Greater trust in the work of God

31 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

An experience of the Church as communion was what Maria Voce had at the Synod, ‘both in what was said in the hall and when we talked together as members of the same family.’ These were her words in an interview to the Italian newspaper the Avvenire at the end of three weeks of work. She added, ‘I have really given thanks to God for belonging to a Church like this.’ And she then went on to say, ‘Together we realized that human shortcomings get in the way of the new evangelization and we became aware that we should be purified from sin so as to find again the radical nature of our witness to the Gospel. A lot was said about the credibility of our proclamation, given in the first place by lives consistent with what they proclaim on the part of those called to evangelize, beginning with those with pastoral responsibility. All the same, from the work of the last three weeks, it became clear that in various parts of the world, including Italy and Europe, the general atmosphere of our communities is not totally downbeat because of the certainty that the Church is upheld by God and that therefore also our errors can be overcome. At the end of the day, what comes out of the Synod is a Church that is more trusting of itself because it has more trust in the Lord.’ This is a general impression that was reported in the Avenire, but various themes were touched upon in other interviews with the Focolare President. One was the role of women in the Synod and in the Church, mentioned with reference to its campaign for women’s rights in the news programme Tg2: ‘Can the Focolare Movement be an example of affirmative action in favour women in the Church?’ was the question put to Maria Voce who did not feel comfortable with the term, but said, ‘Ours is a presence in the Church where women have their role and having a woman as President is a sign of that.’ Another interview was with Vatican Insider which asked about dialogue with Islam, after the Synod had seen a video that had raised a number of questions. In words picked up also by the Washington Post, she said, ‘It was an occasion to put this theme [of dialogue with Islam] into focus, but it also served to show the aspect of Church as active in dialogue, a Church that goes out to meet the others, to other cultures around it – and thus to Islam as well, seeing it as made up of people who live cheek by jowl with Christians, who have the same problems and can seek to solve them together with Christians.’ Maria Voce was asked whether many Christians look at Islam ‘with fear and trembling’ and she said, ‘God guides history and so we must not be made afraid by the shifts and changes that happen. Maybe Islam grows in part of the world, while in another Christianity grows. The important thing is that humanity grows in humanity, that is, that people grow in their relationship with God and in the capacity to relate to one another.’ To the question whether Catholics can learn anything from Muslims, she replied, ‘I lived for ten years in country with a Muslim majority, in Turkey. I learnt respect for religion, faithfulness in observing one’s duty, the capacity to forgive during the period of Ramadan. Perhaps for us it only a word, but for them it is a sacred time in which to write off what may be owing, to renew family relationships. Above all I think it is possible to learn an attitude of faithfulness to God and to his commandments.’

Watch interview with the news agency “Rome Reports”

Synod: quenching the thirst for the infinite

29 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

Three weeks of intense work, exchanges of insights and sharing of experiences. The thirteenth Synod of the Bishops, dedicated to the new evangelization, concluded with a solemn mass in St Peter’s square. From 7th to 28th October, speaking about the challenges met today in proclaiming the Word of God, bishops from all over the world met together with 45 experts, 49 auditors and fraternal delegates, representatives of 15 Churches and ecclesial communities. Everyone of them spoke and Pope Benedict XVI was present nearly the whole time. He listened, took notes, welcomed all that was said. A synod, he said when greeting the assembly ‘is always a powerful moment of ecclesial communion … [where we] experience the beauty of being Church and of being Church today, in this world as it is, in this humanity with all its struggles and its hopes.’ The Focolare Movement participated in the synod through the presence of three auditors: the Movement’s President, Maria Voce, Ernestine Sikujua Kinyabuuma from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gisèle Muchati from Syria. The three representatives brought with them the experience and life of the Focolare in the field of evangelization which is ‘often on the frontiers, together with the whole Church,’ as Maria Voce put it. It is a commitment that involves people of every age, that penetrates ‘everywhere, homes, factories, government buildings, hospitals, schools and universities’ making ‘visible’ the ‘relationships of brothers and sisters brought about by the Gospel.’ ‘We come away from the synod,’ Maria Voce said in an interview on an Italian national news programme, ‘with the great hope of being able to see in the demands, the questions and the challenges of our times not so much the problems themselves as the chance of witnessing in a new, living and joyful way. The encounter with Christ is always something beautiful to be able to proclaim and it is something that can satisfy the thirst for the infinite which all human beings have.’ Ernestine Kinyabuuma shared her personal experience of teaching at the Maria Malkia University Institute of Lubumbashi. She spoke the day after three religious from the Democratic Republic of Congo had been kidnapped. She said, ‘In the midst of the changes brought about by globalization, Africa is going through a crisis at all levels, political, economic and cultural. For this reason, seeking a way out, people are reacting everywhere.’ It is in this context that Christians experience how much ‘the hand of God intervenes in the little things of our lives, at the points where our lives seem most at risk. We have courage given by faith in the words of Jesus who tells us that whatever we do to the least we do to him.’ This is what has generated the Focolare community’s commitment to the central prison of Lubumbashi where it has been possible to build three dormitory blocks, a tailor’s workshop and a small shop selling essentials. The pain of the Syrian people also touched the synod through the words of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State: ‘We cannot be mere spectators of a tragedy like the one consuming Syria.’ This is the reason for sending a delegation ‘convinced that the solution to the crisis cannot be other than political and thinking of the terrible sufferings of the populace, of the fate of the evacuees as well as of the nation’s future.’ In an interview to Radio Vatican Gisèle Muchati, who is responsible for the Focolare’s New Families Movement in Syria, said ‘I wish to express my gratitude to the Holy Father for sending a delegation from the Holy See to Syria. It is something special, because it will help the Syrian people feel that all the people of God are with them.’ Gisèle told the synod of the experience of the Focolare Movement in a land torn by war, caring for families and refugees. Its commitment was, she said, ‘at all costs to maintain faith in God to whom nothing is impossible. In Aleppo, since August, in various neighbourhoods small spontaneous prayer groups have sprung up. Thus  the voice of prayer is often lifted up despite the sound of gunfire and bombs. The experience of unity strengthens and gives peace in the midst of danger, faith in God’s love is stronger, hope is alive.’ In conclusion, the synod handed over to the Pope 58 ‘final recommendations’ – proposals that emerged from all that had been said and which will help Benedict XVI to compose his Post-Synodal Exhortation to be published in the coming months. The ‘word’ of the synod will now be taken into the world by those who took part in it. Message to the People of God

United World Project

27 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

Launched during the Genfest in Budapest at the end of this summer, the object of the United World Project is ambitious: taking up the task that Chiara Lubich entrusted to Young People for a United World (Y4UW), it seeks to promote a culture of universal brotherhood, so that ‘a united world will be on the lips of everyone’, as Chiara put it.

Subdivided into three parts (United World Watch, United World Workshop and United World Network), the project aims at involving the largest number of people possible, asking them to be personally committed to living in fraternity, to the point of involving even large international organizations.

United World Watch is setting up a permanent international monitoring body for universal fraternity. To this end Y4UW is striving to develop the widest possible range of ‘fragments of fraternity’ initiatives throughout the world, studying the principle of universal fraternity in all its forms through research and forums, collecting data on and monitoring fraternal actions by individuals, groups and peoples.

United World Workshop is a way for young people to commit themselves to practical action following up on what UNESCO calls good practice. Through a multitude of activities all over the planet they are committed to working concretely for universal fraternity. Furthermore, by means of the NGO New Humanity, they have asked the UN to give international recognition to ‘United World Week’ promoted by them in many countries since 1996.

United World Network recognizes that to build a united world it is not enough to involve international institutions. By means of an online petition (aiming to have 500,000 signatures to give the UN by May 2013) Y4UW propose to young people, adults and children to take up the commitment of to live out the Golden Rule: ‘Treat others as you would have them treat you’ and to contribute to United World Watch, being constantly on the lookout for signs of fraternity that call the world to unity. To sign go to www.unitedworldproject.org

A key moment for the project will be in May 2013 in Jerusalem when, a year on from the Genfest, signing up to the ‘Network’ will concluded and, with world participation, the ‘Watch’ will be launched officially.

The project shows particular concern for the theme of fraternity in that sensitive situation which is the Middle East. But it will also contain ‘Sharing with Africa’, a proposal of mutual care made to the peoples of Africa to rediscover the traditional ideal of Ubuntu (the vision of unity at the basis of African societies). In this way the United World Project becomes the container for many of the  activities of Y4UW.

Tomaso Comazzi

A Restless Mind

23 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

I blamed myself for my lack of presence at home. I tried to talk to her, but we kept on avoiding one another. There was a total lack of communication. We couldn’t count on family or friends. After a year of this, I was convinced that it was better to split up. Until one day I said, ‘We need to talk.’ Her speech was delusional. There had been a trivial altercation with the mother of our son’s classmate, an insignificant matter, but for my wife it was devastating. She felt threatened, in a situation from which there was no way out. I was amazed: ‘You’re interpreting what happened in the wrong way. What you’re thinking isn’t true.’ I tried to convince her to see a doctor, but then she replied saying that she wasn’t crazy. After some time we went to a psychiatrist. The goal of the sessions was to convince her that these fantasies were the result of electrochemical changes in her brain, which could be resolved with the help of drugs. After much persuasion she began to take the medication.

I was in front of an illness that I knew nothing about. She was not the person I had married. The children were feeling the pain and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. We also went to see a psychoanalyst while continuing with the medication, and so both of these forms of therapy were working together. More disappointment followed. She began to gain weight, so we went to several diet centres run by profiteers. I discovered to my astonishment and indignation, a whole world of incredible charlatans who take advantage of situations such as ours. I decided to study the Concordat of Psychiatry used by my son at the university, in order to better understand the situation. She was glad to see me so engaged in trying to support her. She wanted to get well, even though she continued to believe her delusions to be so real. Eventually we found a good psychiatrist who was also socially committed. He was convinced that the best thing might be socialisation, and so my wife came to know other people with similar problems, and it was a good help. There were periods when the disease was attenuated and others when it was more pronounced, when her appearance would change, she would weep continually, spend long periods in bed and be unable to take care of the house.

For me this was the busiest time at work, since I had just become director. More than once I was tempted to leave her, perhaps taking the children with me. I felt crushed by this situation from which there seemed to be no way out. What made me stay was my love for her and especially for the children. Then the situation worsened and, for the first time, she had to be admitted to hospital for one month. I changed my position at work to executive consultant, in order to have more flexibility in managing my time. It was a painful decision from a professional point of view, but I found a positivity inside me that I had previously underestimated. I was able to handle the situation together with my children whom I tried to make feel that my wife was the most important person in my life. Another boost came from my focolarini friends.

Then one night she tried to kill herself. After another recovery, she was being cared for by another doctor who took her case to heart. Since then, thanks especially to the ability of the psychiatrist to in caring for my wife by making adjustments to the therapy, things began to improve. Little by little we found a balance. She began to work around the house again. She was able to go out with me or with other people and to face that hostile world that had been so frightening to her. And since delirious ideas continue to return, we try to keep her mind always occupied.

Her suffering has helped me to grow as a person. I was and am a non-believer, but I’ve learnt to distinguish the ethical plane from the metaphysical one. The ethical plane is the relationship with the other, independent of any religious belief, it regards our common humanity, and it can be the key to living serenely. Whereas, before the illness, I gave priority to the metaphysical plane, that world of ideas and certainties, which always ended in criticizing people who did not think as I did. Now, having separated these two planes, I’m free to relate with anyone. This is also important for the bond I share with my wife. As for the future, I’m aware that I’ll have to manage this situation for the rest of my life. I expect to see relapses, but now I know how to face them.  

By Pietro Riccio (source: Città Nuova, no. 19 – 2012)

Letting down the nets, beyond all hope

20 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

‘Carlos called me one evening in August while I was relaxing in a Pyrenean village. His situation was desperate: he had lost his job some months ago, had mounting debts, and was about to be evicted and had nowhere to go…

‘We had known one another for years, from the time we’d chosen – together with many others who were also were young then – to try putting Jesus’ words into practice. His life, though, had no been easy. After fifteen years his marriage hit a crisis. When he was left alone, his two children, by now grown up, had been his main reason to carry on living.

‘What could I do for him in the middle of August? Via mobile phones and skype our friends and I got working. We managed to find him a small house that hadn’t been lived in for some time. We furnished it with the help of a Romanian friend, and we managed to come up with the money needed to cover the expenses of restructuring it.

‘In the meantime a job turned up for Carlos. Bearing in mind the economic crisis and the fact that he is 61, you have to say it was surprising. It was another of those “surprises” that you never get used to even though they are the “normal” fruit of trying to live the Gospel in everyday life. He found the work hard: it was a night shift, loading boxes hour after hour. He has a bad back, but he felt he couldn’t refuse it. After a few days, a new opportunity was offered by his commercial agent: it was exactly his field of work! Yet another “surprise” that makes God’s love feel close.

‘Half way through September Carlos went to the house that was now ready for him. Then, out the blue, he rang me. He was shaken. He wanted to tell me that the next day he had to go to court because of an injunction to pay €5,000 of rent arrears. I tried to calm him down. But the situation was dramatic. His other friends and I put together what resources we could but we couldn’t raise that much money. All we had left was faith in God’s love which cannot abandon Carlos.

‘While was at a work meeting I received an sms: “There’s been a development. Went much better than expected!” He’d been open about his situation, that he had always paid the rent, keeping an excellent relationship with his landlords. But then he had lost his job and couldn’t keep up with his payments. He said he was willing to make up the shortfall in the time and limits available, given that now he had a good job. The judge decided to reduce his debt to just €1,500, on condition, however, that it was paid by 30 October, otherwise he would have a more serious penalty.

‘Now all he had to do was overcome the final obstacle: to find €1,500! The Word of Life reminded him to “let down the nets” where he previously had cast them without success. With renewed faith we tried speaking again to those who at first had said “no”. Since the money needed was a lesser amount, they now felt able to lend it! With his job Carlos can now, bit by bit, pay back this final debt.’

(Juan, Barcelona)

Good News: The Synod on Capitoline Hill

19 Oct 2012 | Non categorizzato

“Good news” was an appropriate title for an international gathering that took place on 18 October 2012 at the Municipality of Rome, Italy. Together with its Mayor Gianni Alemanno, Rome offered her citizens a day of discussion and dialogue on the New Evangelisation. Guests included bishops from the Synod that has been indicted by Benedict XVI on the New Evangelisation and some lay auditors at the Synod: Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement; Francesco Milano, president of Catholic Action in Italy and Chiara Amirante, founder and president of the community Nuova Orizzonti (New Horizons). Those who thought Christianity to be a boring topic, heard people speaking of joy; those who thought that evangelization meant imposing religious prohibitions, saw the transforming power of a living Gospel; those who believed relgion should be a private matter, saw that being an active lay person means changing one’s personal way of life but also having an influence on society. And if anyone thought that the Synod was a meeting for staff  members who meet behind Vatican walls, and everything finished there, today there was the opportunity to exprience the Synod for oneself right in the midst of the city. The topic of the city emerged strongly. The city of Rome with its many monuments and ancient basilicas recounts the ancient roots of Christianity, it bears witness to its beauty even for those who come from places where the Gospel is not known. But it must no longer be a mere “museum” as Father Lombardi suggested, who is Director of Vatican Radio and the Vatican Press Office. All must understand that “the evangelization that gives hope is not a foreign idea to a city as great as Rome.” This theme was taken up again in the intervention of Maria Voce who, besides recounting how the Focolare Movement began from the Gospel and continues to draw from the Gospel the meaning of all that it does in the various fields of human activity, she recalled Chiara Lubich herself when she became an honorary citizen of Rome in 2000. On that occasion Chiara had pushed for an effort aimed at evangelising the city, what came to be known as Operazione Roma Amor (a play on the Italian words “Roma”(Rome) and “Amor” (Love). Amor is Roma spelt backwards). How faith can be the motor of change in personal, family, social and political life was testified by Francesco Milano. The turnaround it brings into the life of those who have touched bottom, hell, was recounted by Chiara Amirante with her own personal testimony of real and true “resurrections”, rebirths in people who had been touched by God’s love and discovered that it was possible to experience the fullness of joy. Joy was the word that kept being repeated in each presentation, and it was not merely an idea to be explained, but a living experience. And so it is understandable that when there is good news to be shared, it is difficult to keep it a secret, even though the means may vary from Europe to Africa, from Latin America to Asia – as some of the Synod Fathers pointed out – and  in the language of the digital world in which we live. Source: Città Nuova -18 October 2012