Focolare Movement
Korea: Dialogue is the culture of the human family

Korea: Dialogue is the culture of the human family

Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, have just concluded the Korean step of their first official trip to Asia and Oceania. This will be followed by visits to Japan, the Fiji Islands, Australia and Indonesia, until 25 May. Here is a brief update on what happened in Korea.

“Teach us, Lord, to journey together, looking in the same direction, united by the same goal, in search of the same values towards the One who loves us and awaits us, who is the foundation of every new friendship’.

On 22nd April, this prayer was said at the start of the meeting of 160 focolarini and focolarine from East Asia (with several linked online). It expresses very well the meaning of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán’s first official trip to Asia and Oceania. The first stop has been Korea, then they will visit Japan, the Fiji Islands, Australia and finally Indonesia. They are being accompanied by Rita Moussallem and Antonio Salimbeni, councillors of the zone and co-responsible for the interreligious dialogue of the Focolare Movement The Movement has been present In East Asia since the end of the 1960s (the zone includes Korea, Japan, and the Chinese-speaking area). In Korea, Father Francesco Shim brought the spirituality of unity in 1967 and in Hong Kong the first focolare was opened in 1970. There are about 10,000 members and adherents of the Movement living the spirituality of unity in this part of Asia.

Margaret Karram: Starting again from dialogue

“Why did you choose Asia for your first trip?”, the reporter of the ‘Catholic Chinmoon’, Korea’s leading Catholic weekly asked Margaret. “I am here to listen, to learn, but above all to love the ‘continent of hope’,” she replied. The spiritual wealth of these peoples will be a gift for all. I feel it is very important to revive the path of dialogue in the Movement; it is the most important instrument for building peace, which is the good that the world needs most today’.

Korea: between contradictions and hope for peace

The capital city, Seoul, has almost 10 million inhabitants and showcases a nation that has been running at speed for 50 years and has become one of the most advanced and technological states in the world. ‘Speed, efficiency and competitiveness are the hallmarks of modern Korean society,’ explains Matthew Choi, a Korean journalist and focolarino, ‘both economically and culturally, but this brings many contradictions with it. ‘There is a great emphasis on achievement here,’ adds Kil Jeong Woo, delegate of the Politics for Unity Movement in Korea, ‘with a highly competitive academic system and a strong work ethic. We have problems of social inequality, and efforts are underway to address this through social and political reforms, but progress is slow.”

The Korean Church, a bridge in a divided society

The Archbishop of Seoul, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek, highlighted among the social challenges intergenerational conflicts and an ageing population. He explained that ‘In the Church, there is the danger of closing ourselves off in our communities. Instead, we need to open up and this is the contribution that the Focolare can bring”. Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán then met Bishop Thaddeo Cho, Archbishop of Daegu, Bishop Augustino Kim, Bishop of Daejeon and Bishop Simon Kim, Bishop of Cheng-ju. In the context of strong polarisation between progressives and conservatives, the Church is seeking to be a bridge and act as an antidote to the secularisation that is affecting young people in particular.

Dialogues and inundations: the journey has begun.

The Focolare Movement in Korea is making its contribution to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and also in various cultural spheres. One example was the event on 14 April in Seoul, entitled: “Dialogue is becoming the culture of the human family”. Representatives from various Christian churches, various religions, and representatives from the social fields took part, animated by a constructive spirit of cooperation for social reconciliation and peace. In her talk Margaret said: “It is very important that everyone can generate environments that open the way to the ‘dialogue of life,’ by putting into practice the teachings of their own religious faith”. Jesús Morán encouraged them to continue on this common path: “It does not matter how big or small the things you do are. The important thing is that they bring the seeds of something new. The testimonies you have presented show this clearly”. Sa Young-in, Director of the UN Office for Won Buddhism, said that as a young girl she dreamed of a “religious village” where believers of various religions could share love, grace, and mercy. “What I imagined,” she said, “I feel I can see fulfilled here today”.

Gen 2: “Courage and go ahead!”

On 15 April 80 Gen gathered at the Mariapolis Centre: 70 from Korea, 9 from Hong Kong and others were linked up from Japan and Chinese-speaking areas. They brought Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán the fruit of the work done in four workshops on how to incarnate the spirituality of unity in everyday life; relationships within and outside the Movement; the difficulties they face in finding their human and spiritual identity and their dreams for the Movement. Margaret said to them: “Our identity is one. We are not Gen first, and then become something else when, for example, we go to university. The gift of the spirituality that we have received makes us free people; it gives us the courage and strength to proclaim what we are and what we believe in, and I would also like to say to you what the Pope said to me when I was elected president: ‘courage and forward'”. One of the Gen said: ‘After Chiara’s departure,’, ‘there were moments when I felt nostalgia and darkness. Today, Margaret and Jesús’ closeness to us, their trust and listening have encouraged me a lot. They make me realise once again that Chiara’s legacy is a gift from God suitable for every age’.

The little town –armony

On 16 April, Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán went to the land that the Movement had received as a gift, about 70 kilometres south of Seoul, to fulfil a dream Chiara spoke of during her visit to Korea in 1982: the birth of a little town of formation and witness to Gospel life and the spirituality of unity for this part of Asia. In the presence of about 200 people – Focolare members, benefactors and friends who contributed in various ways – the land was blessed, and a medal of Mary was buried there as a seal. “Let us entrust this Work to her,” Margaret concluded, “and ask her to help us adhere to God’s plans that maybe we do not yet know, but He is greater than us and if we give Him our willingness and generosity, He will be able to work.”

Visiting Sungsimdang

It all started in 1956, with two sacks of flour used to make steamed bread to sell in front of Daejeon Station. Today, Sungsimdang has become the city’s most famous restaurant business and, with its 848 employees, has been living the spirit of the Economy of Communion (EoC) to the full since 1999. Margaret and Jesús visited it and had a joyful meeting with Fedes Im and his wife Amata Kim who are the owners and are Volunteers of the Movement. ‘I didn’t study administration or management,’ says Fedes, ‘but I followed Chiara. “Seek to do good before all people,” is the motto she gave to the business that serves 10,000 customers a day and has always lived sharing, bringing bread daily to more than 80 social assistance centres. But what is striking is the atmosphere and relationships in the workplace: “For us,” says their daughter Sole, who is head of the catering department, “all people have the same value: men and women, rich and poor, managers and employees, suppliers and customers. We try to put the person at the centre of all our decisions’. Jesús emphasised the importance of the business’s impact in the local area, an important part of companies operating in the EoC style, and Margaret compared their testimony to that of a little town of the Movement about which one can say, “come and see”. “And that,” she said, “is the greatest medicine the world is waiting for.”

Listening, knowing, sharing

Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán’ days in Korea were intense and varied, but there was also time for a tourist visit to the ancient site of Bulguksa, to learn about the roots of the national Buddhist culture. Located in beautiful parkland, with its thousand-year-old temples, they spent a truly regenerating day! There have also been many meetings with members of the Movement in this vast zone, such as the joyful afternoon with the focolarini and with some members of the Chinese-speaking area. The time with the 80 priests, and men and women religious was a ‘cenacle’ experience, with testimonies of faithfulness and authentic gospel life, in a profound conversation with Margaret and Jesús. Then, on 23 April, it was the turn of the long-awaited meeting with all the members of the Movement; 1,200 were present, with about 200 connected online from various countries. It was an amazing celebration, bringing together peoples and cultures that we would hardly ever see dancing and singing on the same stage, and rejoicing in each other’s beauty and richness. Perhaps that is why some called the event ‘a miracle’ and the seed of a society renewed by unity. In the dialogue, Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán answered questions on a variety of topics, together with the councillors Rita Moussallem and Antonio Salimbeni. These included the ‘design’ of the Asian continent, the relevance today of dialogue between religions. To the question on how to have a deeper relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, Jesús explained that it is not a matter of ‘feeling’ the relationship with Him, but of living it, because the Eucharist nourishes our whole person and makes us live as a body, in love for others”. Speaking of the decline in vocations in the Movement, Margaret said that for young people, personal relationships and the authentic witness of adults are important. “If our life is fruit of union with God and is coherent with the Gospel, they will be attracted, because they take inspiration from those who ‘dare’ to live for God and so they will understand where He is calling them”. To the last question on how our relationships must be in order to be able to dialogue with everyone, Margaret Karram answered with her own experience: “This year we have deepened our prayer life and our love for God, a ‘vertical’ love we might say, like those pine trees whose branches go upwards. The other day, while I was outside for a walk, I saw a tree that I liked very much: its branches were open, extending outwards; they intertwined with other trees. This is how our relationships should be: our arms should always be open, reaching out to others; we should have our hearts wide open to the joys, sorrows, and lives of all the people who pass us by.” It is ‘the hour of Asia’, Chiara Lubich wrote in 1986, during her first trip to these countries; today those words are manifesting all their relevance and prophetic value.

Stefania Tanesini

Ukraine: fundraising to support the people

Ukraine: fundraising to support the people

The contributions, collected through the NGOs Azione per un Mondo Unito (AMU) and Azione per Famiglie Nuove (AFN), will be used to provide the people of Ukraine with basic necessities, in collaboration with local Churches.

The Emergency Coordination Team of the Focolare Movement has launched a special fundraising campaign to support the people of Ukraine through the NGOs Azione per un Mondo Unito (AMU) and Azione per Famiglie Nuove (AFN).

“Kiev” by the painter Michel Pochet

Any donations received will be managed jointly by AMU and AFN to provide essential aid to the Ukrainian people for food, medical care, housing, heating and shelter in various Ukrainian cities, in collaboration with local Churches. Donations can be made online via the following sites: AMU: www.amu-it.eu/dona-online-3/ AFN: www.afnonlus.org/dona/ or by bank transfer to the following accounts:

Action for a United World ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX

Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX

Reason for donation: Ukraine Emergency

Tax benefits are available on such donations in various EU countries and other countries around the world, according to different local regulations. Italian taxpayers should be able to obtain income tax deductions and allowances, in accordance with the relevant regulations of each NGO.

Restyling and new features for focolare.org

Restyling and new features for focolare.org

Innovation is on the horizon for focolare.org users. The Focolare website will soon appear in a restyled format and with additional navigational features. This is a project which the International Centre of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa (Rome) has been developing over the last two years. The project aims at integrating the communication networks, carried out up till now by four separate publishing sectors (Website, Information Service, Mariapolis Newsletter, and Collegamento CH Worldwide Linkup), thus creating a unified “Communications Office”. Already operating since last February, this Office gathers news about the life of the Movement worldwide and transmits them through various media. Among its main objectives is to promote activities of the Focolare Movement, to communicate its life to a broader audience, and to contribute to a greater sharing of news among the various Focolare communities worldwide. The development of new communication technologies and trends called for the restyling of the website which includes a new graphic layout, significantly more minimalist in structure, and an upgraded navigational logic. The use of new applications will also allow for greater integration with the social media, and will enable users to access content in different and personalized modes. The new structure will, in fact, be mobile-friendly and as such will take into account the use of smartphones and other mobile technology in our daily life. It will focus on content that is brief and varied, available in different formats (text messages, infographics, video clips, etc). The contents of the current site, however, will not be lost. The static content will be published as an e-Book and in the future the news articles will be accessible through searchable archives. Also envisaged is a space, entitled “Mariapolis”, dedicated to news regarding many aspects of the life of the Focolare Movement. It bears the same name given to the traditional summer gatherings of the Focolare held around the world. The current print edition of the journal “Mariapolis” will be discontinued after December 2018. The digital version aims to be a virtual “community” open to anyone who wants to visit. A system of notifications will allow the users to choose when, which themes and channels, and the preferred device (PC, tablet or smartphone) they would like to receive the information on. Every two months, a “Mariapolis” newsletter in pdf format will deliver a summary of the main highlights. Happy surfing! Joachim Schwind

From Congo to Belgium, the journey of Belamy

From Congo to Belgium, the journey of Belamy

Clip video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymXHLfOal4U

Belamy Paluku comes from Goma, but is in Belgium for three month. In his Country, Congo, he is a member of the group Gen Fuoco, a band whose message draws its inspiration from the spirituality of unity, and is responsible for the “Foyer culturel”, a cultural centre in his city. Thanks to his musical talent, the Wallonie-Bruxelles Centre offered him a scholarship to study singing at Verviers, in Belgium. Belamy is a songwriter, whose songs highlight the search for peace, dialogue, the value of suffering. His most popular song is entitled “Nos couleurs et nos saveurs” (Our colours and our flavours),  which is an invitation to appreciate the different colours and tastes of the different peoples, because “a world with just one colour and with just one kind of food would be a very poor world”. In the video  which we are presenting to you, there is the interview of this young Congolese musician and that of a young Belgian girl.

Belamy Paluku

Belamy, you are from Goma, in Congo. In this moment you are in Belgium for an intercultural exchange for your specialization as a musician. How do you feel in such a different world? «I discover many people of different origins and I realize that each one always has something to give and to receive from others. The diversities of cultures and languages cannot stop us from living together and communicating.» And you Elisabeth, you were born in Belgium, what do you think about this welcoming people who come from all over the world? «It’s true that in Europe, and especially here in Brussels, there is an immense richness of nationalities and different cultures. Personally I have met some young people of the Focolare Movement from Syria, Slovakia, Italy etc. And what always helped me is also the art of loving which concretely makes you take the step towards the other. But I think that living one next to the other is not enough, we can take an extra step. The challenge for us Europeans, who perhaps are rather reserved, is precisely to go and meet the other person and to build bridges until we all become one family, until we truly recognize one another as brothers and sisters.» Belamy, is it from this exchange of riches that you wrote a song? «I come from a region with a constant danger of war sparking off between ethnic groups. This exchange of human and cultural riches seems to me a way to be followed towards the fulfillment of a world of sharing and tolerance. I began from our differences so as to cry out to the world that remaining together, united, we can unfold the puzzle of humanity.» Belamy Paluku is on facebook as Belamusik (the cultural centre of Goma) (more…)