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Aug 28, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
“Networking – The Church’s Touchbase”: a four-day event together, with meetings, debates, workshops for young priests and seminarians who want to be at God’s service, active in facing the challenges put to them by people and society today. Fr Justin Nary is 42 and comes from the Central African Republic. He talks so calmly, as if he were referring to someone else, and narrates of those over 2,000 Muslims he had taken in, risking his own life to save them from the deadly violence that has recently bloodied his country. Just before this, Fr. Josef Pal, a Romanian, had recounted his own efforts to set up a number of ecumenical and social events in his city, where people of non-religious beliefs, were able to dialogue with civil institutions and also in the parishes. These fragments of true life, the stories of priests “passionately dedicated to humanity,” were shared with the 268 participants of the “Net-working – The Church’s Touchbase” meeting for priests, seminarians and individuals oriented towards priesthood and held in Loppiano from 19 to 22 August. “We wished to address the new generation of priests – Fr Alexander Duno of the Focolare’s Center for Priests, explained – and there was a massive response: the participants spoke 12 different languages and came from 38 countries, mostly Europe, with representatives from Africa, Asia and the Americas. There were great expectations for these four days, focused on the image of the “network” and all were eager to learn, participate and share the lives and dramatic experiences lived by their own people. 
Also the International Centre of Loppiano gave its support for the dual theme of dialogue-communion and welcomed the participants with that typical warmth which has become the distinctive mark of its 50 years of existence. This was an open workshop where experts, teachers and participants formed an only working team, and who not only attended the plenary sessions but also the 27 thematic workshops emceed by international professionals. The themes focused on the family, economy, politics, cultural and religious pluralism, dialogue with Islam and the great religions. Open debates were held on the Church’s going out towards the existential outskirts and the present-day profile of the parish as a “community network.” Great attention was paid to the crucial issues in the lives of priests today: their life balance, the gift and challenge of celibacy, solitude and ways of living a community life, capacity to dialogue in the midst of conflicts and social challenges. A first series of these workshops centred on the modern-day scenarios and unveiled the fact that beyond the crises, there are realities that give concrete examples of brotherhood, and communities that give their response full of hope. Also the workshops on the current realities of the Church today were fully booked. All resulted in drawing the profile of the Church as a lively body, open to dialogue, and which does not retreat in face of contemporary novelties, but pushes itself deeply into the crossroads of history, to enlighten it with the perspective given by the evangelical Word of Unity, lived through relationships and groups that make of communion and sharing, their very strong point. 
“During these days,”remarked Fr Stefano Isolan, a young priest of Fiesole, in Florence, “we experienced the beauty of our being priests and not isolated individuals, full of commitments and meetings; we really lived the experience of being the knots of a net, important for one another.” “I experienced the joy of having so many brothers,” an evangelical pastor from Serbia commented, “It made me feel that love which unites us, even if we belong to different Churches.” A young seminarian declared: “The idea of communion is not just a notion in my head, it penetrates into my life.” Another said: “Though we are so different from one another, we were able to confide in each other. The workshops were really a great help.” The atmosphere that reigned was joy and new hope in having experienced what Pope Francis said before all the Asian Bishops in his recent trip to Korea, when he wished “authentic dialogue” would rise from “a capacity to empathize with others (…) which is the fruit of our spiritual outlook and personal experience which brings us to consider each other as brothers and sisters.” Now that the meeting has ended, the challenge continues on a national, European and worldwide level: in the parishes, communities, side by side with the people, and in the cities where the priests and seminarians returned to, with the desire to continue putting into practice the phrase of St. Paul which was chosen as the meeting’s motto: “Receive one another the way Christ has received you». Visit website: networking2014.focolare.org Fotogallery: Loppiano
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Aug 26, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide
While calls for peace are resounding all over the world, and as the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue requests all to take a stand, we received a letter from the Focolare’s Moslem members in Maghreb, supporting the declarations of the Focolare in Jordan, and released in the name of the entire Movement. «We, the Moslem members of the Focolare in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) wish to testify to our total and full support of the declarations of the Focolare in Jordan. Our religions are a treasure at humanity’s disposition, and exist to uphold the supreme values inherent to all human beings, but which are today being manipulated for other purposes, in the quest for power and supremacy, instead of justice and peace. Religions are ”innocent”. The victims belong to all religions, but, sad to say, so do the manipulators. The latest deceit of date, took place as we helplessly watched the events perpetrated by the ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Whether it be a Caliphate, Emirate or Sultanate, nothing would change its violence, savagery and inhumanness. The fact that it takes inspiration from Islam is but a usurpation, and even worse, falsifies the tenets of Islam, as is obvious in the fact that its first and foremost victims are Moslems. These players and their schemers have steered political considerations and geo-strategies to suit their own ends. We join our voices with those who, throughout the world, call out for peace and dialogue between all cultures and religions. We want to shout it out loud because silence is deadly. The fact that we are far from the places of the military operations does not impede us from deeply sharing all the suffering which is always foremost in our hearts. Just a few months ago, people of all religions gathered to declare together, mutual love for every brother, each in their own faith [Chiara and religions. Together towards unity of the human family – Rome, 20 March 2014 – Ed.]. Our exchange of ideas has demonstrated that there are more things that unite rather than divide us. We wish to express our willingness to participate in any type of action towards a just solution of the conflicts underway, with a reminder that it is only in doing to others what we wish others to do to us, can we trace the path towards brotherhood. »
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Aug 21, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide
Learning Fraternity is the title of a 2014-2015 project of the United World Project (AMU) which has been accredited by the Italian Ministry of Instruction in collaboration with the Focolare’s New Humanity Movement. The main objective of its extended series of events is “to raise awareness and sense of responsibility with respect to the challenges that invest the modern world, and to become personally involved through training in active citizenship and respect for the environment. AMU and New Humanity offer training events on these topics, for teachers and educators at the world citizenship campus in Loppiano, Italy, along with thematic workshops for students. There is also a global network of projects. Some are in Italy, including the “Let’s Build A World of Brotherhood and Peace Project” which has been underway for several years in many schools in Sicily and Calabria. Its main objective is training in listening, encountering, dialoguing and living together with people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, such as Rom, Indian and North African who are found in many parts of Italy. There are twinning and partnership projects with foreign schools such as the School on the Andes Project, and the international Schoolmates Project (www.school-mates.org) in collaboration with Teens for Unity. Schoolmates is a worldwide network among classrooms for sharing experiences, cultures, languages, traditions and current projects. This project provides for the support of more than 600 scholarships for students in developing countries and other micro solidarity projects in several parts of the world thanks to the projects and fundraising of the teenagers themselves.
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Aug 20, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide
A project which, in the outskirts of Kinshasa – capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo – would like to give teens an adequate education and nutrition, medical treatment and clothing is known as Petite Flamme (Little Flame) and it has been taking care of 1650 children inserted in 9 schools. “It has already been 17 years that I have been accompanying this project,” says Edi, project collaborator for the Focolare Movement, “which for the past 19 years we have taken ahead thanks to the “Support at a Distance” project of the New Families Movement. Aside from the children, the teachers and their families are also benefited, since they have a job even if the salary is a modest one, in a country where the unemployment rate exceeds 80%.” 
There are countlesss examples of the concrete support that the project is able to give. “For example,” Edi continues, “a single-mother in difficulty was able to obtain a diploma in sewing, and is now able to provide food for her child and for herself. Or in another instance, an orphaned teenage boy will be the first to graduate in mathematics and computer science at the University of Kinshasa”. At Petite Flamme we also welcome unsighted children who follow a formation course especially made for them. And once they have completed their studies, the teens are not left without any means of livelihood: the teenage girls who have received a diploma in dressmaking, for example, will be given a sewing machine so that they can start their own professional activity. “These children, receive a special formation in music,” Edi explains, “and they receive as a gift a classical guitar. During the graduation celebration a blind boy sang for everyone a song composed by all of them as a gift, and to thank their parents for having taken care of them despite the difficulties that their situation involves, especially in a poor country.”
Jonathan (left) with his classmates
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Aug 19, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide
Seoul, 14 August 2014. As of today, the Pope is on Korean land. We were struck by a small gesture by the Pope at the Nunziature. When everyone had left the room, the Pope turned off the lights. . . During his homily at a private Mass, he spoke of forgiveness as a necessary condition for constructing fraternal relationships and solving conflicts also on a large scale. In the Nunziature we were struck by one small gesture: “While he was exiting a hall that everyone else had already left, the Pope turned off the lights. Daejeon, August 15, 2014. First he met with survivors and relatives of the victims of the Sewol (South Korea) ferry disaster. Then there was Mass for the feast day of the Assumption with more than 50,000 faithful who filled the World Cup Stadium. He strongly urged the young people to reject inhuman economic models that create new forms of poverty and marginalise workers, and the culture of death that devalues the image of God, the God of life, and violates the dignity of every man, woman and child. He asked asked them to be intensely concerned for the poor, the needy and the weak in our midst. The Korean people were more and more convinced by this Pope whom they found so striking in the way he understood them and offered them concrete reasons to hope. In the afternoon there was the long-awaited open discussion with the young people AYD. Ten thousand young people from 23 Asian countries him to the Shrine of Solmoe with songs and dance and theatrical performances and testimonies. Francesco exhorted them: “Together with young people everywhere, you want to work to build a world in which everyone lives in peace and friendship, overcoming barriers, mending divisions and rejecting violence and fprejudice.” He also invited them “to pray together in silence for the unity of the two Koreas.” After that prayer he spoke off-the-cuff: “Korea is one, it’s a family, you are brothers and sisters who speak the same language.” Right now preparations are underway for tomorrow’s Mass at the Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul, for the Beatification of Paul Yun Ji-Chung and his 123 Companion Martyrs. It took only two days for the Pope to set everyone’s heart on fire, and not only those of the Catholics. Seoul, August 16, 2014. A very busy day today. One million people were able to remain in absolute silence during the homily and Communion, bowing in unison at the sound of the bong. Pope Francis spoke paused to talk about the role of the laity who spread Christianity in Korea before the arrival of missionaries. “The Martyrs call us to place Christ over all things, and to see every everything else in relation to Him and to His Eternal Kingdom. These make us ask if there is something for which we would be willing to die for.”Perhaps the most moving moment of his journey was the visit to the “House of Hope” centre for the disabled in Klottonganae. The Pope’s expression also brightened as he listened to the children sing and dance and embrace him. 
During his meeting with Korean men and women religious he thanked the superior generals for “. . . speaking clearly of the danger that globalisation and consumerism pose for the religious life.” Finaly there was the meeting with Lay Leaders at which members of the Movement participated, among them two married focolarini who spoke to the Pope on behalf of all. Tomorrow the Pope moves to Haemi for the meeting with the Bishops of Asia. Then there will be the concluding Mass of the sixth AYD, which the young people are ardently looking forward to. Seoul, August 17, 2014. The Pope told the Bishops of Asia that he firmly hoped that the countries on the continent of Asia who did not yet have full relations with the Holy See would never hesitate to promote dialogue for the good of all. I am not referring only to political dialogue, but also a fraternal dialogue.” In the afternoon there was the long-awaited AYD Mass amidst an atmosphere of warm and youthful enthusiasm. The Pope adds “fire to fire,” strongly uring the young people to “not sleep, but to wake up and reach out to the world.” The Pope has left, leaving behind much warmth, hope and new courage. You could say that the whole Korean Church and society has had a healthy wake up call, that “wake up” directed to the young people by the Pope whom they understood loved them very much. From Korea, Won-Ju Moon e Alberto Kim
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Aug 18, 2014 | Focolare Worldwide
I’m a drug addict! A young boy approached us, “I’m a drug addict,” he said, “but I want to quit. I need someone to help me to stop taking drugs; I want to be hospitalized. I do not know how I got here. I was on the train … and I fell asleep.” Since there are no institutions in our city for recovering addicts, we invited him to stay with us. While eating the snacks offered to him, he confided that his addiction was serious, so much so that he would do anything to be able to obtain drugs. Through God’s providence, a doctor friend found a way to get him into a hospital. The next day we went to see him, bringing him some sweets. He begged us not to leave him alone. When he left the hospital a few days later he came to stay with us. Meanwhile a place became free for him in a specialized centre. We could see that he was happy when he left, confident that he could still count on us. E. – Argentina The Gospel in action! An ex-convict wanted to meet me, but at the same time I had to take some food parcels to several families who were in difficulty and which I knew had an urgent need of support. While trying to figure out what to do, I received a phone call: “Do you need help? I have a car and am willing to take some packets to the families.” I was a bit taken aback when I realised how God is at hand and sees all, hears all. It is true that he sends his angels to help us to do good. So I went to see my friend I had met in prison, while the ‘”angel” went to bring the packages to seven families. That’s how living the Gospel works! A.D.N. – Italy The seasonal workers 
On my building site there are many “seasonal workers”. It was payday, but I didn’t have enough money to pay everyone: the amount available was enough for the permanent workers only; the seasonal workers would have to wait. At the exit, their wives came to meet me. After I tried explaining the situation, they said they would remain there until we paid them, as their children at home were hungry. Back in the office I took some money from my pay packet, and proposed to the other workers who had already been paid to offer 10 bolivianos each, in order to make up the missing money. After a little bit of hesitation, they agreed. Only one did not do it, but just when I was giving the money to the wives, he caught up with me to give me his 10 bolivianos. F.M. – Bolivia To do something more With my wife and our two children, we felt a strong desire to do something for our small town, crushed by so many problems: couples breaking up, single mothers, immigrants, poverty and moral destitution. And so our nice apartment has become a listening centre. The people of the village were happy with this initiative; also many relatives and others have become involved in volunteering. So now we have many opportunities to help people in need: the possibility to welcome Sonia, a Slav single mother who was helped before and after the birth of her baby Peter; dinners for the Ukrainian women who worked in the area, a mini-school for parents and collaboration with various young people for the realization of some projects in Africa. The apartment where we live is small, but now houses a small seed of “United World”. TP. – Italy Source: The Gospel of the day (Supplement to no. 11/2014 of the magazine Citta’ Nuova)
