Nothing can stop us from loving
A message from Maria Voce, Focolare President, to the Movement’s communities around the world, for 14th March, the anniversary of the death of Chiara Lubich. Text of the message
At the roots of fraternity in politics
An event dedicated to one of the “founding fathers” of the Italian Constitution, a writer, journalist, politician and co-founder of the Focolare Movement, Igino Giordani. The event, promoted by the Movement’s General Archives and the Igino Giordani Centre, was the first in a series aimed at getting “to the roots” of fraternity as a political element. At a time when values such as respect, coherence, loyalty are engulfed in a misleading narrative often resulting from an artificial communication system, the aim of these talks which were the inspiration of the Focolare Movement’s General Archives and the Igino Giordani Centre is to extract certain “pearls” from the heritage safeguarded by the two centres that characterized the life of political figures who were guided by the values of fraternity typical of the charism of unity. “If everyone was like Giordani, there would be no wars, no discrimination, no hatred. This great man must be a reference point for humanity. It’s up to us now to promote his ideas”. These words spoken by Gaia, a seventh grade student, give us an idea of how relevant Giordani’s message is and what an inspiration he is for the new generations. More than 300 people met together on 15 February 2020 in the Auditorium of the International Focolare Centre in Rocca di Papa, including politicians, mayors and local administrators. The event, which was viewed via livestreaming by people all over Italy and Europe, forms part of the year marking the 100th anniversary of Chiara Lubich’s birth. During the evening Giordani’s charm clearly emerged from words spoken by those fortunate enough to have met him such as Argia Valeria Albanese who recalled: “From those meetings, even personal ones held in the garden of the Mariapolis Centre in Rocca di Papa, I was greatly inspired to make a long term commitment to a political party and its institutions. There was another phase in my life where I felt a strong relationship with Igino Giordani not so much as a teacher or someone to follow but as an older brother to whom I could open my heart in those moments of failure… The misunderstandings and often the resentment, the denigration and not managing to achieve the objectives I’d set myself, however noble and disinterested, electoral defeat, losing friends”. Pietro Rossellini who served the community of Montecatini as Councillor affirmed how he was guided by “the radical mutation of this man as he got older, considered to be the strongest defender of the Christian faith par excellence, who allowed himself be transformed by Chiara Lubich by changing his controversial verve into Fire of Love. His being was not distorted, but made more sublime, elevated.” For Patrizia Mazzola, who worked passionately as a teacher in the Ballarò and Brancaccio neighbourhoods of Palermo, “some of Giordani’s writings have changed my idea of political and social commitment and given me courage in some of my battles in favour of the least of the city”. Chiara Zanzucchi and Lucia Zurlo from the General Archives and Alberto Lo Presti from the Igino Giordani Centre observed that the desire to organise this series of events lies in a growing awareness that the Archives are alive and kicking. These meetings dedicated to “witnesses in politics” enable us to appreciate how much the charism of unity has influenced political commitment through their moral coherence and political passion, their contribution to fraternity and peace.
Gianna Sibelli
When business puts people at heart
A gathering entitled “Back to the future for a more humane economy” was held March 4 at the Italian embassy to the Holy See. Entrepreneurs, scholars and economists came together for a more just, inclusive and sustainable economy, in line with the upcoming “The Economy of Francis” event. “In 2000 we opened a small cosmetics company in a 60-square-meter space, with only one employee. Today we work in a building that is 7,500 square meters with 43 people working, and we produce about 100,000 pieces per day. “People are our profit and our strength.” So says Marco Piccolo, 45, an entrepreneur from Turin, Italy, who has four children and also finds time to educate young people in his parish. He and his company joined AIPEC, the Italian Association of Entrepreneurs for an Economy of Communion. The association is linked to Focolare founder Chiara Lubich’s insights of an economic model that puts people and a “culture of giving” at the heart of business. Reynaldi is a company that has bet heavily on young people and women (currently 70% of their employees and managers), as well as environmental sustainability: the company does not emit CO2, does not waste water or harm the environment. These attributes mean many large companies in northern Europe and the United States buy their products. “With entrepreneurial vision you can transform an economic system, do things well and focus on caring for the people in the company,” he says at a gathering in Rome at the Italian embassy to the Holy See called “Back to the future for a more humane economy”. The event was promoted by Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the Focolare Movement and the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. It came from an idea to offer an opportunity to reflect on today’s economic system and the need to start a global renewal so that the economy of the future will be more just, inclusive and sustainable. It is in line with the “The Economy of Francis” event called for by the Holy Father, to be held in Assisi next November. Piccolo’s company is a virtuous example of a more humane economy in action. It is an economy that, in the words of Pope Francis, “brings to life and does not kill, includes and does not exclude, takes care of creation and does not plunder it”. Reynaldi was one of the first companies in Italy to transform its legal structure from a for-profit firm to a ‘benefit company’, which means it integrates in its corporate mission, alongside its objective of profit, the goal to have a positive impact on society and the biosphere. “We take care of the people who work with us, and that’s why we don’t want working hours to be overwhelming,” says Piccolo. “We want there to be time to live for family and for people to be well.” There have been many virtuous companies or cooperatives in the wake of Piccolo’s. Take Conad, a cooperative Italian large-scale retail company, which involves Caritas offices so as not to waste food from its supermarkets, allocating it to those in need. Or when buying products from other companies, they verify whether they exploit child labour or illegal hiring. “If each of us does our part, both in our actions and by injecting wellbeing into the community, this can contribute to an overall improvement in society,” says Francesco Pugliese, CEO of Conad, who spoke at the conference. If we want to redefine economic progress for the future, we need to involve young people who know how to ask questions, speak out and find important answers. And the popes intends them to be the architects of the Economy of Francis. “We know that St. Francis of Assisi is a source of inspiration for a way of understanding the economy and finance,” says Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Councillor of State for Vatican City. “We hope that the November event will help us rediscover this. “In Assisi the young people will try to make proposals and work in 12 thematic villages, where we will try to cover all the important issues and present a proposal for each village. It is a personal commitment, but also a commitment to institutions, business and politics,” she concludes. There is certainly a need for networking, dialogue between institutions, businesses and universities to find solutions to help young people find work. As Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani reminded us: “Today’s world is more complex than it used to be, and many societies have been experiencing the scourge of youth unemployment for too long. But opportunities exist, and everyone must pursue his or her own talent.”
Lorenzo Russo
Living the Gospel: the Golden Rule
Jesus’ teaching:“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is known as “the Golden Rule”(Mt 7,12), a universal principle found in different cultures, religions and traditions . Authentic human values, that build peace, lead to solidarity and contribute towards just personal and social relationships, are all based on this ethic of reciprocity. The hundredfold I live in a small town, where there are only a few shops, and you don’t always find what you need. One morning a poor, sick neighbour of mine knocked at my door and with a big smile on her face asked for some cooking oil. I needed the little I had for my own cooking, but I felt that I had to give it all to her. When I came to prepare lunch, I realized that I had to make do without oil, but I was happy. I was just going to handle the pot when someone knocked at my door. It was a nun; I have not seen her for quite some time because she lives far away. When I opened, she told me: “Come, I’ve something for you in the car.” And she gave me three boxes full of oil containers: a total of 54 litres. (G.V. – Burundi) If you give love… After 20 years of absence from our country, my wife and I were faced with the difficulties of settling again. At first, we felt like strangers; we had to start all over again, but we found strength in the words of the Gospel to open ourselves to others, rebuild old relationships and make new friends. As we were not young when we got married, we decided that if we would have no children, we would give the warmth of a family to those who do not have one. So we started the process of adoption. Some months ago we received the news of the arrival of Veronica and Carlos, two little siblings from Brazil. We shared their photos with our new acquaintances, and we went to Rio to pick them up. When we came back, a great welcome awaited us; a huge banner with a welcome sign for Veronica and Carlos was put up in our street, and there were lots of balloons and messages on the veranda of our house. We were also given clothes and other necessary things for these two children. How can we ever forget the great support we have received! We are more than ever convinced that if you give love, you receive love. (M.S.F. – Spain) A Conspiracy of love My mother-in-law was living alone; then she came to live with us, even though she had daughters who could welcome her. Her presence, very well accepted by my children, was an additional commitment for me, as I already had the family to look after. She suffered of some form of arteriosclerosis, that made her talk to herself without realizing that she was being heard, and she often spoke ill of me. My children laughed at this situation, even though it really hurt me. Was this the thank you for the care I was giving her? One day, when she was down with flu, our conversation at table fell on grandmother’s odd behaviour. My husband was very upset, but together we decided to live “a conspiracy of love”, which meant a greater effort to love grandma more and better. This was one of the most educational and fruitful moments in our family life.The many relatives, who often come to visit grandmother, are amazed at the atmosphere that reigns in our family. (C.S. – Italy)
Stefania Tanesini (taken from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, anno VI, n.2, March-April 2020)
Rome, Italy: On a journey with the charism of unity
Paolo Balduzzi continues his journey looking at the story of Chiara and the Focolare. This time he goes to Rome where Chiara met Igino Giordani, the first co-founder of the Movement. With him the charism opened up to ecumenism, politics and a thousand different applications in society. https://vimeo.com/389431555