A Pope who dreamed and made us dream… what was his dream? He once said it himself, that “the Church is the Gospel”. Not in the sense that the Gospel is the exclusive property of the Church. But in the sense that Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified outside the walls as if he were a criminal and instead whom God Abbà raised from the dead as the first-born Son among many brothers and sisters, he continues here and now, through those who recognise themselves in his name, to bring the good news that the Kingdom of God has come and is coming… for everyone, starting with the “least” who have been touched by the Gospel for who they are in the eyes of God, the “first ones”. This is true and not a figure of speech. This is the Gospel, that the Church proclaims and contributes to making history. This is so, the more it is transformed by the Gospel. As it happened, from the very beginning, to Peter and John when, on their way up to the temple, they met the man who was crippled from birth at the entrance called the “Beautiful Gate”. Together they looked straight at him, and he in turn looked them in the eye. And Peter said to him: “I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
The Gospel of Jesus and the mission of the Church. Make the effort to stand up and walk. This is how the Father thinks of us, wants us and accompanies us. Jorge Maria Bergoglio – with all the strength and the frailty of his humanity, which made us feel that he was like our brother – it is for this that he has spent his life and his service as Bishop of Rome. From that first appearance from the balcony of St. Peter’s, when he bowed and asked for the People of God to invoke a blessing for him, to the last appearance, on Easter Sunday, when in a faint voice he gave the blessing of the risen Christ, then went down into the square to meet the eyes of the people. His dream was that of a Church which is “poor and of the poor”. In the spirit of Vatican II, which called the Church back to its only model, Jesus: who “stripped himself, making himself a servant”.
The name, Francis that he chose expresses the soul of what he wanted to do, and, first of all, to be: a witness to the Gospel “sine glossa”, that is, without comment and without adaptation. Because the Gospel is neither an ornament, nor a filler, nor an anaesthetic: it is a proclamation of truth and of life, of joy, of justice, of peace and fraternity. So, there we have the Church’s reform programme in Evangelii gaudium, and the manifestos of a new planetary humanism in Laudato sì and Fratelli tutti. We have the Jubilee of Mercy and the Jubilee of Hope. We have the document on universal fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi with the great Iman of Al Ahzar, and there we have the countless occasions of encounter experienced with members of different faiths and convictions. There we have the tireless work in defence of the abandoned, the migrants, the people who are abused. There we have the categorical rejection of war.
Francis was very clear that it is not enough for the Gospel to speak, with all its subversive force, in the complex and even contradictory Areopagus of our time. Something more is needed: because we are not only in an epoch of changes, but we are in the midst of a change of epoch. We need to look with a new perspective. The one with which Jesus looked and looks at us, from the Father. The gaze that, with tender and heartfelt words, is described in his spiritual and theological testament, the encyclical Dilexit nos. It is the simple and radical outlook of loving one’s neighbour as oneself and of loving one another in a selfless, free, hospitable reciprocity, open to everyone, everyone, everyone. The synodal process in which the Catholic Church – and, for their part, all the other Churches – has been convened shows the path to take in this third millennium of ours: beyond a clerical, hierarchical, male-dominated Church… A new path because it is as old as the Gospel. A difficult path, costly and full of obstacles. But a great prophecy, entrusted to our creative and tenacious responsibility.
Thank you, Francis! Your body will now rest beside Mary, who accompanied you step by step, as a mother, on your holy journey. With her, you now accompany all of us, from the womb of God, on the journey that awaits us.
An Easter of hope but above all, an Easter to be lived together. In this year 2025, which marks 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea, Christian Churches will celebrate Easter on the same day: Sunday, 20th April.
This is a wonderful coincidence that calls all Christians to take a decisive step toward unity—a call to rediscover ourselves as united in plurality.
In an age marked by divisions on every front and especially at this time that brings us closer to the mystery of the Resurrection, we would like to share what Chiara Lubich said in Palermo in 1998 about “A Spirituality for Dialogues”, specifically an “ecumenical spirituality.”
It is a direct invitation to respond to the call of mutual love, not as individuals, but together. It is an opportunity to look upon the Jesus Forsaken on the cross as a light which, even in the ultimate sacrifice, not only leads us but becomes the sure pathway along which we can take our steps.
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With what eyes do we look at the world and our fellow travellers in the adventure of life? It is a question of vital importance, in an era like ours marked by polarisation and disagreements, loneliness and distances between the haves and the have-nots, without forgetting the increasingly pervasive presence of artificial intelligence. Yet, at the same time, the thirst for harmony and truth grows.
Chiara Lubich used to say that everything depends on which “eyes” we look at people with. If we look with the eyes of the heart, which are the eyes of Love, we will not stop at appearances, we will instead grasp the deeper reality that is hidden in every human being. And from the gaze of the heart proceeds action, the quality of the relationship, becoming close, being near to the other person. (1)
In 1961 Chiara wrote:
If you enter the Gospel … you’ll immediately find yourself on the mountain ridge. Therefore, already at the top, already in God, even though looking over the side you’ll see that the mountain is not one mountain but a mountain chain and that for you, life is to walk along the crest up to the end.
Every Word of God contains both the minimum and the maximum that he can ask of you, so when you read, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 19:19), you have the law of fraternal love at its highest degree.
Your neighbour is another you, and you must love him or her bearing that in mind. When neighbours cry, you must cry with them, and when they laugh, laugh with them. If they lack knowledge, be ignorant with them. If they have lost a parent, make their suffering your own. …
What has value for you is God who is both their Father and yours. Don’t make excuses for love. Your neighbours are those who pass next to you, be they rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, brilliant or uneducated, holy or sinful, a fellow citizen or a foreigner, a priest or a layperson, whoever.
Try to love whoever passes next to you in the present moment of your life. You will discover within yourself a new energy and strength you did not know you had. They will add flavour to your life, and you will find answers to your thousand whys. (2)
Chiara Lubich
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Our translation of the Italian text found in: See Vicinanza, lo stile di Dio nella vita e nel pensiero di Chiara Lubich, A cura di Povilus J. e Ciccarelli L., Città Nuova Editrice, Roma 2024, p. 5.
Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, repeatedly spoke in her speeches about closeness as God’s way of being near to humanity. As reflected in the title of this book, Closeness is the style of God which, through His life, Jesus revealed to us. It is also the main way to bring God to men and women today. To gain a deeper understanding of the book’s content, we interviewed the authors: Judith Povilus and Lida Ciccarelli.
Lida, Judith, what is the book about?
Lida: “It is a collection of Chiara Lubich’s ideas on the theme of love for others from the perspective of proximity. This is a topic dear to Pope Francis, who has often urged people to take care of the world around them and to be close to our brothers and sisters in the style of God: closeness.”
Judith: “For the English edition, we wondered how to translate the title. The solution could be the answer to your question: Learning Closeness from God—learning from God how to be close, recognizing how He has drawn near to us, so that we, in turn, may be close to those around us.”
Judith Povilus, PhD in Fundamental Theology, is Emeritus Professor of Logic and Foundations of Mathematics at Sophia University Institute (Loppiano, Florence). She is the author of: The Presence of Jesus Among His Own in Today’s Theology (1977); Jesus in Our Midst in the Writings of Chiara Lubich (1981); Numbers and Light: On the Sapiential Meaning of Mathematics (2013); and co-editor of Unity: A Glimpse from Chiara Lubich’s ‘Paradise ’49’ (2021). (2021).
How can we bring God into today’s world, where there is so much loneliness, indifference, war, and division?
Lida: “If we look around us, there are reasons to be pessimistic. Yet, as Christians, we are always called to witness God’s love. For me, the way forward is the path of Jesus: society back then was no better than today’s, yet Jesus always brought the life of heaven. We must do the same, where there is no love, let us bring love; where there is loneliness, let us become companions in life; where there is division, let us be instruments of reconciliation and unity.”
Who is the ‘neighbour’ to whom we bring God?
Judith: “The encyclical Fratelli tutti recalls the Parable of the Good Samaritan, where the Scribe asks Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Jesus turns the question around, showing that everyone is a candidate to be my neighbour. There are no limits—it is up to me to draw near to others. Being a neighbour is a transformative act. Your question is beautiful: finding God is what every human being most deeply longs for, even if they are unaware of it. Let us allow God to live in us, so that through our love, He may touch hearts.”
Cultural, social, and political differences often lead to fragmentation and polarization, increasing fear of others. Chiara Lubich’s ideal of unity challenges this trend.
Lida: “That’s absolutely true. Chiara was countercultural. She embedded in us a simple yet revolutionary idea: we are all brothers and sisters because we are all children of the Father in heaven. It is a simple idea, yet it makes us free and breaks down walls of division. If we put it into practice, it changes our lives. The other person, whether young or old, whether they share my views or not, whether rich or poor, a foreigner or someone from my own country, should be seen with new eyes. Everyone is a child of the Father and everyone, absolutely everyone, is loved by the Father just as I am.”
Lida Ciccarelli, with degrees in Philosophy and Moral Theology, is a professor of Church History and Spiritual Theology at the Mystici Corporis International Institute (Loppiano, Italy). A former member of the Spirituality Commission at the General Secretariat of the Synod, she is currently a Postulator at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Proximity is a key concept both in Christian Churches and in other religious traditions. Is it the path to universal fraternity?
Lida: “That’s exactly what we experienced recently with a group of young Shiite Muslims, students of Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali, Director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies in Qum, Iran. They came to Sophia University, in the little town of Loppiano, for a short course on Christianity. We did not so much speak about fraternity—we lived it.”
Judith “I was responsible for several lessons on the spirituality of unity. While speaking about God as Love, I told them the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I asked: ‘Is anyone here a father? Can you understand the depth of this mercy-filled love?’ Seven of them were young fathers. During a break, they joyfully and emotionally showed me photos of their children. In this atmosphere, their spontaneous questions about spirituality allowed them to understand the charism of unity more deeply. With joy, we discovered common ground or clarified aspects of Christianity that had previously been unclear. I realized that closeness, with all its human nuances and the willingness to share in the life of others, is truly the path to sharing the gift of the charism, which is for everyone, non-Christians too. Together, we can be builders of a more fraternal world.”
What advice would you give to readers? How should they view others?
Lida: “If the reader is already familiar with Chiara’s writings, I would suggest approaching them as if for the first time. Then, pause whenever something strikes you and listen to Wisdom knocking at the door of your heart.”
Judith: “Yes, indeed, Chiara’s writings in the anthology section are profound, diverse in genre and content. They cannot be read all at once. Personally, every time I meditate on one writing or another, I discover new insights or new steps to take.”
Lida: “So, in conclusion, how should we view other people? As Jesus looked at the rich young man: ‘He looked at him and loved him.’ What must that gaze have been like? A gaze of love, freely given, that reaches deep within and says: You are important to me, I love you just as you are.”
On the 24th of January 1944, Chiara Lubich discovered what would become a key point in the spirituality of unity: Jesus who experienced the abandonment of the Father on the cross, the utmost expression of suffering, the greatest expression of love.
Jesus Forsaken was precisely the focus of an artistic moment during Genfest 2024, the international appointment of the young people of the Focolare Movement. Here, we offer you a few extracts of it.
For several days, dramatic images of wildfires devastating an immense area and destroying everything from animals to vegetation have circulated around the world,. Thousands of buildings have been reduced to ashes and so far, 25 people have lost their lives. Many families have lost everything and 26 people remain missing. It is heart breaking to see these images of suffering still today. And the emergency is not over yet. We contacted the Focolare community there to find out how they are coping with this situation.
Carlos Santos, from the Focolare community in Los Angeles, told us, “The wildfires in various parts of our region are causing great anxiety because due to strong winds it’s impossible to fully extinguish the flames. The forecast is that they will continue for several more days. Many people have been evacuated and many have lost everything. However, we are also witnessing an enormous response from people who have brought food, clothing, money and other donations to those affected by the wildfires. The response has been so overwhelming that in some places TV stations have been used to ask people to stop donating because there is no more space for the items being delivered. Indeed, Providence has arrived in abundance and beyond what is needed.
The fires have not reached the homes of any members of the local Focolare community. However, some have had to move because they live in areas at risk of wildfires.
The Women’s Focolare, hosted a family for three days until authorities confirmed it was safe for them to return home. Our Men’s Focolare is also available to welcome anyone in need of shelter. This has brought more peace of mind to the community, as several areas in Los Angeles County could face evacuation orders if the winds change direction and move the fires toward them. Through their work, some focolarini have directly witnessed the suffering of many people and families who have lost everything. We want to accompany these people, offer comfort, and help them find stable solutions.” Carlos concluded thanking everyone for the many messages of solidarity and prayers during this time of great suffering.
You can read about the “miracle of the tabernacle” at Corpus Christi Church in the Pacific Palisades community of California on this link from the Focolare Media website, the communication platform for the Focolare Movement in North America,.
