Familyfest 2005 … to the Pope for the family
“Love builds peace,” the guideline of John Paul II’s pontificate, was the leitmotif of the Familyfest 2005. At Campidoglio, two mothers from Jerusalem shared their experience of how friendship is possible between opposing factions such as Israelis and Palestinians. Along this theme, one of the 9 link-ups during the broadcast was dedicated to the Soweto district of Johannesburg, South Africa, where Nelson Mandela’s struggle against apartheid was launched, and another link-up to Zagreb, in Southeastern Europe, a flash point which the Pope twice visited. The Familyfest audience of 4,000 in Zagreb consisted not only of Croatian Catholics but also of Muslims from Bosnia. When love burns out – The Familyfest was not only a festive international event which also focused on solidarity. It also dealt with the winter of crisis, one of the sorrowful “seasons” that many families are going through. “Through marriage a man and a woman are no longer two but one. To divide after having been so united means to make each other bleed to death. It means death.” These are the words of Igino Giordani, writer, journalist, politician, father of four, and first director of New Families, which resounded in the square. “To conserve married love, there is no more cohesive force than love, the kind of love that comes from the love of God, which is superior to nature’s vicissitudes and human moods… Spouses who lose time not loving each other are two persons who lose time dying.” A Spanish couple shared their struggle towards rebirth after the drama of division.
The experience of suffering – A couple of journalists – the husband an Italian, and the wife an American – shared their precious experience of a relentless illness from which their life now draws a new fullness, as John Paul II wrote in his testament. “To live life to the full,” the woman said, “one must be constantly aware of death…. We have learned to look suffering in the face, and that face has a name for us: Jesus who accepts being nailed to the cross and feeling abandoned by God, in order to unleash his gifts onto the world.” Gifts that turn into a living experience of “light, joy, and serenity, into a quality of life superior to the quantity of time I may have left in my life.” “We do not want our marriage to be a closed door to the rest of the world; we want to share happiness with the less fortunate.” This was the witness shared by a young couple (ages 21 and 24), who spent their honeymoon among the orphans of AIDS in Tanzania, who were the beneficiaries of the sum of money which represented the wedding gifts the couple would have received.
Solidarity – No, it’s not a sporadic fact. For 25 years now, New Families has facilitated 14,000 adoptions-at-a-distance. Another solidarity project was now launched at Familyfest 2005: “One family, one house project,” which aims to give a home to needy families in the Philippines, as well as to tsunami victims in Thailand and Sri Lanka. The project was an idea which came from the poor families themselves. Contributions can be sent through Bank Account no. 888885 under the name of Associazione Azione per Famiglie Nuove, Banca Intesa: CIN T ABI 03069 CAB 05092. Chiara Lubich’s message – The last word of the Familyfest was reserved for Chiara Lubich’s message: “Indeed, the spring of true love wells up from God’s love, which in turn makes of the family a source of social life, a seedbed of universal brotherhood.” Chiara’s wish for all is “to be witnesses of this love everywhere, so that the time when ‘that all may be one’ may soon come.”
Igino Giordani, writer and journalist, politician, husband and father of 4 children, was also the first director of New Families and is considered a co-founder of the Focolare Movement. His cause for beatification began last year. Two commissions were set up to examine his writings (over a hundred books and four thousand articles): a historical commission and a theological one. We want to remember him today, 25 years after the end of his earthly life, with one of his prose works, which was recited during the live broadcast of Familyfest 2005 by RAI International last April 16. The wellspring of love – Igino Giordani “Through marriage a man and a woman are no longer two but one. To divide after having been so united means to make each other bleed to death. It means death. To conserve married love, there is no cohesive force other than love, but the kind of love that comes from the love of God, which is superior to nature’s vicissitudes and human moods. 
Looking at my own life, I have to conclude that the success of marriage depends on the measure in which this kind of love is achieved. The value of marriage lies primarily in this, and not in a bank account, not in well-being or success, and not even in physical attractiveness. Marriage becomes love’s tomb when the physical attractions exchanged out of love are exhausted and its vivifying spirit is lacking.
Since the death of John Paul II, Christians of different traditions who are in contact with the Focolare Movement have continued to express deep feelings for him. Ecumenical dialogue was indeed one of the priorities of his pontificate. Orthodox ITALY “He was a charismatic person, a man of inestimable worth who was loved by all. The Holy Spirit enlightened him and us as well, in following the will of God along the same line: “That all may be one.” (Metropolite Gennadios Zervos, Orthodox Archbishop of Italy, ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) SLOVENIA “He was an extraordinary person. The Serbian Church is in mourning, too.” (Protoierei Boskovic) ARGENTINA “Torch of living light, tireless traveler in his search for visible unity among Christians … As a Greek-Orthodox, I have met him and loved him: a saintly man, a Pope, “elder brother” of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I – as the Patriarch himself said.” (Lic. Elias Crisostomo Abramides, Buenos Aires, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) Armenians UNITED STATES “All Christians can be proud of him.” (Fr. Khatchadourian, parish priest, Los Angeles) Evangelical Lutherans GERMANY “In his speeches and Apostolic Letters, John Paul II always based himself in Sacred Scriptures, and this made him closer to us. Also the Pope’s openness towards the Movements and new ecclesial communities is admirable.” (Pastor Gottlob Hess, Common Life Fraternity) “With growing evidence we could see that Pope John Paul II wanted to accelerate the ecumenical process. Ecumenism for him was not a secondary issue; and to this he had borne a convincing witness.” (Walter Pollmer, Fraternity of the Cross) “I am grateful to John Paul II for his profoundly Biblical anthropology, which gave justice to the human person.” (Günter Rattey, Fraternity of the Cross) “After the historic encounter with the Pope in 1998, his affirmation that the charismatic dimension (which is significantly expressed by the movements) and the institutional dimension are co-essential to the constitution of the Church has given an impulse to spiritual ecumenism. When some of the leaders of Evangelical movements in Germany were informed of this, they exclaimed, “So the Pope understands us!” (Konrad Herdegen, YMCA of Nuremberg) “It is with immense gratitude that we remember the past years with appreciation for the initiatives of the Holy Father, which has led to the marvelous witness of the Stuttgart event, “Together for Europe,” on May 8, 2005.” (Helmut Nicklas and Gerhard Pross) GUATEMALA “This man is really a saint.” (Edna Cardona de Morales) Swedish Lutherans SWEDEN “Perhaps his most significant testimony is that of these last years and weeks, when he bore his physical weakness with unceasing love for his people and his Church. Thus he set an example… With great gratitude Christendom can bear witness to the fact that the Pope had truly lived for God’s glory with his faith, his conviction and his piety.” (Archbishop emeritus, Gunnar Weman) Christians of the Reformed Church SWITZERLAND “In his unique vocation he was brother and father also for us, a model of courage in speaking and acting according to God, and nothing else. Thus he became a crystal-clear incarnation of our Christian conscience in society.” (Atty. Kathrin Reusser, Zurich) RUMANIA “I was fortunate enough to meet him personally, even if only for a few moments. The audience at St. Peter’s at least 20 years ago was unforgettable. We were a group of participants in a meeting organized by the Centro Uno (the ecumenical center of the Focolare Movement) and we were in the front row when the Pope passed. He recognized our group. “We believe the unity of the Church will come about,” I said. The Pope answered, “I hope so, too.” He went on walking, and with a louder voice I said, “We firmly believe it!” He stopped, he turned again, looked at us and said, “You have to be the ones to do it.” You have to be the ones to do it. The Church’s unity was certainly one of his most impassioned aspirations. The way of unity needs the impetus of the Holy Spirit at the grassroots, among the people. This is what I felt beneath his words. It is a task he entrusted to many people in many ways. (Prof. Stefan Tobler, Sibiu). Anglicans USA “He was truly a fascinating leader. He faced topics which nobody else wanted to face. It’s not that I agreed with him all the time, but I have never doubted his good faith, his desire to reach out to others and seek what is good, going beyond doctrinal differences. He leaves us with a most precious legacy.” (Rev. Chuck Kramer, President of the Clergy’s Ecumenical Association, Hyde Park, New York) “He has encouraged me to live a better life.” (Dr. Shirley Jones, Albany, New York) URUGUAY “We live these moments with you with prayer in our hearts for this great Pope who worked so hard for unity,” (Bishop Miguel Tamayo) GREAT BRITAIN “The Pope had a very important role in ecumenism as well. He brought about a big change: he lived the Papacy as a world authority. When he gathered the leaders of different religions, we saw in him the universal Pastor. This image is more acceptable than the image given in the past. (Rev. Callan Slipper, ecumenical delegate of the Anglican diocese of northwest London) Methodist SOUTH AFRICA “I feel a great gratitude for the Pope in a special way for all he did for ecumenism. Some years ago I had the chance to greet him in Rome. From then on, I felt that John Paul II did not belong only to the Catholic Church, but that he belonged to all of us. I think he has fulfilled God’s plan on him completely.” (Em Beardal, volunteer) “After attending the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, my wife and I began to see the Pope in a positive, new light. We began to pray for him. During these last days we accompanied him by reciting the “Our Father,” the prayer of unity. (Dr. Welile Shasha – director of the World Health Association for South Africa) USA “I cannot find the words… certainly, he is in our thoughts. One of the legacies he has left, worth remembering, and which I particularly appreciate, is his constant effort to build bridges of dialogue with other Christians and with members of other religions.” (Pastor Jim Moore, Hyde Park, New York) Presbyterians BRAZIL “What a great man! I admire him for the way he worked for peace.” (Pastor Marcio Moreira, Sao Paulo) Mennonites GUATEMALA “Let us thank God for John Paul II’s life, his vision of how to strengthen ecumenical dialogue in order to cancel the scandal of division and insist on the urgent need for Christian unity.” (Prof. Mario Higueros) 
A great Pope, a great saint has truly left us! Oh how I long for the return of a time when sanctity was proclaimed by popular demand. The young people would be first in line!