News
Teens for unity: 40 years on the road to fraternity
2024 marks the fortieth anniversary of the birth of the Teens for Unity Movement, established by Chiara Lubich for the boys and girls of Focolare. It was a moment of history when Chiara Lubich entrusted them with the task of involving all their peers in the world to build unity and fraternity. We asked three girls who were present that day what it meant to them. Il racconto di una tappa storica nella quale Chiara Lubich affidava loro il compito di coinvolgere tutti i loro coetanei nel mondo per costruire l’ unità e la fraternità. Abbiamo chiesto a tre delle ragazze presenti che cosa ha significato quel giorno per loro.
The Gospel Lived: a seed that germinates and grows
What God puts in our hearts, without asking us for much in return, is a precious sign of the immense trust He has in humanity and generates a miracle we often no longer marvel at: the birth of a fruit. This is what the evangelist Mark recounts in the parable, “Thus is the kingdom of God: like a man who sows seed on the ground; whether he sleeps or wakes, night or day, the seed sprouts and grows” (Mark 4:26-27). As good soil, having welcomed the seed, what is left for us to do is just to wait patiently and then be amazed.
Global Christian Forum: Dialogue of the Heart
A time of deepening, prayer and sharing: The Global Christian Forum convened in Ghana to foster and promote “dialogue of the heart”.
Creating a mindset of peace
We are publishing some excerpts from this “Word of Life” which Chiara Lubich wrote in January 2004. At that time there were 30 conflicts in the world. More than 20 years have passed and unfortunately wars have increased. “Everything is lost with war”, Pope Francis often reminds us. Today, peace is an urgent necessity and must be built with dialogue, with international agreements, but starting with everyday life. We are all called to be peacemakers.
One Human Family: the revolutionary path towards peace
Supported by Pope Francis’ invitation, this is the commitment that was shared by 480 people of different religious faiths for fraternity, justice and reconciliation at the heart of the interreligious conference promoted by the Focolare Movement. The conference began on the 31st of May at the Mariapolis Centre of Castel Gandolfo (Rome) and concluded on the 4th of June in Assisi (Italy).
Peace and Dialogue as a Methodology: ‘Together for Humanity’
From May 16 to 19, 2024, an International Meeting “Listening to the Cry of Humanity” was held at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo (Rome), involving various realities of social expression linked to the Focolare Movement, as well as many young people from different backgrounds. The objective: to be formed in dialogue and peace.
National competition for schools: to hope and build
Fourth “National Competition for Schools. One city is not enough Chiara Lubich, citizen of the world”. Awards Day on 17th May.
The Gospel Lived: “He who does not love has not known God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).
The God who loves is a God who doesn’t remain distant, but who intervenes in each person’s story concretely and prompts us to relate to our brothers and sisters with an attitude inspired by that same tender and bold love that makes us new.
Flooding emergency in Brazil
The heavy rains that have been lashing the south of Brazil since early May 2024 have caused heavy flooding and landslides in 425 municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, directly affecting 1.5 million people and, so far, causing 108 deaths and almost 130 missing.
Spark change: United World Week 2024
May 1st to 7th: the return of the United World Week, a global workshop and expo of initiatives to restore peace and fraternity between people and peoples.
Ivory Coast: EoC symposium on the gift revolution
On 13 April, the CERAP University Institute in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, hosted a symposium on the Economy of Communion entitled: ‘The gift revolution: a new paradigm for the African economy’.
Chile: Living with the vulnerable
In an environment which is as fragmented and divided as the one we live in, we are often called to go towards the unknown, towards the peripheries. We are called to go out, sometimes even outside of ourselves, to enter the wounds of humanity. This is the testimony that comes to us from the neighbourhood of Yungay in Santiago, Chile.
Thought of the day
Trust
Trust