, I became increasingly aware that the first thing to do was help him overcome the hurdle of the language barrier. Even if his documents were all in order, it was unrealistic to think he could find a job if he couldn’t express himself in or understand Italian. I didn’t know how to say this because I didn’t speak his language. I remembered that I had a friend from his country and I asked him to be an interpreter. We all met for a beer in the bar near the supermarket and understood more about Sylvester’s situation. Before leaving, I turned to him and said, “Remember Sylvester, nothing is insignificant if it is done with love. You are not here to ask for something but to offer help to whoever needs it – to carry heavy shopping or find a parking space or trolley. God loves you, me everyone. Let’s ask for this together, as the Gospel says. Maybe a door will open but, in the meantime, this is your job. Do it with your head held high – without losing your dignity.” The following evening I received a WhatsApp message from him. “Good evening Gino. How are you? I hope you and your family are well. Thank you for helping me. God bless you for taking care of me. I am longing to begin a proper job but in the meantime I will do as you said and hold my head up high. I am waiting to see you.” I had to use google translate to understand him and reply. “Dear Sylvester. Thanks for your good wishes. Today I tried to find a free Italian language course. I hope I will have good news for you soon.” After that, I began to experience what we already know – it is very difficult to help someone! To this day, I do not understand why there is so much bureaucracy! However, I didn’t give in because other people also began to support Sylvester. I was no longer alone and neither was he. Tomorrow he will begin Italian lessons. This is the first step towards finding a job and being able to send financial support to his wife and two small children who have stayed in the country where he was born. Maybe, one day, they will be able to join him. Dear Sylvester, I pray that this will happen! Gustavo Clariá
Internet, a great responsibility
Pope Francis’s prayer for the month of June is dedicated to the social networks and the web. This was aired today through a video message in Spanish by the world Network of prayer for the Pope, translated in seven languages and rebroadcasted by Vatican News. In the video the Pope invites all to pray to God so that the social networks “do not annul our personality, but enhance solidarity and respect for others in their differences.” After the title, “May the social networks enhance solidarity and respect for others in their differences,” Francis underlined that “Internet is a gift of God, and is also a great responsibility,” and explained that “communication, its sites, and its instruments imply a widening of horizons for many people.” Francis thus relays the invitation, already expressed in the message for the day 2014, to take advantage of the “possibilities for encounter and solidarity which the social networks offer,” and the wish that the “digital network will not be a place of alienation but a concrete place full of humaneness.” The Pope’s intention is – “Let’s pray together so that the social networks do not annul our personalities, but enhance solidarity and respect for the others in their differences.” Source: SIR https://youtu.be/Tuz6zE4bd9w
Maria Voce at Green Attica
Creation is “a shared gift, not a private possession” and taking care of it “always entails the recognition and respect of the rights of every person and every people”. These the words of Pope Francis who sent a message to the international symposium on protecting the environment which took place in Athens, on the Attic peninsula, 5-8 June, convened by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, hosted by Patriarch Bartholomew. Entitled “Toward a Greener Attica. Preserving the planet and protecting its people”, the symposium comes three years after the papal Encyclical Laudato Si’ and coincided with World Environment Day. It welcomed 250 participants: theologians and scientists, political and business leaders, as well as activists and journalists from all over the world. Together they explored the pressing environmental problems of the region and its islands, examining the connections between ecology and economy, particularly in the context of pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. 
Among those invited was Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement founded by Chiara Lubich, a movement which over the years has developed its contribution to protecting the planet in many parts of the globe. “It is wonderful to see people from all over the world”, she reflected, “including religious leaders of different churches, gathering to seek solutions together in the hope that our planet can continue more serenely, if we protect and preserve it for the generations to come”. She added, “It’s very good to be looking at all aspects of ecology: the environment and its effect on people. What has come out strongly is that the whole planet is involved in ecology like this. Nature is a gift we receive from God and as such it must be welcomed with respect and gratitude. It must be passed on in the best way possible to our brothers and sisters who will come after us”. The actual programme of the symposium displayed an “ecological approach”, mused Maria Voce. “The schedule was full, but interspersed with journeys to the surrounding Saronic islands, which provided opportunities to meet and talk with one another, making it easier to establish relationships through a combination of study, relaxation and international friendship. I think this meeting offers hope for the future of the planet”. Much needed hope. Pope Francis has expressed his concerns over the risk that future generations may be condemned “to live in a common home that is reduced to ruins” or to leave their homelands because of climate change and disasters triggered by greedy exploitation of the earth’s resources. The Pope was represented at the symposium by Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. Recalling his joint message for the September 1st World Day of Prayer for Creation, written together with Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis stated that “the duty to care for creation challenges all people of good will and invites Christians to recognize the spiritual roots of the ecological crisis and to cooperate in offering an unequivocal response”. The main priority, concluded the Patriarch, popularly known as “the Green Patriarch” is to rethink the current economic system which “ignores the needs of human beings and inevitably leads to the exploitation of the natural environment”. Above all, he added, real change can only be born from the human heart. “The destruction of the natural environment can only be averted through a radical change in our perspective toward nature, which comes from a radical change in our self-perception as human beings”. Claudia Di Lorenzi