Sicily: From “Neighbourhood X ” to “New Neighbourhood”

1 Mar 2014 | Non categorizzato

“ We’ve been married for several years and have three children. A few years ago we had to move from our home because of our choice of life marked by fraternity. We decided to move to a disadvantaged quarter of the city, which was lacking in everything. We wanted to share the lives of the neediest among us, their everyday problems and needs.

The city of Gela is known for organized crime, violence and homicides. Worry and fear generate indifference and closing, leading everyone to live in isolation within the walls of their homes. Quartiere Fondo Iozza has now become our family dwelling. Dirty streets, filled with mud, without streetlights… There was need for a change. Rosa and Rocco felt it should begin with them.

One night during a storm, the telephone rang. Several garages were being flooded and a carpentry shop was about to be covered by water and debris. The landowner, who was our neighbor, was desperate. “I ventured out into the mud with the car,” Rocco explains. “We worked until five o’clock in the morning, doing everything we could to remove the water from the buildings, while encouraging the owner of the carpentry shop. Others came to give us a hand and solidarity suddenly began to make some headway. Then, little by little, we had the feeling that we had blocked the problem. If we hadn’t done something, the damages would have been much worse.”

The families of the quarter began discussing some of their problems with each other: the lack of a sewer system, which was causing serious health problems; the conditions of the roads and the water supply. “We were able to dialogue about these things,” declares Rosa, “because first we tried to create a relationship among all the families, and this made us look at the relationship with the administration also differently. With time we were able to move past the logic of protest to that of dialogue with several mayors who, from that moment, have been more open to working with us.”

A committee was formed and Rocco was elected to be its president, because of the trust he had gained “on site”. Primary objective: restore hope to people who have been discouraged by broken promises. Everyone slowly began to feel politically involved, because of their active participation in resolving issues. This didn’t go unnoticed and the group received an allocation of funds for the restoration of the quarter.

At the Fondo Iozza Quarter – previously called the “X Quarter”, many things have changed: there is water and sewer system, natural methane system and public lighting. Now they proceeding with plans for secondary infrastructure (parish church, sport area, community centre) so that the community that has been born will have a place to live. The quarter has been renamed Quartiere Nuovo (New Quarter). It is seen as a pilot neighbourhood where there are daily efforts to humanize the living area.

Conversations from a few years back with Rocco Goldini, deacon and Chief Inspector of the municipal police in Gela, Sicily, known for his efforts in promoting active citizenship.  A commitment which still today, even after his death, continues to produce positive results.

Source: New Humanity online

The Church’s Challenge is Communion

28 Feb 2014 | Non categorizzato

“Society today is in great need of witnesses to a lifestyle from which the novelty given to us by the Lord Jesus shines through: of brothers and sisters who love each other even in their differences. . . . This witness enkindles the desire to be involved in that great parable of communion which is the Church.” With these words Pope Francis welcomed the Bishop Friends of the Focolare Movement on February 27, 2014, whom he received in a private audience in the Sala Clementina, during their annual convention. Pope Francis called the opportunity of a fraternal annual meeting, in which to share spiritual and pastoral experiences in the light of the charism of unity, “a very good thing”. Bishops, he told them, you are called to bring to these meetings the wide breath of the Church, and to ensure that what you receive there benefits the entire Church.”      Quoting the Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte of Blessed John Paul II, he remembered the duty of “making the Church into a home and school of communion” to ensure “the efficacy of any and every effort in evangelisation.”  He then emphasised that it is necessary to promote the “spirituality of communion,” to make it emerge as an educational principle wherever a human being or Christians is being formed, and that “cultivating the spirituality of communion contributes as well, to enabling us to live the ecumenical journey and interreligious dialogue.” There was an opening greeting in the name of all the bishops by Francis-Xavier Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand and moderator of the convention. He then mentioned their experience: “Chiara Lubich has made us discover Jesus crucified and forsaken as the ‘super-love’. In him we have an ever available source of joy for our witness in today’s world.” Like everyone, “we find sufferings in our lives, failures and setbacks, contradictions,” but we try to embrace them “as unique occasions for being similar to Christ . . . in favour of his body, which is the Church.” A long line and handshaking, brief conversations and a festive group photo concluded the audience with Pope Francis, leaving a sense of a living collegiality in all the bishops. Sixty bishops from four continents met from February 24-28, 2014 at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo focusing on the theme: “Mutual Love Amongst the Disciples of Christ.” Focolare president Maria Voce gave a presentation on this central point of Focolare spirituality. This was followed by an open discussion, comments and personal testimonials. The voice of the lay people was quite appreciated especially that of a family and a group of lively youths. There were two round table discussions focusing on two important topics: “Ecclesiological themes that emerge from the first year of the pontificate of Pope Francis: this was presented by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation of the Consecrated Life and Archbishop Vincenzo Zani, Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education; and the presentation on “Synodality and Primacy, in the light of the teaching and practice of Pope Francis,” by Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Bishop Brendan Leahy, bishop of Limerick, Ireland, and Bishop Cristof Hegge, Auxiliary Bishop of Munster, Germany. This dimension attracted the interest of many in the media who amplified the message, gathering testimonies of bishops who shared in the meeting – especially those from countries affected by war, political, economic and social instability – and their experience of “affective and effective collegiality”. Four days in Rome with the spirituality of unity was also an opportunity to hear about the efforts and commitment of Christians from the Universal Church around the world. By Victoria Gomez See video of the private audience and related articles

A look that truly sees

26 Feb 2014 | Non categorizzato

The enemy

“Our youngest daughter has a very strong character and certain attitudes that are irritating. One evening, after repeated requests for her to go to sleep, I went to the room with the intention of giving her a good scolding. While I was walking towards her I was thinking that this child is becoming a threat to my nerves, because of the relationship with my wife who cannot stand to see me agitated and nervous. Well, she was my “enemy”. But when I was in front of her bed, I changed my attitude: I bend down towards her and I start to listen to what she wanted to tell me. Then I told her a story, I sang her a song: everything seems to have disappeared. The child fell asleep and I too found the peace that comes from love” F.S. – Switzerland

In prison

“Antonio, our young friend from Paraguay, ended up in prison for drug traficking; in reality it was a companion of his who during their trip together put the drugs into his knapsack where the police found it. So he found himslef together with delinquents considered to be dangerous, without any legal assistance. We contacted his mother, we went to visit her often and we got him a very good lawyer. Finally after many months, the judicial process took place which we were following with a group of our friends. Before the sentencing, we prayed together. Antonio was serene.When the judges declared him innocent, there was an explosion of joy in the chambers. One of the lawyers had tears in his eyes. The two prison guards who accompanied him were also moved. Now we want to help him start to live a normal life once again, after the experience lived”. A.F.-Argentina

Nadine do you mean me?

“After a year of being married we found out that we could not have children. And from here the problems with the parents and relatives of my husband started., who already considered me an outsider since I come from another village. We would have wanted to adopt a child but in the town no one would have understood our choice. One day a friend called m and said: there is a newly born gorls whose parents have died in an accident; her grandparents could not take care of her… We went to get her. All our relatives were against it, but we were happy to have Nadine with us. After awhile, they too started to love her and she group up peacefully. Often I would tell het the story of  Nadine with Amet and Haila: and she would say, “Nadine means me, right?” I would answer her yes. Now she is five years old  and she told me: “Mama I would like a little sister”. I answered her that, as she knows, I cannot have children. And so she made it clear: “I want a little sister who has lost her parents during the war, one who is like me”. My husband and I looked at one another: she understood very well in what way she was “our child”. Now in the village, other families, like us, have adopted a child”. A.H.K. – Syria

Taken from: Il Vangelo del giorno (The Gospel of the Day) , Città Nuova Publishing House

In Search of a Divine Harmony

21 Feb 2014 | Non categorizzato

«Our earthly experience continually unfolds in relationship with others. When you come into contact with children, a light is unleashed from their eyes, which has its source in other constellations. So too when servants of humanity who live solely by their ideals, or labourers of every class who are enlivened by their sense of justice draw near – an atmosphere is unleashed that comes from somewhere above and beyond the material world.

Perhaps human nature unconsciously searches for Divine life. It just has to find it, and this requires searching. Search and you will find. Human life – with its virtue and blows, weariness and glad moments and experiences of every sort – is in itself a search for that good which we call God (even though we may not realize it.)

However, if we open our sight and take advantage of events in life to peer into the mystery of life, then we will find an explanation and peace in God. The way God reveals himself to the soul resembles the way parents educate a child with caresses and admonishments amid smiles and tears.

This is how it is with the Eternal Father. Intimacy with him grows as the purification grows. You feel closer to him inasmuch as you love him. The Lord says: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). Purity of heart is the condition attached to the love that sees God.

People with such love are able to perceive the flow which gives life to the soul and conveys both poetry and art, knowledge and health, victory over evil, longing for affection, awareness of a vitality that is wider than the galaxies. Perhaps we don’t realize it but this is almost the breath of the Lord that raises molecules and planets, thoughts and feeling. It is the joy that breathes in the child and the peace in the old woman or man.

Someone with a pure heart is carried along by love as if by a current that endlessly draws everyone in. God takes everyone, wants everyone because everyone is a member of his generation. It’s a matter of ousting the obstacles, which are quickly removed if we love one another. By this the world will know that you are my disciples if you love one another – the requirement that Beethoven liked most because it seemed to be the most basic simplification of the Divine harmony of the universe. Of course, disagreements are always surfacing between people, but Christ teaches harmony. He asks us to stop the spiral of offences and revenge and reset the circuit of communion through forgiveness. Giving forgiveness to the people who have done us wrong is giving what is good, it is giving a gift to God who loves us. This means that living is loving, and that loving is understanding».

Igino Giordani in L’unico amore, Città Nuova, 1974

Chiara Lubich Award for Fraternity

17 Feb 2014 | Non categorizzato

Lampedusa, symbol of immigration: of suffering and of welcome. The news of disembarkations never stop, just as the commitment of the Town and its inhabitants. It was here that “The Charter of Lampedusa”, was signed on the Island by hundreds of international associations and hundreds of citizens. A real and true handbook of respectful welcoming of the human rights of all the inhabitants of the world, “in all the Lampedusas of the world”, as the Mayor Giusi Nicolini affirmed.

This is the reason why the Town of Lampedusa was chosen by the Association Cities for Fraternity, as the winner of the 5th edition of the “Chiara Lubich Award for fraternity”. Inspired by the thoughts of Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, the Association was born in 2008 proposed by the mayor of Rocca di Papa, Pasquale Boccia, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Focolare Movement. Today it is made up of 133 Italian towns, and other local authorities, who adhere to the initiative, and have expressed the desire to create a network of dialogue and discussion between the towns and the local authorities with the fundamental objective of promoting peace, human rights, social justice and above all fraternity, through their actions and administrative deeds.

The Foremost Citizen of the Island encouraged the promoters to continue their actions that reinforce fraternity, because “we need to create and cultivate the sensitivity to these very important themes”. The aim of the Award, in fact, is that of highlighting every year, a Town that has particularly distinguished itself through actions and attitudes of fraternity.  The awarding took place in Ariccia (Rome) at the Chigi Palace, Saturday, February 8, 2014. Hosts of the event were, Emilio Cianfanelli, mayor of Ariccia, and Pasquale Boccia, mayor of Rocca di Papa and president of the Association Cities for Fraternity. The other promoter of the event, the Movement of Politics for Unity Italy, was represented by the President of the Italian chapter Silvio Minnetti.

Just as in the other editions, the awarding ceremony was preceded by a convention of reflection and formation. The themes that were presented this year included: “Economy and the Community rhyme with Fraternity? A comparison of the thoughts of Adriano Olivetti and of Chiara Lubich”. It was an excellent occasion to highlight the extreme relevance of some principles that are common to both Movements, the Community of Olivetti and the Economy of Communion.

The interventions of Melina Decaro, of the “Adriano Olivetti Foundation” Study Center and professor at the Luiss University of Rome; of Luigino Bruni, professor of Economics at the Lumsa  of Rome and coordinator of the International Commission of the Economy of Communion; and of the entrepreneur Giovanni Arletti, Vice President of the Association of Entrepreneurs of the Economy of Communion (Aipec) generated a great interest.