16 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
Every little gesture of love, every kind act and each smile we give transforms our existence and fills it with a continuous and fruitful sense of expectation. Children’s Choir Jesus is present in everyone and so, before the Christmas holidays, we decided to visit the local hospital with a group of children to bring some cheer to the patients. We were hoping to sing some carols. We were not allowed to enter the children’s ward but we were given permission to perform in the hospital entrance hall. It was surprising to see the complete change in the visitors: many of them came in with a very serious expression on their face but, as soon as they saw the children singing, they began to smile. Several of them came back to listen together with the patients they had come to visit. Other patients who were not waiting for visitors were brought to the large hall to listen to the performance. Some of them even joined in with the choir. The hospital staff were also very happy about the atmosphere that we created. The management team has already invited us for next year and has promised that we can sing on the children’s ward. (N.L. – Netherlands) In the kitchen I work hard as a cook in a kindergarten school. One day, when I was listening to the school-keeper say that he regarded every child as treasure to be protected, I realised that I had never thought of putting any love into what I was doing. Now, however, I have begun to use my imagination because I have understood that every meal is nourishment for people who, one day, will have the world in their hands. Sometimes I hide a little surprise “treasure” in the dishes I prepare or I arrange the food in a different way. The children show such joy and surprise – you really don’t know the impact a little act of love can produce. (K.J. – Korea) The accident My work at the drug rehabilitation centre had become overwhelming. I was taken up by the thousands of things to do but found no satisfaction in anything. I felt a sense of emptiness within and God seemed always further away. One very wet evening, I was coming home when the car I was in skidded, crashed into a wall and ended up on the opposite side of the road. I was taken to hospital and as I waited in the casualty room, the sight of a crucifix hanging on the wall gave me courage. While the doctors were examining me, I felt a gentle sense of peace: it was a feeling I had not known for a long time. Fortunately, apart from minor injuries and bruises, I was not seriously hurt and so I was discharged quite quickly. I needed to rest in bed for some time but there were always lots of people around me, lots of telephone calls and lots of gifts. I was very touched by the fact that many of the people I know who are suffering from various forms of addiction visited regularly. They said, “You survived because you are doing some good in the world.” My work colleagues were also very supportive and it became obvious that we had built a solid bond. Thanks to that enforced rest, I began to want to pray again; I think I have understood why God has not yet taken me to be with him. (Lucia – Italy) Washing dishes In the parish, we organised a party for homeless people and gave them a hot meal. At the end, there was a lot of rubbish to clear up and pots and pans and dishes to wash. In the kitchen, the parish priest had already begun to tackle the washing-up and was, obviously, happy with the evening. I was struck when he said, “Everything is prayer” and I asked him: “Doing the dishes too?” He said, “Your greatest treasure is understanding that everything has immense value because behind that pot you are washing there is a neighbour who needs you.” From then onwards, my heavy work as a bricklayer, my children who needed to be taken to the nursery and even the light to repair … everything became an opportunity for me to go beyond the action itself and transform it into something sacred. (G.F. – ltaly)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019)
15 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
The phenomenon of forced migration to Europe remains one of the unresolved issues in the debate between EU countries. Too divided by particular interests to identify a common policy, inspired by the principles of solidarity and sustainability. We talked about it with Pasquale Ferrara, Italian ambassador in Algeria. According to the UNHCR*, 75,522 migrants landed by sea on the European coasts of Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain and Greece from January 1st to October 21st 2019. In addition, 16,322 migrants arrived by land in Greece and Spain for a total of 91,844 people, of which 9,270 in Italy, 2,738 in Malta, 1,183 in Cyprus, 25,191 in Spain, 53,462 in Greece. Data that follow a decreasing trend ( in migration) and documents the emergency phase, but are not enough for Europe to start a broad and constructive dialogue on the subject: the prospect of the creation of a European system of flow management remains very remote, and in general the comparison at the institutional level does not take into account the perspective of African countries. In Algiers we joined the Italian Ambassador, Pasquale Ferrara: (2ND PART) It has long been said that it is necessary to formally establish a collaboration with the countries of North Africa, but also with those of transit. Good intentions but few concrete facts… To move on to concrete facts, we must take note of the reality, of the fact that the African countries, especially those of the North we consider transit countries, which are themselves countries of destination for emigration. Egypt is home to over 200,000 refugees on its territory, while in 2018 just over 120,000 people arrived in the whole of Europe. The few hundred illegal migrants who arrive from Algeria are all Algerians, not sub-Saharan migrants who pass through Algeria, because often these migrants stay here. Moreover, these countries do not accept programs aimed at creating “hotspots” for sub-Saharan migrants. Here the Turkish model does not work, where the European Union has given 6 billion euros to manage camps where more than 4 million Syrian and other refugees are accommodated. The operation worked in Turkey because there was war in Syria and because of Turkey’s strategic interests. In Africa the phenomena are very different and other ways have to be found. What forms of collaboration could work? We don’t need asymmetrical collaborations but equal partnerships. We must bear in mind that it is not only we Europeans who have a migration problem, and so it is necessary to respect these countries with their internal needs, including those of migration. Only then can we try together to manage the phenomenon. For example, there are already cooperation agreements between Italy and Algeria dating back to 2000 and 2009 that work well. What do they include? The joint management of the migratory phenomenon in terms of the fight against exploitation and trafficking of human beings, the trans-national criminality that uses the phenomenon to finance itself, the danger of terrorist infiltration. There are also provisions for the agreed, orderly and dignified repatriation of illegal migrants. There is talk that Western countries must support African countries in order to create better living conditions thus discouraging migration. How viable is this? Under the current conditions of the international economy and political culture, I see it as impractical and, all in all, ineffective. Firstly, we are already talking about a billion Africans: no European or world ‘Marshall Plan’ could address such demographic dimensions. Among other things, Africa is very diverse, there are countries in advanced development conditions: Ghana has a higher rate of technological innovation than several developed countries; Angola is a very resource-rich country that is trying to reorganise its economic structure in a more participatory way. We have leaders, such as the new Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is 42 years old and looks to the new generations. He has already planted 350 million trees in a worldwide reforestation program called the Trillion Tree Campaign. Uganda is experiencing a period of strong development. The problem is rather the dramatic and unfair economic disparities, and here the West can intervene by helping to improve the governance of these countries, so that it is more inclusive and participatory. But let us remember that these are the same problems of socio-economic polarization that we have in Europe: unfortunately, we cannot give many lessons in this field. Reflecting on the migratory phenomenon at an institutional level, the economic dimension is at the forefront, while the human dimension is neglected. What does it mean to put human person at the centre of the migratory problem? Behind every migrant there is a story, a family, a rough journey, the difficulty of obtaining money and perhaps debts with criminal organizations. Of course we cannot allow illegal immigration because everything must be done in accordance with the law, but giving value to the human dimension means taking into account this past and not seeing these people as numbers that arrive on board boats or by land. I was deeply struck by the story of that 14-year-old boy from Mali, found at the bottom of the sea with a school report with excellent marks sewn into his jacket. That is a story that leaves us speechless. And behind it is a family tragedy, a human tragedy, a torn social fabric. I recommend Cristina Cattaneo’s beautiful book, “Shipwrecked without a face. Giving a name to the victims of the Mediterranean”. But let’s not forget also the stories of our Navy – in particular that of the commander Catia Pellegrino – who saved thousands of shipwrecked people. People, faces, real events. * https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean (read part 1 of the interview)
Edited by Claudia Di Lorenzi
13 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
Inauguration of the exhibition “Chiara Lubich World City” in Tonadico di Primiero “Chiara cannot be understood without situating her in the context in which she is lived”. With these words, Jesús Morán, co-president of the Focolare Movement on Sunday, December 8th , concluded the speeches of the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition dedicated to Chiara Lubich which opened at Palazzo Scopoli in Tonadico di Primiero the day after that of Trent. “During the war Chiara dedicated herself to her city, Trento, but it was in Primiero, in 1949, that God gave her the key to understanding what she was called to do. Chiara found the light here, in the mountains, but it is necessary to go to Trento and to every city to understand the consequences of her charism. This is the deep bond between the two exhibitions, where Tonadico’s is not an appendix to Trento’s, but the story of a decade of light. 
The gratitude of the Primiero valley was expressed in different tones by the Councillor for Culture Francesca Franceschi (“Primiero represents the origin, the retreat where Chiara found answers to her questions”), by the Deputy Mayor Paolo Secco (“Our task is not only to keep alive the memory, but to be a community that responds to the ideal inspirations that moved Chiara”), by the President of the Primiero Community, Roberto Pradel (“Chiara dedicated herself to building relationships between people: may the seed she sowed bear fruit”). Giuseppe Ferrandi, Director of the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino, illustrated the deeper meaning of the two exhibitions: “For the first time our Foundation has created an exhibition dedicated to someone: the person of Chiara has to be dealt with by not only Trento but also others. Trentino, which can claim her birth, must discover the dimension of strong attachment to traditions alive in Chiara, the result of relationships, but without stopping at them to open up to the world in order not to be sterile. Who better than Chiara Lubich can guarantee us this capacity for relationships that the world needs today? Alba Sgariglia, co-responsible for the Chiara Lubich Centre, expressed the gratitude of the whole Movement to the Foundation: “We worked in tandem for this historical stage. From here, from these mountains, Chiara projected herself towards the whole of humanity: this is the mission that she understood here. Annamaria Rossi and Giuliano Ruzzier, curators of the exhibition with Maurizio Gentilini, underlined its characteristics: large images, quotations and brief captions flow along the walls of Palazzo Scopoli, right in front of that chalet where Chiara and some of her first companions went to rest in the summer of 1949. On the ground floor of the palace, which preserves the detachments of the frescoes from the chapel of San Vittore, there are some writings and essential memories of that summer and videos of the first Mariapolis, the summer holidays, which until 1959, year after year, were enriched with people of different vocations, cultures and backgrounds. The witness of the “little towns ” of the Movement in the world, the permanent Mariapoli, in which today, as in the experience of Primiero, unity is possible – it is experienced and witnessed to.
Paolo Crepaz
10 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
Schönstatt leaders from various European countries visited the Focolare’s international headquarters at Rocca di Papa near Rome on 20 November. On Wednesday 20 November, leaders from the Schönstatt Movement from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Switzerland visited the Focolare’s international headquarters at Rocca di Papa. The group included Fr. Heinrich Walter, former president of the General Presidium of Schönstatt. One of the goals of the visit was “meeting Chiara” by visiting her house and praying at her tomb. A second objective for the leaders of Schönstatt was to open a dialogue with Focolare about the social and political changes in Europe, the role of the Movement with their charism, and the significance of the communion between them, especially Together for Europe – in the context of ecclesial, political and cultural transformation. The delegation was welcomed to the Focolare’s centre by Co-president Jesús Morán and a number of its councillors. In order to put the charisms at the service of the good of the continent, it quickly emerged in the dialogue that there was a need to carry out cultural projects that were the product of each organisation’s talents, as well as the communion between each of them. The meeting and the dialogue were also made up of less formal activities, which were valuable and productive. This was obviously just a single step on what has become a long journey or communion and collaboration between Schönstatt and Focolare, which began at St. Peter’s Square in Rome on the vigil of Pentecost 1998. Beyond that, for 20 years by now, ever since the beginning Schönstatt has also been part of that network of movements and communities that make up Together for Europe. Fr. Heinrich Walter is an effective member of the committee directing it. Close relationships, characterised by unity between Christians of various churches and confessions, have grown between Focolare and Schönstatt these years, as well as beyond it. It is a unity that requires deep, true reconciliation, which is considered a direct gateway to unity while maintaining the necessary diversity that enriches and completes each other. The Schönstatt Movement was founded by Fr. Josef Kentenich in 1914 at Schönstatt, near Koblenz in Germany, and has an educational charism.
Severin Schmid
9 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
Keep awake: is an invitation to keep our eyes open, to recognize the signs of God’s presence in history, in everyday life and to help others, who live in the dark, find the path of life. Another child “Are you prepared to have more children when you already have three?” asked a friend of mine. I answered that each child is a unique gift and that the experience of motherhood cannot be compared to any other, because the joy of a new birth is beneficial for the whole family. I also spoke about the economic aspect that mysteriously seems to emphasize that every child is wanted by Heaven. My friend, then, shared with me that she was expecting her second child, and together with her husband she was planning to have an abortion. A new creature would compromise the family’s economic situation, she remarked. When we came to part, she stated: “I feel ready for a new motherhood”. (PA. – Italy) Give trust When a cousin of mine came over to visit us, small objects disappeared from our house and then reappeared in his parents’ house. Mum shared this very gently with my cousin’s parents, but they were so hurt that our families ties were broken. As Christians, we wanted to do our best to change this unhappy situation, and the opportunity cropped up when my cousin, now a teenager, was expelled from school because he was caught stealing from his companions. My father spoke to the parents and suggested the name of a specialist who could help my cousin. Amidst great pain and shame, they had to admit that their son was a kleptomaniac. My mother came up with idea to spend our holidays together with them, while she helped us children to be generous and show full trust in our cousin. My cousin was very happy. The whole family benefitted from psychotherapeutic assistence and also medicines. One day, when my aunt was talking about her family, she confided: “Our pride made us feel superior.We were sick of arrogance “. (J.G. – Spain) Justice and understanding I am a magistrate in a locality scourged by the Mafia presence. It happened that while I was questioning for very long hours a prisoner burdened with a lot of crime, I was asked if I would like to have something to eat. I agreed, as long as the prisoner would have something to eat too. Shocked with this simple gesture of mine, the prisoner almost couldn’t believe it. But suddenly I was gripped with the fear of finding myself face to face with the offender during breaktime and I felt like going away. At the same moment another thought flashed to my mind: “If I am here to love this neighbour of mine, I have nothing to fear”. I continued the interrogation with the same attitude towards him: I tried to make him understand the gravity of his deeds, but without judging him and speaking very calmly to him. Sometime later he wrote to me from prison. Did he write to ask for a less severe judicial sentence? No, he wrote at length to share all his miseries and ask for understanding. It was strange that he wrote it to me when I had issued a a sentence against him. Evidently, something must have struck him. (Elena – Italy)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019)
8 Dec 2019 | Non categorizzato
Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Focolare founder’s birth were inaugurated in Trent. The “Seal of St. Wenceslas” was awarded to Maria Voce by the autonomous Province of Trent. “Chiara Lubich city world” is the title of the exhibition that was inaugurated on December 7, at the “Tunnels Gallery”, Trent. This event opened the centenary celebrations that mark the 100th anniversary of the Focolare founder’s birth. This exhibition is under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and is being promoted by the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation in collaboration with the Chiara Lubich Centre. Giuseppe Ferrandi, the Director of the Historical Museum Foundation introduced the speeches delivered during the inauguration ceremony. In these speeches, Chiara Lubich emerged as a figure with a very broad-minded personality, deeply rooted in the history, culture and traditions of the Trentino region, endowed with a charism, through which she spoke a universal language and crossed every geographical and cultural border to promote her message of peace and brotherhood. The exhibition offers an engaging and interactive journey, which helps the visitor to get to know Chiara Lubich, while promoting a commitment towards those values that marked her life. During this celebration, the Province of Trent awarded the “Seal of St. Wenceslas ” to Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement. It was stated that Trent wanted to confer this award to the Focolare President “for her ability and tireless commitment to shed light on the values of unity and peace”. Maria Voce answered: “I am truly grateful and moved by this recognition. And as it accentuates the values of Chiara Lubich and the Focolare Movement, I feel that it is for the whole Movement”. “Two words come to mind when I think of Chiara Lubich: charism and prophecy”. Giorgio Postal, President of the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation said these words during the inauguration of the exhibition. And he continued: “So, questioning ourselves about Chiara and placing her in history becomes a way to face the challenges we encounter both as a society and as individuals”. Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Province of Trent said: “We feel proud to be part of this journey, which provides us with the opportunity to get to know and understand deeper the great message of Chiara Lubich, an exceptional woman from Trent, who managed to give her remarkable message of peace and unity to the whole world” Mgr. Lauro Tisi, Archbishop of Trent, invited everyone, especially the Focolare Movement, to “make the God of Chiara known” so as to contribute towards a complete change in the narration of God. During this year, we are all invited to make known “this God who irrevocably protects all”. “From this vision of God love”, he concluded, “springs a positive vision of creation, of nature, of man and of the body”. This invitation was immediately accepted by Jesús Morán, the Co-President of the Focolare, who recalled that the motto of the Centenary is “Celebrate to meet” Chiara Lubich, a woman who “lived unity at 360°and gave us the navigation chart for the third millennium”. “This centenary will be an extraordinary opportunity to discover Chiara in so many ways”, said Alessandro Andreatta,the Mayor of Trent. “She was a woman of encounter, of dialogue, of unity, of faith, of service, of hope. She was at the heart of the Church and of humanity”. Lorenzo Dellai, former Mayor of Trent, who gave Chiara Lubich the seal of the city in 1995, recalled how she urged the people of Trent to live up to the spirit of this city. “I think that today there is an ever-increasing need for this charism, this prophecy”. Senator Stanislao Di Piazza, under-secretary of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, delivered the message in the name of the Italian Government. “Chiara was a person who had a particular love for Italy”, he said, while he recalled her meetings with politicians from all parties to promote the value of fraternity, so that “a new political model could be created”. Messages were also delivered by the various representatives of similar exhibitions that will be set up during the year in Mexico City, Sydney, Mumbai, São Paulo, Jerusalem, Algiers and Nairobi. This project is under the patronage of the Council of Europe. Although these exhibitions will be similar to the one inTrent, yet each will have its own particular characteristic: for the one in São Paulo it will be the the Economy of Communion project launched by Chiara Lubich in Brazil; the one in Sydney will project the aspect of a multicultural land; Jerusalem, a city that maybe more than any other needs peace and brotherhood. The one in India was represented by the message of Stefania Constanza, the Italian consul in Mumbai. Among those present for the inauguration, there were Veronica Cimino, vice-mayor of Rocca di Papa (Rome); Francesca Franceschi, town councillor of Primiero San Martino di Castrozza; Alba Sgariglia and Joao Manoel Motta, co-responsible for the Chiara Lubich Centre and the curators of the exhibition Giuliano Ruzzier, Anna Maria Rossi and Maurizio Gentilini, the author of the recent biography of the Focolare founder. Numerous relatives of Chiara Lubich were also present. _________ The exhibition at the “Tunnels Gallery” will be open till December 7, 2020 (Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 18:00). Translations in the main European languages are availlable. Admission is free. Besides the three sections of the exhibition set up in the “Tunnels Gallery”, there is another section that was inaugurated on December 8, 2019. This section has been set up in Palazzo Scopoli, in Tonadico, in the mayorship of Primiero San Martino di Castrozza (Tn). It is dedicated to the years 1949-1959: from Chiara Lubich’s profound spiritual experience lived in Primiero during the summer of 1949 to the summer Mariapolis that took place there until 1959.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
