Contemplating Christ through Mary’s eyes to be as He is builders of peace

The Focolare Movement has promoted, from 28 to 30 April 2003, at the Mariapoli Centre of Castelgandolfo (Rome), the International Marian Congress Contemplating Christ through Mary’s eyes in the Year of the Rosary proclaimed by Pope John Paul II in October 2002 in “this year fraught with great concern for the future of humanity” so that “in contemplating Christ through the eyes of Mary,” we may become “builders of peace, of a world more in accordance with the plan of God.”

LIVE TELEVISION AND INTERNET TRANSMISSION
with additions of various interviews and film clips
www.focolare.org/live

The Gospel perspective of the Pope’s Apostolic Letter on the Rosary and the new “Mysteries of Light” will be the main focus of the entire convention and the program will include brief theological reflections and testimonies. The aim is to reveal the riches and potential for renewal through the Gospel that is proposed by the Rosary.
The Bishop of Pompei, Mgr Domenico Sorrentino, will trace the story of the Rosary throughout the centuries.

Program Highlights

– The contribution of the new charisms to the essential understanding of Mary and of the Rosary:
Monday afternoon: Chiara Lubich, founder and President of the Focolare Movement
Tuesday morning: Fr Pasquale Foresi, co-founder of the Focolare Movement and the
first focolarino to be ordained a priest;
Tuesday afternoon: Andrea Riccardi, founder of the St Egidio Community and presentations by other representatives of lay movements and ecclesial communities.

– Testimonies from the Middle East, the United States of America, Burundi, the Philippines and Eastern Europe:
Youth, families, politicians, priests and religious show how the seeds of unity have flourished even in the most difficult situations.

– The intervention of Mary in history:
Tuesday afternoon: Professor Tommaso Sorgi will present a previously unpublished account of many historical and contemporary events including the overthrow of the Marcos Regime in the Philippines and the war in Angola. This will be followed by the testimony of Professor Adam Biela, a Polish academic and politician.

– Ecumenical dimension: The Pope’s letter and the vision of Mary in the different Churches:
Wednesday morning: discussion panel with representatives of the Rumanian- Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt), the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Reform Church (Switzerland) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Germany).

– Interreligious dimension: a Song to the Father in the language of Mary; her place in Islam:
Wednesday afternoon: Song by Jewish singer Miriam Meghnagi; talk by an Iranian Muslim academic Sharzad Houshmand.

– The contribution of art: expressing in the language of art, Mary, as Masterpiece of Beauty, model of the fulfillment of a new humanity:
The program will include numerous musical items: songs, dances and artistic presentations from different cultures, some of which have been prepared especially for the occasion, e.g. the first performance of The Miracle of the Wedding Feast by the Classical Ballet Company Cosi-Stefanescu.

– Live television coverage of the entire convention:
This live television event will be enriched by additional material which will be aired during program intervals. These will include numerous interviews and 27 film clips. The live telecast has been made possible through the generosity of ESA and MEDIA SPACE Alliance, TELEPACE with 4 satellites, EWTN and CANCAO NOVA of Brazil. Numerous local and national television stations will be linked up.

� 1400 people are expected to participate with the presence of over 20 cardinals and bishops from more than 80 countries from all continents – from Russia to the United States, from Columbia and from the Congo to Pakistan and Australia.

� The Eucharistic liturgies will be celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State; Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, Archbishop Emeritus of Florence; Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, Bishop of Terni.

� Where did the idea for this initiative originate?
It was in response to the Pope’s message to Chiara Lubich on 16th October last year in St Peter’s Square, the very day on which he relaunched the Marian prayer of the Rosary throughout the Church. In his message to Chiara, he wrote, “I would like to entrust to the Focolare Movement the prayer of the Holy Rosary which I have proposed to the whole Church”. He asked us “to offer our contribution so that these months might become for every Christian community the opportunity for an inner renewal.”