An evening at Sophia University during LoppianoLab 2013
Local communities versus national institutions? Minister of Regional Affairs, Graziano Delrio and Italian local authorities have no doubt. “Today the best resources for changing the country will emerge from small local communities.” The minister made this statement at the LoppianoLab workshop during an event entitled: Safeguarding the Human Person.
On stage also were urban planner Elena Granata and political scientist Alberto Lo Presti, who offered some stimulating ideas to the discussion from the perspective of their respective fields of expertise. The evening’s moderator was Michele Zanzucchi, director of Citta Nuova magazine.
“A city is a very fragile thing,” said Delrio, “it needs to be loved. This is why I believe we need to re-think the city, the community and its culture. For the past 20 years the emphasis has been on private environments; we now need to reconsider the role and care of the public sections in society where communication and relations are created.” And concerning expectations for solutions to the crises that are placed in national politics. “We’re seeking answers at institutional levels, from where they will never come. The answers are found in society which has an ability for making great things happen.”
While discussing the topic of young people in today’s society, Delrio stated that society needs to overcome a cultural defect towards young people: “Any society that wants to invest in its young people must have the courage to let them make mistakes.” He denounced the lack of resources and ways that would encourage them to be involved and take risks; but he did not deny that society should not be afraid to be demanding of them: “Because that would mean you don’t esteem them.”
The discussion moved from the Italian landscape to consider some prospects for overcoming localism and nationalism in Europe. He showed that he felt optimistic towards the contribution of young people as he presented a challenge: “Soon a generation of sons and daughter will be born, a new generation of European founders. We’ll set aside the notion of nation and embrace the notion of homeland.”
He responded to a comment of one Egyptian student concerning the street demonstrations in Tahrir Square: “We need to ask forgiveness from the young Arabs across the Mediterranean. We should do more to assist a democratic transition in their land. We need to rediscover the calling of our national territory to be bridges in the heart of the Mediterranean, towards the cultures of North Africa and of the Middle East.”
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Source: Sophia University Institute online
Photo gallery: flickr
Politics and Service in Kenya
“I am the spokeswoman for the people nobody listens to” says Charity Chege, social worker and a Volunteer of the Focolare Movement. She comes from Juja, Kenya and is the mother of four children. Her work brings her into daily contact with the pain of her fellow citizens: child orphans, elderly who must care for grandchildren whose parents have succumbed to AIDS, ordinary people living in extreme poverty. “On the night before the 2007 elections,” says Charity, I told Chiara Lubich about my wish to serve my people by presenting myself as a candidate for the town council. Chiara encouraged me, reminding me that politics was the love of loves.” Charity was never elected, but says: “For me, nothing changed. I could and should continue to love and serve.” And there were many opportunities. The elections were followed by much violence and conflict among the different ethnic groups: “Many people lost their lives; others lost all they owned, while others had to leave their lands because of the terrible violence.” In 2013 Charity once again became a candidate in a party that shared her values and ideals: “To the great surprise of someone who asked why I hadn’t run with a party with a majority of members from my tribe, I responded: ‘I live for the universal family!’” The electoral campaign turned out to be an opportunity to know and appreciate the hardships and needs of the people: “When we went to visit those who had been left homeless by the violence of the past elections, I felt it more important to love them as best I could, rather than try to explain my electoral platform. I found much hatred, and I spoke to them of forgiveness. Two of my colleagues asked me why I was acting in this way, and I told them that our relationship with the people is the most important thing. If we are truly interested in their happiness we should help them to forgive.” Once again, Charity did not win the election, but many who came to know her commitment have continued to turn to her for assistance. “One day I was at the market,” she says. “A woman came up to me and asked if I could do something for her, since she was ill. She added that many in her village are in the same condition. I realized she was talking about AIDS. This little episode has put me in contact with some thirty people who suffer with the virus. There is much prejudice against these people in our villages, they experience a lot of negativity and mistreatment. They are often estranged from their families or even discarded by them. At times they surrender to the illness and are reluctant to seek the medical care they need. I decided to be personally involved by offering some concrete assistance, loving them one by one, and involving some of the young people of the Focolare Movement. We are trying to make these friends of ours to first feel accepted, and then we try to do what we can for them.”
Refugee Crisis: Embracing Immigrants
“Let us pray for hearts capable of embracing refugees.” These words were spoken by Pope Francis on July 8, 2013 during a pastoral visit to Lampedusa where he was deeply touched by the never-ending exodus of refugees fleeing from hunger, fear, war and every form of distress in their homelands.
The story of Cristina, Elena and Maria Norena begins with an Italian language course. The three of these women are Volunteers of the Focolare Movement, who felt called to be more personally involved in helping people in need. “It was in May 2011,” Elena explains, “the boats were coming at an unrelenting pace. Some 25,000 people were coming in from war-torn Libya. Two hundred immigrants came to our province in Trento. Most of them were young men between the ages of 18 and 30.” Maria Norena continues: “I also saw the lack of relationship and social life. These men told us of their solitude and they were suffering because they couldn’t speak Italian. Right away the others in our group offered their support and we began this project.”
The experience spread quickly and even some public institutions became involved. Cristina says: “We wanted to secure a future for these young men. With the help of many people we began to advertise in the local newspapers especially that of the diocese, trying to give a voice to these voiceless men. The bishop of Trent appealed to the Christian community to show concern for the young men who are our brothers.”
Meanwhile, the provincial administration decided to lengthen the project by granting two years of assistance to each immigrant from the date of arrival. At the end of the two-year period, the young men have to leave their temporary lodgings.
Maria Norena recounts: “We involved several parish groups and members of the local Focolare community in gathering funds and finding jobs for the young men so that they could enter into society and find permanent housing.” Cristina interjects: “Currently we have found homes for 16 of our young friends. We continue to experience the help of Providence which is always there to meet our great and small needs. We received 4 bicycles that were useful, because one of the men lives far from the city where there is no bus service. We also received a washing machine. That was a real need!”
One boy who lives in a guest house run by some Focolare Volunteers, wrote to us: “I thank you for everything you are doing, for the trust you have shown me, for believing in my honesty. I love you very much.”
Putting people first in medicine
“I was standing near a stretcher in the Emergency Room when I saw two perfectly dressed women at the end of the corridor. They were followed by a small child whose jumpsuit was a bit too big. He appeared hesitant with his astonished gaze as he clutched a small airplane close to his chest. I wondered who the boy’s mother was because he didn’t resemble either one of the two who, by the way, answered in unison to every question about the boy’s health. Meanwhile, Vito sat on a clinic couch, refusing to give his airplane to the nurse who wanted to take a blood sample.” This is the story of Marina D’Antonio, an Italian doctor who says that she’s ‘in love’ with the Gospel. She has already racked up countless experiences with patients of all ages and backgrounds. And she says that she has always made an effort to set aside rules and impositions that often hide behind the white coat, and embrace the humanity of each patient that comes to her for treatment. In this story the main character is a child. We publish it as several hundred doctors and health care providers will soon gather in Padua, Italy for a two-day conference on the significance of health care in today’s world in the midst of globalization, sustainable practices and personalizing approaches to treatment. “Usually in these cases,” the doctor continued, “you seek the cooperation of the mother, but here they were again acting in unison, one on the right and one on the left. One of them pointed out to Vito that his aeroplane had to get into position on the runway (my desk) to bring aboard the second pilot. A small man made of red and black plastic magically popped out of the woman’s purse. Vito then waited to allow a regularly scheduled aeroplane to take off before his own. Meanwhile, I waited for the next episode that would allow the nurse to sink the butterfly needle into his forearm. And here it was: the nurse pulled her yellow cloth flower and red cloth butterfly. “Look Vito,” she said “the butterfly is drinking a bit of nectar from the flower. This one is green!” The little boy turned to watch as the professional nurse quickly inserted the green butterfly needle. The boy was no longer weeping, and the flight of the red butterfly began, pointing towards his forearm and softly landing a moment later after the nurse had covered the tiny wound with a colourful plaster. I was struck with admiration for these two exceptional mothers. The nurse, startled by something the women said, asked them: “But. . . why. . . how many children do you have?!!” They answered with a smile: ‘Well, at the moment we have 15.’ They explained that they were educators hired by a Family Home in the territory of our ASL. Vito’s mother had died of AIDS. His father was currently in a halfway house for drug addicts. The Juvenile Court keeps the child in Family Home until the statutory conditions are met for declaring him adoptable or not. Even though Vito was 4 years old, he didn’t talk. When I finished work, I didn’t go for lunch. I didn’t return home. I cancelled all my afternoon appointments. I put the address of the Family Home on my GPS and, when I reached the place, rang the doorbell impatiently. I asked if I could do something for them, anything. This was how my adventure at volunteering began alongside abandoned, abused and frightened children who always accepted my challenge: no matter what happened or what will happen, we will carry on playing. I began to play along with them. One afternoon on the large meadow that surrounds the Family Home a man landed with his colourful hang glider. Vito looked at me and, pointing to the hand glider, spoke his first word: “Daddy.” His first word, but packed with more meaning than if he had given an entire speech, poignant as the years of waiting to scan the skies. And finally, just a few days ago, it actually happened.”
In Argentina: a seminar of the Bishops Conference of Latin America (CELAM)
A seminar entitled Dialogue on a Trinitarian Anthropology for our people, organized by CELAM and held at Mariapolis Lia, Argentina. The seminar was attended by twenty experts from Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uraguay and Italy. There were two bishops and Msgr. Piero Coda, president of Sophia University Institute (IUS) in Loppiano, Italy. The seminar was opened by Piero Coda with a very significant lecture on Trinity and Anthropology, notes for a theological phenomenology based on the mystical experience of Chiara Lubich. From the outset, the discussion was marked by the challenge of using a work method based on dialogue and communion. Following the presentation of topics, ample space was given to sharing and reflection among the participants. The workshop was therefore an opportunity for “thinking together.” Mariapolis Lia which tries to be a witness to the life of the Gospel, proved to be the best setting for an experience of this type. One Bolivian expert commented: “The choice of this location was so important for this topic, because here it is a reality.” The participants felt enveloped in the mutual love of the inhabitants of the Mariapolis, which was a concrete expression of “Trinitarian relationships.” 
The seminar was also significant because it was an opportunity for the light of the charism of Chiara Lubich, which is the subject of academic study at Sophia University Institute, to become known in the Latin American Church. The participants also expressed interest in continuing relations with Sophia, by establishing specific agreements. During the final Mass, Fr Scannone, a well-known Jesuit in Latin America, stated: “Let us thank God for this community of thought that has been established among us, for the perichoretical relationships we have lived, in which we died and rose, in which we have thought and lived in a true community.” The seminar ended with a brief homage to Bishop Klaus Hemmerle, a forerunner in the development of Trinitarian Anthropology. CELAM has already scheduled another such event for 2014 and decided to publish some of the results of this year’s seminar.