3 Mar 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Nothing is the same in the capital city of the Central African Republic, after the visit of Pope Francis called it the “spiritual capital of the world.” Fidelia is a Congolese focolarina who has been living in Bangui for seven years. From 2012 until last September, she has seen with her own eyes the constant onslaught of armed clashes that over and over wiped out cities and villages, sowing seeds of horror and death everywhere. Now things appear quite changed and general opinion is that it was the visit of the Pope which marked the change in course. Fidelia comments: “Even in the provinces they’re talking about a before and an after. For example, the second round of presidential elections was held, and everything went fine. It was the same for the electoral campaign. But either one of them could have turned violent. Everyone is saying that when the Pope came, it was as if God himself had come, and so we can’t turn back now. They feel that the Pope took us ‘to the other shore’ and that we should continue moving forward all the way to true and lasting peace. Everyone seems convinced that if we want to reach social cohesian, forgiveness will be required, mercy and reconcilliation. You can sense a change of mentality beneath those words, a change of behaviour. Also the way we speak to one another – Muslims and Christians – has changed! Fidelia’s words are truly encouraging, not only for the Central African Republic, but for all the places in the world where the sound of weapons needs to stop so that solutions can be found through dialogue. 
Fidelia also showed us other aspects of the life of Central Africa. She told us, for example, that in recent weeks she and three others of the Bangui had treked 400 km to reach the small city of Bambio, where a small community animated by the spirituality of the Focolare was begun with the help of a Capuchin missionary. Fidelia recounts: “We met several families there, many young people, all of them very motivated. Even though Father Umberto had to return to Italy, they carried on for all these years, continuing to gather and encourage one another in living the Gospel, with the help of a book by Chiara Lubich which he had left to them.” Meeting this community that had kept the flame of the Gospel burning for over twenty years, filled her with joy and amazement. But they had no idea that there was another surprise in store for them in that village. There are several Pygmy villages in the surrounding areas. They are known for their small stature and living primarily in the forests with their own customs and rules. Fidelia explained: “Many people think that it’s not easy to establish a relationship with them, but having to cross through their settlements, it was only natural that we stop and visit with them, and tell them what we were doing in those parts. Encouraged by their openness and their willingness, we got to know each other and shared about the values we believe in. Some of them showed great feeling for the spirituality of unity that we told them about. We agreed to return at Easter, to continue knowing and sharing with one another.”
2 Mar 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Peace as a prerequisite to any other action in favour of Syria: is the opinion of Bishop Samir Nassar, Maronite Archbishop of Damascus, during the convention of the Bishop friends of the Focolare held in Castelgandolfo from 23to 26 February, on the eve of the ceasefire in the Country. It is Bishop Nassar’s second time to attend this event on the hills of Rome and he said: “the first meeting had enriched me so much that I decided to return… I come from Damascus, a place tormented by violence and war, and this is a break which allows me, with my brother bishops and the attention of the Focolare, to look beyond, and have a more global vision of the future of the world, the Church, and Christians in the Middle East. Thus it is fraternal support which this event gives me, for the life of my diocese.” In the face of the war conditions his country is undergoing, Bishop Nassar forcefully stresses that “the Church of Syria refuses to die and is holding onto the hope of concrete signs. In 2015, for example, we started to build three chapels precisely when the people were leaving, to imbue hope to the faithful in the outskirts and where people no longer came to the cathedral for security reasons. We keep hope alive also through the vocations: there are young priests and seminarians who arrive, and this a sign of vitality and hope for the future.”
The Archbishop expressed his gratitude also for the work of the Focolare Movement, that continues to be present in Syria despite the conflict: “For what I see in Damascus, the Movement is really doing an excellent job with the youth, families and children – he affirmed. It encourages the people to see the future with faith and hope: this is support for the community, a sign of the Spirit that helps us pursue this path.» Also in this regard, the news of the arrival of a new focolarina in Damscus «is another sign that in Syria there is a Church that looks to the future and is not afraid to die. Your presence is a sign of hope and renewal, and I thank you all so much». It is a sign which is even more important in a country whose «people are tired of the war, suffering, and poverty, and the news is not encouraging. Our mission as the Church and as the Focolare is to give courage.”
As to the international communities, Bishop Nassar saw with regret that “the world says it is very concerned about Syria, but each one says so in his own way: so much so that in the end nobody really is working for the interest of the Country.» And he launched an appeal: «Stop the war. If the war does not stop, all we are doing is useless. Let’s bring back peace and then rebuild charity and love of the Church. As Pope Francis himself says: the poor do not have a religion, only man counts. We are first of all awaiting steps towards peace, the rest is secondary.”
1 Mar 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
“When the administrative staff informed us that it was the 100th degree to be conferred, I thought it couldn’t have been otherwise. Each graduate has marked an important moment in our journey, but the fact that the hundredth dissertation was to be conferred precisely on Akie Otomo, was significant for us.” comments Judith Povilus, vice-president of Sophia University Institute, who accompanied the academic path of Akie Otomo and Yukie Ohi, two students of the Buddhist movement, Risshō Kōsei-kai, who have completed a degree in Foundations and Perspectives of a Culture of Unity. Yukie Ohi graduated in the summer semester last year, while on 11 February 2016 it was Akie Otomo’s turn. The success of her research was greeted by a warm applause emphasizing its appreciation by the whole academic community. The subject of the thesis, a comparison between “The hoza in Risshō Kōsei-kai” and “the life of unity in the spirituality of the Focolare Movement”, matured in a climate of mutual listening and acceptance with the active involvement of the two professors who guided the student: Anna Pelli, Professor of Philosophy, and Antonella Deponte, Professor of Psychology. “The focal point is of great interest as it deals with two such diverse associations, the Risshō Kōsei-kai and the Focolare Movement, yet their pulse beats as one: communion. And this was accomplished by implementing two unique practices: on the one hand the hoza, which is characteristic of the “cycle of compassion”, whereby a group of people meet to share their personal problems and find mutual support in the light of the teachings of Buddha, and on the other hand, the “spiritual communion” guided by the words of the Gospel, which makes it possible for people to share their experiences and to walk together towards God.” As the work progressed, it became increasingly clear that it could only be understood if channelled into the prophetic experience resulting from the meetings of dialogue between Nikkyo Niwano and Chiara Lubich, two eminent figures of the twentieth century: the first, the Buddhist founder and leader of Risshō Kōsei-kai, the only non-Christian observer at Vatican II; and the second, a Catholic woman who inspired a worldwide movement of spiritual renewal that speaks to the hearts of men and women of different faiths and cultures. Over the years, many similarities have led them to work together effectively for peace and mutual understanding between people and nations, reaching the point of giving their own particular experience of faith. Among other things, the thesis documents the exchange of correspondence between them, citing some paragraphs which allowed the Japanese student to focus in a surprising way on some of the cornerstones of the culture of unity, which, in her views, open up dialogue and sharing. “It was on this foundation,” says Professor Pelli, “that the intuition that guided Akie in her research took shape. In the process, each of us experienced the meeting point of that which is real dwelling in ourselves and the truth dwelling in the other; we discovered that this connection was something that in a certain way already belonged to us while at the same time it opened us up to broader perspectives. I am convinced that this experience is the fruit of being in this privileged place, at Sophia University, which strives daily to ensure that life and thought, intellectual pursuit and existential approach work towards a substantial converging towards the good, through the reciprocal gift of our diversity.” “I am very grateful for the time I spent in Sophia,” Akie concluded in her presentation. “Not only have I come closer to knowing Chiara Lubich’s thoughts, which I appreciate so much, but also to get to know more deeply the life and message of Nikkyo Niwano. I wish to take ahead this research. I want to be more committed in my daily life so that through the contribution of all religions, we can bring about harmony, unity and peace in the world.” Souce: Sophia University Institute Online
28 Feb 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Having mentioned some of the challenges in the world today – the threats to peace and the search for and affirmation of identity – Maria Voce offered some reflections arising out of Chiara Lubich’s charismatic experience of dialogue. Her talk was given on 26th January at the India International Centre in New Delhi If we seek to grasp the specific characteristics of the Movement’s dialogue, the first of them can be seen as its foundation. Chiara [Lubich] always taught us to look to God as the one Father of all and as a result, to see every man or woman we meet as his son or daughter, and therefore our brother or sister. Chiara herself said this, writing to her companions in 1947: “We must keep our gaze fixed on the one Father of so many children, and then consider all people as children of that one Father. Our thoughts and affections must go beyond every human limit and acquire the habit of aiming constantly towards this universal brotherhood in our one Father: God.”[i] I remember how happy Chiara was when she told us what our dear Professor Kala Acharya said after their meeting in India in 2001: “Each had grown up enclosed behind its own walls, admiring its own garden, without knowing that on the other side of these very high walls there are beautiful gardens to behold. Now is the time to break down the walls and discover each other’s garden.” If this is the foundation, the dialogical method that Chiara taught us cannot be other than love! It is a dialogue among brothers and sisters, therefore a dialogue among people, not between ideologies or thought systems. Dialogue must necessarily be supported and sustained by mercy, compassion and charity, summed up in the Golden Rule [do to others as you would have them do to you”. Love and mercy, once put at the basis of dialogue, not only enable us to see the people alongside us in a new light, but help us discover diversity, whatever it is, as a gift. Chiara said: “Whoever is close to me has been created as a gift for me and I have been created as a gift for those near me. On earth everything is in a relationship of love with everything else: each thing with each thing. But we need to be Love in order to find the golden thread of love between beings”[ii]. Nowadays, contacts are being multiplied, due to the great many possibilities offered by all the communications media. But these become short, ephemeral, lacking meaning, while at the same time relationships break down or diminish. Only when the I-you relationship includes a love which goes beyond purely natural dimensions, can contacts be transformed into relationships, and we can truly build networks of brotherhood. In this regard religion is called to help give meaning and a soul, as well as true and satisfying answers, to humankind which is so confused and lost and traumatised today. Over the years, we have seen the irreplaceable role religions have to lead their faithful to recognise one another reciprocally, to respect one another, to collaborate and become front runners in building a peaceful world, where justice and respect for the human person prevail. Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, lived and spread this adventure to all those who are inspired by her, an adventure in which any kind of love is not enough, but it is necessary rather to learn an art, as she herself said: the “art of loving”. … If we were all to live this “art”, we would be practising some of the indispensible principles for dialogue among religions. I’ll mention just a few: Unity in diversity. It is necessary for every religion to be welcomed in full respect for all that it considers sacred according to its own tradition. Proselytism and syncretism are incompatible with peace. Reciprocity in relationships In sharing a lived spirituality, each person is enriched not only without risk of compromising their own faith, but with the opportunity to deepen it. Equality in our shared human dignity This is the key to any type of harmonious relationship with a view to collaborating in building democratic societies founded on peace. Many of you know that the charism of Chiara Lubich, founder of the focolare Movement, can be summed up in a single word: unity. It is the specific vocation of the whole Movement, which is committing itself to live unity this year with greater intensity. We want to work and commit ourselves on all fronts to contribute to building a united world, to bring unity peace and reciprocity in every place. Faithfulness to our charism demands this, faithfulness to the first intuition that Chiara expressed in 1946: “In our hearts, one thing is clear: unity is what God wants from us. We live in order to be one with Him and among us and with everyone. This splendid vocation binds us to heaven and immerses us in a universal brotherhood. Nothing could be greater. For us, there could be no loftier Ideal.”[iii]». New Delhi 20th January 2016 [i] C. LUBICH, L’arte di amare, Città Nuova, Roma 2005, p. 29 [ii] C. LUBICH, Scritti Spirituali 1, “L’attrattiva del tempo moderno”, Città Nuova, Roma 1978, 140. [iii]». Cf. C. Lubich, Unity and Jesus Forsaken, New City New York 1985, p. 26.
27 Feb 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Pascal Bedros, a focolarino from Aleppo writes:“With the ceasefire, a calm night enveloped the whole city of Aleppo. Up to the last moment, no one expected it to go through. It’s a first step towards building dialogue and peace. We thank God and the people of good will for this gift. It was a nice gift for the children who slept a peaceful night in the arms of their parents. This weekend we’ll get together in Aleppo, following a long period in which it was impossible for us to come together and share our life in the spirituality of the Focolare which has kept us going in these long years and also illuminated our social effort.” The ceasefire in Syria, the first since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, negotiated by Russia and the United States, began at midnight of February 26th. United Nations special envoy, Staffan De Mistura, announced that peace talks could resume on March 7th if the ceasefire holds. Testimony of the Focolare community in Syria (May 2015) https://vimeo.com/127010352
26 Feb 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
“I am a clerk and I live in Catanzaro. While participating in a meeting with friends who are committed to social work, I got to know that some young foreigners living in a centre for refugees, needed bicycles to go to work. I remembered that in my garage there were two mountain bikes, still in good condition. These bikes meant a lot to me, since they reminded me of the many long mountain excursions I had with my son. Without hesitating I raised my hand to offer them. But to have them brought to the destination, there some difficulties to overcome. Sometime later I found out that these friends had organised for the end of January, a three-day convention in a touristic village near the residence of the refugees, and in which I was invited to participate. You cannot imagine the joy I felt with this news. I myself could bring these bikes – at zero time frames and costs – and furthermore I could deliver them directly to the beneficiaries and have the chance to meet them. There was, however, another hindrance: the bikes were too bulky and I couldn’t fit them into the boot of my car. Not knowing what to do, I asked a neighbor who deals with used objects, if he had a solution. But when he found out that I wanted to give the bikes to refugees, he started saying that it was better to give them to him since he would earn something, and that he thought “it was not opportune to help these strangers who come to our country to grab from us the little job opportunities there are, and create many problems and social strife.” But on seeing that I kept my grounds on my decision, he said that the car of a common friend of ours had two bike racks, and which was exactly what I needed. When asked, this friend instead was very willing and glad to give me his bike rack. Things proceeded at best. On the set day, four young refugees came to the place of our seminar to retrieve the bikes. The minute they saw the bikes that were still mounted on the top of the car, I saw their eyes light up. They had perhaps thought of retrieving some old rusty bikes, and instead these were nice, new and in perfect working order. We were all happy. Then, shyly, but with great dignity they thanked us saying that they were poor and had nothing to give us in return, but that the same evening they would return to sing their songs with their drum, during the Eucharistic celebration. I am convinced that the friendship that was established will remain.” (Domenico, Italy)
