10 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
Owing to the Coronavirus outbreak in many countries of the world, the International Focolare Centre at Rocca di Papa, Italy, issued a number of safety measures to prevent the spread of this contagious virus. The International Focolare Centre, located at Rocca di Papa (Rome – Italy), announced a number of preventive measures to help control the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic and have it stopped as soon as possible. These measures issued on March 9, are in accordance with the Italian Government decisions and as indicated by the Italian Bishops. They are in line with the nationwide coronavirus lockdown announced by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, when Italy has been declared a “protected zone” from March 10 until April 3. The measures issued are the following:
- All activities organized by the International Centre at Rocca di Papa or elsewhere in Italy, scheduled to take place during March, April and May 2020 have been These include activities planned for Chiara Lubich’s Centenary (1920-2020) and other various initiatives.
- There will be no group visits to the International Centre until the end of May 2020.
- Collaborators at the International Centre cancelled visits to places in Italy and abroad scheduled to take place till the end of May 2020.
- Weekday and Sunday Mass will not be celebrated at the Centre until April 3.
- The Centre guarantees its function for essential services, while collaborators will carry out ordinary work in a remote way.
Focolare Communication Office
10 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
Jesus’ teaching:“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is known as “the Golden Rule”(Mt 7,12), a universal principle found in different cultures, religions and traditions . Authentic human values, that build peace, lead to solidarity and contribute towards just personal and social relationships, are all based on this ethic of reciprocity. The hundredfold I live in a small town, where there are only a few shops, and you don’t always find what you need. One morning a poor, sick neighbour of mine knocked at my door and with a big smile on her face asked for some cooking oil. I needed the little I had for my own cooking, but I felt that I had to give it all to her. When I came to prepare lunch, I realized that I had to make do without oil, but I was happy. I was just going to handle the pot when someone knocked at my door. It was a nun; I have not seen her for quite some time because she lives far away. When I opened, she told me: “Come, I’ve something for you in the car.” And she gave me three boxes full of oil containers: a total of 54 litres. (G.V. – Burundi) If you give love… After 20 years of absence from our country, my wife and I were faced with the difficulties of settling again. At first, we felt like strangers; we had to start all over again, but we found strength in the words of the Gospel to open ourselves to others, rebuild old relationships and make new friends. As we were not young when we got married, we decided that if we would have no children, we would give the warmth of a family to those who do not have one. So we started the process of adoption. Some months ago we received the news of the arrival of Veronica and Carlos, two little siblings from Brazil. We shared their photos with our new acquaintances, and we went to Rio to pick them up. When we came back, a great welcome awaited us; a huge banner with a welcome sign for Veronica and Carlos was put up in our street, and there were lots of balloons and messages on the veranda of our house. We were also given clothes and other necessary things for these two children. How can we ever forget the great support we have received! We are more than ever convinced that if you give love, you receive love. (M.S.F. – Spain) A Conspiracy of love My mother-in-law was living alone; then she came to live with us, even though she had daughters who could welcome her. Her presence, very well accepted by my children, was an additional commitment for me, as I already had the family to look after. She suffered of some form of arteriosclerosis, that made her talk to herself without realizing that she was being heard, and she often spoke ill of me. My children laughed at this situation, even though it really hurt me. Was this the thank you for the care I was giving her? One day, when she was down with flu, our conversation at table fell on grandmother’s odd behaviour. My husband was very upset, but together we decided to live “a conspiracy of love”, which meant a greater effort to love grandma more and better. This was one of the most educational and fruitful moments in our family life.The many relatives, who often come to visit grandmother, are amazed at the atmosphere that reigns in our family. (C.S. – Italy)
Stefania Tanesini (taken from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, anno VI, n.2, March-April 2020)
9 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
Practical help, community building and stories of hope from all over the world are spreading the “antivirus” of fraternity. “It is no longer ‘I’m afraid of catching this virus’ or even ‘I couldn’t care less about catching the virus.’ I need to take care of OTHER PEOPLE. I worry about you. I keep my distance for you. I wash my hands for you. I give up that trip for you. I’m not going to the concert for you. I’m not going go to the shopping centre for you. This is an opportunity to turn an emergency into a time of solidarity.” A young Italian woman from the Focolare Movement posted this message on Facebook. She is appealing for a radical change of mentality and action as her country rises to second place in the world ranking of nations affected by the Coronavirus. As this virus continues to spread, it is affecting countries across the world in a variety of different ways – health care systems, schools and the economy are in crisis in some areas. The economist, Luigino Bruni, international coordinator of the Economy of Communion wrote, “Although we understand the concerns of many leading economists at the moment, we believe that the task of “civil enterprises” does not end in merely calculating the damage and in contributing to the spread of alarm. This is the moment to demonstrate that the State is us and that corporate social responsibility is not only a marketing tool but is a genuine practice that is activated especially during times of crisis. It pays attention to common goods (health, work), practices correct communication, formulates concrete and sustainable proposals with an overall vision, initiates practical action in support of the most vulnerable people and enhances a system made up of companies, families, schools, universities, organizations and bodies that become protagonists of a new and indispensable proactive solidarity.” Bruni referred to a recent example of social responsibility. Mahmoud Ghuniem Loutfi, who works as a delivery man in Turin, Italy, bought masks for the local Red Cross out of gratitude to the city that welcomed him and which has become his home. He did not think about the impact this would have on his finances but asked himself what he could do for his community, and, therefore, also for himself. Mahmoud’s story is typical of the many examples of cooperation, sharing and solidarity we are seeing at the moment. Gloria, a young girl who knows the Focolare in Hong Kong explained how technology is helping people to stay in contact. “We try to organize meetings by videoconference so we can stay united during this special period. Also, the fact that we have to spend more time at home with our family means we have the opportunity to understand one another better and share problems more.” Caritas Lee lives in Ulsan, Korea. He told us about a fundraising activity at his university. “The goal was to raise 500,000 won (€380). Everyone was making small donations but I kept thinking about the 1595 people who had been identified as suffering from the virus at the time. Then a wonderful thing happened: a total of 46 million won (€35,360) was collected. This was donated to the diocesan hospital and the Daegu health district, the region most affected. After this initiative, other universities wanted to raise funds to help the health system. In addition, many volunteers as well as doctors and nurses began to offer their services for free in the hospitals. Another thing is that some landlords are not expecting their tenants to pay their monthly rent and some people are leaving food in front of houses for those who can’t go out.” Yopi lives right in Daegu. His house is near a hospital so you can hear ambulance sirens all the time. “At first, when I heard them, I prayed for the patients. Then I started to feel anxious. With the beginning of Lent I decided to pray the rosary every day. Slowly the anxiety has given way to peace in my heart.” Micaela Mi Hye Jeong wrote from Gumi, also in Korea. “Here we’re preparing 150 masks to be distributed where the need is most urgent. We thought that instead of getting disposable masks that pollute the environment, we could make them ourselves from washable cotton. During a time when we are frozen with fear, it’s as if my heart is beginning to feel warm again because of the opportunity to practically live what the Gospel teaches.” In Brazil, Armando, an Economy of Communion entrepreneur, has a company that supplies the health sector. “During this period, the cost of masks and disinfectant has risen by up to 500%,” he said. “I asked myself how, in this situation, I could witness to what I believe in and live for? I decided to go against market prices by selling my products at prices 50% (or more) lower than my competitors. What is more, my employees have all supported this policy.” In Italy, some young people from the Castelli Romani area have offered to go shopping in local supermarkets and provide free home delivery. “If you are over 70 years of age or have health problems and, as a precaution, you prefer to stay at home, we will take care of your shopping,” the WhatsApp message reads. “Don’t think about shopping, let’s get over this quickly.”
Civil Defence volunteers engaged in health checks at the “Milano Malpensa” airport.
Lorenzo Russo
9 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
Paolo Balduzzi continues his journey looking at the story of Chiara and the Focolare. This time he goes to Rome where Chiara met Igino Giordani, the first co-founder of the Movement. With him the charism opened up to ecumenism, politics and a thousand different applications in society. https://vimeo.com/389431555
7 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
400 young people, 56 countries, 16 languages, 4 days: WeGENerate! Last January, myself and Luisa (a friend of mine from Brazil) spoke with 400 Gen (young people of the Focolare Movement) in Trent, Northern Italy. We asked them a question: did they want to be the United World Generation? Did they want to be the generation who will deliver a united world by 2050. 77 years earlier, Chiara Lubich and her friends made a phrase of the Gospel ‘that all may be one’ (Jn 17:21) the aim and mission of their life. When I was at the International Gen 2 Congress ‘WeGENerate’ last month, with a group of young people the same age as Chiara was when she said this ‘Yes’ to the Gospel, I thought for the first time that this Ut Omnes prayer might be a question, rather than a simple statement of prayer. A question, because, this prayer requires an answer. A question because they are not only nice words to pray, but they challenge the reader to live the answer. A question because ‘Ut Omnes’ is a questionable subject and it’s not ‘a given’ that it’s even possible. The question that Luisa and I asked last month (do you want to be the United World Generation?) was only, then, a reformulation of the question that Chiara Lubich answered in 1943. We put a date on the end of the question to see if we, the Gen, really wanted to answer this question. Instead of answering the question with words, the Gen decided to organise. On one of the afternoons, 400 Gen from 56 countries with translation in 16 languages planned local and global actions to fight corruption, lessen inequality, stop climate change, reactivate dialogue and prevent conflict. We answered this Ut Omnes question by planning advocacy training and global formation activities to protect democracy, prevent conflict, fight corruption and stop inequality. We answered this Ut Omnes question by promoting the #CleanPlate, #GreenDay #ClearPlasticJarChallenge and CarPooling campaigns to combat environmental problems. We answered this Ut Omnes question by imagining platforms and apps to unlock dialogue; by breaking down ignorance and building relationships. Mark from Syria answered this question by affirming his intention to return to Syria and help rebuild his country. Victor answered this question by challenging himself to be a living realisation of the charism of unity in Venezuela. Joelle answered this question by promising to bring this message of unity and love back to Lebanon. Contexts which are not dissimilar to the context in which Chiara answered this question in 1943. Many people, like Mark, Joelle and Victor, will make their way to Trent this year to encounter the city that shaped Chiara Lubich. They will visit the exhibition, they will take the tour of the city, they will encounter a community of people who are living to build unity in that beautiful city. They will travel to Trent hoping to understand the roots of Chiara’s story and the story of the Focolare Movement. From my experience at this congress, if you really want to travel to the roots of the story of Chiara Lubich, you need to ask yourself the question that she answered in 1943: that all may be one? And then ask yourself, do you believe it’s possible to be one? And if yes, what am I going to do about it?
Conleth Burns
4 Mar 2020 | Non categorizzato
We went to Great Britain a few days before Brexit, when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. We met many people, including the community of the Focolare, to see what has happened and what their hopes for the future are. https://vimeo.com/389431416
