The Egyptian Churches are now celebrating – and not from 18 to 25 January as in many other countries – their Week of Prayer for the unity of Christians. Fadiah and Philippe of the Focolare Movement in Egypt tell of their participation in the various initiatives of the local Churches and how their prayer invoking the Lord’s protection over the entire Egyptian nation is central to the prayer week especially in this delicate moment. . “Receptive Ecumenism” means overturning our mentality which often conceals itself behind the way the members of the different churches deal with one another. Rev. Dr. Callan Slipper, from the Focolare Movement’s International Study Centre explained this during the ecumenical meeting at Welwyn Garden City (London) last 4 February. Slipper, who is also Regional Delegate for all the Churches in Hertfordshire County, in his speech (Chiara Lubich and convivial ecumenism: how the spirituality facilitates unity between Christians) expounded on how “instead of thinking that all would be better if the others tried to be more similar to us, and that therefore we have something to teach, we should instead, approach others to learn from them.» By going towards the others with this attitude, he said, «we would discover that we have nothing to hide, but can only admit our weaknesses and the need to be healed. This opens up a new relationship and leads us to a new conversion and deeper bond with Christ, in whom we can fully discover our true ecclesiastic identity.” Among the audience was a number of highly qualified people: 14 Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran and Coptic Orthodox Bishops coming from different parts of England together with the Secretary General of Churches Together in England, the national ecumenical organisation of the Churches of England. For them, the meeting was a “taste” of a new ecumenical methodology and a way of sharing experiences in their respective churches. During the same week, in Germany, at the Ecumenical Centre of Ottmaring, all remembered the importance of authentic Christian life that can counter the violent and liberticidal phenomena we have recently witnessed, as in the attacks in Paris. Gérard Testard, French, and member of the Executive Committee of the “Together for Europe ” network and founder of the interreligious “Efesia” initiative, was guest of honour: “Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well – he said, referring to the phrase chosen for the Week of Prayer “Will you give me a drink? ” (John 4,7) – points out the way for this situation: Jesus breaks down all the barriers men have built and manifests himself as the Saviour of the world. The present-day events oblige us as Christians to work for unity, while the mission of unity goes beyond the Christian world to face the perils of unacceptable terrorism, violence, fanaticism.” Testard presented the positive experience of dialogue promoted also by the Council of Muslims of France and the French Bishops’ Conference, and “Efesia” created in 2007 in Lebanon. Christians and Muslims regularly meet on 25 March, feast of the Annunciation, since Mary is highly venerated also by Muslims. After four years the Lebanese authorities declared 25 March as a national Christian-Muslim holiday. It is historically the country’s first common feast day.»
During the General Audience of February 4, 2015 Pope Francis stated: “Brothers and sisters, when I hear the words “victory” or “defeat” I feel great sorrow, great sadness in my heart. They are not just words; the only just word is “peace”. This is the only just word. I am thinking of you, Ukrainian brothers and sisters …. Think, this is a war among Christians! You all share one baptism! You are fighting with Christians. Think about this scandal. And let us all pray, for prayer is our protest before God in times of war.”
While world diplomacy is mobilised, the facts seem to belie any prospects of peace. Yet there are people and institutions who work with courage to safeguard it, even at the risk of their own lives.
We ask Vera Fediva from the Focolare Movement and resident of Ukraine: How are the ordinary people living through this situation?
“This is a very difficult tiime for our country, filled with frustration and suffering. Nearly 5,000 civilian deaths, very many wounded and disabled, thousands of refugees and, unfortunately, we can’t foresee what the end will be. We often remember how our Movement was begun in the midst of the Second World War when everything crumbled. . . but we never would have imagined that it could happen in the twenty first century, nearly in the very heart of Europe and in such a tranquil country like Ukraine. Our community resides at Mukacevo on the western side of the country where there are no armed clashes. But psychologically it is difficult to hold up, also because many have relatives, friends, neighbours and even children who are fighting. Many have lost loved ones. We’re living in the midst of a situation in which nothing is stable. It’s difficult to plan anything. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Perhaps a husband or an only son will leave for the war. We can only count on God who is Love. Just as when the Movement began. . . We do feel that it is important in such circumstances not to allow hatred into our heart, so that we can be able to forgive and even to pray for our enemies.”
As the Pope says, prayer is our protest. A year away from the beginning of the conflict, what did you do as a Focolare community and with other Christians so that this “protest” could be felt?
“For several years we have been working in defense of life at all of its stages; this allowed us to build relationships with people from several Christian Churches in our city. We held a few events together like the “March for Life” and “Family Fest”. We were encouraged by the “Ecumena” group from Kosice, Slovak Republic, which follows the spirituality of unity. Last year we organised a large “Prayer for Peace in Ukraine” event in the centre of the city, together with ten different Churches, which was largely attended by the general population. Then we continued to meet, and we shared three great moments of “Prayer for Peace” since the war began. We feel that the unity among us is particularly important now as Christians are fighting and killing one another in a war that is completely senseless. That’s our small and silent response to the Pope’s prayer, to overcome the scandal of the division and make a contribution to peace and reconciliation in our land.”
Sister Tina Ventimiglia, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor, and Resi and Alessandra, volunteers of the Randi Association, find unimagined ways to contact and accompany victims of human trafficking, and to rescue them. Prevention plays an important role, through the creation of opportunity for development in the southern hemisphere of the world.
Yesterday, February 8, 2015, coincided with the liturgical feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese woman who, as a child, had a dramatic experience of slavery. This was the day chosen as the day for the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. It was meant to break the silence on this “shameful wound that has no place in civil society.” That is how Pope Francis defined the phenomenon during the Angelus, with his heart full of sorrow for the multitude of “men, women and children,” “who are enslaved, exploited, abused, used as instruments of work or pleasure, and often tortured and humiliated.” He called on governments to eradicate the causes.
It is significant that the first to raise the voices against this ‘modern’ and unacceptable form of slavery were the Religious men and women who are spread across the world, and often the first and only ‘Good Samaritans’ who are able to reach out to those whose personal freedom has been violently robbed from them by those who have taken taking full possession of their lives and made them slaves.
The experience of Tina Ventimiglia, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor was particularly meaningful. For twelve years she and her community have taken on the task of reaching out to girls living on the streets in Pistoia, Italy. “Illegal immigration and forced labour,” she says, “often has the countenance of a woman, the victim of so-called ‘protectors’. These fearful, suspicious or dismissive faces of those who no longer trust anyone strongly challenge us. In the light of what our founder taught and the charism of Chiara Lubich, we don’t see them as something to run away from, to cast off, throw away or, even worse, to condemn – we see them as ‘wounds’ of Christ in need of healing. You don’t need to ‘fight’ evil, but ‘pass over it’ by exercising ‘emptiness’, accepting the person just as she or he is, worthy of love, regardless of the situation they are in. Love never counts the cost, but loves without measure and continues to love even when it is not accepted or understood. And love also makes us understand which concrete steps we can take, like the path of health care, or legal assistance in order to restore someone’s identity by obtaining legal documents for them. We also offer support in processing their experiences and discovering inner resources for carrying on with their lives, making them feel that they are both worthy of love and capable of loving. We never neglect to help them find a network of people with whom they can have healthy relationships that will allow them to insert in local community, workplace and independent living.
Alessandra: “Randi is the baby girl who was born to Rebecca twenty two years ago in the hospital where I was working. She immigrated illegally to Livorno, Italy, and didn’t speak any Italian. But her anguish was apparent since, not having a Visitor Visa, she feared baby would be taken away from her. Welcoming her without judgement or prejudice, we were able to work out a solution for her. After a very short time more than seventy girls in similar or worse situations knew they could count on our association, which we named ‘Randi’.”
“What do we do?” Resi asks. “We often find ourselves in front of situations of slavery for economic gain. This is a business that moves a market of 24 billion euros and involves between 27 and 50 million human beings across the globe, most of them women and children. It is a real and very frightening trafficking that creates fear, isolation, and the inability to defend oneself against it in any way. Around half of the trafficking involves young women forced into prostitution. It really is not easy to draw near to these enslaved individuals who are carefully prevented from contact with the outside world. Sometimes we meet them by accident, when they come for treatment at hospital, or when we meet on a train. When they do come into contact with us, the spirituality of unity helps us to convey to them that they finally have someone they can trust. And this is where the miracle occurs, because perhaps for the first time they aren’t being asked for anything in return.”
Healing wounds is the great challenge of the Gospel. But we should also prevent them whenever possible. And this is the side that has been taken by crowds of men and women Religious who travel with the Good News to foreign lands where they promote the dignity of the person. The Focolare is doing the same in 53 countries on 4 continents, they are operating more than 100 development interventions that allow 15,000 children and their families to create concrete development opportunities that are spent in their own lands, in freedom.
“Because of my professional military training and also because of my overly rigid personality, it was very difficult for me to relate with my children. I was aware that I had to correct my attitude, but I didn’t know where to begin from. The words of the Gospel invited me to place love at the basis of my child-raising, and therefore to make a change in my relationship with them, a major breakthrough, not halfway, but radical. Beginning, constantly beginning again, little by little, the path of communication was opened. I tried to enter into their world, to be more interested in their aspirations and concerns. I came to know their problems, we suffered and rejoiced together and, in that way, the distance between us disappeared even with the one with whom it was most difficult. My role as a father took on a new dimension: now I’m also their counsellor, friend and brother. (F. U. – Perù) “I’m 29 years old, and I come from Sri Lanka. In my country I was a cook and fought for greater justice among social classes, but that was looked upon with suspicion and I was obliged to leave my country and go to Europe where everything is quite different for me. As soon as I arrived I felt tremendously alone and filled with rancour towards everyone. Then, someone in the refugee camp told me about some young Christians with the same ideal as mine: to make the world a better place. Amazed at the thought that others could share my dream, I felt heartened and began to look at the people around me, to be more cordial with others, to greet people. A lot of human relationships were begun among the people, to the social worker’s great surprise. I’m a Buddhist and through my relationship with Christians and with the West my own faith has grown.” (S. – Sri Lanka) “I thought that by deciding to go to Lourdes as a stretcher bearer for the UNITALSI Lourdes Association in service to the sick, it would make me really experience a pilgrimage filled with surprises, with ‘special effects’. Actually, accepting my good will and this not-so-disinterested intention, God used my circumstances to make me understand what He wanted; that is, that my service to the sick , yes, is important for them, but also and especially for me. I am the one in need of them. Because – I share this as the synthesis of my experience at Lourdes – if I am fortunate enough to give away what I have freely received from God, the sick repay with the maximum that they have to give: a smile, a gesture of gratitude, a warm greeting. . .” (M.G. – Italy) Source: Il Vangelo del giorno, febbraio 2015 – Città Nuova Editrice
A school of the Gospel:an appointment that takes place every two months and involves the entire village, including the parish priest and the Fon, the royal authority of the place. The subjects? Studies on phrases of the Gospel, from various perspectives mostly in relation to their application to daily life. A phrase is chosen as the motto for the week, up to the next meeting during which, in a spirit of communion, all will share their efforts to put it into practice, to encourage one another to continue the experiment. This experience which started in Fontem – the Focolare town of Cameroon – was an idea of the Fon and was also launched in Akum, another village in Cameroon. Initially, those who attended were mostly women. But as time passed, there was also an increased participation of men, struck (though they did not admit it publicly) by the changes they saw in their wives. Here are some of their stories.
“My name is Suh Nadia,” a girl said, “Some of my schoolmates and I agreed to meet for the world prayer of the youth of the Focolare called Time-out. At first, there were six of us, and then 12. At a certain point, the Headmaster found out about it and called me to his office. I thought that we were out for a punishment since we would interrupt our studies for a few minutes to pray. I tried to be brave and to explain the importance of this moment of prayer. In fact, even if Cameroon is a peaceful place, there are many countries around us beset by war, and we have to pray for them. After listening to me, the Headmaster thanked me and said that he would change the schedule of the lessons so that all the students could join us.”
Then Evangeline speaks up: “While on my way to my aunt’s house, I noticed that the neighbours were maltreating a girl who had gone to sleep in Church to escape. On accompanying her home the parish priest tried to convince her family to treat her well. But the moment the parish priest left, they started to scold her again. She cried so much. I approached her, tried to listen to her with love, and decided to go and speak with her family. Even if my aunt tried to dissuade me from doing so, remembering what the Gospel says, the next day I went just the same. The lady said that the girl was not their daughter, but one who worked for them as a nurse. “Precisely because she helps you,” I said, “you should treat her like a daughter.” The woman did not seem to be paying attention to my words, but her husband was listening: “Who are you?” he asked, “Who sent you?” When he found out that I had gone there on my own initiative, he thanked me and promised that they would not maltreat her any more. Seeing that the girl had almost nothing to wear, I brought her some of my clothes.”
Veronica usually also cooks for her mother-in-law. One day the woman told her that she had a problem with her eyes and could hardly see what she was eating, and that perhaps, it was best she stopped bringing her food. Veronica made an appointment at the hospital and on the evening prior to which, went to sleep in her house. Two sons of the woman live in that city, but they did not show any interest. The doctors decided to operate on her immediately, and so Veronica, despite her job commitments, remained with her in the hospital for a week. On returning home, not even her other sons cared for their mother, so Veronica continued to go to take care of her and bring her food, dismissing the fact that her children would go to visit only when she was there, to take advantage of the food she brought. “It is the fourth time I am participating in these ‘new evangelisation’ meetings,” Veronica concluded. “I am only trying to put into practice what I learn here.”
“Only 2000 Cameroon francs remained (circa 3,00 Euros) and I still had to buy some things,” Marie says, referring to the phrase of the Gospel ‘Give and you will be given’. “In order to save I went to the market which was six miles away, with the 700 frs. I still had. On my return I noticed that I had forgotten to buy oil, and decided to do so near the house: my 700 frs were just enough. I was about to cross the street when a girl patted my shoulder: help me to buy some spices, she asked. A voice inside me said: give! So I paid for her spices: 250 frs. With what remained I could only buy half a litre of oil. A man I knew, asked me to buy him some salt: it cost 100 frs. Lastly, a boy approached me and also asked if I could pay for some spices too: another 200 frs. With the money that remained I could no longer buy any oil. When I got home I asked the children to heat the tins to see if any oil still remained, but they were completely empty. So I sent them to the shop dealer to ask if we could have some oil on credit, but he didn’t have any. Not even my next-door neighbour had any. How would I manage to cook for my kids? At that instant, my close friend’s son arrived with a basket on his head. “I’m here,” he said, “because my mother couldn’t come for your mother’s death and now she wanted to send you this basket.” When I opened it, there were some coconuts, dried fish and… five litres of oil!”
The Egyptian Churches are now celebrating – and not from 18 to 25 January as in many other countries – their Week of Prayer for the unity of Christians. Fadiah and Philippe of the Focolare Movement in Egypt tell of their participation in the various initiatives of the local Churches and how their prayer invoking the Lord’s protection over the entire Egyptian nation is central to the prayer week especially in this delicate moment. . “Receptive Ecumenism” means overturning our mentality which often conceals itself behind the way the members of the different churches deal with one another. Rev. Dr. Callan Slipper, from the Focolare Movement’s International Study Centre explained this during the ecumenical meeting at Welwyn Garden City (London) last 4 February. Slipper, who is also Regional Delegate for all the Churches in Hertfordshire County, in his speech (Chiara Lubich and convivial ecumenism: how the spirituality facilitates unity between Christians) expounded on how “instead of thinking that all would be better if the others tried to be more similar to us, and that therefore we have something to teach, we should instead, approach others to learn from them.» By going towards the others with this attitude, he said, «we would discover that we have nothing to hide, but can only admit our weaknesses and the need to be healed. This opens up a new relationship and leads us to a new conversion and deeper bond with Christ, in whom we can fully discover our true ecclesiastic identity.” Among the audience was a number of highly qualified people: 14 Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran and Coptic Orthodox Bishops coming from different parts of England together with the Secretary General of Churches Together in England, the national ecumenical organisation of the Churches of England. For them, the meeting was a “taste” of a new ecumenical methodology and a way of sharing experiences in their respective churches. During the same week, in Germany, at the Ecumenical Centre of Ottmaring, all remembered the importance of authentic Christian life that can counter the violent and liberticidal phenomena we have recently witnessed, as in the attacks in Paris. Gérard Testard, French, and member of the Executive Committee of the “Together for Europe ” network and founder of the interreligious “Efesia” initiative, was guest of honour: “Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well – he said, referring to the phrase chosen for the Week of Prayer “Will you give me a drink? ” (John 4,7) – points out the way for this situation: Jesus breaks down all the barriers men have built and manifests himself as the Saviour of the world. The present-day events oblige us as Christians to work for unity, while the mission of unity goes beyond the Christian world to face the perils of unacceptable terrorism, violence, fanaticism.” Testard presented the positive experience of dialogue promoted also by the Council of Muslims of France and the French Bishops’ Conference, and “Efesia” created in 2007 in Lebanon. Christians and Muslims regularly meet on 25 March, feast of the Annunciation, since Mary is highly venerated also by Muslims. After four years the Lebanese authorities declared 25 March as a national Christian-Muslim holiday. It is historically the country’s first common feast day.» 
Alessandra: “Randi is the baby girl who was born to Rebecca twenty two years ago in the hospital where I was working. She immigrated illegally to Livorno, Italy, and didn’t speak any Italian. But her anguish was apparent since, not having a Visitor Visa, she feared baby would be taken away from her. Welcoming her without judgement or prejudice, we were able to work out a solution for her. After a very short time more than seventy girls in similar or worse situations knew they could count on our association, which we named ‘Randi’.”
