Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
In these moments of pain and dismay, we would like to assure our heartfelt closeness to the relatives and all those who, in these years, experienced Marisa’s friendship and the warm welcoming attitude she always had for everyone. Marisa Baù, born on May 12th, 1963 in Asiago (Vicenza/Italy), second-last child of eight siblings, lost her mother at 15 years of age and she did her utmost to look after her siblings who were still at home. She was hard-working and creative and after two years of working in a factory, together with two ex-colleagues, she started up a small garment industry. She met the spirituality of the Focolare Movement in 1980, adhering to it with readiness and generosity. She felt her vocation to consecrate herself to God as a focolarina and left her family in 1991, going first to the focolare of Padua, where she concluded her studies in accounting, and in 1992 to the international little town of Loppiano (Florence/Italy), always maintaining a close bond with all her relatives. After the period of formation Marisa went to the Focolare Centre of Montet (Broye), Switzerland, where she worked in the atelier of children’s clothes. She was in charge of the production section since 1994. In 1998, because of her human and spiritual gifts, she assumed the task of educator of the Focolare Centre. Marisa had a creative and strong personality and was esteemed by everyone for the quality of her relationships, her sense of responsibility and her altruism. During these years, Marisa met and was fond of many people. This is proven by the shower of messages which have arrived from all over the world on the social networks: “She has also left us, she who gave so much to others and will continue to give from Up there!”; “So much sadness… we can only pray for her, her family and all those in Montet… I knew Marisa and what I will always remember is her smile!”; “Marisa is very special to me. She is a part of my story!”. The mother of a focolarina writes: “I anxiously followed the whole story, identifying myself with Marisa’s family… I will always pray for her and for all the focolarine of the world.” And a person who worked with her: “I am with you in this suffering, I pray especially for her family, feel me close to all of you. I worked for three years with her in Montet and I thank God for every minute we spent together”. We want to remember her as «A marvellous person – these are the words of Marithé Vuigner who is co-responsible of the Focolare Centre of Montet –, always ready to welcome the other(s). A person you could always count on, pleasant and delicate. She had very strong ties with her wonderful and numerous family.» For more information: (link to the press section)
Ilanthalir is a philanthropic organization started in 1997 to serve humanity with an option for the poor. Having inspired by Chiara Lubich and her Focolare Movement, Fr. Susai Alangaram with two other priests of the diocese of Tiruchirappalli pioneered this noble task with a ready support form AFN Azione per Famiglie Nuove, Rome who support ilanthalir through the programme of support at a distance. The relevance and need India is a country known for its plurality in religion, language, culture and tradition. The people of India take pride in its cultural heritage, traditions and unity. It is also a country taking prominence in the world, by its rapid growth and development in its economy. Yet it remains an eye sore to see the growing gap between the rich and the poor, as the wide between them increases day by day, in spite of the progress the country achieves. The rich become richer and the poor become poorer as equal opportunities are denied to the poor in the society. Ultimately the nation suffers even though it can present itself as growing and its rich men compete with the world’s greatest businessmen and industrialists. What India needs is a uniform growth and the empowerment of the poor and their youth. There are many voluntary organizations both in India and abroad, deeply involved and committed to alleviate this alarming reality of the Indian society. One such organization is Ilanthalir, working in the southern most part of India. The etymology of “Ilanthalir” Ilanthalir in Tamil language means “Tender Shoots” of a crop. It also stands for the young children in a society. As tender shoots of a crop need proper manure and care to have a rich yield, so also the tender shoots of the society need attention and support to realize their full potentials. The name suits well to the organization, as Ilanthalir commits to promise the young buds of the society their prosperous future. Description of the Project area Most of the villages in our service area consist of dry agricultural lands solely depending on monsoon for cultivation. The people living in these areas are most backward in all respects i.e. socially, economically and culturally. Most of the people are agricultural coolies. Due to frequent monsoon failure the agricultural operation often comes to a stand still and the people are thrown out of employment. There are no major industries in this area. Most people live below the poverty line. The parents because of their poverty prefer their children to feed cattle or work as domestic helpers instead of sending them to schools, resulting in illiteracy and child labour. In order to alleviate this social evil and help children and their families, Ilanthalir selects such children from these villages and educates them till they complete their university and technical training so that they are employed and settle down for a respectful life. What we do
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
The official identification is still to be done, but the Swiss police is by now certain that the body found two days ago at Cugy is that of Marisa Baù. This is confirmed by a meeting which was held today by the case attorney with Marisa’s relatives and those responsible of the Focolare Centre of Montet. Marisa Baù had disappeared from the Centre of the Focolare Movement in Montet (Broye), Switzerland, on December 20th, 2011. The search since then did not produce any evidence (see info). Instead, Monday, January 30th, the police informed that they had found the body of a woman in an agricultural warehouse, in the close by locality of Cugy, in a place used to keep bales of hay. The farmer who looks after the farm reported that he frequently goes to that place, but only when he had to move part of the hay did he realize there was a body. The police, with the relatives, have considered to do further verifications to verify the cause of death. Now they will proceed with the autopsy and other related examinations, which could last a few weeks. The investigations will be closed if the results exclude an external involvement.
Please note: The geolocalization feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centers are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
“My name is F., and I am from Jos, in Nigeria. In my city, from 2001 up to today, there is a political, ethnic, and religious crisis. Many thousands of lives and many properties have been lost, and today there is a profound division between Christians and Moslems, to the point of seeing each other as enemies and looking at each other with suspicion. 
We live constantly in fear, without knowing what will be our lot in the next moment. One of my colleagues was involved in an incident, and we were asked to go and seek him. As he is a Moslem, nobody offered to go, precisely because we are in Jos, and Christians do not go to the Moslem zones, just as Moslems do not visit the Christian ones. I offered to go to him, even if at first I was a bit hesitant, but a voice inside me continued to tell me to go. I succeeded- with a bit of insistence-in convincing a female friend to come with me. We arrived with great fear at the house of my colleague. When we entered, however, we were warmly greeted by him and his family. They were really happy to see us! 
Sometime later, I was returning home from work, late in the evening, together with the same female friend, when all of a sudden, her car broke down, not far from a Moslem post. Both of us were without credit on our mobile phone to ask for help. In those parts, in the dark, there were some gangsters carrying out their affairs. Our prayer at that moment was: “Lord, send us help as soon as possible!” We were so scared that we did not know whether it was better to remain in the car or jump out and stop the first car that passed by. At a certain point we noticed someone approaching us, and we started shivering. I said my last prayer, because I felt we had reached the end. 
When they were a few metres away, suddenly a car parked in front of us, and whom do I see? The colleague we had visited a few days previously….the head of the gangsters asked him whether we were one of them “Moslems”, to know whether to let us go, and he answered in the affirmative. This is how we were saved… He himself then put the car in a secure place and accompanied us home. Moreover, the following day, after having repaired the car, he brought it to my friend.”
When the word of God is accepted and lived, it brings about a complete change of mentality (and that means ‘conversion’). It instils in the hearts of all – Europeans, Asians, Australians, Americans, Africans – Christ’s feelings in relation to circumstances, individuals and society. But how can the gospel work the miracle of a profound conversion, of a new and light-giving faith? The secret lies in the mystery contained in the words of Jesus. They are not simply exhortations, suggestions, indications, directives, orders, or commands. In his words Jesus himself is present as he speaks, as he speaks to us. His Words are himself; they are Jesus. And so in the Word, we meet him. By welcoming the Word into our hearts, as he wants it to be welcomed (that is, being ready to translate it into life), we are one with him and he is born or grows in us. This is why each one of us can and must welcome Jesus’ urgent and demanding invitation. Repent, and believe in the Gospel Some people might consider the words of the gospel to be too high and difficult, too distant from the normal way of living and thinking. They might feel tempted not to listen and to be discouraged. But this happens if they think that they have to move the mountain of their disbelief on their own. Instead it would be enough to try and live just one Word of the gospel to find in it unexpected help, special strength, a light for their path (see Psalm 119:105). Since that Word is a presence of God, communicating with it makes people free; it purifies, converts, brings comfort and joy, and gives wisdom. Repent, and believe in the Gospel How often this Word of Life can give light to us each day! Every time we come up against our own weakness or that of others, every time following Jesus seems to be impossible or absurd, every time problems threaten to overwhelm us, this Word can give us wings, be like a breath of fresh air, an encouragement to start again. It would be enough to make a small, quick ‘conversion’ of our route to come out from the confines of our ego and open ourselves to God, and so experience another life, the true one. And if it is possible for us to share this experience with friends who have also taken the gospel as their code of life, then we will see the Christian community bud or blossom again around us. For when the Word of God is lived out and shared, it works this miracle too. It gives rise to a visible community, which becomes yeast and salt for society, witnessing to Christ in every corner of the earth. Chiara Lubich
Punta Alta is a vibrant city in southern Argentina, whose citizens are known for their initiative. It is the location of the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base, the largest port in the country, which saw its moment of glory a century ago as thousands of youths did their military service there while in the navy. Here in this city of 60,000 open and generous people, there is now a group for “dialogue among people of diverse convictions, friends of the Focolare. In order to open the experience of communication and dialogue to others, a cineforum series has been organized. 
They did not opt for a theater or for the dark silence of a cinema theater. . . they went to Bar Centrale, the most famous bar in Punta Alta, which has been around for nearly 100 years with its typical little tables and grand lounge, pool tables and a small stage where, in the 1930’s small orchestras and dancers performed. The admission fee is one non-perishable food item that is donated to a local Community Center. “Invitations are made personally by email or by not so large but very visible posters, which have been prepared by the bar owner and hung in the windows of neighboring shops. Group size varies between 30 and 50 people,” explains Hector Correa, the passionate cinema expert of the group.
Among the participants were students, adults, some young women Marine recruits in uniform, and also the regular clients of the bar were there willingly joining in with the gathering. When all was ready, the projection was preceded by a brief introduction which explained the meaning of the gathering and the motivation of the group that had organized the event. “Then,” Hector explains, “ my brother Luis and I” presented the film. And at the end we ran the debate, which always has a lot of participation and turns out to be very interesting for everyone. We don’t delve so much into the technical or aesthetic details of the film, but try to offer details about the thoughts and ideas of the film author, the presenation of characters and the historical context of the story. This makes the participants be more interested in the film’s content.” 
“ “Putting the emphasis on reality and stories that have concepts and conceptions of the world within them, which often do not correspond to our ideas,” explains Sisi Deramo, “is an exercize that obliges you to first of all listen attentively to what the other is trying to express, and then to try to make yourself understood within the framework of a cordial and fruitful dialogue, so that the coming together of diverse opinions can enrich everyone and nourish the common understanding.” I asked Kiki Deramo which films had been chosen. “We chose films which we could then discuss: Cinema Paradiso, The Postman, The Truman Show, The Wall, directed by Alan Parker and Dead Poets Society. I don’t think we made the wrong choices.” “It was a very interesting and useful experience for everyone. Let’s hope we can do it again this year,” says Sisi. By Carlos Mana
It is feared that with the facts of January 30, the Marisa Baù incident has concluded differently to how everyone hoped after the last sightings in Como and Locarno.
In fact, during that evening the Swiss police had informed those responsible of the Focolare Centre in Montet, who in turn let the family know, that they had found the body of a woman similar to that of Marisa Baù. They had found it inside an agricultural warehouse situated in Cugy, a locality close by, one and a half kilometres from the Focolare Centre. The causes of death are still to be clarified and we are waiting for official identification. The circumstances of death have to be clarified by the medical-legal
Do you want to know what makes the difference in life? Basing it on living the Word. This is what the gathering was all about, which brought together 700 youths, many of them very young, from all over Portugal, at Our Lady of Boa Nova, a few kilometers outside Lisbon. 
Some arrived the day before from the Azores Islands and Madeira. The faces of those who got off the buses coming from the north were weary and sun-burnt following the four or five hour-long journey. But at eleven o’clock when the doors of the auditorium were opened, the meeting hall was quickly filled with a very lively and attentive audience. Everyone was “in sync” as the opening song proclaimed. Those who had invited them and had prepared the program filled with singing, choreography, testimonies and reflections, had worked for months on end, during one of the busiest periods at most universities her in Portugal when exams are in full swing. And here is another reason why this auditorium of 700 youths was rather extraordinary. Some of them would have to face exams in the coming days, and some had postponed their exams in order to attend at the event. 
Along with the band, there was also a large sign on stage with the letters: ID GEN. In an era of text messages and twitter, only a few letters are required in order to be understood. These five letters tell of a whole program, and not only that of one day: “ID GEN” (Identity Gen) that is, the life and the ideals of the Gen, the youths of the Focolare Movement who were the animators of the day’s event. The sharings of Joao, Adrian, Tiago, Rita, Violeta, Antonio, Ana, Ricardo and Joana give a taste of what it is like to live the Gospel in the different situations of life. One of them was able to go beyond injustice at the university. One tried to not let himself be swept away by the competition of the work world. One realized that changes in relationships had to begin with giving up some of one’s own comforts. And these were all effects of love. Violeta told of the time she spent studying in Barcelona where she was living an experience with 18 young women of different nationalities. One of the young women was from Egypt and she was Muslim. Her customs were not always understood by the others in the group, but for Violet loving meant not only respecting such customs. “This was the least I could do. I remembered that Gospel passage which says to do to others as we would want them to do to us,” and so she did not leave her friend by herself in certain situations as the others were doing. And these did not remain isolated gestures for very long. Soon, two, three and then other classmates were doing the same. A more united and fraternal world could begin even from here. 
The love they were talking about was a love that meant getting your hands dirty. And this was literally the case for Tiago who was invited by a priest to volunteer in helping people who were living in the streets. It was difficult at first to shake their smelly hands, to wash the silverware they had used, to clean the washrooms at the center where they took turns bathing. Here again it was the Gospel that helped: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” And not only did it improve the situation of the people who had rediscovered their human dignity, but also Tiago could affirm that after five months with them: “I could look at them as ‘professors’ who had taught me how to love, to enlarge my heart.” Love even when suffering comes knocking Ana Filipa explains while telling of her experience with two brothers with muscular dystrophy. Her experience was shared by other Gen from her city up until the death of one of her brothers. Ricardo attests to the truth of Ana’s experience using the words of Chiara Lubich in 2000: “Once embraced, even the greatest suffering leaves nothing but love in our heart.” 
And so what has been called “a futureless generation,” faced today with so many uncertainties, can find a way out through this greater love. Although a more united world is still a distant goal for many, it is within the reach of those who love. Ask Joana, who ever since she was a child wanted to change the world, and now she does it by living the Gospel as she does her work in Parliament. The president of the Focolare, Maria Voce, did not want to be absent from the event and so she delivered a video message to the group: “Today you heard talk of a dream, a great dream,” she said, “a united world. And you were presented with a way for achieving this, a lifestyle based on a revolution, the revolution of Gospel love. […] Now you clearly see the way to follow, the way to be taken with courage, without hesitation.” If “the dream is great,” then the way will not be easy nor without obstacles. Nevertheless, it will be “thrilling,” Maria Voce assures the young people, “and it guarantees a happiness that no other human experience, no matter how beautiful, no matter how rich, no matter how great, can match.” And besides, this revolution is “guaranteed to succeed” because it is founded not on us, it is founded on the Word of God.” This is what makes the difference in the life of a Gen, of a youth. And not only! The day concluded with a telephonic link-up, via internet, between the youths and Maria Voce in which she made an appointment with them for the upcoming Genfest in Budapest, on 20 August – 2 September 2011.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in Central Africa. It has 60 million inhabitants living in a territory five times bigger than France. This is a country that has the potential to be quite rich, but in reality it is very poor.
The country recently celebrated its second democratic elections following a dictatorship that endured for more than thirty years and had very negative economic, social and political consequences for the people.
It is also a land where the Gospel message is welcomed with joy.
Focolarina Marisa, recounts: “I was visiting a very distant province in Équateur. The Bishop, a Bishop Friend of the Focolare, had invited us several times, since it had been thirty years since anyone from the Focolare was able to return to the area because of the great distance. When we arrived, we discovered to our great surprise that in a nearby diocese where we thought there was only a small community of ten people, there was a large community of people who were living on the other side of the Congo River.
Despite their change of fortune due to war and the departure of the missionaries they had remained united. We went to visit them, travelling across the river in a dugout canoe. We found a very vibrant community that meets together every week and shares the life of the Word. And they had many experiences to tell. For example, they walked kilometers to visit a sick person and care for him; together with other communities, they take turns caring for orphans. . . Their example has drawn others and brought about conversions. They know the story of Chiara Lubich which was told to them many years ago and which they continue to hand on orally. A few vaguely remember how the Focolare began, and when they discovered that it has spread to so many other places they were very amazed. Here, as in many other places, they have experienced that living the Word creates a community, producing radical conversions and experiences of reconciliation and forgiveness. The community has grown over the years and there are many youths. It is difficult in these places to keep stable contact because there are not even telephones. And so we write and try to stay in contact by sending letters with people as they travel from place to place, since there is no postal service in these remote regions.”
A bit of history. The Focolare’s ideal of unity reached the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1960’s and despite the vast territorial expanses it has spread to nearly every province, thanks to the men and women missionaries like Father Quintard in the East, Father Enrico Casali in the Eastern Province, Sister Roseline a Kikwit, Father Giovanni Santonlini in Kinshasa, Father Angelo Pozzi in Lubumbashi, Father Arther Duvernay from the Scheut Fathers of Belgium, and many others. Ever since the 1970’s the focolarini and focolarine from Cameroon and from Italy have made frequent visits and held formation courses, Mariapolises, meetings for families and congresses for youths.
The first women’s focolare was opened in Kinshasa in 1991 and the first men’s focolare in 2004. In 2011 a women’s focolare was opened in Lubumbashi as a point of irradiation for the Movement in the province of Katanga.
With the transfer of two focolare families to Kikwit for the province of Bandundu, and to Goma for the Northern province and Sudkivu, it was possible to respond to the needs of the great family of Chiara in this vast region.
Today members of the Movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo promote many projects including social ones, to meet the extreme nutritional and educational needs of children especially. Among these, the social project “Petite Flamme” has a presence in several places in the region, and also the Medical Center “Moyi Mwa Ntongo” (The Morning Dawn). This is a land open to hope.
With its project Petite Flamme, the Focolare Movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is making its contribution to resolving one of the most serious problems of the country: the extreme need for medical care, education and wholesome nutrition for countless children. Petite Fiamme officially began three years later in N’dolo, one of the quarters of Kinshasa where there is a military camp for 750 families in need. Two kindergartens were begun, and then a third one in the Masina quarter. Many of the children were the sons and daughters of military families. 
The first objective was to offer academic instruction, but it immediately became obvious that the children were suffering malnutrition. They began to provide one meal a day and medical care. In the years that followed, Petite Flamme opened new centers, expanded the school year and extended its services to pre-teens, teens and to families. In 2002 they began “after school under the tree,” sixteen classes beneath sixteen different trees, since there was no school building. The project is supported by various entities and NGO’s, and especially by “Support at a distance” from the Action for New Families (AFN). All of the children receive an educational program, daily food and regular medical care. Once they are enrolled in secondary school, the teens become part of a support program. 
They are located in the very populated quarters or on the outskirts of Kinshasa where there is extreme poverty. Recently two new schools opened: in Idiofa, Bandundu, 750 km from Kinshasa; and in Kisantu, in Bas-Kongo, 160 km from Kinshasa. In Bandundu, Petite Flamme also operates in a poor rural environment. Due to the lack of water, a large cistern and two water tanks were built to collect rain water for the preparation of food each day. The project is supported by various entities and NGO’s, and especially by “Support at a distance” from the Action for New Families (AFN). All of the children receive an educational program, daily food and regular medical care. Once they are enrolled in secondary school, the teens become part of a support program. 2005. “Moyi Mwa Ntongo” Medical Center was opened for AIDS prevention, a malady which is widespread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Moyi Mwa Ntongo,” which in the local language means “The Morning Dawn,” was opened in 2005 in Limete, a downtown quarter of Kinshasa. It is sustained by Action for a United World (AMU). It offers quality service at accessible prices, not only for the children of “Petite Flamme,” but for anyone suffering with sickness, and it cooperates with local entities. 
Aside from medical research, the center is also equipped with an analysis laboratory, a pharmacy and a day hospital with fifteen beds. One of its strong points is the ophthalmology surgery, the most advanced in the region, important in the treatment and prevention of blindness, which is very prevalent in this region. There are many other projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for spreading the values of universal brotherhood through concrete action, like the ones carried out by members of the Focolare Movement in Goma (the province of North-Kivu) in the field of agriculture, in micro-credit and in education. [nggallery id=85]
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
“Together with personalities from the world of politics and culture, we were 9000, glued to our seats-the Gen Verde write to us at the conclusion of the event-in front of the images of the holocaust in the concentration camps. On the 26th January, at Florence, at the Nelson Mandela Forum, from a bare stage, testimonies were given by persons who survived the Shoah.” They were open wounds, like those that are today still victims of genocide, violence, and discrimination. 
Thus, with the title of the meeting “We, sons and daughters of Eichmann?” the organisers sought to make us ask ourselves “could this happen again?” This was the fifth edition, and this initiative was aimed at the students of the superior institutes of all the Tuscan provinces, and was held on the eve of the day of Remembrance, the 27th January, a date that is remembered contemporaneously in many European countries. Recently, even the city of Florence was the scene of episodes of ethnic intolerance, and for this reason the President of the region, stressed and asked those present to commit themselves, by beginning for example, to banish from our common language expressions that are offensive towards cultures and peoples that are different from us. The Gen Verde, in collaboration with a multi-ethnic orchestra from Arezzo, was entrusted with the conclusion of the event with songs and choreographies to bear witness that the dimension of reciprocity and exchange of diverse cultures is possible. And the attention of the youths who in silence and with respect received every intervention makes us hope that we can say with force “never again.” In Spring, new horizons await the Gen Verde: the first is Spain, where the group will be on a tour from the end of March up to the middle May, touching down on, amongst others, the cities of Jerez, Granada and Jaen- while other stops are being confirmed- with the show “Maria”. For information: www.genverde.it
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Once the spark of brotherhood is ignited it creates a positive chain reaction, spreading with exponential force in the relationships among classmates and colleagues until it becomes a way of life. It creates a different kind of environment: Everyone was involved and felt responsible for becoming the change they want to see, as Gandhi had once said.
This was the experience of some students and teachers at a secondary grammar school in Sarcelles, a well known Paris suburb. One day at school two foreign girls were engaged in a very violent argument. It was 28 September 2007. What to do? Lower your head and walk away? Pierre Benoit, the Italian teacher, decided to intervene. He proposed a new method, the method of brotherhood. He explained to his students: Each morning you throw a die, the brotherhood cube. Each of its six sides has a different phrase. For example: “Consider every man as a brother, and every woman a sister,” “See the other in a positive way,” “Take the first step toward the other,” “Reach out to your enemy,” “Understand the other” and “The other also sees me as a brother or sister.” Each day that you throw the die, you have a new proposal that you can put in practice. Then at the end of the week, you share how it went.
The teacher’s proposal was inspired by the “Cube of Love”, a game which Chiara Lubich invented for children in order to make gestures of brotherhood more fun. The cube was introduced into this Paris school in a more universal form, in a language that was less religious and within the grasp of anyone. The teens accepted the challenge and really took the lead. There were thrilling results: The school became the scene of a different world, where for the first time stories of reconciliation and friendship were becoming intertwined. One girl comments: “It’s ridiculous to destroy one another just because of a word or a look or a phrase that someone keeps on repeating!”
Soon these experiences were featured in short films that were made by the students themselves. They tell the stories of how a reconciling word was able to destroy a cycle of enmity and violence. That same year, in 2007, a festival was planned. It was entitled “Brotherhood in the School, Brotherhood in the City”. More than 250 people participated, including three Mayors.
A year later an association was founded called “Fratern’Aide” (Fraternity Aid). Its goal is to help build peace, brotherhood and solidarity among people. Many projects had been promoted during these years. Then the youths of Sarcelles won First Prize in the National Competition sponsored by the Human Rights League: “Writings on Fraternity.” The teenagers went out to present their method in other schools of the Paris area and in October 2010 the association was invited by the Network of Citizen Schools (RECIT) to schools in other regions. The experience also captured the attention of the philosopher Bruno Mattei, professor at the University of Lille and author of the book “Is Brotherhood Possible?” The method even reached the attention of UNESCO (which in 1996 had awarded Chiara Lubich with the Education for Peace Award), where it was presented to an audience of UN Ambassadors. Once true brotherhood is put in motion, nothing can stop it!
4 of the 8 planned appointments have already been covered by the project regarding the languages of publicity communication. 
So far in all, 600 youths have participated. After the introductory phase, developed through the analysis of both Italian and foreign spots and publicity campaigns, the project was continued with two investigative workshops: on the use of the female image in publicity (with psychologist Anna Granata and anthropologist Anna Casella) and on the influence of fashion on the behaviour of youths (with ballerina Liliana Cosi and psychologist Ezio Aceti). 
In the fourth round, Raffaele Cardelli, publicist and expert in communication, and member of Net-One, took the youths-400 students of the superior institutes- through a profound analysis of the studies and mechanisms that are “behind the scenes” of a spot, revealing the strategies that are put in action to convince the receivers of the communication. “We have entered the technical phase of the journey-commented one of those present-now we begin to have more elements with which to continue the work that awaits us”. “It is interesting and almost worrying to discover what lies behind a spot- continues another- I am getting to know these mechanisms so that I may have more critical sense, and be able to have an impact on our world!” 
With this appointment, the project “Spot, we are recording!” has reached the halfway stage: from the technical analysis, the youths will go on, in the coming months, to pin pointing a real publicity campaign centred round social issues that are of particular relevance in their city (dependencies; man-woman relations; multiculturalism) that will be analysed, in confrontation with various spokespersons, also with representatives of the institutions and the local media. Then for each of the themes a spot will be made that evokes fraternity and that will constitute the conclusive message of the project offered to the citizens by the Youths for a United World. During the meeting the Genfest 2012 was proposed to the youths, as another occasion in which to be protagonists and contribute to the realisation of a more united world.
When she referred to ecumenical dialogue, Chiara Lubich used to talk of dialogue of life, of the people. Anyway, about something that is not born only from theological reflection, but from rubbing against each other, from visiting each other every day, and that during the trials of life puts into practice the teachings of the Gospel, common to all Christians, regarding the love of our neighbour; a love that knows no ecclesial confines of any type. Referring to the general consent that is born in such a context, Chiara Lubich had said: “We know how in history other ecumenical undertakings have failed, because this consent was missing, it is essential to unity.” When the Focolare Movement began to expand in Germany, the contacts with members other churches were immediate. And later, when it appeared possible to even build a citadel on the model of Loppiano, in Italy, but inhabited by Lutherans and Catholics, the idea seemed the answer to a dream that of living together a life based on Christian love. In 1968 this idea took concrete form at Ottmaring, in the vicinity of Ausburg. The citadel comprises 30 constructions and a centre for spirituality at the service of the many visitors that come to ascertain on the spot this original ecumenical living together. Characteristic of the life in the ecumenical centre is the unity in Christ and the ecclesial diversity of the members living in a spirit of reconciliation. Around 140 inhabitants live at Ottmaring; they belong to the Focolare Movement and the Fraternity of Communitarian Life (Bruderschaft von gemeinsamen Leben) that has its origins in the evangelical world. In both groups there are youths, adults, families and communities. All come from profoundly diverse experiences of faith and ecclesial traditions. There are also numerous nationalities represented, a diversity that is enriching. On Sunday, 22 January, the usual appointment was held at the citadel, for the Week of the unity of Christians. It is called the “ecumenical afternoon”. The Lutheran bishop Johannesdotter presented a report, in the presence of members of the evangelical and catholic communities.
The Focolare Movement in Peru is widespread in Peru’s three geographical regions: the coastal strip, the Andes mountainous chain, and the pluvial Amazonia forest.
There are 3 centres of the Movement: 2 in Lima, 1 at Arequipa and many communities spread all over the country: at Talara, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Lima, Ica, Arequipa, and at Tacna with around 2000 members in all.
Peru is a country very rich in natural resources. It was the cradle of the Inca and pre-Inca civilisation that left great cultural and archaeological richness like the ruins of Machu Picchu, considered to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Initially the arrival of the Spanish, and later the immigration of Africans and Asians have made Peru a multicultural country, a sum of traditions, ancient religions and culture. As said by the Mario Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian Nobel laureate in literature: “If we delve a little we will discover that Peru is the whole world in miniature.”
The Cordillera of the Andes, with its high mountains that cross through the whole country, and reach to a height of 6800 metres, is the natural cornice and symbol of the values of the Peruvian people: strong, hardworking, hospitable, with a strong solidarity and a very rich inwardness.
The family remains a constant value and life is considered and welcomed as a gift of God, especially in the love and sacrifice of the women.
In this context, the Movement for New Families of the Focolari sustains and accompanies the life of families in their joys and sorrows. The programme Support from a Distance reaches around 300 children, spread in the poorest places of the Andes.
The children are very numerous, and youths and children account for 59% of the population of the country. Many of them have been attracted by the ideal of a united world, and are protagonists of the most varied initiatives towards this reality.
A little history- Three youths from Arequipa, in 1972, participated at a meeting of the Movement in Argentina. They returned very happy with the way of evangelical life that they had experienced, and within a few months they had transmitted the ideal of unity to other persons. In 1981, a family from Lima, after coming into contact with the Movement in Bogota’-Colombia-communicated the spirituality of the Focolari to many other families. In 1982 the first Peruvian Mariapolis were held in the city of Arequipa, and subsequently, in Lima and Trujillo.
To the great joy of all, in 1989 the first female focolare was inaugurated in Lima, and in 1995, the male one was also inaugurated. In 2001 a new residence was opened at Arequipa, in the south of the country.
“The Peruvian people have an ancestral dignity” commented Bruna Tomasi, one of the first companions of Chiara Lubich-during her visit in May of 2011. “It seems that even in the religious tradition of the Inca, there are traces of the Golden Rule”, she affirmed.
In order to acknowledge the contribution offered by the spirituality of the Focolari in Peru, in 2009 the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima conferred on Chiara Lubich the posthumous title of Honorary Professor. And on 31 March 2011, she was remembered through a conference on the Economy of Communion.
A whole year of the Economy of Communion: data and information provided on the EoC Report range from September 2010 to September 2011. The report is divided into three parts: 
calling this the “3 thirds” of the allocation of profits, the foundation of the EoC project. Numerical data and colorful graphics are easy to understand as it accompanies the history of the project’s twentieth year from the protagonists themselves. 
Note: the attachment containing the survey on the EoC’s “Identity and Future” was done by Simona Di Ciaccio during the International Assembly last May 2011 in Brazil. The report is available online in italian, we invite you to download and browse it. Happy reading!
‘We’re sending you a handful of comments about our trip to Sardinia at the end of 2011,’ Tomek Mikusiński has written to www.focolar.org, wishing us a year: ‘fruitful and full of good communication’. A year that for the international band is going to be chock-a-block with gigs and new projects. ‘At the moment we’re cutting a CD of new songs that we hope will get to the shops by the end of March in Italy and elsewhere,’ Tomek goes on to say. ‘We hope they’ll be on sale at the same time as our tour with the live concert: Indelible Dimension, which is now revised and improved from an artistic point of view.’ 
‘sneak previews’: ‘In parallel we’re finishing off a new musical and we hope that this too will be on release by the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013…’ After 14 March when this period of what Gen Rosso calls ‘working from home’ comes to an end, the band will leave for Spain, for a full two months, after which they will go on tours of different lengths in three continents: Europe (with concerts in the Czech Republic, Belgium and Germany), China and Australia. But now let’s take a step back in time to the final concert last year. It was at Villacidro (50 km from Cagliari in Sardinia). Here on 29 December 2011 Gen Rosso presented their concert Indelible Dimension. It was during the XXVth March for Peace, which took place in the light of recent troubles in Nigeria and Syria, events that show how much the search for peace needs a powerful helping hand. 
The theme of the march was Educating Young people in Justice and Peace, given by Benedict XVI to the World Day of Peace on 1 January 2012. Two thousand people were at the concert, in a wholesale warehouse, which concluded the march. ‘The scene was pretty unusual because of the artist performance (and not a few technical problems),’ Gen Rosso said, ‘but the warmth and enthusiasm of the young Sardinians made us forget any difficulties straight away.’ ‘A different world is possible, a different humanity already exists… THANKS with all my heart!’ wrote one person after the concert. In the town’s industrial zone on the following day, 30 December, there was a day of reflection and commitment for Sardinian young people. Youth for a United World led it together with Gen Rosso who ran workshops with people from every part of Sardinia. ‘Thank you Gen Rosso – thank you guys!!! Amazing concert….. a big thank you on behalf of all the Sardinian people…. a thank you that goes on forever!!!!!!!’
‘A big hello from Bulgaria!! We want to tell you how our preparations for Genfest are going. When we heard that the title was “Let’s bridge” we asked ourselves what can we do, here in Sofia, to build bridges? We remembered the refugees coming in especially from Arabic countries. Mostly they are Muslims, some haven’t been here long, others have been here for years. Sadly, though, a lot of them have very few contacts outside their own group. 
A friend of ours, a girl who fled Iraq and is now working in the committee for women refugees, told us they wanted to get to know our culture better and even to find out about the traditional Bulgarian ‘Tree Festival’. We met together on 10 December. There were 30 people, 20 of them refugees, for the most part from Iraq, but also from the Lebanon, Libya and Afghanistan. The programme presented our Christmas traditions, including traditional food. We began with a game to introduce ourselves: a ball of wool was unravelled from one person to another and whoever held it had to say something about themselves: name, place of birth… just enough to break the ice and start building a relationship among everyone. 
Then there were moments for reflection, a children’s fable illustrated by folk customs from various lands at this time of year. The refugees felt loved and were moved by everything that had been done for them and they kept on saying thank you. 
At the end one girl wrote: ‘Even though in Iraq eggs are painted for New Year and in Bulgaria we do it for Easter, and even though there other differences of customs and festivals, we all felt that there is something that works with the same strength and the same light everywhere in the world: love. Our love for one another, for someone you’ve know for years, with all their shortcomings, and for someone who you’ve just met, who you don’t know yet, but in whose eyes, despite everything, you can see Jesus.’ The meeting finished with delicious dishes from all over the world, with storytelling, smiles and thanks. Let’s hope we managed to make these people we care about feel welcome and at home.’ From Youth for a United World, Bulgaria
“Coming in this zone, something has exploded. This idea has exploded: truly God has given us a new ecumenism. There was already the ecumenism of charity, that is, the dialogue of charity, as when Athenagoras brought gifts to the Pope, the Pope brought gifts to Istanbul, to Athenagoras; as when Ramsey brought gifts to the Pope, the Pope brought gifts… in order to indicate a drawing closer to one another. There was already the dialogue of prayer, in which we all pray together, especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. And there was already the theological dialogue, which has been blocked in many parts, also here in England a little… held back a little. We realized, especially in coming here, that we have a fourth dialogue, a fourth line. Our dialogue is the dialogue of life, the dialogue of a people which is already Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed… of a people who are already all united and who are a people… they are the Christian people of the year 2000, of our times. We realized that this is our way of being involved in ecumenism, that is, of awakening the Christian instinct of Christians, joining everyone together because the bottle is almost full, joining everyone together and bringing ahead this people. Years ago, the Pope said: “You are a people,” but he intended to say “because of your number.” Now we are four times as many as we were then, when the Pope told us that…. But what people do we intend? The Christian people. The people… we are this people, we are this people. When I spoke with the focolarini the other day – there was Lesley and Callan * – I said: “Who will ever separate me from Lesley and from Callan? No one, because Christ has united us! Jesus in our midst has united us. No one can separate us!” Now, who says anything like this in the ordinary Christian world among Orthodox and Catholics and Lutherans? Everyone goes off on their own. Everyone follows their own Churches, of course; in the meantime this must be done, looking after the people entrusted to them, following their own current, their own denomination; but who says: “No one can separate me, because Christ has united us!”? The fact is that Christ has united us and He has made us one people, and this is the small “bomb” that has exploded here in England. Dearest all, thank you also for this applause. I never thank people for applause, but it means that you are with me, it means that we are together in living this way!” Chiara Lubich, London, 16 November 1996 – to the Focolare community of Great Britain and Ireland
“I love to be among children because they are the ones who have best interpreted my ideal!”, Chiara Lubich wrote in 1955. Today, the children who live the ideal of unity are present in all the continents and number more than 16,000. In an epoch of emergency in education, they are a living answer to many questions on education that adults ask themselves today because through the way they interact with their educators, these children give witness to a new relationship: reciprocal love, as Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This was also the title of the formation course held in Castelgandolfo (Rome), from 27th December to 3rd January 2012. The meeting convened 180 people who are responsible for the formation of the Gen 4, the children of the Focolare Movement. The participants came from all around the world, including the United States, Vietnam, South Africa – some had to travel more than 30 hours. The event was also transmitted via the internet. 
Children are often bombarded by messages that are counter-educational and that do not respect their age. How can we offer them a formation that is both human and Christian? Difficult situations are lived within the family, causing loss of trust in adults and consequently in God: how do we make them experience the love of God? These were some of the questions they reflected upon during the week long course of formation. “Our method of transmission starts with ourselves,” the organisers summed up, “by being the first to put the Gospel into practice.” 
There was a lot of discussion and exchange of experiences and the program included in-depth studies on psycho-pedagogical themes in the light of the collective spirituality, the rights and protection of children, group workshops and plenary dialogue. Everything was done with great dedication towards children and their formation and there was renewed effort and commitment among the participants to work to this end. An experience was shared by participants from Egypt: “The Gen 4 saw the older children of the Focolare carrying out initiatives for our city, Cairo, and they wanted to do something as well. ‘Why not bring peace and joy?’ we said to each other. We bought flowers to offer the passersby. Before going out on the streets, the Gen 4 boys and girls thought of the phrases they would say while they distributed the flowers: “If you love Egypt, when you eat sweets don’t throw the wrapper away on the ground”,and similar phrases. Many – both Christians and Moslems – were amazed at this. A street sweeper exclaimed: “A flower for me?” “Yes,” said the Gen 4 because we want to love you.” And he, visibly moved, replied: “It’s the first time that someone has given me a flower.” A story from Brazil was recounted: Christina, a Gen4 girl, suffers from an illness that can provoke heart failure. After a very serious heart attack this summer she was at risk of losing her life. The doctors had to carry out numerous tests. Christina was peaceful throughout, because having heard the story of Chiara Luce Badano, she was not afraid of undergoing tests and treatments. A doctor said to her: “Did you know you were very close to the door of Paradise?” Christina replied: “Yes, but I did not go in because my backpack wasn’t yet filled with enough acts of love.” On hearing this, the doctor wanted to know more about her life. These were some of the experiences shared during the week of work at the service of the new generations. The formation course was both complex and delicate, and it was done in collaboration with families and experts in different fields, however we are all summoned to do our part as educators.
It could be said that 21 February 1966 is the date of the beginning of the Focolare Movement in Portugal. This was the day when two young Brazilian women arrived in Lisbon to open a focolare house. Chiara Lubich herself had wanted it in Lisbon so as to have a place of welcome for the first focolarini who were leaving from or arriving in Europe, because at that time many flights from South America stopped off there. In 1967 the some men arrived in the city as well, opening a second focolare house.
Many people met the spirituality of unity in Portugal in those early years: adults, lay people, religious and priests, but above young people who, attracted by a gospel way of living that was simple and totally committed, threw themselves with enthusiasm into telling others of this new discovery that had given fulfilment to their lives: ‘God is love, God loves us immensely,’ they proclaimed. Urged on by the presence of Jesus among them, with no worry about age-differences, they worked among the poor, organized day meetings and concerts to spread the Ideal of unity. Like this they managed to contribute to building a more united world. And in this way a community like that of the early Christians grew up – where everything was shared by all, spiritual and material goods, sufferings and joys.
On 25 April 1974, with the collapse of Salazar’s dictatorship, the thirteen-year colonial war came to an end. The Movement had expanded greatly: the Mariapolises (typical Focolare meetings over a few days with people from all walks of life) were attended by thousands of people. Similarly the day meetings for young people, both in Lisbon and Porto, were attended by large numbers. The growing number of vocations to the focolare and other kinds of commitment within the Movement were also being consolidated.
Today throughout the country (and its islands) the Movement has more than 2000 members and thousands of sympathizers adhering to its spirituality, ten focolare houses in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Faro and, at 50 km from Lisbon, the little town of Arco-iris which is the living heart of the Movement in Portugal.
Some of the pioneers of the Focolare in Portugal are no longer on this earth, but their witness has left the perfume of genuine gospel love.
Others have given their lives to God to build unity and universal brotherhood in the world. At this moment there are Portuguese focolarini in Japan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, USA, Canada, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium…
Publishing House: as an instrument to spread the spirituality and to offer the chance for formation in it, in 1973 the publishing house Cidade Nova was founded. It has so far published 83 titles by Chiara Lubich and other authors. In 1976 the magazine Cidade Nova was launched and it now comes out monthly.
In the world of the Church: the Focolare Movement in Portugal is characterized by its participation, both locally and nationally, in activities run by the Roman Catholic Church. It is part of the National Assembly of the Laity and is present in diocesan commissions for the pastoral care of families, of young people and for ecumenism.
Social Commitment: the NGO Acções para um Mundo Unido (Action for a United World, Portugal) supports projects in disadvantaged areas with problems of social cohesion. It has also set up small self-help schemes in Portuguese-speaking African counties and offers study grants to students from these same countries.
Family: the Focolare’s New Families Movement is involved – as it is in many parts of the world – in the ‘Adoption at a Distance’ project. In Portugal there are currently 73 children supported in African, Asia and Latin America.
Economy of Communion: in May 1999 during a visit to Brazil, in response to social and political inequality, Chiara Lubich set up the Economy of Communion. It has spread to Portugal and now 12 businesses freely invest their profits three ways: in aid to the most needy, education to support a ‘culture of giving’ and the further development of the business itself. Some of these businesses are based in the industrial zone ‘Giosi Guella’ established in 2010 in the little town of Arco-iris. The Association for an Economy of Communion and Action for a United World, Portugal, have also promoted academic study of the Economy of Communion by means of conferences, forums and regular meetings of specialists from the economic and social fields.
The little town Arco-iris is to be found in Abrigada, in the municipal area of Alenquer. It began in 1997 and is appreciated by Church and by civil authorities who recognize its possible public benefits. The Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, present at the little town’s inauguration, said his hope was that it should be ‘a fixed point of unity, in communion, to demonstrate that unity among all is possible.’
There are about 50 inhabitants: adults, families, young people, children and a priest who the Cardinal has also made the parish priest of Abrigada. It is in constant development and encourages the growth of the spirituality of unity through practical experience of the gospel lived. A moment of outreach that goes beyond the members of the Focolare and appeals, most especially, to young people is the gathering of youth every 1 May for a day of sharing and celebration. The little town is a privileged space for dialogue with civil society and with people of every conviction and culture.
In 2011, 250 young people have been helped at every level of their education, from elementary schools up to specialised post university courses, in 14 countries around the world: Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Lebanon, Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Allowing young people to study and train professionally is without doubt an investment for the future. The experience of Action for a United World and the Economy of Communion project show that it is already possible to live the communion of goods, and there is mutual giving and receiving. 
They write for example from Cebu, in the Philippines: “Every Saturday, some students go to our social centre to do tutoring to others that are younger: the students at university help those of the secondary school, and the students at the secondary school help those at the primary school that are in difficulty. In their free time they also help with the various social programmes of the centre, cleaning the premises, feeding the smaller ones, distributing scholastic materials at the beginning of the year.” And from Brazil: “I am 20 years old, and I have 3 brothers, one of them has a physical disability. This makes us live more united as a family and helps us grow in facing life with simplicity and openness towards the needs of others. At the beginning of this year I understood that I could live the Gospel in a more radical way, both at university and during my free time, and this would make a difference in my life. How could I put this decision into practice? I got the idea of dedicating myself to voluntary work, because in this way I would be able to participate in the reciprocity typical of the Economy of Communion, through which I receive my scholarship, and “in exchange” give my free time to other persons in need. So I began to work in a home for the elderly that has more than 50 inmates. I carry out activities with them to improve their quality of life. I set myself the objective not to look at them as “aged” in general, but to get to know each one with her life history, her family, to understand what they really desire.” 
“I attend the nursing school at the University of Para’. The profession I have chosen is an opportunity to be of service to others. Sometimes I find myself in situations where I risk contagion, but I try to intervene always in favour of those who are in need. Once I was given the responsibility to care for a person who had committed crimes. For me this was simply a person who needed care. My attitude drew the attention of my colleagues who reflected on the behaviour that is required from our profession.” 
«“I am aware that the objectives of the Economy of Communion, besides helping persons in difficulties, is also “the formation of new men and women”, so I try to be a sign of communion between my student friends, by circulating between us the knowledge and experience of each one of us. I do not own my books, and I try to leave in a good state the learning material that has been given to me for my use. But others do not have the possibility of buying, not even the hand outs, so I share this material with them. This is what I can do so that others can study. I feel that the achievements made by my study do not belong only to me, but to all those who collaborate in the project.”
“I was studying for a history test in class and I could not concentrate; there were many pages and I was thinking that it would be difficult to succeed in covering them all. To make the situation worse, I get an sms from some friends who ask me for help with a mathematics test. I reread the message, think about all the history pages and almost answer that I cannot help them. After some seconds however something within me tells me that I am losing an opportunity to love friends who are in difficulty. Instinctively I had put myself in the first place, without thinking about how important it is to help the others. I close my book, and hurry to the house of one of them where they were gathered. I involve myself and help them until late in the evening. When I return home, there is no more time to study history, now how would I carry out the test? I trust everything to God, believing that He would find a solution. On the morrow, some companions ask the teacher whether she can postpone the test; evidently I was not the only one who had not studied. The teacher, who is usually intransigent, decides to postpone the test. Simply luck? I do not believe so! I think rather that God in His providence has rewarded the act of trust done the previous evening.” (S. G. –Italy)
History and prophecy, the two eyes with which humanity contemplates its scene in the drama: one looks to the past and the other to the future, so that it can regulate the present. You could say that prophecy is God’s view and history is man’s. Thus history is an epitaph of the fallen and prophecy the longing for freedom from death and new life, a longing for peace. And Christ came. And over his cradle, in the mists of time, the angels sang: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men on earth.” What is glory for the Lord God in Heaven is peace for men on earth: Peace is the glory of men; glory is the peace of God. Now Christ indicates peace. “Christ is our peace. . . peacemaker,” come “to bear the good announcement of peace,” as Paul says to the Romans, who were a people of war. His revolution centers on the discovery of the brother, made by the light of charity, and peace is the fruit of charity. His law is forgiveness, and forgiveness replaces the impulses of war. War denounces, in those who promote it, a practical atheism, a rebellion against God. One of the Gospel beatitudes sings: “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the sons of God.” Peacemakers are makers of peace. For peace must be made, it is produced and it is the most precious product of human civilization. The Christian is a producer of peace that reconstructs the fabric of time indefinitely. He continually reconstructs life, “making war” on war, as Pius XII says, in order to combat his enemy which is death.. But there is peace and there is peace. . One is life and the other is death. “My peace I leave with you,” Jesus says, “I give you my peace, not the peace that the world gives.” The world’s peace is imposed by war; Christ’s peace is the gift of love. In this respect, both – peace and war – spring from the heart of each one of us. Too many of the world’s peoples still continue to repeat with the prophets: “We wait for peace and we do not have it; we await the hour of healing and remedy for the ills we have suffered, and behold: new tumors and disturbances are appearing; we wait for the light, and look at us still in darkness. . . We await justice and it’s not there; health, and it is still far from us.” Civilization and peace identify with each other in the same way war and barbarism accompany each other. A prophecy is needed today – a vision of love and reason – to shout on the heads of those responsible the imminent dangers to which their foolishness, their fear can lead us. If the body of humanity flows with the Blood of Christ, It shall free it of evil. To the city of man today as to the Jerusalem of then Jesus continues so say: “Oh, if you also knew – especially this day – what would bring you peace!” Precisely on this day, for there is no more time to lose. What is conducive to peace is human rationality together with the divine rationality, and this is substantially what love is. The Blood of the Redemption which makes us consanguineous with Christ and therefore with each other, reassembles as a family: in community, able to reach unity. Moreover, a universal unification seems to be already underway. The ideals of freedom, justice and peace are common to all, elevating the black and the yellow, proletarians and workers of every land and condition. Upon their agitation which is forming the dramatic history of our times, the prophetic invitation of Christ is all the more urgent: “May they all be one!” Igino Giordani
