Newsletter Mariapolis – nr. 1 – 2022

Dear Readers,

As we are closing this issue, the conflict in Ukraine is going on, with all its cruelty. A clash that has increased the number of "hot spots" in the world, where clashes and violence cause loss of life, destruction, refugees forced to move away from their land and culture, growth of poverty in all senses.

Social media, newspapers and television allow us to follow what is happening in real time. In the midst of so much pain, we see those who struggle to defend themselves and to survive, but also those who feel shame for the evil provoked, for the face of God offended in so many others.

In the meantime, solidarity immediately swung into action. States, aid organizations, individuals rush to welcome displaced brothers and sisters who have had to leave their homes, their assets, their history, who have had to decide in a few hours or in a few minutes, if and how to leave, taking with them as little as possible so as not to burden a journey, of which you know the beginning but not the end.

We are also witnessing enormous generosity: those who give their time, those who make available their home or facilities of different kinds for accommodation, those who collect all kinds of basic necessities, clothes and medicines, those who offer sums of money, those who organize and engage in moments of play with the many children who are in shelters or in places of respite for refugees. A constantly evolving situation, about which you will find information and updates on the website www.focolare.org.

Even at this moment, we can all continue to contribute to peace by beginning to be build it where we are, where we live our daily life, with concrete actions: reconciling conflicting positions, including those who are marginalized or excluded, checking the sources before spreading news or a comment through social media, helping or welcoming those who do not have a roof or what is necessary to survive. This is best contribution we can make to world peace, together with our prayer of petition and thanksgiving for every step, albeit small, in the resolution of ongoing conflicts.

In this issue you will find many testimonies that can encourage us on the way to a united world. At the beginning we publish the message of Margaret Karram for the Cantiere Hombre Mundo and we close with a thought of Chiara Lubich on peace, an extract from her speech at UNESCO in 1996.

Enjoy the read,

Stefania Tanesini con Anna Lisa Innocenti,
Lorenzo Russo, Carlos Mana, Maria Grazia Berretta,
Maria Laura Hernandez, Laura Torelli, María Luz Peña,
Laura Salerno, Johanna Boss, Carmelita Ventrella.