“May religions not be used as weapons or walls, but rather lived as bridges and prophecy: making the dream of the common good credible, accompanying life, sustaining hope and being the yeast of unity in a fragmented world.”
These are the closing words of Pope Leo XIV in the video message for the prayer intention of October 2025, dedicated specifically to “collaboration between different religious traditions”. In the month that marks the 60th anniversary of the conciliar document, Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), on the relationship between the Church and non-Christian religions, the Pontiff, in urging us to recognize ourselves “as brothers and sisters, called to live, pray, work and dream together”, perfectly captures the central points of this declaration, a child of Vatican II, revealing its great importance and continuing relevance.
The spirit of conciliar renewal has opened unknown paths, offered new perspectives on many things and in these six decades Nostra Aetate has certainly guided and inspired steps along the path of dialogue, fostering first mutual understanding and then acceptance between the various religions.
For this reason, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has issued an open invitation to a commemorative Celebration to reflect on the legacy of “Nostra Aetate” on 28th October, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Italian time) in the Paul VI Hall (Vatican City), in the presence of the Holy Father. The event can be followed through Vatican Media channels.
The document states that, the Church “in her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to fellowship. One is the community of all peoples”.
Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, very much welcomed this revelation, to live as “one human family”. The Movement, founded on a deep spirituality centred on unity among all people, is engaged in various forms of dialogue, including interreligious dialogue. For over five decades, through its Centre for Interreligious Dialogue and local centres around the world, it has established strong and fraternal relationships with thousands of believers and with numerous institutions, associations, movements and organizations of different religions. It does so in the conviction that friendship between people of different faiths is a vital force for building universal brotherhood.
We share here a short video that presents Chiara Lubich’s intuition and the path taken to develop dialogue.
Maria Grazia Berretta Photo: Session Concilio Vaticano II
During the second half of September 2025, the General Council of the Focolare Movement met with the Delegates from its 15 geographical regions of the world at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo (Rome). “Exploring our History” was the title of a session in which, among other contributions and moments of sharing, participants heard the powerful and deeply moving experience of the Regnum Christi Movement through the testimony of Eugenia Álvarez, a consecrated member and a current member of its General Council. Eugenia offered an interpretation, in the light of the Gospel, of some particularly troubled periods of their movement’s journey and of the subsequent path of healing that led to a renewed momentum and a revival of vocations.
“In order to discover how we are called to live the present,” she said, “we need to connect with our deepest aspirations, read the history through which God has shaped us and recognise the concrete reality in which we find ourselves: the people we are and the circumstances in which we live.” These words referred to discernment of the present reality, a process born from a balance between hopes and history.
After her presentation, we had the opportunity to interview her. Here is what she shared with us:
Activate English subtitles – The original is in Spanish
Eugenia Álvarez is from Venezuela and has been a consecrated member of Regnum Christi since 1999. She holds degrees in Education and Development from the Anáhuac University (Mexico) and in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (Rome). She has studied Spiritual Theology at the Sèvres Centre in Paris and has completed courses in Spain to become a “Specialist in Spiritual Exercises” and in the “Theology of Consecrated Life”. She currently serves as General Councillor of the Society of Apostolic Life “Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.”
Dilexi te, “ti ho amato” (Ap 3,9) è la dichiarazione d’amore che il Signore fa a una comunità cristiana che, a differenza di altre, non aveva alcuna risorsa, particolarmente disprezzata e esposta alla violenza ed è, al contempo, la citazione che dà il titolo alla prima Esortazione apostolica di Papa Leone XIV, firmata il 4 ottobre, festa del Santo d’Assisi. Il documento rimanda al tema approfondito da Papa Francesco nell’Enciclica Dilexit nos sull’amore divino e umano del Cuore di Cristo ed è un progetto che l’attuale Pontefice ha fatto suo, condividendo con il Predecessore il desiderio di far comprendere e conoscere il vincolo tra quella che è la nostra fede e il servizio ai vulnerabili; il legame indissolubile tra l’amore di Cristo e la sua chiamata a farci vicini ai poveri.
Alla conferenza stampa di presentazione della “Dilexi te” sono intervenuti (da sinistra): Fr. Frédéric-Marie Le Méhauté, Provinciale dei Frati Minori di Francia/Belgio, dottore in teologia; Em.mo Card. Konrad Krajewski, Prefetto del Dicastero per il Servizio della Carità; Em.mo Card. Michael Czerny S.J., Prefetto del Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale; p.s. Clémence, Piccola Sorella di Gesù della Fraternità delle Tre Fontane di Roma (Italia).
The 121 points of the text show that being aware of the “experience” of poverty goes far beyond philanthropy. The Augustinian Pope affirms, “This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us.” (5)
Leo XIV invites us to reflect on the many faces of poverty: that of “those who lack material means of subsistence”, of “those who are socially marginalized”; “moral”, “spiritual” and “cultural” poverty; the poverty “of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom” (9). But no poor person, he continues, is “there by chance or by blind and cruel fate” (14), love for the poor “is the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God” (103).
Prof. Luigino Bruni, economist and historian of economic thought, Professor of Political Economy at Lumsa University (Rome) and scientific director of the “Economy of Francis”, explained, “Let’s say right away that it is not easy for the Church or for Popes, to talk about poverty because, in the first place, the manner and substance of the poverty of the Church are not those of the UN or of States. The word ‘poverty has a very broad spectrum in Christianity, ranging from a “bad” poverty that is unchosen and endured, to an “evangelical” poverty, that of the poor whom Jesus called ‘blessed’. The Church must move within this broad spectrum because, if it leaves out either form of poverty, it steps outside the Gospel”.
In particular, the document denounces the lack of equality, defining it as the root of social ills (94), as well as the actions of unjust political-economic systems. The dignity of every human person must be respected today, not tomorrow (92) and, not surprisingly, during the press conference, held in the Vatican on 9th October, Card. Michael Czerny S.J., Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, reflected extensively on what are called the ‘structures of sin’: “selfishness and indifference are consolidated in economic and cultural systems. The economy that kills (3) measures human worth in terms of productivity, consumption and profit. This dominant mind-set ’makes the rejection of the weak and unproductive acceptable and therefore deserves the label of ‘social sin ’”.
Prof. Bruni continues, “This is an old theme of the Church’s social doctrine – – and, even earlier, of the Fathers of the Church and of many social charisms, not least the Franciscans. In these passages you can intuit the hand of Pope Francis and the spirit of Saint Francis (64), but also of the most recent charisms, it was Don Oreste Benzi who first spoke of the “structures of sin”, up to the Economy of Communion and the Economy of Francis. The reference to meritocracy, again in full continuity with Pope Francis, is also important. It is defined as a “false vision” (14). Meritocracy is a false vision, because first it attributes many forms of poverty to the poor’s own lack of merit and then labels those same ‘unworthy poor’ as guilty. Meritocratic ideology is one of the main “structures of sin” (nos. 90 et seq.) that generate exclusion and then try to justify it ethically. The structures of sin are material (institutions, laws …) and immaterial such as ideas and ideologies”.
Prof. Luigino Bruni
The document naturally takes a look at the theme of migration. Robert Prevost makes his own the famous “four verbs” of Pope Francis: welcome, protect, promote and integrate, not forgetting women, among the first victims of violence and exclusion. He stresses the importance of education for the promotion of integral human development, highlights the witness and link with the “poverty” of many saints, blesseds and religious orders and proposes a return to almsgiving as a way to truly touch “the suffering flesh of the poor” (119).
In Dilexi te Pope Leo “urges” us to change course, to think of the poor not as a problem of society nor merely as “the objects of our compassion” (79) but as real actors to whom we can give voice and as “teachers of the Gospel”. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by the poor. The Pope writes, “the are part of our family”. They are “one of us”, therefore, “our relationship to the poor cannot be reduced to merely another ecclesial activity or function” (104).
Luigino Bruni adds, “To take evangelical poverty seriously means changing our point of view, in the deeply transformative way, the metanoia of the first Christians. And then, today, trying to answer some radical questions: how can we call the poor “blessed” when we see them as victims of misery, abused by the powerful, dying at sea, searching for food in our waste? What beatitude do they know? For this reason, the first and most severe critics of this first beatitude have often been and still are, those who spend their lives next to the poor, sitting with them, seeking to free them from their misery. The greatest friends of the poor often end up, paradoxically, becoming the greatest enemies of the first beatitude. We must try to understand them and thank them for being scandalized. And then try to advance the discourse into new and daring terrains which are always paradoxical. And how many “rich gluttons” have found in the beatitude of the poor an alibi to leave Lazarus (ref. Luke 16:19 -31) ‘blessed’ in his condition of deprivation and misery, perhaps even calling themselves “poor in spirit” because they gave some crumbs to the poor! There must be something wonderful in that “blessed are the poor”. We don’t understand it but at least let’s not reduce its paradoxical and mysterious prophecy. Pope Leo has tried to indicate some dimensions of this paradoxical beauty of poverty, especially in the long paragraphs dedicated to its biblical and evangelical foundation, but there is still much to discover and to say. I hope that future papal documents will also include the secular magisterium on poverty, which for at least 50 years has been given to us by people such as Amartya Sen, Muhammed Yunus and Ester Duflo, laureates of the Nobel Economics Prize. These and many other scholars have taught us that poverty is not a lack of money or income (flows) but a lack of capital (stocks): health, education, social, family, capabilities which later manifests as low income. It is only by working on these forms of capital today can we help the poor escape the poverty traps tomorrow. As Sen explained to us, poverty is the objective impossibility “to lead the life we would like to live” and is therefore a lack of freedom. Charisms have always intuited this, in missions, in Europe and everywhere, they filled the world with schools and hospitals, to improve the ‘capital’ of the poor. Even almsgiving, of which Pope Leo speaks at the end of the document (nos. 76 et seq.), should be directed towards ‘capital accounts’ and not dispersed in monetary aid that often increases the very poverty it intends to reduce. The Dilexi te is a starting point, for a long journey still ahead for Christians in the still partly unknown terrain of poverty, both the ugly kind to be reduced and the beautiful Gospel kind to be multiplied.
The Focolare Movement and religious men and women share a bond that originated at the beginning of the Movement’s history: a thick web of relationships between Chiara Lubich, founder of Focolare and consecrated people of various religious families. An array of women and men dedicated to God through the most varied spiritualities that inspired and supported Chiara in the early years of the Movement. All this is revealed in the book entitled A Magnificent Garden. Chiara Lubich and the Religious (1943-1960) edited by Father Fabio Ciardi and Elena Del Nero.
Let’s start with the title: “A magnificent garden”. Can you explain it to us?
Elena Del Nero holds a PhD in History and Philosophical and Social Sciences from the “Tor Vergata” University of Rome. She works at the historical section of the Chiara Lubich Centre in Rocca di Papa (Italy). She is the author of essays and books on the history of the Focolare Movement.
Elena Del Nero: “The evocative image, used by Chiara Lubich as early as 1950, refers to the Church, in which, over the course of history, charisms have flourished. Each of them is precious in its own particular beauty, rooted in the Gospel word that inspired it and yet, together, they compose a harmony of shades, which enriches and illuminates the Church”.
The book consists of a historical reconstruction and a theological-ecclesial reflection. What do they cover?
Elena Del Nero: “The historical reconstruction focuses on only two decades, from the birth of the Focolare in 1943 to 1960. These years are particularly rich in documents and material relevant to the theme under study. The theological-ecclesial reading, on the other hand, ranges in a more extensive temporal dimension, extending its remit to the most recent magisterium reflections. In this way, we believe the panorama offered is wider and more complete “.
The presence of religious has always been part of the Work of Mary, from the very beginning. What is the meaning of the presence of religious in the Movement?
Father Fabio Ciardi: “To rekindle unity in the Church, in response to Jesus’ prayer ‘That all may be one’ (Jn 17:21), was the ideal to which Chiara Lubich felt called. Her Movement continues this great mission of fostering communion and unity among all. But what kind of unity would it be if religious were missing? They express the Church’s charismatic richness and keep alive the experience of the great saints. Chiara wanted to involve them in her ‘divine adventure,’ as she wanted to involve all people, of all vocations”.
What benefit did religious and their orders gain through dialogue with Chiara Lubich and the spirituality of unity of the Focolare?
Father Fabio Ciardi is an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, emeritus Professor at the Pontifical Institute of Theology of Consecrated Life (Claretianum) in Rome; he is the author of numerous publications; since 1995 he has served as a Consultant of the Vatican Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life and since 2022 as Consultant to the Vatican Dicastery for the Clergy.
Father Fabio Ciardi: “From the beginning, religious of different orders were attracted by the evangelical freshness witnessed by Chiara and the first members of the nascent Movement, which brought them back to the radicality of their original choice: they felt a new love for their vocation, they understood it in a deeper way, they felt involved in a communion that reminded them of the first Christian community described in the Acts of the Apostles”.
What effect has the closeness of the religious had on Chiara Lubich from the beginning of the Movement?
Father Fabio Ciardi: “Their presence proved providential for Chiara, because it allowed her to engage with the great Christian spiritualities that emerged throughout history. This encounter helped her to understand her own vocation more profoundly, enriching it through the communion of the saints. Thinking of the saints of whom the religious are witnesses, she wrote, “It seems that they have approached our Work to encourage it, enlighten it and help it.” On the one hand, the relationship with the saints confirmed certain aspects of the life of the Work of Mary. On the other hand, the comparison with their lives and their works highlighted the full originality of this new and contemporary work of God”.
Is the presence of religious in ecclesial movements a source of mutual enrichment? Or does it risk bringing confusion and loss of identity?
Father Fabio Ciardi: “There is no interference in the life of religious families. Chiara Lubich wrote that she approached them ‘on tiptoe‘, in the awareness that they are ‘works of God’ and with that deep love that led her to discover in each of them ‘the beauty and that something ever new that they safeguard. At the same time, she was aware of the contribution she was called to make: ‘We must only help circulate Love among the different Orders. They must understand, know, and love each other as the Persons of the Trinity love one another. Among them there is a relationship like that of the Holy Spirit who binds them together, because each is an expression of God, of the Holy Spirit. It is in this circulation of charity that every religious deepens their identity and can make a specific contribution to unity”.
In conclusion, why read this book? Who would you recommend it to?
“Because it recounts a wonderful page of history that helps us to understand the beauty of the Church. It is not a book for religious only. It is a book for those who want to discover a Church that is completely charismatic”.
“We went to the Pope this morning to share with him the life of the Movement and to listen to what he had to say to us,” said Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement at the end of a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. “It was a meaningful, personal and fraternal meeting. He was interested to hear about our work for peace, for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, for the dialogue with cultures and, especially, for communion between ecclesial movements. He encouraged us to continue spreading the charism throughout the world.” “At the end,” says Margaret Karram, “I asked him if we could bring his blessing to all those belonging to the Movement. ‘Certainly!’ he replied.” If you would like to follow Margaret and Jesús’s “live coverage” of this event, tune in tomorrow at 6 p.m. Italian time for the Link-up (the worldwide video conference call).
The event will take place on Monday, 22 September 2025 at 7.30 p.m. (Italian time) in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome (Italy). A video link from Jerusalem with Cardinal Pizzaballa is also planned. Follow the live broadcast here.
