“Helmut Nicklas, was truly a charismatic person for his capability to listen to the voice of God and follow it with radicality”. This is the way Chiara Lubich expressed herself in the message read in St. Matthew’s  Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Munich, on 17 August 2007, during the last farewell to this “beloved friend and true brother” who, with “passion”, spent his life for unity. Helmut Nicklas has concluded his earthly journey on Sunday 12 August, due to a painful sickness and taken ill more than a year ago. He was 68 years old. He was born in Nabburg (Germany), was married and had 2 children. From 1971 to 2002, he was YMCA responsible in Munich (Ecumenical Association for Christian Youth). From 1982 to 1998 he also held the office of vice-president of the YMCA World-Urban-Network (that includes over 2000 associations spread world wide), and since 1985 he has been a member of the Advisory Board of the International Charismatic Consultation. Above all, Chiara Lubich underlined his “decisive role”, carried out during the course of building communion among movements and communities of various Churches. This has been witnessed by the numerous rappresentatives of Evangelical and Catholic communities and movements present at the funeral celebration and by the messages, among which those of Saint Egidio’s Community and Schoenstatt Movement. That journey of communion had started in 1999, and resulted in the big manifestations entitled “Together for Europe”, which have been held in Stuttgart (Germany) in 2004 and last May, in order to contribute in giving a soul to the continent and overcome conflicts and barriers. Already in the 1960’s, there had been a first meeting between Chiara and Helmut. Let us quote Chiara Lubich’s entire message: “I saw Helmut Nicklas again after many years, in 1999 in Ottmaring, together with a number of leaders of Evangelical Lutheran Movements. It was then that a communion began among Movements of different Churches. Ever since then, this journey, in which we participate, has seen various stages all over Europe and beyond, with great, historic developments in the People of God. And Helmut always had a decisive role in the different stages of this journey of communion. In St. Matthew’s church on December 8, 2001, there was an exchange of spiritual gifts that we recall as being very important. After my talk on mutual love, Helmut invited the 800 leaders of different Movements present to make a “pact of mutual love” (Jn 13:34). This pact, renewed on many occasions, is considered to be the foundation of the communion among Movements and will accompany its journey also in the future. Helmut was truly a charismatic person because of his capacity to listen to the voice of God and to follow it in a total way. This capacity gave him vision and filled him with a passion for unity. He was one who served the communion among Movements, one who – as he himself said – must be capable of forgetting about him or herself and the interests of one’s community, and serving others. He gave us an example of this. All of us of the Focolare Movement will always carry Helmut Nicklas in our hearts, beloved friend and true brother.” During the illness, Chiara had kept continuous contact with him through the Focolare members in Germany. Two days before his death, Helmut gave a sort of last testament concerning the communion among movements to Severin Schmid, who had visited him at the clinic in Munich, where he was being hospitalized. This is what he said: “We have lived historical moments. They are like beacons that will also indicate the way for the future. We should remain faithful to all that God has made us live. We should narrate this story.” Helmut Nicklas was one of the two delegates of the German Evangelical Church, invited for the International Congress that preceded the great meeting of the movements and new communities with Pope Benedict XVI, on the eve of Pentecoste 2006. In answering to a question regarding what unites Evangelical and Catholic movements and communities, during an interview with Zenit agency, Helmut Nicklas had answered as follows: “It is the strong conviction that today’s men and women need Jesus Christ that unites us to Catholic movements”.