Focolare Amman
Universal brotherhood as an antidote to Evil
Chiara Lubich – Imam W.D. Mohammed
In the face of such a great tragedy and absurdity, beyond our understanding, we are in search of meaning. What is the answer to so much fear and anguish?
« As I watched those towers crumbling, hardly believing my eyes, and thought of this appalling tragedy, the shock of a superpower that suddenly discovers its vulnerability and personally experiences the crumbling of many certainties, as well as the threat of a war with unpredictable consequences, it was like reliving in Trent beneath the bombings of World War II. Everything was crumbling then and we felt impelled to ask ourselves if there was anything that no bomb could destroy. The answer was: Yes, there is. It is God. God whom we discovered as Love. It was a luminous discovery that gave us the certainty that he cannot abandon us, that he is never absent from history. On the contrary, he is able to direct the course of anything that happens towards good. I personally lived this experience in a surprising way.
And I asked myself: couldn’t it be that right now, at the beginning of this twenty-first century, God wants to repeat this great lesson and to give us the opportunity to put him in the first place in our lives, compelling us to put everything else in second place? This thought gives me hope for the future.»
But we can’t deny that there is also a growing anti-Islamic sentiment. What can be done to avoid these sentiments which criminalize the whole Muslim world?
«For some time now in our Movement – but not only in our Movement – we have established a profound unity in God with Muslims, and precisely in the United States with a vast African American Muslim Movement. I learned that in this moment they feel greatly helped by the fact that they are united with us Christians in the commitment to bring universal brotherhood in the world.
We must recognize one another as brothers and sisters, Christians and Muslims. We are all children of God. So we Christians must act accordingly.»
How can there be, in your opinion, so much hate on the part of some Muslim fundamentalists? What can we do?
« In my opinion, we are dealing here with Evil with a capital E. This is why I feel one thing very deeply, which is perhaps a little original: now people are mobilizing all the forces, on the political level, heads of State, and so on. But the religious world must also be mobilized for the sake of good. All the forces of good must unite. This is already being done. For example, last Sunday the Holy Father spoke very forcefully – and I saw that all the newspapers reported it – asking America not to allow itself to be tempted by hatred. He continually repeats his appeals for peace.
Our own Movement, in its more political expression, the “Movement for Unity in Politics,” promotes this idea of brotherhood, which is the harbinger of peace, through municipalities, through parliaments, in many parts of the world.»
Paris: towards a peaceful coexistence
The director of the French magazine, “Nouvelle Cité,” Dominique Bonnet, wrote: «Like all the French, we were shocked by last week’s events, a tragedy that led about four million people to rally in solidarity, on Sunday, 11 January 2015. «As a publishing house – he continued – we felt it was our duty to react to the attack and murder of the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, but to also give a positive message, that is, underlining the “coexistence” we want to build with all people and all religions. Because of this we chose to express our ideas through a cartoon that does not repeat the slogan, “Je suis Charlie,” but “Je suis avec Charlie” [I am with Charlie]. In fact we do not share the editorial policy of that paper. The four cartoonists who were killed appear on the top of our cartoon. Out of respect for their motivations as atheists, we thought that the phrase “Il ne vont quand même pas nous canoniser” [“They are not trying to make us saints are they?!”], as very fitting. The slogan at the bottom of the cartoon expresses our view of that idea of “coexistence.”» The cartoon was published on 10 January on the site of “Nouvelle Cité” and relaunched on Facebook and Twitter. The massive participation in the peace march in Paris was amazing, and reverberated across the globe. «The TV channels broadcasted many interviews of people in the crowd and some testimonials were really moving. [Like that Muslim woman with a veil, whose son, a military, had been killed by terrorists in the south of France, and who tried to console the Rabbi who had come from Tunisia to verify the death of his son. The Rabbi talked about how his son was afraid to wear the kippah, while the woman spoke about how her veil aroused the looks and comments from others. “Be strong – the Muslim woman said to the Rabbi – you have to muster all your courage, but we must stand firm. I am French and proud to be one, but we must overcome.” It seemed that the future lies in this painful dialogue.»] «The lights of “this togetherness” have been dimmed. Tomorrow we will have to coexist. But in the various interviews this term takes on different hues. In France people are seriously wondering: has religiosity been relegated to a strictly private sphere? To what extent can the freedom of expression be pushed? For three hours in Paris, under a winter sun, thousands of hearts warmed themselves by speaking to one another.» The members of the Focolare in France not only declare their commitment to remain faithful to the Time-out for peace action, that is done throughout the world at 12 noon every day, but also to take part in doubling our efforts in interreligious dialogue with actions of all sorts, like “Vivre ensemble a Cannes,” now at its fourth edition. The city of Cannes won the “2015 Chiara Lubich Award for fraternity.” The awarding ceremony was held in Capitol Hill in Rome, on 17 January: and the prize was received by a delegation of 15 representatives of interreligious dialogue.
The Philippines: A song for Pope Francis
From the Secretary of State in the Vatican
TRANSLATION OF LETTER IN ITALIAN (see below) SECRETARY OF STATE
Vatican City, 10 January 2015
Dear Madam, On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, you sent greetings to the Holy Father on behalf of your Movement, assuring prayers and bestowing upon him the gift of a Filippino Christmas crib and some traditional food products. His Holiness wishes to extend his gratitude for your show of affection and hopes that the birth of Christ, who came on earth to give us light, grace, mercy and the tenderness of the Father, may help us all rediscover the true joy of Christmas. Together with these sentiments, the Holy Father, while invoking upon yourself, and all those united with you in this courteous homage, the celestial intercession of the Our Lady, Immaculate Mother of Our Saviour, joyfully imparts his Apostolic Blessing Angelo Becciu Substitute
