In Japan, a group of women of different religions has set up the ‘CommuniHeart project’, a suicide prevention project that focuses on self-awareness, communication and community support. The CommuniHeart project is organised by Religions for Peace Japan (World Conference of Religions for Peace). https://youtu.be/NPs9U3pfLZs
The level reached by artificial intelligence poses new ethical questions: how can technological development be progressed on a human scale? A Call to Action for developers and innovators in the digital world. A horizon that concerns us all. June 2023, Sophia University Institute: on the screen of the Aula Magna a digital hostess elegantly opens the seminar “Towards a Digital Oath”. We are crossing a threshold: the preparation began a long time ago, but the acceleration of recent times says something new. 
Promoted by a platform of protagonists: the Sophia Global Studies Research Centre, the Political Movement for Unity, NetOne, New Humanity and Digital Oath, the aim of the seminar is to address the pressing issues of the digital world according to different perspectives: philosophical, technological, ethical, social and political, leading up to a discussion about the proposal of an “oath”, that for professionals in the digital world would be equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath for doctors. Where does this idea come from? What are the goals? The technological world tends to change rapidly, faster than our ability to adapt. The complexity of the machines and systems that structure reality affects not only the way we live, but also the way we see the world and think about the future. The level reached by “AI – artificial intelligence”, alongside enthusiasm for its operational capabilities, presents a general concern about the new possibilities being opened up by these systems and the effects that can result from their malicious use. The recent spread of ChatGPT (November 2022) and all its spin-offs has brought AI massively closer to our daily lives, giving rise to new questions of meaning related to the understanding of what is human and what is not. In the world panorama, the evolution of these devices has produced a kind of disorientation, not only because their use appears within the reach of everyone, but above all because they 
demonstrate that they do something that was previously the prerogative of human beings, with quantitatively superior capacities. The fact that we are faced with systems that are not “intelligent” in the human sense of the term and that manage their knowledge base through statistical calculations does not change the final result: the feeling of no longer being the authors of fundamental choices, of being challenged by machines that are less like “tools” and more like “colleagues”. The “Towards a Digital Oath” seminar added an important theme to these issues which is that questioning the ethics of technologies means questioning what is human. Many people consider technological development as the human activity that characterizes us most. Digital technologies, and in particular AI, are those that most accurately reflect our way of being and of understanding our existence. The crises of the last century (of values, environmental, social and political) are closely related to them and indicate that technological development must be accompanied by an equally determined educational commitment, so that every form of progress can be guided by a deeper ethical awareness. The “oath” for the digital world goes precisely in this direction. The programme of the first days of June convened a range of experts (link to the programme). After an initial broad overview of today’s digital technologies, the discussion explored the risks and regulations related to their use in Italy, the EU, the US, Brazil and China, intertwining technological solutions with political issues, philosophical reflections and social phenomena. Fadi Chehadé, former CEO of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), promoter of the “oath” for an ethics of the digital world and visiting professor at the Sophia Institute, said, “We need to make a concrete and universally shared commitment to which developers, technicians and users of digital technologies can adhere and firmly anchor their work on a human centred approach”. Fadi Chehadé has been involved in this project since November 2019, when the first group met in Trent (Italy) to shape the project. Subsequently, the group involved scholars in various countries and participated in the UN-sponsored public consultation for the Global Digital Compact 2024. The purpose of the Digital Oath is precise: to suggest guidelines and ethically motivate developers and innovators of the digital world to put the dignity and quality of life of people and communities, the sense of human existence and respect for fundamental rights and the environment, at the centre. The proposal to “translate” the Hippocratic Oath for the digital world has already emerged in various international studies, which underline the urgency of the issue and the responsibility of those who create and manage digital services and administer data. It includes not only the new neural networks but also social networks and cryptocurrencies. Our work adds to that of other networks: now we need to join forces to establish a coalition between universities, the private sector and organizations committed to writing a code of ethics, a self-regulatory protocol that can benefit people, society and the environment. There is an initial wording of the oath on the new Digital Oath website and it is attracting support; suggestions and changes to the text are welcome and it will be progressively developed. The recordings and documents of the Seminar will soon be available on the website. The road is certainly uphill but there are many of us on the journey: it is a horizon that concerns us all.
Andrea Galluzzi
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church held its fifteenth plenary session from 1st-7th June 2023 in Alexandria, Egypt. It was hosted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Agreement was reached on a new document entitled “Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today”. We interviewed theologian Piero Coda, who attended the meeting. Fr. Coda, can you tell us how it went, who took part and what was the main objective? It was the 15th plenary session of the “Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church” which was held in Alexandria, Egypt, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Job of Pisidia (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) and Cardinal Kurt Koch (Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity), with the cordial hospitality of Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria. It was a question of completing the stage of dialogue inaugurated by the document of Ravenna (2007). After developing the theological framework shared by Orthodox and Catholics about the interdependence of synodality and primacy in the life of the Church, it provided an historical examination of the situation experienced in the first millennium, proposed by the document of Chieti (2016) and reached a description of the situation experienced in the second millennium, which was the object of the document approved in Alexandria. Due to the well-known vicissitudes which torment the Orthodox world, the Patriarchate of Russia left the work of the Commission. There were no representatives of the Patriarchates of Antioch, Bulgaria and Serbia at the meeting in Alexandria, while the remaining 10 delegations of the other Patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Romania, Georgia) and the autocephalous Churches (Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) were present. In what terms is it possible to speak of Synodality in the ecumenical sense and what considerations emerged also taking the past into account? The theme is illustrated in the Introduction: “The present document considers the troubled history of the second millennium (…) It strives to give as far as possible a common reading of that history, and it gives Orthodox and Roman Catholics a welcome opportunity to explain themselves to one another at various points along the way, so as to further the mutual understanding and trust that are essential prerequisites for reconciliation at the start of the third millennium.” The result is a clearer and more shared understanding of the reasons that have led, not infrequently for reasons of a historical-political rather than theological nature, to encourage a distance that has not only prevented attempts at reconciliation made over the centuries from coming to fruition, but has exacerbated the polemical interpretation of the other party and the apologetic stiffening of its position. The enhancement of openness to a new situation marked by the rapprochement that occurred in the twentieth century must be noted: it favours a more pertinent assessment of the actual meaning and theological weight of what still prevents full and visible unity. What are the future prospects? The document emphasizes that the “return to the sources” of the faith and the strategy of the dialogue of charity between the “sister Churches” promoted, in the wake of Vatican II, by Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, are significant. The Catholic Church’s commitment today, tenaciously desired by Pope Francis, to rediscover and reactivate the principle of synodality also stimulates hope. What lies ahead? The document states that, “The Church is not properly understood as a pyramid, with a primate governing from the top, but neither is it properly understood as a federation of self-sufficient Churches. Our historical study of synodality and primacy in the second millennium has shown the inadequacy of both of these views. Similarly, it is clear that for Roman Catholics synodality is not merely consultative, and for Orthodox primacy is not merely honorific”. Therefore, the interdependence between synodality and primacy, this was the firm point which was achieved, “is a fundamental principle in the life of the Church. It is intrinsically related to the service of the unity of the Church at the local, regional and universal levels. However, principles must be applied in specific historical settings (…) What is required in new circumstances is a new and proper application of the same governing principle.” This perspective paves the way for the continuation of the journey and the opening of a new phase.
Carlos Mana e Maria Grazia Berretta (photo: ©Dicastero per la promozione dell’Unità dei cristiani)
Entering into prayer helps us connect deeply with the presence of God in our lives. Chiara Lubich, Rev. Pasquale Foresti and Igino Giordani outline a spirituality for everyone, in daily life in towns and cities all over the world. I realized, that modern times require a rather special kind of prayer. … In the past, people thought that the world and the universe were fixed, immovable. People had to find God through the stars, through flowers, through contemplation, peace, they found union with God through moments of recollection and prayer in the church, in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Instead, nowadays, people see that the world is in evolution – it’s constantly changing. Everything is changing and human beings also find themselves in this constant movement, they too are in race towards perfection. So, people can no longer stand still and contemplate, they have to … participate with God in this evolution, in this continuing creation. So, everything you do in your job – at school, in the office, in the factory – is all part of building up the world together with God the Creator, of making the world develop. However, we have to take it ahead with the idea that we are participating in the creative work of God. Seen this way, our work is sacred. We are like the arms of God the Creator who keeps building up the world.
(Chiara Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, 25 February 1989 in “Il Respiro di Dio” [The Breath of God] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Città Nuova, 2022, p.122-123).
A very important form of prayer can be experienced in work. I am thinking especially of people working in manufacturing, of all those people who during the day are overwhelmed by a workload that almost takes away their very ability to think and so, in a certain sense, also makes it almost impossible for them to pray. If each morning, with a simple intention, we offer our daily life to God, then we will live deeply in relationship with God throughout the day. And I think that when in the evening, these people who have worked so hard, are able to recollect themselves with God, even if only for a few moments despite their tiredness, they will find unity with him: they will find it because they have worked all day in relationship with him. And this is truly the most important thing: to be in a right relationship with him. And this, after all, is what humanity wants to hear today, that the whole universe and all that happens in it, can be understood in religious terms and can be transformed into one great prayer that rises up to God from the world.
Rev. Pasquale Foresi (in “Dio ci chiama. Conversazioni sulla vita cristiana” [God calls. Talks on Christian life] Città Nuova, 2003, p.116).
This morning I felt as if I had come closer to God. I don’t think I had ever felt him so close to me. My joy was, and is, great. I feel that I have found access to Him, freely; and my intention is never to stray away from him again. By the grace of God, I have overcome the obstacles that kept me clinging to the earth. Now I am on earth, and I dwell in heaven (my ambition is huge, but His mercy is even greater. I love God so much). I am no longer hindered by the impulses of vanity, of preferences in friendships. I go directly to God, discarding these wretched things. People may betray me, slander me, even kill me: but I have God; and I love these people, without being dependent on them. I belong to God. I do not need anything else.
Igino Giordani (in “Diario di Fuoco” [Diary of Fire], Città Nuova, 1992, p.196).
Activate English subtitles https://youtu.be/nCT9WVDhcuk
Today, the first episode of the new podcast, produced by the United World Project, has been published. The podcast tells stories of changemakers that have decided to start a new business, inspired by a spark that pushed them to act for the improvement of their society.
Today, on 16th of June 2023, the United World Project is happy to present to you a new podcast in english: Sparks. In every new episode we will tell stories of changemakers from different parts of the world that gave life to a project, a company or an activity, after being inspired by a “spark”: a small light that has influenced many other people. Each one of them will take us to their country, where we’ll immerse ourselves in a new culture, and tell us how their project started. We do not have to be Greta Thunberg or Gandhi to initiate change. We believe that each one of us can make a difference. Maybe, all that’s needed is just a spark.
Giving back to society, one jar at a time. We all have big dreams. Mabih’s was to work at the United Nations, and for years she did all she could to make it come true. But things did not go as she hoped. In 2019, she realized that what she thought was her dream to help others was maybe in fact her own personal desire for affirmation in society. So she allowed that dream to transform, and her life changed in ways she could never imagine. Today, Nji Mabih runs a small business, she is 38 years old and lives in Cameroon. To keep reading, click here. To listen to the episode immediately on Spotify, click here! If you prefer to listen to podcasts on other platforms, you can also find “Sparks” on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Amazon Music, Anghami and Audible. Enjoy!
Laura Salerno
Letting God dwell in us: this is the starting point to safeguard and give joyful witness of the inestimable value of unity and peace, in charity and truth; to enrich ourselves and be seeds of goodness and brotherhood for the world. Without measuring hatred I live in a Ukrainian town on the border with Slovakia. We are not being bombed but we experience the terrible consequences of the war: displaced people with all their needs, the demand for torches and candles, medicines, blankets… A great darkness has descended on our land. News about people who betray others, of those who get rich in these terrible situations, of those who exploit others are the order of the day: when it triumphs, evil has no rules, no limits. But in spite of everything, something else happens: the people here feel involved in the pain of others and look for solutions. The need for warmth, protection and solidarity has returned to families. I witness this paradox of a war of evil and of the triumph of good. We tell the story of Chiara Lubich and her first followers: they too began during a war and they did not measure hatred, but turned on good and then spread everywhere. The forces of evil will not prevail. Our gratitude is a true prayer that rises to heaven like a song of praise to the God who is Love. (S.P. – Ukraine) A chain of love In the waiting room of my shop, the customers usually exchange news and since I hadn’t seen Mrs. Adele, an elderly woman who sometimes came to us, for a long time, I asked one of them for her news. So I learned that Adele was seriously ill and, driven by the desire to see her again, one day I decided to visit her. I found Mrs. Adele, alone and without relatives, completely abandoned. I immediately I circulated a request for help, looking for someone who could keep her company. Three clients responded immediately. A kind of competition started until one of their sons worked hard to get her admitted to a home that provided assistance and care. I too volunteered to give my services as a hairdresser, not only for Adele but for anyone. Adele’s story has shown me that it is enough to begin with concrete acts of charity; the chain of love then unfolds quickly and effectively. (F.D.R. – Italy) A School of Solidarity In the desert, outside the city of Egypt where I live, there are 1000 people with leprosy. Until a few years ago no one knew about this colony. We went to check the situation and found that they lacked everything. No doctors visited them. We contacted Carita and we opened our group to other young Christians and Muslims with whom we go there on our days off work. Two of us are medical students and are in charge of medical care, so they brushed up on the methods of treatment for leprosy. Others gave their time to paint the houses and make them more comfortable. A young journalist has published some articles in various newspapers and magazines in order to inform as many people as possible and raise awareness of the problem. Above all, we realized that the patients of this colony need someone to listen to them, which for them is almost more important than medicine. This experience has become a real school for us: it has made us understand how each of us can give our contribution for others. (H.F.S.- Egypt)
compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from The Gospel of the Day, New City, year IX – no. 1 May-June 2023)
