A Pope who dreamed and made us dream… what was his dream? He once said it himself, that “the Church is the Gospel”. Not in the sense that the Gospel is the exclusive property of the Church. But in the sense that Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified outside the walls as if he were a criminal and instead whom God Abbà raised from the dead as the first-born Son among many brothers and sisters, he continues here and now, through those who recognise themselves in his name, to bring the good news that the Kingdom of God has come and is coming… for everyone, starting with the “least” who have been touched by the Gospel for who they are in the eyes of God, the “first ones”. This is true and not a figure of speech. This is the Gospel, that the Church proclaims and contributes to making history. This is so, the more it is transformed by the Gospel. As it happened, from the very beginning, to Peter and John when, on their way up to the temple, they met the man who was crippled from birth at the entrance called the “Beautiful Gate”. Together they looked straight at him, and he in turn looked them in the eye. And Peter said to him: “I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
The Gospel of Jesus and the mission of the Church. Make the effort to stand up and walk. This is how the Father thinks of us, wants us and accompanies us. Jorge Maria Bergoglio – with all the strength and the frailty of his humanity, which made us feel that he was like our brother – it is for this that he has spent his life and his service as Bishop of Rome. From that first appearance from the balcony of St. Peter’s, when he bowed and asked for the People of God to invoke a blessing for him, to the last appearance, on Easter Sunday, when in a faint voice he gave the blessing of the risen Christ, then went down into the square to meet the eyes of the people. His dream was that of a Church which is “poor and of the poor”. In the spirit of Vatican II, which called the Church back to its only model, Jesus: who “stripped himself, making himself a servant”.
The name, Francis that he chose expresses the soul of what he wanted to do, and, first of all, to be: a witness to the Gospel “sine glossa”, that is, without comment and without adaptation. Because the Gospel is neither an ornament, nor a filler, nor an anaesthetic: it is a proclamation of truth and of life, of joy, of justice, of peace and fraternity. So, there we have the Church’s reform programme in Evangelii gaudium, and the manifestos of a new planetary humanism in Laudato sì and Fratelli tutti. We have the Jubilee of Mercy and the Jubilee of Hope. We have the document on universal fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi with the great Iman of Al Ahzar, and there we have the countless occasions of encounter experienced with members of different faiths and convictions. There we have the tireless work in defence of the abandoned, the migrants, the people who are abused. There we have the categorical rejection of war.
Francis was very clear that it is not enough for the Gospel to speak, with all its subversive force, in the complex and even contradictory Areopagus of our time. Something more is needed: because we are not only in an epoch of changes, but we are in the midst of a change of epoch. We need to look with a new perspective. The one with which Jesus looked and looks at us, from the Father. The gaze that, with tender and heartfelt words, is described in his spiritual and theological testament, the encyclical Dilexit nos. It is the simple and radical outlook of loving one’s neighbour as oneself and of loving one another in a selfless, free, hospitable reciprocity, open to everyone, everyone, everyone. The synodal process in which the Catholic Church – and, for their part, all the other Churches – has been convened shows the path to take in this third millennium of ours: beyond a clerical, hierarchical, male-dominated Church… A new path because it is as old as the Gospel. A difficult path, costly and full of obstacles. But a great prophecy, entrusted to our creative and tenacious responsibility.
Thank you, Francis! Your body will now rest beside Mary, who accompanied you step by step, as a mother, on your holy journey. With her, you now accompany all of us, from the womb of God, on the journey that awaits us.
According to the calendar of major events for the Jubilee of Hope 2025, the Jubilee for Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly will take place from 30th May- 1st June and the Jubilee for Young People will take place from 28th July-3rd August. These will be two major events that will bring thousands of people from all over the world to Rome.
For the occasion, the Focolare Movement is offering several itineraries to provide opportunities to get to know more about the spirituality of unity and the lives of some witnesses of hope. In particular, a multi-stop tour for young people has been created around Italy entitled Youth and Holiness. We interviewed Paola Torelli and Lais Alexandre Pessoa from the Movement’s Youth Centres to find out more.
Let’s start with the Youth Jubilee: where did the idea of the “Young People and Holiness” tour come from?
The Youth Jubilee is a unique opportunity to set out on a journey, both physically in Rome and in other jubilee locations around the world. This journey is not just about visiting places, but above all it is an experience of encounter with God and with many witnesses of hope, whose lives can help us grow in faith and hope. Hence the idea of Young People and Holiness, a journey in the company of some witnesses of hope, for all the young people participating in the Jubilee at the end of July.
Genoa to getto know more about two friends Alberto Michelotti and Carlo Grisolia, now servants of God (info@albertoecarlo.it)
Loppiano (Florence), the international little town of the Focolare, to meet some of today’s witnesses of hope.(accoglienza@loppiano.it)
Assisi to discover the life and witness of saint Carlo Acutis, who will be canonised on 27th April 2025 as part of the Jubilee of Adolescents. (Youth Hospitality Program)
Rome for a journey in stages based on the four key words of the Jubilee: Pilgrimage and Profession of Faith, Holy Door, Hope, Reconciliation. The route will follow the traditional itinerary of the Seven Churches, accompanied by a spiritual guideline.
4th August, visit to the International Centre of the Focolare (Rocca di Papa). Visitors can take a guided tour to gain a deeper understanding of the charism of unity and the life story of the founder Chiara Lubich, whose body is buried there. (accoglienza@focolare.org)
Can you choose only one stage or is it one complete journey that includes all the stops?
The proposed stages are independent, each group or person can choose which ones to participate in or, if possible, follow the entire route. Contact details are provided for each stop regarding programs and visits.
Are there any other initiatives for young people?
Every month, at the Focolare Meeting Point in Rome there is a gathering entitled Call to one hope – Young people on the Journey. Together with some other Movements and Associations, we offer a chance to nurture and strengthen “hope” through shared testimonies, reflection, silence, and prayer. It’s an experience of mutual discovery. Preparing these events together with the other Movements and Associations helps us grow and become ever more the Church.
Let’s move on now to the Jubilee for Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly at the end of May: what does Focolare propose?
There will be two events on Friday, 30th May. They are interactive routes to deepen the Jubilee of Hope, designed for families with children and young people up to the age of 12, They include reflections and games suitable for that age group. The first will take place at the Focolare International Centre where participants can visit several significant places, such as the house where Chiara Lubich lived and the chapel where she is buried, together with the co-founders of the Movement. The second event will take place in Rome in several churches and significant places, starting from the Focolare Meeting Point.
For over two years, on the initiative of NetOne, the international network of communicators of the Focolare Movement, a group of communication professionals, has been meeting online every month to explore themes related to the Synod of Bishops, in particular on synodality and communication. Key elements during these meetings include listening, silence, testimony and fraternal communication. In addition to these regular sessions, two webinars have taken place over the past two years: the first in April 2024 (an in-depth analysis is available online here) and the second in February 2025 entitled, “What kind of communication for synodality?” (VIDEO) This event was followed in various parts of the world with the participation of numerous communication experts connected from several countries.
Alessandro Gisotti, deputy director of Vatican Media, opened the series of interventions by citing three essential terms for a good communicator: Communication, Action and Community. He said, “In this Holy Year, we need a synodal communication that is able to accompany the people who will come, without the presumption of wanting to lead them but available to listen to them, to accompany them, to share a part of the journey together”.
From the United States, Kim Daniels, Professor at Georgetown University in Washington DC, Coordinator of the Synod of Study Group 3 explained, “Mission in the digital environment – our goal is to offer actionable recommendations to the Holy Father for the improvement of the Church’s mission in this digital culture, ensuring that it remains firmly rooted in our call to meet people wherever they are, leading them towards a deeper communion with Christ and with each other”.
Pál Tóth, a Professor at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano, spoke from Hungary, explaining that “healing the deep wounds of the globalized world requires transversal collaboration including with those whose views differ from our own. The idea of differentiated consensus promotes a new type of social relationship: we collaborate for the realization of some values while remaining on different platforms for others”.
The starting point of the Synod is those on the margins. This emerged from the experience of Muriel Fleury and Beatrice Binaghi, respectively Head of Communication and Social Media Officer at the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. “Speaking for those who are exploited or marginalized by dominant processes means making these people visible. Without these countercurrent voices, everything would favour those who dominate, because silence supports those who mistreat, enslave, exploit, or render too many men and women invisible “. Binaghi described the collaboration network created among the “border bishops” responsible for migratory pastoral care in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, especially to address the critical situation in Darien through which hundreds of migrants pass every day. “Dialogue and communication have created communities, and the work that was previously fragmented is now more synergistic and impactful”.
The actress Stefania Bogo was asked to give two moments of reflection through an artistic reading of selected passages from the recent encyclical of Pope Francis, Dilexit nos and Chiara Lubich’s “The attraction of modern times”.
Erica Tossani, of the Presidency of the Synodal Assembly of the Italian Church, explained how important it is to listen, that “it is not merely a passive action, a silence waiting to be filled by the words of others. It is an active attitude that involves attention, discernment and a willingness to be challenged. Without listening, communication degenerates into polarization and sterile opposition”.
The experiences of synodality included that of Paolo Balduzzi, correspondent for the Italian Rai 1 program “A sua immagine”. He explained, “The stories told arise from a dialogue shared with the entire editorial team. For me, every interview is an encounter. And synodality begins with this encounter with my interlocutor, that is, entering into their story, into their lived experience and together seeking to grasp the most essential aspects of their story”.
The story of Mariella Matera, blogger of Alumera, a space for evangelization on social media, is the story of a communicator fascinated by the idea of transmitting the Gospel through the internet. She asked herself, “How can I be a little bridge between the web and Christ? In the Calabrian (southern Italy) dialect, the word Alumera refers to the old type of oil lamp. Just as the lamp, as long as it has oil, does not go out, so too I, as long as I have the love of Christ in me, cannot be silent”.
In conclusion, Anita Tano, head of communication for United World Project-NetOne Argentina recounted the experience of Genfest 2024 in Brazil, the youth event of the Focolare Movement which had the theme Together to Care. Featuring cultural exchanges, art and workshops, the aim was to recognise communication as a tool to take care of “one’s own life, that of others and that of the planet”. A message that emphasized the difference between simply being “connected” and being truly “united.”
The live broadcast was moderated by Enrico Selleri, presenter and author of the Italian Church broadcasters Tv2000 and InBlu2000, along with Sara Fornaro, editor-in-chief of the web version of the Italian magazine Città Nuova. The event was promoted by NetOne together with the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, the Dicastery for Communication, the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, Vatican Media, the Synodal Way of the Church in Italy, TV2000, InBlu2000 and SIR (of the Italian Episcopal Conference), the Sophia University Institute, Weca (Association of Italian WebCatholics), the Città Nuova Editorial Group and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
Nostalgia is a very specific feeling and, in many people, it often gives riseto moral, philosophical and spiritual questions. Etymologically it means “pain of return,” and sometimes has an indeterminate sense: sometimes it is not linked to a past made up of real places, people or events but to a deep emotion that makes us yearn for something beautiful, just and universal. It is as if we know we are part of it or called to this “something”.
The theme of exile runs through the history of human thought: the voyage of Odysseus (sung in Homer’s Odyssey) is a journey that recalls the infinite because although it is unfinished and open-ended, it also conveys a sense of wisdom.
(…)
“Keep Ithaca always in your mind. Arriving there is what you are destined for. But do not hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years. (…) And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.”[1]
Every story of exile, whether it is taken from ancient civilizations or the present day, addresses existential questions that are fundamental to all ages: does this story have meaning? Is there a “thread” behind it all? This question can also be addressed on a personal level: is there meaning to what I am experiencing or have experienced? Why the evil, the pain, the death? These are questions that are often not asked but, according to recent studies, they are deeply felt by young people and express their real needs. Nostalgia for the infinite is often manifested in melancholy, loneliness and a search for reasons and answers. [2]
Yet these questions struggle to emerge: we are distracted by what is happening around and by the worries that torment us. Perhaps we do not pause long enough to recognise the little answers that surround us that can be a light to help us maintain a sense of purpose in life.
So let us try to look for opportunities where we can find time and space for sharing, listening and reflecting with those who travel through life with us. Let’s do so with our community, our friends and work colleagues. Let’s tackle these questions without losing faith that things can change for the better. We too will feel changed as a result.
In Christian communities all over the world, Easter is celebrated this month. The message that lies behind the “three days” that are central to this season is strong: it poses questions for all people who are ready to reflect and are open to dialogue[3]. The mystery of pain, the ability to “enter” into the wounds of humanity and the strength to begin again are the values shared by every person who accompanies us as we journey forward through difficult times.iii They are a personal guide for us at all times.
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities.
[1]Konstandinos P. Kavafis. Poesie, Mondadori, Milano 1961
[2]Istituto Giuseppe Toniolo: Cerco, dunque credo? (Vita e Pensiero, 2024) cura di R. Bichi e P. Bignardi
[3]Convegno Internazionale “Il senso nel dolore?” (Castel Gandolfo, 2017) https://www.cittanuova.it/senso-neldolore/?ms=006&se=007
The exile in Babylon and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem created a collective trauma for the people of Israel and gave rise to a theological question: they asked themselves, ‘Is God still with us or has he abandoned us?’ This month’s Word of Life is taken from the part of the book of Isaiah that endeavoured to help the people understand that God was still at work. They could trust him and would, eventually, be able to return to their homeland. In fact, the face of God the creator and saviour is clearly revealed during this experience of exile.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?.
Isaiah reminds us of God’s faithful love for his people that remains constant and unchanged during the dramatic period of exile. Even though the promises made to Abraham seem unattainable and the covenant seems to be in crisis, the people of Israel are in the privileged position of continuing to experience God’s presence in history.
The prophetic book addresses existential questions that are still fundamental today: who determines the unfolding of history? Who determines its meaning? We can ask these questions on a personal level too. Who holds my fate in their hands? What is the meaning of what I am experiencing now or have experienced in the past?
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?.
God is working in each person’s life and is constantly, doing ‘new things.’ If we do not always notice or can understand their meaning and scope, it is because they are still springing up or because we are not ready to recognize what he is creating. Perhaps we do not pause long enough to observe these tiny shoots of life that are a certain sign of his presence because we are distracted by all that is happening around us or because thousands of thoughts and worries invade our souls and weigh us down. Nonetheless, he never forsakes us and is continually creating and recreating our lives.
“We are the ‘new thing,’ the ‘new creation’ that God has generated… We no longer look back to the past and sometimes regret what has happened to us or mourn our mistakes: we strongly believe in the action of God who can continue to work new things.”[1].
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?.
We live alongside many other people; they may be members of our community or friends or colleagues at work. Let’s approach them and try to work together without ever losing faith that things will change for the better.
The year 2025 is special because the date of Orthodox Easter coincides with that of other Christian denominations. May this shared celebration of Easter be a testimony to the willingness of the Churches to unceasingly continue to dialogue about the challenges facing humanity and to promote joint action.
Let us prepare to live this Easter season with great joy, faith and hope. Christ rose from the dead so, although we may ‘cross through the desert’, let us continue to be accompanied on our journey by the One who guides both history and our personal lives.
