The Focolare Movement and interreligious dialogue

6 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato

In occasione della On the occasion of the 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace in Vienna, Austria at the end of November 2013, Maria Voce was nominated as one of the 62 co-Presidents of its World Council. For 43 years Religions for Peace has been promoting dialogue among persons of different faiths and cultures. At the conclusion of the Assembly, Roberto Catalano – of the centre of the Focolare Movement for interreligious dialogue – asked Maria Voce a few questions on the relevance of dialogue among followers of different faiths and the role which the Focolare Movement has and could have in this context. We publish the interview in two parts. Religions for Peace. What was your impression of this experience, given that the Focolare Movement is committed to this since 1982? «It gave me a very good impression. In fact, it answers to the need of the different religions to express support and aid towards peace. I think it’s very important that this inspiration remains: that is, religious principles are always important in building peace. … Peace must come from a vision of the human being and humanity as family, that only religions can give. … I find it right that our movement is also part of this.» What was your impression regarding the experience of dialogue of the Focolare Movement throughout the world? «An extraordinary impression. Wherever our Movement is present, there are also people of different religions forming part of it. I say wherever because we cannot think of excluding anyone from the sphere of our activity. In fact, as Focolare Movement the goal before us is ut omnes – ‘That all may be one’ as Jesus asked the Father – and in that ut omnes every person finds their place. The contacts we create in our workplace, in families, squares, everywhere, lead us to meet people of different religions. However, the most beautiful thing is that we establish a deep relationship with these men and women …. We’re amazed to see that, together with Christians, there are people of different religious traditions that form part of our movement. The Christians are the elder brothers and sisters because they were the first to start, but they welcome the others in the same family. … A large part of the Catholic episcopacy has great esteem of the Focolare Movement, because it realizes the possibility of establishing relationships with people of different religions. This is very important for bishops who are working in countries such as India, for example, or other parts of Asia. In fact, it means counting on someone who proposes a Christianity that is open, that is not closed in defending itself, a Christianity of dialogue and collaboration and not of conquest.»  (second part) Read the complete interview on Città Nuova online         (in Italian)

The Adventure of Unity / Awaiting approval

4 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato

Jerzy Ciesielski: An example of life

28 Dec 2013 | Non categorizzato

Pope Francis had just recently recognized, on December 18, 2013, the exemplarity of the life of Jerzy Ciesielski (12.02.1929 – 9.10.1970), who was among the first to welcome and spread the spirituality of the Focolare in Poland. Born on February 12, 1929 in Krakow,  Jerzy Ciesielski finishes his degree in Civil Engineering and, in 1957, he marries Danuta Plebaczyk. The marriage was blessed by Cardnal Karol Wojtyla who accompanied them in their spiritual growth. Three children are born, Maria, Caterina and Pietro. Jerzy met Wojtyla while he was still a student at the Polytechnic of Krakow, and then after gaining his doctorate and a teaching position as a university professor, he joins a group of intellectuals who, together with the Cardinal goes ahead with a cultural and spiritual formation. In 1968, Jerzy comes into contact with the Focolare Movement.  Impressed by the evangelical life saw beng lived among the members of the first community, he embraced the spirituality and, together with Dr. Giuseppe Santanché, an Italian focolarino who came from the GDR, they go to Card. Wojtyla with the request for his blessings on the growing Movement. «He feels the call to give himself to God as a  married focolarino  in the summer of 1969, after a ‘week long vacation’ in Zakopane, a tourist spot in the Tatra mountains»: recalled Anna Fratta, a focolarina doctor who was a direct witness of some of the human and spiritual events in the life of Jerzy. The “week long holiday” was a clandestine Mariapolis…… An incident at the river Nile in Sudan, on the 9th of October 1970, took Jerzy and his children Caterina and Pietro away. Karol Wojtyla presided at the funerals; becoming the Pope, in the book entitled “Going beyond the threshold of peace”, he described Jerzy as a young man who decisively hoped for sanctity. «This was the programme of his life – wrote John Paul II. He knew that he was “created for great things”, but, at the same time, he did not have any doubts that his vocation was not the priesthood or the religious life». Wojtyla, in his writing, particularly highlights how matrimony and family life were considered by the young man as the answer to a call of God; and so were his professional committment, lived as service. 

Youth: May the fires of war become just a vague memory

26 Dec 2013 | Non categorizzato

«In the name of the all Clement and Merciful God: may suffering be forgotten, may happiness and peace reign in the 4 corners of the world, may the hearts of all men be linked , may love burn in their hearts and may unity gather them together in a single track of light. God, make the fires of war become just a vague memory. God, in your infinite clemency and mercy, help us to be more patient, and make us instruments of love and peace. Glory to God, there is no power nor strength except in Him». This is from Naim, a Muslim of Algeria. It was exactly a year ago when, precisely during one of their meetings, the need to reinforce prayer came out, in the face of the imminent conflict in Syria, and so the Time Out for peace was launched. And today too their yes is repeated, to become instruments of peace in their environments, from Central Africa to Lebanon and Algeri, from Salvador to Argentina, among their nations of origin. Experiences are shared, in the 4 days in Rome from December 19 to 22, like that of a young Buddhist who, after his meeting with the gen felt the push to go deeper into knowing his religion. He decides to spend one year in a monastery, making the same experience of the monks. Or like that of those who are asking themselves about their choices for the future, the courage to start a family, their entrance into the world of work. But the strongest witness comes from the Middle East – with representatives from Lebanon and Algeria – who underline the hope that never dies, even if the horizons of heaven remain closed. And for everyone, among whom are many from the various European nation, Maria Voce invites them to go out. She talks with strength to the young people present: «The gen are in the universities? Are they there where the other young people are? Or are they always among themselves? Are they doing something for the others? The Pope continues to tell us to go out, to go out of the sacristies, to go out of the fences, not to lean on securities, not to say “we have always done things in this way, so we go ahead like this”». What shall we do? Maria Voce reiterates: «Risk something, have the courage to open yourselves up to something new, have the courage to do something daring, even extreme, to try out new roads, to build new relationships with humanity». And, opening yourselves up, to bring that which could be the characteristic gift, the joy of being followers of Jesus, fruit of his presence, where two or more are united in his name. The motto of the congress of the youth is in fact, “From this they will know…”, a passage from the Gospel that continues: If you have love for one another. [Jn. 13.35]. «We want to give all our strength to build fraternity together with everyone» – one impression on the spot of the youth. A small fact. «A car collided with mine exactly in the same spot where sometime ago I had already experienced the same thing – Francesco relates. I could have made a ‘cunning move’ not to say anything and just ask for the person to pay for the damage, but instead I went down from the car, I reassured the awkward elderly man who collided with my car, and I told him the truth. Was I stupid to act in this way? Maybe, but instead I felt the joy of having acted correctly and with mercy». «I was very impressed by the sincerity with which Maria Voce spoke to us, truly with an open heart – Tomaso, Italian, explained. We left with “our blood boiling in our veins” – he concluded – just as Chiara said in a video to the gen in the’70s. We are more decisive than ever in bringing to everyone the fire of the Gospel lived, “the greatest revolution”, that which will never pass away».

Christmas, the power of love

24 Dec 2013 | Non categorizzato