From Mexico City the story of a meeting between Christians of various Churches in which the local Focolare community also participated “Silence is essential in the journey of Christian unity. Indeed, it is fundamental to prayer, from which ecumenism begins and without which it is sterile.”[1] Pope Francis expressed himself in this way on September 30, 2023, in St. Peter’s Square, surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters of various denominations who had come for the ecumenical vigil that preceded the Synod. And this is the spirit that also animates the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25, 2024, celebrated around the world, invoking unity among all Churches and ecclesial communities. But unity is not to be sought only this week; it is a commitment to be lived throughout the year. This is well known by the friends of the Focolare Movement community in Mexico City who, a few months ago, organized a day of dialogue among Christians of various Churches linked to the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in collaboration with the Integral Ecology Commission of the Archdiocese of Mexico City. After an initial time of prayer in the beautiful chapel of the Archdiocesan Minor Seminary, participants went on an ecological walk led by some women from different indigenous communities. Indeed, these communities have a deep relationship with Creation, which they manifest with symbols, songs and prayers in their languages. Particularly, it became evident how water is an essential element for the life of all living beings without distinction. And the symbol of flowing water – an ecological, life-giving and synodal image – was echoed when, thirsty after the walk, the leaders of the Churches present – Anglican bishops of Mexico and priests of the Orthodox Church of America – took earthenware jugs to serve drinks to each of those present, also in small earthenware cups. The concluding fraternal agape was a time of exchange and closeness, sharing of dreams and possible future plans. Among those present were the Anglican Primate of Mexico, the Catholic Bishop of Mexico City, an Anglican deaconess, some members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Catholic priests from the diocesan offices for Ecumenism, Youth Ministry and Care of Creation a group from the Community of Sant’Egidio, some members of the Commission for Integral Development of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Mexico, the Mexican Institute of Social Doctrine, and the Pastoral Care of Indigenous People. It was a moment of great unity in which everyone could see that it is worthwhile to spare no effort to help generate a dialogue of life in Mexico and everywhere.
On the 24th of January 1944, Chiara Lubich discovered what was to become a key pillar for the spirituality of unity: Jesus experiences the highest measure of love, when on the cross he was abandoned by his Father.On the 80th anniversary of that day, we want to share what Chiara said on the meaning of “Jesus Forsaken”. https://youtu.be/QGjFSA2jsN0
The Focolare Movement has just published its second “Communion in Action Report” or “Mission Report”. It focuses on the theme of Dialogue. To learn more about it, we interviewed Ruperto Battiston and Geneviève Sanze, Counsellors for the Economy and Work aspect of the Movement.
A year ago, in January 2023, at the “Focolare Meeting Point” in Rome, the first “Communion in Action Report” or “Mission Report” of the Focolare Movement was presented. It gave an overview of the worldwide activities and initiatives carried out by the Movement in the biennium 2020-2021. This year, the Movement is presenting a new Report for the year 2022, this time centred on the theme of dialogue. The document has emerged as a fascinating account, not only of the spontaneous sharing of goods but also of experiences and needs, inspired by a lifestyle based on evangelical love. Ruperto Battiston and Geneviève Sanze, Counsellors at the International Centre of the Movement for the aspect of Economy and Work, shared their thoughts with us.
Ruperto, what are the objectives of this document? Is there continuity with the previous one?
These mission reports exist to involve everyone and share information about the concrete achievements resulting from the communion of goods among all the members of the Focolare Movement and the contributions that we receive from individuals or institutions. It is primarily addressed to all the members of the Movement, with gratitude for the fruits that the life and work of many people around the world continue to generate; and with gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do. It is also addressed to those who would like to know more about us and actively collaborate for a more fraternal and peaceful world. This is why we chose the standard, and in this case perhaps somewhat unusual, name of ‘Communion in Action Report’ because we feel it best expresses our experience of walking together towards a united world. This is our second Mission Report’. It refers to the activities supported by the part of the communion of goods which is shared internationally and to the financial data of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre for the year 2022. This Report follows that of 2021, which highlighted the various activities that the communities of the Focolare Movement carry out worldwide in all fields and aspects. For 2022, we focused on a more thematic document, taking the specific perspective of Dialogue and trying to offer a glimpse of what we seek to bring to society on the path towards fraternity, towards that unity in which diversities can be enriched and give rise to harmonious collaborations.
Therefore, this Report serves as an open and hands-on tool of communion to which everyone can add a page, a story or a suggestion, “In Dialogue” with humanity and with our planet.
Geneviève, how does the theme of dialogue, the heart of this text, fit into this informative tool?
It is interesting to reiterate what it says in the introduction: “Being in dialogue is the characteristic of every person and every project which is under the auspices of the Focolare Movement and which is inspired by its spirituality of communion. Not just doing, therefore, but a lifestyle which is supported and substantiated by listening, welcoming, compassion, charity and mercy, as summarized in the cardinal principle of every culture and religion: the so-called Golden Rule ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'” This Mission Report aims to show how, together with many others throughout the world, we have contributed to healing the wounds of divisions and polarizations and to progressing along the path of evangelical fraternity. We express dialogue in five major areas: in the Catholic Church, among Christian Churches, in the field of interreligious dialogue, with people without a religious reference and in different cultural contexts. For us, these areas are the main ways to reach fraternity. Chiara Lubich defined dialogues as ‘highways to a united world’. It was not easy to gather and choose from the numerous initiatives, small and large but all important because they are seeds of the future and bearers of a concrete change in relationships between people, improving the atmosphere of the world. We were amazed by the quantity of initiatives and the widespread flourishing of this life, which may not make noise but which supports the world and builds new relationships between people. Being “In Dialogue” with others values diversity, highlights the characteristics of each one, requires deep mutual listening, and builds peace. Dialogue is more relevant than ever. To read the Mission Report in English, click here.
An audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday 10 January followed by three days of reflection at the Conference on Integral Ecology at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano. Two fundamental stages on the path of dialogue between Catholics and Marxists on important issues, beginning with peace.
Foto Giulio Meazzini
Even though they were just small signs, they are so significant as to consider Dialop’s path as a sort of well-respected special observer on the part of the Catholic Church. The initiative – which began in 2014 – to foster dialogue between Christians and Marxists – experienced a significant moment on Wednesday, 10 January with a private audience with Pope Francis. It was meant to be a ten-minute greeting which would already have been a valuable achievement but Bergoglio spent 40 minutes with the delegation (eight Catholics and seven Marxists). ‘In a world divided by war and polarisation,’ the Pope began, ‘don’t back down, don’t give up, don’t stop dreaming of a better world’, because ‘it has been precisely the great dreams of freedom and equality that have produced breakthroughs and progress’. And he recommended “three attitudes”. First, ‘Have the courage to break the mould to open up, in dialogue, to new paths. Let us cultivate a spirit of encounter and listening with an open heart, excluding noone at a political, social and religious level’. Then, ‘Care for the weak. A civilisation can be ‘measured’ by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. Politics that is truly at the service of people cannot allow itself to be dictated by finance and market mechanisms’. Finally, ‘Legality. What we have said so far implies a commitment to fight the scourge of corruption, abuse of power and illegality’. And in the final greeting: ‘I wish you wisdom and courage’.
Foto Paolo Lòriga (2)
Another significant sign was the presence of Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, at the opening of the Conference on Integral Ecology, held at the Sophia University Institute from 11 to 13 January. The event was part of the DialogUE Project, funded by the European Union, and had as the main theme ‘For a social and ecological transformation’. Cardinal Tolentino’s speech focused on ‘Integral Ecology in Pope Francis’. The three-day conference at the Sophia Institute, with more than 40 talks by academics and researchers from various disciplines, brought together economic and political, philosophical and theological, scientific and humanistic aspects from different cultural visions in an exemplary exercise in dialogue. Re-reading Pope Francis’ document ‘Laudato si’ made it possible to highlight, and this is what emerged from the reflection, “the all too weak countermeasures to the climate crisis undertaken so far and the clear failure of important economic-political efforts to avoid global climate collapse”. “There is an urgent need to act quickly”, this appeal was reiterated, but it is indispensable to “start by being aware of a handicap in man’s vision even before the ecological one”. A further indication of the importance attributed to the Dialop experience lies in the presence of the Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, Spanish priest Manuel Barrios Prieto, on each of the 3 days of the conference. He spoke at the concluding phase of the conference. Great attention, therefore, was paid to Dialop’s commitment to formulating a transversal social ethical programme as the fruit of dialogue between the Social Thought of the Catholic Church and Marxist Social Critique – ethics enlightened by the vision of integral ecology proposed by Pope Bergoglio. Ten years ago, neither Walter Baier, a Marxist politician and current president of the European Left, nor Franz Kronreif, an architect and member of the Focolare Movement, both from Austria, who both initiated Dialop would ever have imagined the results of this 2024 stage. ‘The meeting with Pope Francis,’ Baier remarked, ‘opens a new chapter between the Left in Europe and the Catholic Church. And what has matured at Sophia marks the development of that dialogue because it showed how rich the knowledge we are able to mobilise is’. A particular perspective has also opened up for Kronreif: ‘Based on the path we have been able to take and the experience we are gaining, we can expand to other dialogues or integrate other subjects into our dialogue to safeguard the people, nature, justice and peace’.
Over 10 years ago, Walter Baier and Franz Kronreif embarked on a journey between Marxists and Catholics in Vienna with the aim – bold then and bold now – of working out a shared social ethic on the basis of a cross-party project of dialogue, called Dialop, which was launched in 2014. Baier, a politician, is currently president of the European Left, Kronreif is an architect and a member of the Focolare Movement.What were the results of the conference held in the past few days for Dialop’s journey?Baier: ‘It is difficult for me to give an answer in this moment because we still have to evaluate things between us. I have read Pope Francis’ address to us several times and each time I’ve discovered something new. This means that we have to let this speech sink in and think about it carefully. Certainly, however, the meeting with the Pope opens a new chapter between the Left in Europe and the Catholic Church. The Pope spoke about the very things that move us too, namely the preferential option for the poor, the defence of Mother Earth, the rights of migrants, the right to life’. Kronreif: “What impressed me most was that the Pope really wanted this meeting with a representation from Dialop. Right from the start we saw that he felt very comfortable with our group, half Catholic, half Marxist. He spoke very freely and also built relationships by accepting questions. He urged us to continue the dialogue, because dialogue is fundamental today. He also emphasised the fight against corruption. And then he invited us to dream of a better future, because with dreams we can manage to break the mould’. Baier: ‘What happened at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano is also very important. I think it is a new stage in the dialogue. It shows how rich the knowledge we can mobilise is. The precondition for this is that we managed to create a space in which all participants were able to express themselves. On the Marxist side, every contribution was unorthodox. If we had said these things decades ago in our socialist or communist parties, we would have been ousted’. Can you give an example?Baier: ‘How we were able to act as Marxists with the leadership of the Catholic Church is unprecedented. And then the self-criticism we began to do about our contradictions. This is only possible with the kind of dialogue we have created at Sophia. And I stress that in this experience of dialogue, the other side is able to bring out the best part of us’. What prospects have opened up with this stage at the start of 2024?Baier: ‘For me, as a politician, it is important that we succeed in mobilising society and public opinion on topics of justice, integral ecology, and above all peace. Although we should have no illusions. It is not so much a matter of speeches as a confrontation with strong powers. This requires democratic decisions and we need majorities on these issues. I think we must develop our dialogue in this direction’. Kronreif: ‘The perspective that emerged is that we have found that in our dialogue we manage to create an experience of true encounter that can be extended to other dialogues or integrate other subjects into our dialogue. By now we have such a deep-rooted and lived method and experience that we are more open to integrating other components. And it may turn out to be a useful democratic method to deal with and address certain issues in parliaments, society and public opinion, where a very wide split and radicalisation into extreme positions now prevails’.
From January 18-25, 2024, all churches in the northern hemisphere will celebrate, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In the southern hemisphere it will take place on the Feast of Pentecost. This year the motto chosen is from the Gospel of Luke: “You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Locally, in each country, city, diocese, and church community, moments of prayer, conferences, round tables, and ecumenical meetings have been organized. In Rome, Pope Francis will conclude the week on Thursday, Jan. 25, together with representatives of various Christian churches with the recitation of Vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. On this occasion we offer a short video documentary on the meeting of people from the Focolare Movement belonging to various Churches held on October 13 and 14, 2023. It was attended by 150 people belonging to the Movement from 15 Christian Churches: Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican Church, Lutheran and Reformed Churches, Pentecostal Church and Catholic Church. It was a meeting among people who have been living the spirituality of unity for years and have responded to God’s call in the various vocations of the Movement. It was a moment of deep communion in an exchange of testimonies of life in their own Church and in the Movement, each with different forms and expressions bringing into play talents, culture, knowledge, within the horizon of a constant commitment to unity at all levels. A meeting marked by a great joy of coming together with strong bonds of unity, as in a family in which differences are valued as richness that can be known and shared to become a gift for all. https://youtu.be/Ab7gLDEeL2I
From Dec. 26-30, 2023, at the International Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo, Rome, was held the congress “Giving Roots of Joy. The call to be disciples-missionaries and the spirituality of communion.” It was a moment of encounter among seminarians, deacons and young priests that focused on meditation, reflection and sharing with the international participation of some groups connected via internet from Congo, Argentina and Romania. Antonio Carozza, a seminarian from Sulmona, Italy, tells us about it.How can we become roots of joy? This is the question Pope Francis asked us on the eve of WYD in Portugal, and which he also posed to us in the meeting for seminarians, deacons and young priests held in Castelgandolfo (Rome) from Dec. 26-30, 2023, with the intention of deepening the contribution of the Focolare Movement’s spirituality of communion, to the Church’s synodality and missionary spirit. I am experiencing for the third year in a row this appointment of the Christmas season and for the third time I was surprised by the beauty of coming together; coming from different places we found each other, met and recognized each other. It is always an exciting experience to reconfirm the beauty of our spirituality centered on unity and fraternity among all, so that it is not just a slogan but an experience, an embodied life experience. A moment experienced with particular emotion was the meeting with Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, who wanted to listen to our reactions on the theme she proposed this year, “Called and Sent”; we felt welcomed and listened to in our different experiences. In particular, Margaret shared with us how she felt about the outbreak of violence in the Holy Land. Strong was her invitation to witness to God’s love by making us neighbors through true words that flow from a deep inner life and the authenticity of a life lived because only those who have experienced love can love, only those who have experienced failure and forgiveness can become credible witnesses. The same love and passion emerged from the words of Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement. We understood how we cannot be fathers if we do not first learn to be sons; Christmas reminds us precisely of this fact, our whole life is called to be Christmas. In fact, Jesús reminded us how in pastoral commitment, to which we are all called in various capacities, we need to give birth to Jesus, and to do this we must first become like Mary. Pastoral work can only be Marian. Another highlight was the talk by H.E. Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick in Ireland, who shared with us his experience of participating in the Synod, making us understand how Synod means first of all conversion. In fact, the Synod invites us to pursue a process of conversion made of mutual listening and a renewed listening to the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Church. A special moment of grace was the participation in the General Audience of Pope Francis, who urged us to be custodians of our hearts. We heard echoed Chiara Lubich’s words, “if the heart is set on God alone, everything else falls.” With many new insights and with hearts filled with joy, we returned to our parishes and seminaries where, as disciples-missionaries, we are called to make ourselves roots of joy for others every day with the spirit that Chiara herself left us: to “make unity around us, in the environment where we are” in order to be one, to be Jesus, because his love makes us enter deeply into the hearts of others.
Father Adolfo Raggio, 95 years old, is a priest who is a “citizen of the world”. He says that when he met the spirituality of unity, which he likes to call “the Ideal,” his life changed. From a parish in a small town in Liguria, northern Italy, the roads of God led him to different countries, where in each place he gave life to people and communities who live the spirit of the Focolare Movement., In this video, he shares his journey, which still today keeps him active in serving his brothers.Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N66bxl2KoU
Interview: Carlos ManaVoice: Giuseppe VetriFilming and editing: Javier García
The Prefecture of Nanterre (France) issued an appeal for witnesses On Tuesday, 2 January, the Police Prefecture of Nanterre (France) issued an appeal for witnesses following the accusation of sexual abuse within the Focolare Movement in France by former focolarino Jean-Michel Merlin. The document states that the Prefecture is looking for ‘anyone who can provide information relevant to the investigation or who wishes to denounce facts of which he may have been a victim’. Jean-Michel Merlin,” the appeal explains, “has been accused of sexual abuse of children and adults committed over a number of years within the Focolare Movement. Many of the victims have come forward and denounced the acts committed against them. The Focolare expresses its complete availability to facilitate the work of the judicial authorities and to make this appeal known. They offer their support to the victims and their commitment to continue implementing measures to protect and safeguard children and individuals, so that the Movement can increasingly be a safe place for everyone. Anyone with information of interest to the investigation or who wishes to report incidents of which they have been a victim, in France or elsewhere, is invited to contact the French judicial authorities via the following address: appelatemoin-btpf92@interieur.gouv.fr
Today, January 1st, we celebrate the World Day of Peace. On this occasion, we offer a writing of Igino Giordani (1894-1980) where he recalls how living in peace can make every day Christmas.Since Christmas is considered by most as one of the grand feasts,more sumptuous than sacred, it would be important to reflect on some of the theme aspects of this event, due to which the history of the world was cut into two sections, pre- and post-. (…)
There is an abysmal contrast between the birth of a powerful figure, as the ancient world dreamt of and the obscure birth of Jesus, ignored by many; it is a contrast which in itself characterises the infinite originality of a Christ-king born of a poor woman in a stable. (…)
The start of his revolutiondoes not foresee arrogance, but humility, to draw the sons of God to heaven, starting from those who ate and slept on the ground: the slaves, the jobless, the foreigners, and the scum.
Liberty and love were born with that infant: his liberty is liberty of love. This is the immense discovery. Universal love that he taught aims to disperse a system of coexistence made up mostly of political power, abuse of authority, idle usury, despise for work, degradation of woman, and corrosive envy. (…)
Life, in peace, would allow us to make every day, Christmas.And this is the revolution of Christ:to make us be reborn continually against the curse of death. And so the utmost commandment is to love man, which is like loving God. Love the other to the point of giving one’s life for him.
(Igino Giordani,Christmas as a revolution, New City, Rome 1974, n.24, p.18)
Following Pope Francis’ Encyclicals on care of our common home, Laudato Sì and Laudate Deum, a community in in Formia (Italy), has promoting greater energy efficiency and developed renewable forms of energy.“In some places, cooperatives are being developed to exploit renewable sources of energy which ensure local self-sufficiency and even the sale of surplus energy. This simple example shows that, while the existing world order proves powerless to assume its responsibilities, local individuals and groups can make a real difference.” (179). These are the words of Pope Francis in the encyclical Laudato Sì on caring for our common home, published in 2015. After the publication of this letter and in the light of the new apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (4th October 2023), many communities around the world felt inspired to do something concrete for the care of the environment, to change their lifestyles and to take action against climate change. The Focolare community in Formia felt this responsibility and decided to instigate a positive change in the care of people and of the environment. At the beginning of 2023, after a short organisational process, with a varied group of entities, they started a Renewable Energy Community around a Parish in their Municipality. The purpose was to produce, consume, sell and share electricity. Their inspiration was the desire to implement what Pope Francis proposed in Laudato Sì. Referring to local communities, the Pope affirmed that they can make a real difference, “as they are able to instil, a greater sense of responsibility, a strong sense of community, a readiness to protect others, a spirit of creativity and a deep love for the land. They are also concerned about what they will eventually leave to their children and grandchildren” (179). Hence the idea of developing renewable and low-polluting forms of energy by promoting greater energy efficiency. And even more: on one hand there is a desire to give more attention to solving the environmental crisis while on the other, an effort is being made to address the difficulties that some citizens have in paying energy bills. The energy community involves a variety of partners: from the parish to families, from educational institutions to commercial activities. Bringing different entities together risks the occurrence of misunderstandings or different visions. This is why, from the outset, efforts were made to involve everyone and explain the objectives of the project so that everyone was aware of the path to be followed. For this reason there have been several meetings to understand the motivations, overcome doubts and difficulties. The local community then participated in a public tender for funds. The subsidies were specifically intended for Renewable Energy Communities. The contributions they received allowed them to launch the project.
A Christmas that speaks of strength, courage and warmth, in a “family” which is as big as the world
All one! A goal to be reached.
One day heaven opened up, because the Word became flesh. Then He grew, taught, performed miracles, brought together His disciples, founded the Church and, before dying on the Cross, said to the Father: “May they all be one.”
He did not address His words to human beings: perhaps they would not have understood. He turned to the Father, because God is the bond of this unity, and he obtained this grace that enabled us all to be completely one.
We know that we are brothers and sisters, we know that a link binds us, but we do not act as brothers and sisters. We pass by each other without looking at one another, without loving each other. If that is the case, in what does our fraternity consist?
God (…) wants us to open our eyes and look at one another and help one another and love one another.
The fault is ours; we have forgotten what is essential. Our vision is clouded by material goods, activities, affections, personal ideas and egoism. We don’t let go of anything so as to give priority to God.God exists; yes, God does exist, but he is one of the many things in our lives. We think of him only in those moments when we need him.
As Christians, we should live in a different way. We must put God in His rightful place in our lives and put aside everything else.
And He will teach us how we should live, and He will repeat his words to us: “Love one another.”
Then many things will change. My family will become the whole of humanity, as Jesus said: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God.” And passing through the streets of this world, we will realize that people are not just people, but they are children of God. All one!! Let’s make the world become a single family, where the rule of every rule will be Love.
Chiara Lubich (from Città Nuova – no.24 – 25 December1972)
A dream of peace and fraternity to be realised for all the people on earth is in the words of Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, her wish of hope for this Christmas and the New Year about to begin.
An afternoon of hope and joy with the boys of the juvenile detention centre in Rome (Italy) Casal del Marmo, northwest suburb of Rome, Italy. The district is famous for the presence of a juvenile detention centre that houses boys from various parts of Italy, many of whom are foreigners. On the occasion of the Street Mission “Live for something great”, organized by several Associations and Communities including the Focolare Movement, Gen Rosso visited the institute to find about forty boys waiting for them. However, the first unexpected reaction was quite cold. Most of them speak Arabic. But Lito, a young friend of Gen Rosso, an excellent DJ, is Egyptian and speaks their language. He began to translate. They didn’t expect this. The atmosphere began to thaw with the help of the music. Time flew: rhythm, songs, applause and deep reflection. Tearful eyes, sincere smiles. The simplicity of a different kind of afternoon within those walls. Gen Rosso managed to convey a message of hope, also drawing on some interventions by Pope Francis. “Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over, for no one has the right to rob you of hope”. These are the words of the Pope when in 2019 he met young people on his apostolic journey to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. He began by saying, “Dreams help us to keep alive the certainty of knowing that another world is possible (…). The most beautiful dreams can be achieved with hope, patience and commitment…” These words resonated in the juvenile institution. Then came the time to dream with open eyes. Helanio took over. He took the microphone: “We know that some of you sing…” Three young rappers jumped up. They spoke briefly to Ygor on percussion and Juan Francisco on guitar and a beat began, an improvised rhythm. The three boys, then became four and alternated with improvised verses in Arabic, French, Italian and again in Arabic. The audience went wild and clapped their hands to the beat. Then together, Gen Rosso and the rappers for the grand finale. Everyone was involved: prison guards, detainees, management. The visitors who organized the initiative also joined in the dancing: New Horizons, Focolare, Emmanuel Community, Fazenda de Esperanza Community, Shalom, Casa Do Menor, Belem Mission, the Easter Morning Sentinels, Lumen Community, Anspaz Community, in synergy with the Diocese of Rome. Hope exists and so do the talents of these young people. Dr. Maria Vittoria Menenti, Director of the Institute took the mike and thanked the youth of the juvenile institution and Gen Rosso, with the hope that such an event can happen again. The time flew. We had to leave. Farewells with handshakes, hugs, pats on the back, big smiles. Come back soon! Leaving, many were thinking of Gospel phrase, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be among them” (Mt. 18:20) – when you try to love each other, the presence of God makes wonderful things happen. Even more so when you experience it in a place like this, full of suffering, anger, despair, but also and above all hope. The boys went back to their cells. Gen Rosso began a new journey. Everyone carried something profound with them: all strongly recharged by the same inexhaustible source of joy and hope.
To remain “at the crossroads of today” with the same confident and generous attitude as Mary. This is what Card. Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, in his homily delivered in the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Rome) during the Mass of Thanksgiving on Dec. 7, 2023, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the birth of the Focolare Movement.Dearly beloved, on this day when the focolarino charism began 80 years ago, here in the house of Mary, close to the manger and to the mystery of her divine motherhood, we thank the Lord for the gift of Chiara Lubich and the great family that came to life around her. I repeat to you the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, “Do not fear!” You too “have found grace with God!” With these words His Eminence Card. Kevin Joseph Farrel, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, encouraged the Focolare Movement as he presided over the Holy Mass that took place, at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome, Dec. 7, 2023. Eighty years after Chiara Lubich’s “Yes” to God, Card. Farrell, during the liturgy with which the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, invited those present to recall their encounter with the charism, “certain,” he said, “that all of you have embraced the focolarino ideal as a great gift of grace, as a favor from God,” spurring each one to continue faithfully to carry it into the world. To read the full homily (Our translation)
On the morning of 7 December 2023, Pope Francis received in audience Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, together with the members of the Focolare Council and those responsible for the different geographical areas, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its foundation. Here is the speech that the Pope addressed to them during the audience.Dear brothers and sisters, welcome! I greet Cardinal Farrell, your president Dr. Margaret Karram, the co-president Jesús Morán, the members of the General Council, the delegates of the geographical areas, and all of you. I am grateful that you came while celebrating the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the Focolare Movement, also known as the Opera di Maria. Thank you! It coincides with the day on which the Servant of God Chiara Lubich decided to consecrate herself fully to the Lord. From an inspiration she received in an entirely ordinary context of life – while she was going shopping for her family – a radical act of self-giving to God arose, as a response to her call that she had felt, sweet and strong, in her heart. It was 7 December 1943, in Trent, at the height of the war; on the very eve of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s “yes” became Chiara’s “yes”, generating a wave of spirituality that spread throughout the world, to tell everyone that it is beautiful to live the Gospel with one simple word: unity. But unity also means harmony: harmonic unity. In these eighty years, you have made this message resound amid the young, communities, families, persons of consecrated life, priests and bishops; and also in various social environments: from the world of school to that of the economy, from the world of art and culture to that of information and the media; and in particular, in the spheres of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. You have thus been an active instrument of a great flowering of works, of initiatives, of projects and above all of “rebirths”, of conversions, of vocations, of lives given to Christ and to our brothers and sisters. For all this today we want to give thanks to God. In February 2021, speaking at your General Assembly, I emphasized three important attitudes for your progress: living your charism with dynamic fidelity, welcoming moments of crisis as opportunities to mature, embodying spirituality with consistency and realism (Address, 6 February 2021). Living spirituality. I want to remember these today to encourage you to live them and promote them along three lines: ecclesial maturity, fidelity to the charism, and commitment to peace.Ecclesial maturity. I invite you to work so that the dream of a fully synodal and missionary Church may be increasingly realized. Start out from your communities, fostering in them a style of participation and co-responsibility, also at the level of governance. Let the “focolari”, the hearths, increase within them and spread around them a climate of mutual listening and family warmth, in which we respect and care for one another, with particular attention to those who are weaker and those most in need of support. To this end, it will be helpful for you to pursue avenues of mutual participation and consultation at all levels, paying special attention to communication and sincere dialogue. With regard to the second line, fidelity to the charism, I remind you of some of your Founder’s words: “Leave to those who follow you only the Gospel. If you do this, the ideal of unity will remain […]. What remains and will always remain is the Gospel, which does not suffer the wear of time” (C. Lubich, in La Parola di Dio, Rome 2011, 112-113). Please, sow unity by bringing the Gospel, without ever losing sight of the work of incarnation that God continues to wish to accomplish in us and around us through his Spirit, so that Jesus may be good news for everyone, no one excluded, and “that all may be one” (Jn 17:21). And so, we come to the third line, commitment to peace, so important today. Indeed, after two millennia of Christianity, the longing for unity continues to assume the form, in many parts of the world, of an agonizing cry that demands a response. Chiara heard this during the tragedy of the Second World War, and decided to give all her life so that the “legacy of Jesus” might be realized. Today, unfortunately, the world is still riven by many conflicts, and continues to need artisans of fraternity and peace between men and between nations. Chiara said, “To be love and to spread it is the general purpose of the Opera di Maria” (Eve of Pentecost, Saint Peter’s Square, 30 May 1998). Being love and spreading it: this is the main purpose. And we know that only from love is the fruit of peace born. Therefore, I ask you to be witnesses and builders of the peace that Christ achieved with his cross, defeating enmity. Think that, from the end of the Second World War until now, the wars have not ended. And we are unaware of the tragedy of war. I will confide in you, when I went to Redipuglia in 2014 for the centenary of the First World War, and I saw that cemetery, I wept, I wept. So much destruction! And every 2 November I go to celebrate in a cemetery, also last time, the Commonwealth Cemetery, and I see the age of the soldiers_ 22, 24, 18, 30… all shattered lives. Because of war. And war does not end. And in war, everyone loses, everyone. Only the arms manufacturers gain. And if weapons were not made for a year, world hunger could be brought to an end. This is terrible. We must think about this tragedy. Before concluding, I would like to make one final invitation, appropriate in this time of Advent: that of vigilance. The snare of spiritual worldliness is always lurking. Therefore, you too need to know how to react decisively, consistently and realistically. Let us remember that inconsistency between what we say we are and what we truly are is the worst anti-witness. Inconsistency. Please, take care. And the remedy is always to return to the Gospel, the root of our faith and our history: the Gospel of humility, of selfless service, of simplicity. And I always like to remember that you are very close to the secret of God, the four secrets of God. God does not understand four things: he does not know how many congregations of religious sisters there are; what Jesuits think; how much money Salesians have; and what the Focolarini laugh about! Dear brothers and sisters, as we have already recalled, you are the Opera di Maria; she has accompanied you throughout these eighty years and you know well that she will never stop doing so. May the Virgin of Nazareth therefore be the source of your consolation and your strength, so that you may be apostles of unity in the service of the Church and of humanity. Thank you for what you are and for what you do! Continue your journey confidently. I bless you from my heart. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you.
On 7th December 1943 in Trent (Italy) Chiara Lubich pronounced her yes to God. A yes that, over time, has multiplied, generating a large family, the Focolare Movement, made up of people from different continents, ages, cultures and vocations. Chiara’s “yes” was not a vow, it was a “flight”. A flight as daring as that of Charles Lindbergh when, for the first time, he flew non-stop over the Atlantic! “Have you found your vocation?” the priest had asked her as he saw her radiant expression as she came back from the shrine of Loreto that guards the house of Nazareth. “Yes,” she answered simply. “Are you getting married?” “No.” “Are you entering a convent?” “No.” “‘Are you going to remain a virgin in the world? “No.” The bewildered priest had no other alternative to propose. It was a fourth way, the one Chiara Lubich perceived. What was it? She didn’t exactly understand it herself; it was a new way to be followed, both boldly and courageously. A few years passed. Chiara heard a voice inside saying to her: “Give yourself totally to me”. How? Where? It doesn’t matter, you just have to answer that voice. The very thought of giving herself completely to God filled her with joy. “The priest challenged her, ‘If you follow this way, you will not have a family of your own, you will not have children, you will remain alone in life…’. Alone? As long as there is a tabernacle on earth,’ Chiara said to herself, ‘I will never be alone. Didn’t Jesus promise a hundred mothers, a hundred brothers and sisters, a hundred children to those who leave everything to follow him? But in that moment Chiara was not thinking about what she would leave or what she would receive in return. She only knew that she wanted to marry God. Nothing less! Athough this young girl was only 23 years old, the priest considered that she would be able take such a daring “flight”: she was really determined, she knew what she wanted. He gave her an appointment in the chapel. But he recommended that she should spend the night in prayer, almost like ‘keeping watch’, as was the custom at the time. In her little room, Chiara took the family crucifix, kissed it and began to speak to Jesus. Shortly afterwards, her breath condensed on the figure of Jesus and she fell asleep. Early the next morning she put on her best dress. The poor people – Chiara was also poor – always have a dress for a special occasion. Outside a storm was raging, almost as if someone wanted to hold her back from such a challenging step. She went out into the wind and rain, in a decisive way. In the little church she was enveloped by silence. There was Mass, communion, her whole, total, ‘yes’ forever. She shed a tear, because she was aware that a bridge was collapsing behind her, she would never be able to go back. But the whole of her life lay ahead. She had married God and could expect everything from him. This was on the 7th December 1943. 80 years have now passed. Chiara Lubich did not remain alone. Her Spouse had her travel with him, opening up Paradise to her and allowing her to share in its beauty, as she herself would later express: “My most sweet Spouse, Heaven is so very beautiful and You, as a divine Lover, after a mystical wedding …, show me Your possessions that are also mine! (…) My God, but why? Why so much for me? Why so much Light and so much Love? Chiara did not remain alone. A large family was born around her, made up of men and women from all continents, all vocations, many cultures and religions. Her yes was fruitful, because God never lets himself be outdone in generosity. After 80 years, that ‘yes’ has multiplied and still resounds today, in a thousand ways. Storms rage, the future seems uncertain, the ‘flight’ can resemble a leap in the dark, fear paralyses… Yet that voice continues to be heard in so many people, at times faintly, at times loudly: ‘Give yourself to me, give yourself to me…’. How? Each one discovers it slowly, but it calls for an immediate and generous yes. It can be a hesitant and shy yes or a decisive yes, a small tiny yes or a great big yes…. As long as it is a yes that is sincere and authentic. In this way God continues to make himself present in the world and to build its history that will blossom into the Kingdom of heaven.
On 7th December, Pope Francis will receive in audience the President of the Focolare Movement, Margaret Karram, together with those who are responsible for the Movement in the world. At 6pm, there will be a Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica of St, Mary Major in Rome, presided over by H.E. Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. 7th December 1943 marks the official birth of the Focolare Movement, the day on which Chiara Lubich consecrated herself to God forever. 80 years ago, a small community was born, which amidst the destruction of the Second World War wanted to rebuild peace and unity among all, and which would soon spread throughout the world, becoming part of the reality of New Charisms of the Church. At the heart of the Focolare’s spirituality and action is the Gospel and in particular Jesus’ prayer: “That all may be one” (Jn 17:21). Today the Movement is present in 182 countries, a sign of the universality and urgency of unity and fraternity in these fragmented and tragic times. It also includes Christians of various Churches, believers of numerous Religions and people without a precise religious affiliation. On 7th December next, Pope Francis will receive in audience Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, Jesús Morán, Co-President and the group of those who are responsible for the Movement. “To be received by the Holy Father on 7th December 2023, exactly eighty years after Chiara Lubich’s first ‘yes’ to God, is an extraordinary and surprising gift for us,” explains the President. “We want to bring to the Pope the love and affection of the thousands of people around the world who live the Charism of unity and renew our service to the Church in this synodal journey, in collaboration with so many others who want to contribute to peace and love to alleviate the wounds of humanity”. At 6 p.m. on the same day, in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, there will be a Mass of thanksgiving for these 80 years of Focolare life presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, together with several other cardinals, bishops and priests. Margaret Karram goes on to explain, ” This day will be the conclusion of a pilgrimage that we wanted to make to some sacred and significant places in Assisi, Loreto and Rome so as to give thanks, to ask for forgiveness and to start again with courage and hope. Focolare communities around the world will also live this anniversary with the same spirit and aims, so as to be “witnesses of proximity with fraternal love that overcomes every barrier and reaches every human situation”¹.
Stefania Tanesini
[1] Talk of Pope Francis to the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement – 6 February 2021
The worldwide action “They Dislodged Jesus” to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Azur Company’s Christmas novelties: puzzles that tell the story of Jesus’ birth and the joy at Christmas for children around the world. Christmas is approaching, and as always, the Gen4 — Focolare boys and girls ages four to ten — are in the forefront of reminding everyone of the true meaning of this celebration, bringing Jesus back to the center of Christmas. In all communities around the world, the production of the small statues of Baby Jesus has begun, which, close to Christmas, the Gen4 will offer in the streets, squares, shopping centers to remind everyone of the birth of Jesus, the “birthday boy”! Any donations received will go to help many children in countries forgotten by the media, but facing serious difficulties, such as the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela or for places where children suffer from ongoing wars or other needs also identified locally. This action, entitled “They Dislodged Jesus,” was born in 1997 and has a very precise meaning: not to be conditioned by consumerism, but to bring back to the center of Christmas the positive values, of peace, solidarity, universal fraternity. The idea had stemmed from a reflection by Chiara Lubich who was in Switzerland in the run-up to Christmas. Walking through the brightly-lit streets of a large city, she had been struck by the lights, the pretty decorations, the lots of richness, but most of all by the absence of reference to the primary meaning of Christmas. And so she wrote: “This rich world has ‘grabbed’ Christmas and all its entailments, and has dislodged Jesus! (…) It is banking on Christmas for the best profit of the year. But it doesn’t think about Jesus.” So, since 1997, thousands of Gen4 around the world have accepted Chiara Lubich’s invitation to bring Jesus back to the center of Christmas. This year’s event has the theme “Let’s bring the joy of Jesus to everyone!”:. And alongside this annual custom, the Gen4 International Center in collaboration with the Azur company produced two Christmas items to bring a message of beauty and peace. These are two puzzles: “the Christmas of the Children of the World” and “the beautiful story of Christmas.” The first is the classic puzzle to be put together, consisting of 96 tiles. The second, on the other hand, consists of six puzzle cards, six drawings that tell the story of Jesus’ birth from the arrival in Bethlehem to the coming of the Magi. On the back you can write Christmas greetings, then you can unravel the puzzle and put it in the enclosed envelope and give it as a gift. But the six puzzles can also be used to retell and relive this beautiful story with the little ones, aided also by a leaflet with the text of the story. The puzzles bear the title in 5 languages (Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)). If you need any info on the action They dislodged Jesus you can contact the Gen4 Center, while for the two puzzles you can visit the Azur site.
On 25th November 2023, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, was appointed Member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Pope Francis has appointed 11 new Members of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, for a five-year period. They include the President of the Work of Mary (Focolare Movement), Margaret Karram. She is one of the men and women, single and married, engaged in different fields of activity and from different parts of the world who will represent and enrich the universal face of the Church, alongside those already in office. The other new members are: Archbishop Josep Ángel Saiz Meneses of Seville, Spain; the Reverend Andrea D’Auria, F.S.C.B., director of the International Centre of Communion and Liberation; the Reverend Luis Felipe Navarro Marfá, Magnificent Rector of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy; the Distinguished Benoît and Véronique Rabourdin, international heads of Amour et Verité della Communauté de l’Emmanuel; Joseph Teyu Chou and Clare Jiayann Yeh, respectively lecturer in the Department of Public Financeof the National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan and founder and director of the Marriage and Family Pastoral Centerof the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference; Professor Ana María Celis Brunet, president of the Consejo Nacional para la Prevención de abusos y acompañamento de víctimas,of the Episcopal Conference of Chile; Professor Maria Luisa Di Pietro, director of the Centre for Research and Study on Reproductive Health of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy; Professor Carmen Peña García, lecturer in marriage law at the Facultad de Derecho Canónico dell’Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. The new members, whose appointment was published on 25th November 2023 in the Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office, join those previously appointed and all those still in office. The updated list can be consulted on the website of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life on the “Members and Consultors”page.
Penetrate the hearts and behaviour of modern day children, teenagers and young adults and accompany them in their journey of learning and development – this is at the basis of the podcast “EDU FOR UNITY, released on 27th November, 2023 on the Spotify channel of the Focolare Movement. How important is it today to understand the best way to approach each other? And with regard to children, teenagers and young adults, how can we adults, parents, teachers and educators be more attentive to them, how can we best support and accompany them in their journey of education and development? These are the questions that, over the next few weeks, will be tackled by the podcast, “EDU FOR UNITY”, which starts on 27th November, 2023. The idea came from the “EduxEdu, Be Educated to Educate” team, which coordinates the international training program for educators promoted by the Focolare Movement, in partnership with the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano and the Lumsa (Libera Università degli Studi Maria Ss. Assunta) University of Rome. A few days after the publication of the Guidelines for Training in the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons (SCVA) drawn up by the Focolare Movement and in the light of the many challenges that the world places before us, Edu For Unity proposes, as in a journey, to indicate the destination through a new educational culture of childhood and adolescence in which the direction of the compass changes: today’s children and young people are not the object of education, but are active subjects immersed in society with their specificity, their fragility, their strengths, their talents. Each stage of this journey will indicate the path to be traced, with the help of an international team of experts in sociology, psychology, pedagogy and theology. To learn more about it, we interviewed Roberta Formisano, one of the authors of this project. Where did the idea for this podcast come from and to whom is it directed? This podcast stems from the desire to pay more attention to the whole world of youth, teenagers, children and young adults who, especially in recent years, have been forced into isolation and confinement due to Covid. This has led an increase in fears and insecurities for many of them and many of these fears come precisely from the difficulty experienced in building relationships. The situation has therefore raised further questions about how to get in touch with them, how to educate them, how to find new strategies to get closer to them so as to be able to accompany them on their journey. The podcast came from an idea of the EduxEdu team and is aimed at parents, teachers, educators and leaders of groups in parishes or ecclesial movements, all those who accompany children, teenagers and young adults in the formation aspects of their lives, whether spiritual, cultural or even sports, of any kind. What topics have you chosen and how will they be organized? The podcast was created with the aim of offering relatively short inputs on the theme of the fragility of children, teenagers and young adults. The thematic path that has been chosen starts from listening, the topic of this first season, and then goes on to delve deeper into friendship, conflict, emotions, limits and coherence. According to our team of experts, these are the six keywords in which it is possible to decline “fragility” and they will be the themes of the six seasons of this podcast. Each episode opens with a conversation between a presenter (who for this first season will be the Argentinian journalist Anita Martinez) and an expert who can guide us on the subject. In each episode, we have tried to include experiences so that the various issues that arise in everyday life are answered not only from the theoretical point of view that an expert can provide but demonstrate an impact in everyday life. Each season ends with a relevant thought from Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. The title of the podcast highlights the word “unity”. In what sense is it used? The title EDU FOR UNITY can be explained by referring to the educating community, that is, the awareness that beyond the essential skills to be able to understand the fragilities of children and teenagers, listen to them and make them our own, it is only together, united, as a community that “listens”, can we can hope to be effective. What were the biggest challenges? The major challenges included continually remembering our target audience and that the underlying objective was to “take care” of children, teenagers and young adults. Another challenge was to bring together the various aspects which distinguish the people who collaborated, each with their own professional, cultural, academic background. We were invited to get involved without leaning on the expertise of those who “teach”, but with great simplicity, trying to be concise and using simple language to be able to reach everyone. The experts worked together for a long time to produce these first four episodes. It was also a collaboration between the various schools of thought and study on the subject: sociological, educational and psychological. Even at a technical and recording level, it was a huge challenge, because we involved people from many countries around the world and, up to now, the podcast has been recorded and translated in Italian and Spanish. In addition, there was great cooperation between generations and this brought various voices together, including those of the youngest. What do you hope those who listen to this podcast will gain from it? We hope that listening to this podcast will provide a space that each person can take, not only in order to be of help to and to accompany the young, but to reflect and work on themselves. That everyone can really find suggestions to put into practice in daily life. We would like everyone to say to themselves: “This is not just a lesson. Do I really do this every day? How can I go about implementing it?” We hope that it will be useful to create a vision of a better society, one that is not only focused on itself, closed in and indifferent; that helps adults to hear the voice of children, teenagers and young adults and to accompany them in their path of formation and development.
The city of Timisoara, Romania, recently hosted the annual meeting of Together for Europe (IpE) on the theme “Called to Unity.” This meeting brought together 51 movements representing more than 300 Christian realities and communities within IpE’s vast network.Creating living spaces in the cracks In the complex sociopolitical context that Europe is currently experiencing, leaders of Together for Europe (IpE) gathered from November 16-18, 2023 in Timisoara, Romania, to address an important question, “What is the role of christian communities in Europe today?” This question has gained relevance in the face of global issues such as various ongoing conflicts, migration dynamics, and the climate crisis. Herbert Lauenroth, historian and member of IpE’s Steering Committee, emphasized the crisis affecting all Churches and highlighted the weight of the moment: “Where is Europe today, Together for Europe? What kind of Europe, what kind of ‘Togetherness’ are we moving toward?” Against a backdrop of growing uncertainty, participants discussed what “Together for Europe” means, trying to discern the direction and future prospects. From the first sessions, it was evident that the choice of Timisoara as the venue for the meeting added an extra layer of significance. The European Capital of Culture 2023 is a testimony to the harmonious coexistence of different christian denominations, where diverse communities meet and thrive in unity. Gerhard Proß, IpE moderator and head of the CVJM (Christlicher Verein junger Menschen) in Esslingen, Germany, offered a perspective from the christian faith: “God creates space in the cracks,” he said, “Jesus himself entered the deepest of cracks in this world.” He went on to explain that the image of Christ, with his arms outstretched between heaven and earth, symbolizes a deep entrance into the cracks between God and humanity, between individuals, groups, denominations and nations. Jesus went down into the deepest: “There he created a space of life.” Words that resonated deeply, provoking reflections on how, in the face of contemporary challenges, Christian communities can create spaces of life in the midst of division, tension and uncertainty. Cultivating unityThe attendees participated in dialogue sessions, engaged together in intellectual discourse, experiential workshops and prayer times. Six workshops explored topics such as social integration, youth perspectives, ethics and non-violence, promoting a deeper understanding of diversity within the Christian community. One highlight was a visit to the Orthodox Cathedral Museum, followed by Vespers in the city’s Orthodox Cathedral, attended by dignitaries and religious leaders from the different churches present. These moments of common prayer fostered a harmonious atmosphere in which unity and diversity coexisted. Plenary talks and activities were punctuated by music and prayer, creating a thread throughout the conference. During one of their songs, the Ecumenical Youth Choir invited everyone to embrace different ways of praying, “We know that we all pray in our own way. Let us open ourselves to experience each other’s prayer during these days in Timisoara.” Particularly powerful was the moment of prayer for peace in which conflicts around the world were named, with a focus on Ukraine and the Middle East. All participants pledged their commitment to unity, making a pact of mutual love. A moment that was meant to symbolize the cornerstone on which a fraternal Europe is founded. Linking values to policiesAs part of the EU-funded DialogUE project, the annual “Together for Europe” meeting also addressed issues aimed at developing advice and recommendations for EU social policies. Professor Philip McDonagh, a former Irish diplomat and director of Dublin University’s “Center for Religion, Human Values and International Relations,” stressed the importance of Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This article promotes open and transparent dialogue on major social issues facing Europe through high-level meetings and seminars for dialogue and work between european institutions and Churches, as well as non-denominational and philosophical organizations. The professor emphasized the contribution of Churches in public debate, drawing on their philosophical foundations, values of compassion, care, solidarity, and respect for pluralism. He hoped that Churches would work to bridge the gap between high-level values and everyday policies, offering a much-needed perspective on issues such as peace, inclusion, and integration. Calling for a multilateral approach, he stressed the need for Europe to be perceived positively by the global community and highlighted the responsibility to consider the perspectives of the Global South. Hope in unityMargaret Karram, president of the Focolare Movement, was present along with Co-President Jesús Morán and spoke, offering words of hope: “I would like to have with all of you this conviction: everything is possible!” Her words encouraged an optimistic outlook, the recognition of shared humanity, and the creation of networks of fraternity. Karram encouraged the Together for Europe network to embrace Gospel-born charisms, engage in dialogue and open spaces to pursue tangible responses to contemporary challenges. Bishop Josef-Csaba Pál of Timisoara expressed gratitude for these days: “A small seed of this fraternity, unity, and love has been sown in us, in our Churches, but also in society. The Together for Europe network is one of those wonderful initiatives where God has allowed good things to grow over the years. Let us continue to work together with all people of good will!” Looking ahead, it was announced that the next annual meeting of Together for Europe will be held in Graz-Seckau, Austria, from October 31 to November 2, 2024. Christian denominations present: Greek Orthodox, Romanian, Armenian and Russian Orthodox, Greek, Roman and Old Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and Free Churches.
Effective today, November 20, 2023, the new Guidelines for Training in the Protection of Minors and Persons in Vulnerable Situations developed by the Focolare Movement are available. Margarita Gómez and Étienne Kenfack, Counselors of the Movement’s International Center on the aspect of Physical Life and Nature, offer us some clarifications. Illustrating the characteristics necessary to make a concrete commitment to the protection of the life and dignity of every person: this is what distinguishes the new Guidelines for Training in the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons (SCVA) in the Focolare Movement, released today, November 20, 2023, International Children’s and Adolescents’ Day. A work that has seen the direct collaboration of 40 specialists and people involved in this field from all continents and that aims exclusively to provide the necessary elements so that in every country where the Focolare Movement operates, an adequate training strategy can be developed that is oriented towards prevention and eradicating any kind of abuse, both within the Movement and in the environments where its members are found (work, neighborhood, school). As early as 2013, the Movement had been engaged in training for the protection of minors, with widespread work in all the countries where it operates and a six-hour course that contained the basic principles. This training effort as of December 2022 had reached 17,000 people, and although the training was open to all, it was mainly carried out by people who had responsibility or direct contact in activities with minors. Following the report on the serious cases of sexual abuse recorded in France, published one year after the GCPS consulting survey, a strong need arose to offer targeted training to all members of the Focolare Movement of every age, vocation, nation, role. For this reason, the Guidelines are a universal tool, leaving ample room for appropriate inculturation and specific implementation in the particular context of origin. “The training is aimed at everyone, and by ‘everyone’ we mean not only the members of the Movement but also the people who work in our facilities-said Étienne Kenfack. The Guidelines, on the other hand, are aimed at the Movement leaders in the different geographical areas and their teams who will be responsible for implementing them.” The Guidelines will come into effect on January 1, 2024, for a period of 20 months ad experimentum. A period of comparison in order to gather all the changes and transformations that will be needed for the future. “The document – continues Margarita Gómez – rests on a key resource for us, and that is communion: therefore, we will work in a network, there will be an international commission and local teams that will carry out the project; there will be moments of exchange, with online links to help us resolve doubts, to share good practices. It is no coincidence that we have decided to title our training program ‘All responsible for all.’ I hope that these Guidelines will find great acceptance in our communities and that in a few months we may have given a significant boost to training in this area.”
Maria Grazia Berretta
Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://youtu.be/OsZW-DC_E7U
On 10th-11th November 2023 a seminar entitled “Expressing God. Chiara Lubich and the mystical tradition of women from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. A journey of many voices” took place in Bologna (Italy) Father Gianni Festa, OP, reflects on its outcomes and prospects. The seminar featured a polyphony of voices spanning centuries. Protagonists of the female mystical tradition and their writings were the focus of a seminar that, on 10th -11th November 2023 in Bologna (Italy), brought together scholars from diverse disciplines including theologians, linguists, historians, literature experts and archivists. The seminar offered insights and reflections starting from the texts of the mystics, in particular from the 1900s. Diverse female figures, each unique yet connected by commonalities in the way they “spoke and wrote about God”, traits that reveal the path of the Holy Spirit and its unfolding through a plurality of voices, different but in great harmony. We talked about it with Father Gianni Festa, OP, Professor at the Theological Faculty of Emilia-Romagna and member of the Dominican Historical Institute.
Anna Maria Rossi, Padre Gianni Festa
Father Festa, together with the Chiara Lubich Center and the Sophia University Institute, the Theological Faculty of Emilia Romagna organized this seminar. You worked very hard to make it happen. What is your impression at the end of the proceedings? What were the most interesting aspects that emerged? The first interesting aspect which is indisputable, is that this Conference placed Chiara Lubich, her theology and her spirituality in a much broader context than that in which it has been interpreted up to now. Connecting her with the tradition of female writing, both medieval and contemporary, has given new light to aspects of her theological and spiritual teachings. The second thing is the opening of research towards contemporary female mysticism, which is little studied, apart from the most well-known personalities, whom we also included, such as Etty Hillesum, Simon Weil and Adrienne von Speyr. But the mystical writing of women in the ‘900s is not as popular or studied as much as that of the middle ages or early modernity. This led to difficulties in finding speakers. The third important aspect was the collaboration between academic institutions fostering dialogue and cooperation on themes of theological research. This communal effort was really important and positive. The presentations highlighted some of the unique characteristics of the personalities presented but also the common aspects that emerge from their texts and that unite the various mystics despite different eras and contexts. How do you think these experiences can become a testimony of life and a testimony of God? How can they still speak to people today? What has always struck me when studying, in particular in my case, the Middle Ages, was the absolute tenacity of women in resisting regression to a condition of minority or marginalization, despite prejudices and preclusions. The mystics have consistently sought to affirm their relationship with God, to articulate and manifest it. Communicating it, “expressing God” and the distinctive way women do this, has a very important and timely impact which resonates with Pope Francis’s teaching. The female magisterium should coexist with the male magisterium, not in opposition but because they are the two lungs of the Church. I believe this is a crucial aspect. Chiara Lubich: according to you, in the panorama of female mystical thought, what are the most characteristic and original aspects of her “expressing God” and what emerged from her works of mystical experience? I knew little about Lubich, but also after listening to the presentations, I think that two characteristics of her writing and teachings are very clear, almost unequivocal: first of all the profound roots of Chiara’s writings within a robust tradition. This is undeniable. Chiara Lubich is not naive in her statements, in her reasoning and in her writings. I sensed this spiritual and theological, culture which can be felt in her writings. Secondly, and perhaps because I am Dominican and therefore also linked to figures such as Catherine of Siena, I was very struck by the ecclesiological and communion aspect of her spirituality. This is an element that I have also observed in contact with the Focolare Movement itself, communion, unity, ecclesial dimension; a departure from the excessive individuality in favour of sharing that has been present since the first experiences of Lubich. What study and research perspectives can this seminar open up? Undoubtedly it is a step towards greater openness, an expansion of studies on nineteenth and twentieth-century women’s writing. Therefore, it will be necessary to equip ourselves on the linguistic and theological fronts, to be able to study these figures that are too marginalised, too forgotten and unknown. Furthermore, I believe that, with regard to the Chiara Lubich’s teachings, it would be important to better explore certain writings of hers from an exegetical, theological and spiritual perspective, such as the text that was consistently discussed during the seminar, “Paradise ‘49”.
“Expressing God: Chiara Lubich and the female mystical tradition” is the title of a conference that will take place from 10th-11th November 2023 in Bologna (Italy). A seminar dedicated to what it means to “express God in a female way” will take place on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th November in the Salone Bolognini of the San Domenico Convent in Bologna. Its title is, “Expressing God. Chiara Lubich and the female mystical tradition from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. A journey with many voices”. The organizers are the Theology Faculty of Emilia-Romagna (Fter), the Chiara Lubich Centre and the Sophia University Institute. The seminar aims to offer insights and reflections on the question of mystical language with particular attention to the mysticism of the twentieth century and with an attentive ear to the language of women. One of the organizers, Father Gianni Festa, a Dominican professor at the Fter, has said that it will be a real journey, “in a page of the history of female mysticism that has not been greatly explored”. How can language express the intimacy of an experience with God? How did the mystics, starting from the medieval tradition up to the 1900s, ensure that words could preserve such an experience and recount it to the world? These are all questions that will be examined in the context of this seminar starting from historical, literary and linguistic analyses that testify, as Father Festa told us, “that to express God in a female way means to express Him in a different way and that is why it is absolutely necessary to understand the feminine language which expresses God and which tells of mystical experience”. The speakers of the seminar will explore this theme, starting from the twentieth-century figure of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. Father Festa said, “The experience of Lubich will be connected on a diachronic level to important figures of the medieval mystical tradition such as doctors of the Church like Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila, but above all to other experiences and mystical writings of the twentieth century, some of which are well known, such as those of Etty Hillesum and Madeleine Delbrêl while others are less so, such as Sister Maria, the great mystical friend of Don Primo Mazzolari. The question of mystical language and the theology underlying female mysticism will be explored and the individual paths of this experience will be identified”. For more information, contact the FTER secretariat or consult the Chiara Lubich Centre website. To participate in the event, you can register for the two days in the specific “Events” section on the FTER website.
Together for the sake of the planet: this is the impetus behind the Green Care Programme, an event organised on the initiative of Multipolar Dialogue that took place in Belgium from 25 to 29 October 2023 Ecology, a topic of growing global interest, has increasingly attracted the interest of many. Pope Francis emphasizes the urgent need to address environmental issues through his encyclical “Laudato Si’. Despite these calls, the stark reality remains: there have been too few tangible improvements. What is missing in our collective efforts and what more can we do to protect our planet? To seek answers to these questions and find ways to act collectively, a diverse group of 50 people from over 13 different countries convened at the Centrum Eenheid, in Rotselaar, Belgium, from October 25th to 29th 2023 for a transformative four-day event. Their mission: to engage in dialogue, acquire knowledge, and exchange experiences in the pursuit of better care for our planet. Organized by Multipolar Dialogue, an initiative that brings together citizens from East and West Europe in a methodology based on the practice of a “pact of love” on which can be built a space of trust, the event offered a rich mixture of lectures, talks, dialogues, and best practices, creating a dynamic space for sharing experiences and knowledge. Attendees engaged in thought-provoking dialogues on a range of topics, such as, sustainable development, biodiversity, integral ecology and noise reduction. In addition to these dialogues, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, such as initiatives like school and community gardens, “Greening Africa Together“, “Grüne Dach Impulse”, while they also took part in workshop in workshops. Moreover, the event was graced by the presence of esteemed experts whose insights elevated the dialogues and provided attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and solutions. Dr. Helmut Maurer, an authority on environmental matters, shared invaluable perspectives during an interview focused on the implementation of the Green Deal, shedding light on the practical steps needed to address environmental issues. Lorna Gold, the Chair of the Laudato Si Movement and CEO at FaithInvest, brought her wealth of experience to the event, inspiring participants with her wisdom and vision. A multi-project endeavor This event was not just a standalone gathering but a crucial component of the broader initiative “Project DialogUE“. The overarching goal of this initiative is to actively engage with citizens, giving them a platform to voice their concerns and ideas. As part of this mission, the event had a distinct purpose: to facilitate meaningful dialogues and craft proposals that could be presented to the European Union. In pursuit of this objective, participants had the unique opportunity to visit EU institutions, gaining deeper insights into the processes and avenues through which their proposals and requests could be channeled. “Project DialogUE” aligns with the commitment of the Focolare movement to listen to the cry of the earth and respond to its needs. This commitment is encapsulated in the EcoPlan – the Focolare Movement statement for Integral Ecology – that was also presented during the event, outlining a path towards a more sustainable and integral ecological conscious future. Connecting for changeBeyond the invaluable knowledge gained and the experiences shared, these four days left a profound impact on the participants. They felt more than just attendees; they became part of a global community with a shared concern for our planet’s well-being. The sense of connection, dialogue, and collective purpose was palpable, as individuals from diverse backgrounds and countries came together to answer the cry of the earth. As Anna Waibel, a driving force behind the School Gardens project in Austria, expressed, “For me it was really awesome to see that my school is not the only place that tries to change something, but that others also want to do so. I noticed that nothing works without community and acting together.” Anny Hesius, the Multipolar Dialogue coordinator from Belgium, aptly summarized the collective sentiment, saying, “The proposal was to offer each other to listen and exchange knowledge and it has made us more aware, stronger, more co-responsible and more decisive. We have become a true family. Protagonists of peace and justice, of love toward the inhabitants of the earth and our common home” In these four days, participants not only expanded their ecological knowledge but also found a sense of purpose and community, leaving with a renewed determination to collaborate and bring about meaningful change on a global scale.
A journey of knowledge and discovery to be made together on a daily basis and in a great spirit of acceptance, while coping with the many challenges that the world presents. We talked about this with Antonio Salimbeni and Rita Moussallem, the leaders of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue (CDI). In the world landscape that is undergoing a profound transformation toward an increasingly multicultural and multi-religious society, the Focolare Movement promotes dialogue among religions, so that the religious pluralism of humanity may not be the cause of divisions and wars, but contribute to fraternity and peace. Antonio Salimbeni and Rita Moussallem, leaders of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue (CDI), answer some questions. In light of what is affecting the world today, particularly the new conflicts that are being added to existing ones, what contribution can interfaith dialogue make to building one big human family? In the face of the heartbreaking and shocking events of recent weeks, we feel dismay and deep sorrow as well as a sense of bewilderment. Religion is often instrumentalized by political powers. We realize how ideologies, religious nationalism and any form of polarization always lead to conflict. Dialogue can help purify our approach, deepen our knowledge of the other, and focus our engagement on the essence of our religions, which is our relationship with God, Love and Mercy. Dialogue can raise the level of our relationships to a deep spiritual dimension and push us to live the deepest human values, to work together to spread Goodness and fraternity. How does the Focolare Movement pursue its commitment in this area? The Focolare Movement, founded on a profound spirituality centered on unity and fraternity among all, discovered its vocation to interreligious dialogue more than five decades ago. Since then, it has established – including through its Center for Interreligious Dialogue (CDI) and its centers present in various countries – intense and fraternal relationships with thousands of faithful and numerous institutions, associations, movements and organizations of the most diverse religions in the conviction that friendship among people of different faiths is a vital potential for building universal brotherhood. It is a dialogue among brothers. A dialogue sustained by listening, sharing and collaboration. It is a dialogue that makes us discover diversity, whatever it may be, as a gift. Whoever is close to me,” said Chiara Lubich, founder of the Movement, “was created as a gift for me, and I was created as a gift for whoever is close to me: her formula for a fraternal world. What are the next scheduled appointments? What are the issues to be addressed and the goals? An idea has been maturing for the past few months, which is to organize an interfaith conference for fraternity next June 2024. This becomes even more urgent and necessary in light of the growing crisis that intensifies divisions in humanity. It is an event that aims to contribute to reconciliation efforts with innovative actions at the global level and to walk the path of dialogue and fraternity by strengthening relations and cooperation among people of different faiths. The conference will kick off on May 29 and end on June 5, 2024. It will consist of several moments that will have as a common denominator the theme of peace among people and with creation. There will be two open days, one in Castel Gandolfo in collaboration with FaithInvest organization and one in Assisi together with the Laudato Si Movement, to celebrate the importance and commitment of different faiths in the custody of our common home. In this urgent endeavor we are partnering with Consulus, a global innovation consulting firm with its presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, as our global knowledge partner.
From the spirituality of unity to the generative pastoral care of the Church; from the encounter between young people and Jesus to the leading role of the Holy Spirit in the Synod on Synodality. These are some of the themes that Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement, addressed during an interview with the Slovak television station TVLUX on 6 October 2023. The images were kindly released to us by TVLUX.In recent days Jesús Morán, a Spanish priest who is the co-president of the Focolare Movement, visited Slovakia. In Nitra he met with several bishops who are formators and more than 80 seminarians. And now we want to welcome him here to our program. When we say Focolare Movement what is it? What does it mean? The Focolare Movement is a movement of the Catholic Church centred on the charism of unity. The great theologian, Von Balthasar said that every charism in the Church is like looking at the whole Gospel from one point of view. The charism of unity is the whole Gospel from the perspective of Jesus’ testament, “May they all be one.” So, the focus, everything the Movement does in the ecclesial field and also in the civil and social fields, has to do with unity. We seek unity – unity according to the Gospel – Unity, which is a communitarian way of living. In fact, the spirituality of unity can be said to be a spirituality of communion, which is why we emphasize very much mutual love and our encounter with each brother and sister. It means to overcome divisions at a broader social level. It means promoting things like universal brotherhood, but the focus is this prayer of Jesus. That’s why we always say that we want to live on earth, as much as possible, as in the Trinity, in the communion of love which is the Trinity. The founder of your movement was Chiara Lubich, who is very well known here in Slovakia. It was decided in the past that the person who is at the head, let’s say, of the movement should always be a woman, the president should always be a woman, that’s why you are the co-president. Why is this the case? It is because of the official name of the Movement in the Church, because we are the Focolare Movement or the Work of Mary. In the Statutes approved by the Church, it speaks about the Work of Mary, so we very much emphasize this Marian profile of the Church, which is a maternal profile, it’s a generative profile, which reveals a welcoming Church, and, of course, the Marian profile is best expressed by women. This is the idea. We need to think that we are speaking of a Marian Church it is Mary who is the form of the Church. Vatican II said this very clearly: Mary is the mother of the Church. So, in that sense, we want to be a reflection of her. The presidency of a woman, in addition to valuing women, which is a sign of the times, especially wants to emphasize this Marian profile. This Marian profile that is so necessary today. It is certainly necessary because of what Pope Francis is emphasizing: a Church that is closer to the people, an outgoing Church, a Church that is less clerical, less masculine. And all of this has to do with the female presidency of the Focolare Movement. Above all, it is linked to Mary. You came to Slovakia not only to meet with Focolare members, but also with our bishops, priests, and seminarians. This meeting was in Nitra, what was your experience in meeting our priests? Actually I was with the bishop of Nitra and with a bishop from another diocese. They had both participated in the meeting with seminarians from 5 dioceses. I want to say that they were very welcoming. Then in the hall I saw people whose life was to follow Jesus, I really saw so much purity, so much purity in the seminarians, and there was also great seriousness. Some people, after the meeting and after the dinner, wanted to know more about what I had said. They stopped to talk to me and I saw in their questions a need, an urgency They want to be priests for the times we are living now. Being a priest today who before everything else lives the Gospel in an authentic way. I was very, very edified. You spoke especially about generative pastoral care, what is it? Generative pastoral care is a concept that is coming to light, quite prominently, in recent times. Especially in the West because we are witnessing, you could say, a numerical decline of the Church. Before, the churches were full, people were receiving the sacraments. There were many baptisms and first communions. Now this has decreased dramatically. So the question is, what is happening? It seems that the methods we have been using successfully for so many years or centuries are no longer working. Do we then need to rethink pastoral care? Generative pastoral care is not a new pastoral care, it means going to the origin of pastoral care, and the origin of pastoral care is Jesus. How did Jesus evangelize? To say thing simply… because He is the living Gospel, He did this through very deep personal encounters. In other words, if we look at the Gospels, every time Jesus encounters someone something significant happens for that person. “We see it with Nicodemus, with Zacchaeus, with Matthew, with the centurion, with the Samaritan woman, with the woman suffering from a haemorrhage, with the Canaanite woman. Something always happens, Jesus generates something in the other person. We have to change from what is known as a rule-regulated pastoral care, as we had in the past, which was of a quantitative kind: how many baptisms, how many people were baptized, how many people got married this year in this parish? We have to change to a ministry of pastoral care that focuses on quality, quality, not so much quantity. So what’s happening? Is there Christian life in our parishes? We are looking for fruitfulness rather than results, this is generative pastoral care. So there is a lot of emphasis on meeting with the other, to meet the other you don’t have to wait for them to come and ask you for a sacrament, you have to go and meet the other. So generative pastoral care changes the idea of the pastor, but it changes the idea of Christians, because at the end of the day, it’s not a matter of, … What we need are generative apostles, no doubt, but above all what’s needed is a welcoming community, so that what happened with Jesus has to happen with us too, people visit a community and something happens. They are impressed by something. In short this is what we talked about with the seminarians. Could it be that young people today are looking for life and what they need is for us to bring them this life, which is life with Jesus? Absolutely. I think that… I have always thought that Jesus never approached people with doctrine. He always sought a personal encounter first, and then he taught. However, even though we see Jesus teaching, He spent a lot of time in personal encounters. I think young people today are looking for life. Doctrine must be based on life and on this encounter with Him. In this way they can accept it. Otherwise, they are left with a Christianity that is more like a moral teaching, but that is not what Christianity is. Christianity is an encounter with Christ. These young people you met in Nitra are the future priests of our Church. How can they be the priests we need in these times, priests who do not fall into the clericalism that Pope Francis talks so much about? I think a priest in some way has to be more than just a shepherd (which is a word Pope Francis also uses when he speaks in Italian, as he uses it in Spanish too) the priest, the pastor, the shepherd, has to love. First love, then shepherd, because if you put yourself in the position of pastor, you put yourself in the position of superiority, as if you had to teach. Instead, the pastor today must love the parishioners first, must love all the faithful. Doing this makes him a pastor. In this way he is truly a pastor, and he can have authority over others. This is fundamental. Then as I said before, he shouldn’t look so much for results but for fruitfulness. And another thing: Today the priest or pastor has to be well aware that he does not proclaim himself, but he proclaims Christ, so he has to be deeply rooted in Christ, deeply in Christ. A pastor who is alone, who does not live within a Christian community, who does not live mutual love with others, will find it difficult to communicate a love such as Jesus proclaimed in life. You said something earlier and it occurred to me that this happens not only to priests, but also to Christians who are living their faith deeply, but sometimes forget that it is not they who save people, but it is Jesus. That’s right. This is important. That’s why I give a lot of importance to community. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, warns against personalism and says when some of you say I am of Apollos, some say I am of Paul, some say I am of Peter… No, we are all of Christ, but Christ lives in the community, in the parish community. In the community he is present in the Eucharist, which is a mystery of communion. So this is fundamental. Often we have made the mistake of proclaiming ourselves, our own ideas, instead of letting Christ speak. Slovakia is considered a conservative country, now that there is the Synod taking place in Rome, in the Vatican. There are different groups that want to move forward and others that want to stay in the past. How do we keep all that is good, but also move forward with what is new and good? I was very struck by what Pope Francis said the day before yesterday in the first session of the Synod. He was very insistent that the protagonist of the Synod is the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit goes beyond these ideas that are human. A Christian as a Christian is neither conservative nor progressive, he or she is a new person, he or she is a new creature. We read this in these days in St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. It is the Holy Spirit who makes us new creatures with our mentality, with our mentality, with what we are, so I think we have to overcome these dualities that are not good for the Church. The Holy Spirit is always the generator of newness. Because it is he, he who is the origin of all charisms, of all newness in the history of the Church. At the same time, everything that the Holy Spirit promotes in the Church comes from the Father. Therefore, he is also anchored in the source. That tells us that we need a greater presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, that’s the only way to overcome these dualities that are not good for us. Thank you very much. And many thanks to Fr. Jesús for participating in our program. Thank you for welcoming me. Thank you very much to you as well and see you soon, goodbye. Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://youtu.be/Y_t77_gM76E?si=urxlZvFkloXOBPfP
The conference “European Solidarity Corps and Civil Service in Europe” which took place on 24th October 2023 in Brussels (Belgium) expressed a commitment of politicians, institutions, ecclesial movements, organisations of civil society and, at the forefront, young people. Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement, was present at the meeting and shares his impressions. On Tuesday 24th October Brussels was unexpectedly sunny, in contrast with what we experienced on the afternoon of the 23rd, when we arrived in the Belgian capital and were greeted by heavy rain. For the inhabitants of Brussels, who are citizens of several European countries, the sight of a bright sun was a surprise in the middle of autumn. For us it was a good sign of what we would live that morning in the impressive European Parliament building. The meeting held in a seminar room for 30 people began at 9.15 a.m. It was promoted by three very different associations: the European Movement, the Caterinati Association and the Focolare Movement, within the framework of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), which is an initiative of the European Commission which brings together parliamentarians of all political sectors, thanks to its value-based and constructive background. The event was also a tribute to and in remembrance of David Sassoli – President of the European Parliament who died on 11th January 2022. I was participating for the second time in an event like this. The first one was before the pandemic and was held at the European Parliament in Rome. Providentially just as we were starting the session, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture approved almost unanimously the report on the activities of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) for the period 2021-2027. The Focolare Movement was represented not only by myself, as co-president, but also by members of the Political Movement for Unity, New Humanity (represented by three young people) and the ‘Focolare for Europe’, which is based in the city of Brussels and interacts with many people from the European institutions. It also welcomes immigrants and promotes activities in favour of dialogue and the sharing of ideals. I will not speak about the details of the event, which you can read in the various press releases that have been issued in recent days. Instead, I would like to emphasize the enormous importance of these events which are seemingly minor and for few people. They can instead mark a change of direction in international relations and in the dynamics of the social structuring of nations and peoples. These events can offer Europe a different image, one that is more in line with the idea of the founding fathers of the Union than with what we are used to seeing, especially today. They can offer Europe an image that is more consistent with its true identity, founded on values that have undoubtedly Greco-Latin and Christian roots, such as solidarity, openness, tolerance, communion, democracy, transcendency, freedom, fraternity and peace. It is also extremely significant that in initiatives like the ESC young people as are protagonists. They are the ones who will bring about the paradigm shift we are all hoping for. The more than 300,000 young people who have participated in the programme of solidarity of the Commission over the years demonstrate that these are the aims for which they are willing to use all of their intellectual and moral energies. Young people will not draw back if we offer them high goals and we make their journey easier. At this tragic time in the world, hope comes from them and from their desire for change. Young people, who have solidarity in their DNA, can stop the drift of misunderstanding, polarisation, hatred and violence that is plaguing the world. With initiatives like this, these young people create culture – high culture – because they not only work for the most worthwhile causes, but they also build new relationships, share experiences and traditions, and are enriched by their diversity. At the end of the meeting there was a special joy in all the participants, something that isn’t a foregone conclusion, especially among parliamentarians, who are used to endless confrontations and sometimes ruthless power struggles. As we left Brussels, travelling towards the airport, we felt that the sun will melt the mist in our hearts if we are a little more generous and give value to what is really worthwhile. That alone makes everything more beautiful, even this magnificent city.
The phrase “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mt 22:21) contains an imminent request to live out our faith radically and this is what loving really means: to do the will of God who gives us everything and to do it wholeheartedly; recognizing His voice amid the deafening noise of the world and choosing it as the best way forward in everyday life.With the poor in the peripheries Moved by the situation of squalor and poverty of many families in our area and stimulated by the Word of God, a group of us submitted a proposal to the religious and civil authorities and took action to dedicate ourselves to children in particular in the peripheries. First, some mothers who lived in huts offered to help us for families even poorer than themselves. Our service started by registering and weighing children from zero to five years old, educating mothers on alternative feeding (low cost and high nutritional value), vaccinations, breastfeeding and education. It was only a first step to dealing with more serious problems: unemployment, alcoholism, abandonment, hunger, lack of housing, drugs, poverty. Every weekend, we go with our families to help those who live in the huts to offer them, in cooperation with other Christians, better living conditions. Our communion of goods contributes to improving the quality of life of these children so that they don’t just survive but can have a dignified life. (M.N. – Brazil) An unexpected job Some time ago, a couple with five children came to live in our town. The father was out of work and had to move house for health reasons. His profession was compatible with my husband’s and we had been promised an important job, so we decided to hire him in our company. However, a few months later, the work we were expecting didn’t come through and we began to worry about the future. At that time, the Word of the Gospel that we were trying to live invited us to pray because, the commentary said, there are two temptations: “The presumption of managing on our own and the fear of not making it. Whereas Jesus assures us that the heavenly Father will ensure that we have the strength of the Spirit if we watch and ask Him with faith.” So we turned to Him with faith, entrusting him with the new situation, sure that he would look after it. The next day, my husband unexpectedly received an important job. Since then, we have always had work and the newcomer continues to work with us. (M.R. – Switzerland) The loan During the first trimester of school, I had shared my scholarship with another student who could not afford a canteen card because he came from a very poor family. At the beginning of the second trimester, he told me that his parents needed money urgently and he asked me to lend him a certain amount. I had set that sum aside for books and food, but out of friendship I decided to oblige him. Then I didn’t see him around for a few days, while previously he always came to talk to me. I started to worry and even get angry. Then, suddenly, the Gospel came to my aid with the thought that it is right to help a neighbour who is worse off than me. When I calmed down, I went to visit him at his house. As soon as we met, he told me that he hadn’t shown up again because he was ashamed of not yet having the money to pay me back and he didn’t know what to do. I reassured him, saying that he could pay me back whenever it was possible and that otherwise it would be fine anyway: the most important thing was that we should remain friends. (J.B. – Africa)
compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from “The Gospel of the Day”, Città Nuova, year IX – no.1 September-October 2023)
Conference in memory of David Sassoli. Brussels – 24th October 2023 – European Parliament (Entrance Spinelli building, rue Wiertz 60) room ASP 3H1 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will be broadcast live in Rome, in the Open Space Experience Europe – David Sassoli (conference room on floor -1, Piazza Venezia, 6) From Brussels, beyond violence and wars, a concrete proposal of solidarity and peace starting from volunteeringIn memory of President David Sassoli, three important European associations, the European Movement, the Focolare Movement and the Roman Group of the International Association of the followers of St Catherine together with the former President of the European Parliament’s Culture Committee Silvia Costa, set up a joint initiative on 24th October on the “European Solidarity Corps and Civil Service” at the European Parliament’s headquarters in Brussels, in video-link with the Space Europe David Sassoli in Rome. The link to access the live streaming will also be available on the Interactio platformand on the websites of the promoters. With the tragic reappearance of war events at the borders of Europe and terrorist actions also in Paris and these days in Brussels, building bridges of dialogue and solidarity in Europe and third countries by investing in the new generations is even more necessary and strategic. We are convinced that the practice of volunteering or civil service experiences must become a constitutive element of the European citizenship. Because taking care of the other, of creation and civil coexistence promotes fraternity and social cohesion but also makes the political project of the United States of Europe grow from below – say the promoters The European Solidarity Corps (ESC), the EU-funded volunteering programme for young Europeans between the ages of 18 and 30, is the active protagonist of this journey. These are projects of solidarity, cooperation, education for peace but also the reception and integration of refugees and migrants, assistance of disabled and elderly people, protection of the environment, safeguarding the artistic and cultural heritage, which constitute an important experience for personal growth and for the acquisition of a more convinced European identity. One example is The Room: Community Drama in Ireland, in response to the social exclusion of Newbridge asylum seekers in County Kildare. Or the project “Mare d’Inverno”, in Italy, with the aim of recovering a natural coastal area near the urban centers of Trani and Barletta, to name but a few. It can be held in Europe as in partner countries, including Israel and Palestine. The conference, hosted by Patrizia Toia and Brando Benifei together with the Socialists and Democrats Group, will also be attended by MEPs from the EPP, Renew, Green and Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and, for the European Commission, Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot, Director of the Department of Youth, Education and ERASMUS+ of the Directorate General for Education and Youth (EAC), together with representatives of the European Volunteer Centre, the European Youth Forum, the Director of the Universal Civil Service Office of the Youth Department and managers of the National Youth Agency of the Italian Government. The event will be opened, representing the promoters, by Pier Virgilio DASTOLI, President of the European Movement Italy, Jesús Morán co-President of the Focolare Movement and Aldo Bernabei President of the Roman Group of the International Association of the followers of St Catherine. An intervention by the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union, Noël Treanor, is expected and the Secretary-General of COMECE, Manuel Barrios, will also be present. On behalf of the young people involved in the European Solidarity Corps, the voices of Fabiola, Alexander, Maria Stella: European citizens who live firsthand the option of peace and solidarity in their daily and professional choices. They will bring their testimonies by challenging the terrain of politics with the power of ideality. Here you find the Initiative and the Programme
“In our everyday relationships, we try to live experiences of brotherhood, build unity and establish bonds of reciprocity. But what is the origin of that spark of light that pushes us to risk and reach out to others? Chiara Lubich suggests an answer through an episode from her life.” Now let’s pass on to the second aspect: outreach. The subject is very vast. We’ll limit ourselves to certain ideas given in some of the letters of the early days of the Movement. Reading just a few of these pages about this aspect, we can understand that: “The first inspiring spark was love.” Yes, it was love. A spark was enkindled, it spread light all around and burst into flames, setting the world on fire. Love reaches out; love in and of itself bears witness. Even when you speak your words should be backed up by the witness of your love. First, you have to love, expressed in concrete experiences, and then share your experiences. This is how the first Christians acted. One episode has always remained deeply impressed on my heart. I think this is very beautiful. In it lies the secret of our outreach, the required point of departure. “As I was walking along the streets of Einsiedeln, I saw many people of various religious orders passing by” – because there’s a beautiful shrine there. (Among these), I was especially impressed by the little Sisters of Charles de Foucauld. They rode by on their bicycles, wearing peasant scarves and they looked so full of life. The lively expression on their faces reminded me of their founder, Foucauld, who, they say, cried out the Gospel with his whole life. In fact, those Sisters seemed to say: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn’. Not the beatitudes that the world would like to hear, but the scandal of the Gospel. At that moment, I too felt a great desire to give my witness, also externally. But the answer didn’t come to me. At a certain point I met up with one of my companions, Natalia, and I told her: ‘You know, I saw how those Sisters had an effect on me. Their apostolate wasn’t with words, but by the way they dressed… and I wished we could do the same. But how can people know God through looking at us? Oh, yes, I know! ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ (Jn 13:35).” Therefore, mutual love was our uniform.
Eight years after the Encyclical “Laudato Si,” the Pontiff calls again in the Apostolic Exhortation “Laudate Deum” all people of good will to respond appropriately to the climate crisis.Still, very little has changed in the facts. The world “is crumbling and perhaps approaching a breaking point.” [2]. Last week, it was reported by the European Union’s climate observatory (Copernicus) that “September was the warmest month ever” (since 1850). Rising temperatures are certainly one of the most conspicuous symptoms of ongoing climate change. Last July, the world’s most authoritative journal in the field, “Nature,” showed that the heat waves of summer 2022 caused nearly 63,000 deaths in Europe. Certainly, we should not fall into catastrophic considerations because the margins for changing course are still possible, but we must categorically reject all irrational and unscientific negations. After decisively responding to all the most common objections against the current climate crisis, the pontiff emphasizes: “I feel compelled to make these clarifications, which may seem obvious, because of certain derogatory and unreasonable views that I find even within the Catholic Church” [14]. He distances himself from blaming the poor. “How can we forget that Africa, where more than half of the world’s poorest people live, is responsible for only a small fraction of the emissions accumulated throughout history?” [9]. Bergoglio addresses a call to each of us “to accompany this path of reconciliation with the world that hosts us and to embellish it with our own contribution” [69]. Unfortunately, some effects of the climate crisis are already irreversible: Some species have “stopped being our travelling companions and have become our victims” [15]. Yet, we cannot but “recognize […] that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures” [67]. All of these cannot leave us indifferent. To enable change, we need to adjust both the way we “look” at others and nature and the way we exercise power to achieve a purpose. Even small individual steps are important: they may not lead to immediate, quantifiable success, but they can act as the blueprint for cultural change and “set in motion large transformational processes that work from the depths of society.” [71]. Caring for every dimension of our planet is a collective challenge that requires a collective response. In recent years there have been many global efforts but with often disappointing results: broken promises and postponed goals. But “if we have faith in the ability of humans to transcend their small interests and think big[…], we cannot stop dreaming that COP28 will lead to a decisive acceleration of the energy transition, with effective and monitored commitments.” [54]. We also cannot give up this “dream.” It is a bet: to win all people of good will to work for a world worth living in.
After the disastrous attack on Israel, the horrifying violence that was unleashed, the wave of fear that rocked the two peoples, the anguish for the hostages and the apprehension for the fate of the people of Gaza, we want to send you news from the Focolare communities in the Holy Land and news of a worldwide call to prayer and fasting for peace on 17th October“We have left our homes and all the Christians are taking refuge in the churches” This short message is the latest news we received this morning from some members of the Focolare community in Gaza. According to Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Catholic parish in Gaza, there are 1017 Christians still living in the strip and among them are several adherents of the Focolare Movement, with whom even sporadic communication is increasingly difficult. And in spite of this, a message, from one of them has been circulating over the past few days, thanking everyone for their closeness and prayers for the small community in Gaza. “You have given me the strength not to give in to evil,” he writes, “not to doubt God’s mercy and to believe that good exists. In the midst of every darkness there is a hidden light. If we are unable to pray, you pray; we offer and our work together is complete. We want the world to know that we want peace, that violence only begets violence and that our trust in God is great. But should God call us to Himself, be assured that from Heaven we will continue to pray with you and to implore Him more strongly to have compassion on His people and on you. Peace, security, unity and universal fraternity, this is what we want and this is the will of God and it’s ours too”.Margaret Karram gave us news about fraternity in the midst of hatred Saying this takes courage today when horror and violence fill the entire media coverage, but this is not the only news. There are also stories that make less noise, but which cannot be silenced, such as the worldwide network of prayer that is underway everywhere on earth, regardless of religious belief or affiliation, together with actions and words of fraternity. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement shared this at the daily briefing in the Vatican Press Office, at the ongoing Synod of the Catholic Church, in which she is participating as a special guest. She told us, ‘Jewish friends I know in Israel have called me, a Palestinian Arab, saying that they are worried about the people living in Gaza. For me, this is something very beautiful. Everyone knows the negative stories between these two peoples, but so many people, so many organisations are working to build bridges but this doesn’t make the news. They only talk about hatred, division, terrorism. We are left with images of these two peoples that do not correspond to reality. We must not forget that even today so many people are working to build bridges. It is a seed being sown, even in this difficult time’.From our Jewish friends: creating a community of prayer To confirm this, a Jewish friend wrote to us from the Tel Aviv district: “If you are in contact with the friends of the Focolare in Gaza, assure them of my love and my closeness. I hope they are all safe. These days I am at home with my family, the schools are closed and we are staying close to the shelters. The chats are filled with a constant stream of appeals and offers of help for the families who have fled, for the soldiers and their families. There are also requests for help with funerals, to honour the dead as they should be honoured. It seems that all the young men have been called up to fight and we are worried for our friends and relatives. We fear what lies ahead. I try to keep my children from being afraid, but our terror is insignificant compared to what has happened to our brothers and sisters in the South. I am thinking of my Arab friends in Israel who are running to the shelters like us. I try to pray at the same hour as my Muslim friend, so that we can be a community of prayer even though so many things divide us. Your closeness and your prayers mean so much to us, more than what I can express. What can we do? At a press conference, Margaret Karram confided to us the pain and anguish she feels for her people on both sides: ‘I asked myself what am I doing here? Should I not be doing something else right now to promote peace? But then I said to myself: here too I can join Pope Francis’ invitation and pray with everyone. With these brothers and sisters from all over the world, we can ask God for the gift of peace. I believe in the power of prayer’. Margaret went on to speak about the action ‘NO MORE WAR!!! BUILD PEACE!” that the children and young people of the Focolare Movement launched together with the association “Living Peace”. They are summoning their peers to pray for peace at 12 noon, every day and in every time zone. They are also proposing to fill the day with actions that build peace in the hearts of each person and wherever they are. They are inviting them to send messages of support to children and young people in the Holy Land and are encouraging them to ask the leaders of their countries to do all they can to achieve peace. The Focolare Movement is also joining the appeal of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa, for a day of fasting and prayer for peace on 17th October: ” We could organize moments of prayer with Eucharistic adoration and the rosary to the Blessed Virgin. Probably in many parts of our dioceses, circumstances will not allow for large gatherings. However In parishes, in religious communities, in families, it will be possible to organise simple moments of prayer together”.
The Middle East continues to suffer from violence, clashes and terrorist attacks. Joseph, a young Syrian from the Focolare is one of the many young people who nourish the hope of peace in a very tormented land.
The nightmare of mass killings recurs with all its terror. The Middle East continues to be shaken by wars, terrorist attacks, violence of all kinds with one result, death.
On 6th October in Syria, drones loaded with explosives fell on a military academy in Homs during a festive ceremony. The death toll was about a hundred, of which about thirty were women and children. The next day there was another similar attack during the funeral celebrations, fortunately this time it was neutralized in time.
There was an immediate response from Syria, with a rain of bombs in Idlib, an area outside the control of the government. This escalation of violence caused the United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, to respond by calling for an immediate ceasefire, protection for civilians and the instigation of peace negotiations.
In this scenario of war, as violence continues to intensify and there seems to be no hope for a future of peace, some young Syrians belonging to the Focolare Movement met for their annual congress.
Joseph Moawwad, 24, was there. He wrote to us to share his personal experience. “I’ve been living through a very difficult period lately, a sense of half-heartedness and no enthusiasm; even for this congress, perhaps because of the strong tensions that all of us young Syrians are experiencing. For over 13 years, war and all its consequences persist with the most recent attack a few days ago in Homs. We heard about it right at the beginning of the congress. Despite this, my great surprise was to meet 90 young Focolare people from all Syrian regions. It was as if a storm had removed the ashes that covered the embers of my heart and so the “fire” burst out in me. Experiences of communion, sharing, fraternity between us and that effort to live mutual love in order to have the presence of Jesus among us (cit. “Where two or more are united in my name, I am in their midst”, Mt 18:15 -20) erased everything I felt before and made that flame had been enkindled in me again, become stronger.
At the end of the day, when we were praying together, I felt that I wanted to make a decision: to protect that “flame” that had reignited, to make it grow, to give it to the weakest and most discouraged people. I discovered that unity with the other young people of the Focolare and the mutual love that binds us, are the solution to all this hatred and the evil around us. And then the presence of Jesus in us and among us: it is he who gives us strength and will give us hope for a better future”.
The statement by the President of the Focolare Movement following the outbreak of serious violence in the Holy Land on 7 October 2023: “Justice, dialogue and reconciliation, indispensable tools for building peace”.
There are no words that can express the infinite suffering that I have in my heart for the peoples of Israel and Palestine, a suffering, brought about by this recent outburst of violence in my country. I am thinking of those who have died, the people who have been wounded, of those who are being held hostage, of those who are missing and their families.In deep faith and together with all the Focolare Movement, I am united to the appeal of Pope Francis and that of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and to the words of peace spoken both by those who are responsible for various Christian Churches and by the leaders of the Religions -especially those from the Israeli-Palestinian region – in asking for there to be an end to arms. And as Pope Francis said at the Angelus today -that people can understand that terrorism and war don’t solve anything, but every war is a defeat.In praying to the God of Peace and of Justice, I am also united to all the people throughout the world who are offering prayers, sufferings and actions, so that peace can be victorious over hatred and terror. I want to express a special thanks to those who have written to me from places that are in conflict, like Ukraine, expressing their offerings and closeness, in spite of the tragic situation in which they themselves have been living for over a year.Let us commit ourselves to building a world of fraternity and to do all that is possible so that these peoples and all the others who are in the same conditions of instability and violence, can rediscover the pathway of respect for human rights, where justice, dialogue and reconciliation are the indispensable instruments for building peace.
8 October 2023
Margaret Karram President of the Focolare Movement
The 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops currently taking place in the Vatican opened, on 30 September 2023, with an ecumenical prayer vigil entitled “Together – Gathering of the People of God”. Promoted by the Taizé Community in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, the Vicariate of Rome, the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, the Assembly was conceived and realised by representatives of various Christian Churches. We asked to three of the Bishops present:Charles May – Anglican Church of South Africa; Bertram Meier – Catholic Bishop of Augsburg (Germany); Chrysostomos of Kyrenia, Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Activate English subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va9sdPxfovI&list=PLKhiBjTNojHqtFwgi5TYI3T7zRvAuOZiD
The Synod on Synodality will start on October 4th in the Vatican up to the end of the month. Among the special guests is Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement. We are on the threshold of the universal stage of the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality. On Saturday, September 30th 2023, St. Peter’s Square in Rome (Italy) will gather thousands of people from various Christian Churches for the Ecumenical Vigil, “Together – Gathering of the People of God”, promoted by the Taizé Community in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, the Vicariate of Rome, the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. The protagonists of this event will be young people. At the end of this moment of prayer and celebration, the 464 participants in the synodal assembly will move to Sacrofano, near Rome, for a spiritual retreat until October 3rd. They will return to the Vatican for the solemn opening of the Synod with the Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on Wednesday, October 4th. Immediately afterwards, the cardinals, bishops, religious and laity who will participate in the Synod will begin their work in the Paul VI Hall. For four weeks, the members will participate in plenary assemblies, minor circles, a pilgrimage and moments of prayer and liturgy until October 29th. The President of the Focolare Movement, Margaret Karram, who is among the 9 invited guests, sent a message to all the members of the Movement in the world, expressing what she was thinking about this historic milestone in the Catholic Church: “I cannot hide my feelings from you; above all, my happiness at being able to participate in person in this moment of grace. I am aware that I am taking with me each and every one of you from the Focolare Movement and this is also a great responsibility”. “I am sure – she continues – that many of you have already participated in a stage of the synodal journey in your local churches and have already experienced some of the fruits of the journey. You will have lived them as new opportunities for a dialogue that leads to deeper and broader communion and participation. (…) In this coming session of the Synod we are called even more to ‘walk together’ as the ‘people of God’, so that this may become a permanent and daily reality in our lives for the good of the Church and of humanity”. “This has put in my heart– she says – a great desire: that we should commit ourselves – as the Focolare Movement – to improve, to go one step further, to strengthen and refine our relationships of unity, and to be builders of fraternity in every environment in which we live or work”. And she concludes by inviting everyone to accompany “this new and promising season of the Church” with prayer: “Finally, I ask you for the most important thing: to pray! ‘Without prayer there will be no Synod, said Pope Francis, as does the Secretary General, Cardinal Grech, encouraging everyone to pray with faith and seriousness. It means listeninng to God with the kind of recollection that gives space to Him and allows our hearts and minds to be illuminated by His light. (…) also as part of all the people around the world who are praying and offering , so that the Synod – whose protagonist is the Holy Spirit – may bear the greatest fruit for humanity today and in the future”.
Marseille (France), a city which is a mosaic of peoples and cultures, was the backdrop to the recent “Recontres Méditerranéennes”. It was an event that, through dialogue, traced new pathways of hope for the future. At the General Audience of 27th September 2023, Pope Francis focused his meditation on his recent Apostolic Journey to Marseille, for the conclusion of the “Rencontres Méditerranéennes” (Mediterranean Meetings) that took place from 17th-24th September 2023. He said:
“What came out of the Marseille event? What came out is an outlook on the Mediterranean that I would call simply human, not ideological, not strategic, not politically correct nor instrumental; no, human, that is, capable of referring everything to the primary value of the human person and his or her inviolable dignity. Then, at the same time, a hopeful outlook came out.” It was a real “Mosaic of hope” as the title of the event, organized by the Archdiocese of Marseille, predicted. It involved Bishops, Mayors, religious leaders, theologians from the Mediterranean area together with young people from the five shores of the Mare Nostrum, in an open dialogue that looked to the future and its many challenges. In the wake of the two previous meetings, Bari 2020 and Florence 2022, Marseille, with its history, its port and its multicultural and multi-religious essence, developed this theme through round tables, meetings of reflection and prayer, artistic and cultural performances of various kinds in order, as Pope Francis said in the Angelus of Sunday, 17th September, “to promote paths of peace, collaboration and integration around the mare nostrum, with special attention to the phenomenon of migration”.
This was one of the main issues in the debates among the young people present. For example, Chiara Barbaccia, the daughter of an Italian island, Sicily, gateway to Europe and a 28-year-old graduate in criminology who is preparing to become an educator in prisons told us: “At a time when we are bombarded by media communication that makes us feel contaminated, we are called not to forget that we are dealing with people who leave their country because they are forced to, not for fun. And we must also keep in mind the value of hospitality, the ace up our sleeves which keeps us human”. These are words that do not remain ideas but that, if shared, take shape. Chiara was one of the 70 young people (25-30 years old) who, representing the Mediterranean and its many faces, met the Bishops of the five geographical areas of this Sea. It was a moment of interaction in a real synodal style. Chiara said, “I go to the parish of the Franciscan friars of Sant’Antonino in Palermo. I am here in Marseille, thanks to my friendship with the Focolare Movement in my city and because I want to share experiences and be enriched by others. The young people at the round table I attended came from Ukraine, Bosnia, the Holy Land and Algeria: a cross section of the many perspectives of the Mediterranean. I talked about my experience and about what we do for hospitality etc. What is missing for this sea to truly be the “nostrum” of everyone, of the community is the shared idea of the common good, the idea that everything that “moves” within it does not belong to one nation rather than to another but is a common heritage that must be valued and not “shipwrecked” or, worse still, sunk”. From migration to the climate crisis, from integration to the geopolitical crisis and the violence of war, the voice of these new generations that have animated and colored the city of Marseille was strong. Young people are “lighthouses”, as the Pope said in his speech on 23rd September, at the concluding session: “they are the light that indicates the way of the future” and it is important to ensure that they have spaces where they can “mature by encountering one another, coming to know one another and discovering cultures and contexts both near and diverse.”, This was the aim of the event at the Oeuvre de jeunesse Joseph Allemand Saint Savournin, where many secondary school boys and girls from the city, divided into groups and took part in the thematic “salons”, organised to discuss and share the challenges and projects of the Mediterranean. The animators came from many regions, in particular from Italy. There was also a group from the Focolare Movement. Each “salon” was a journey: in inclusion, respecting the diversity of other confessions, on the freedom of women in various cultures, in dance and in art, capable of breaking down barriers and a tool for hospitality. It was a journey towards raising awareness of the issue of the reconversion of the war industry, as told by the youth from WarFree – Lìberu dae sa gherra, an association that aims at an ethical reconversion of Sardinia (Italian island) through an economy of peace open to the world; a network of companies that offer themselves as an alternative to the industries that produce weapons and petrochemicals. They propose a new civil economy that offers decent work to the territory, favouring the intertwining of peace and sustainable development. Stefano Scarpa, one of Warfree’s associates, who has been involved in the project from the beginning, said, “These industries present on the Sardinian territory are the largest export of Sardinia and in a land where work is scarce, it is important that people know what they work for, who earns from these exports and what the consequences are. It is not just a question of Sardinia. For this reason, the Recontres Méditerranéennes are an opportunity. It would be nice to be able to talk not only about Mare Nostrum but about globality, about a constant dialogue that seeks similarities between the difficulties of each country and the answers”. Maria Letizia Cabras, a young Sardinian from the Focolare Movement who collaborates with Warfree, added, “The Church plays a very important role in the regions and in dialogue with other Churches and other religions. This is where everyone’s participation should be encouraged so that a discourse at the territorial level is also applied at the ‘Mediterranean’ level, through projects and events involving all the different countries”.
Looking at the gestures of love performed by others sometimes generates a pull, like magnets, attracts us, softens our hearts and awakens in us a desire to “join in,” to do the same. It is something that does not go unnoticed, capable of truly impacting many.Poems for mother With my mother, there had never been an easy relationship. She used to criticize my faith, calling me deluded. After leaving home, I maintained a relationship more with my father, who wisely knew how to balance the situation. One day he called me: my mother was in the hospital for a serious illness. As I went to visit her, I thought of what could give her joy. I knew she loved the poems of Attila József, so I got one of his audiobooks. My mother was no longer herself, transformed by her sorrow. But as soon as she began to listen to those poems, her eyes became as bright as if she was dreaming. My subsequent visits thus became a discovery or rediscovery of our national poet, but it was a great joy for me to see that she had involved other sick people in reading or listening to the poems. Because of this act of her charity toward them, I felt as if I was getting acquainted with another person: “You taught me that you have to love everyone,” she commented. And me? I was by her when she breathed her last serene and hopeful breath. (L.M.L. – Hungary) Three times a day In the usual expenditures of our family budget, we had included a sum to be made available to those in need. Only that a particular day we could not get it out because there were many expenses. It was a real disappointment for us. At this point our two little sons came with their wallets and, in front of us, poured the entire contents, all their savings, onto the table. The episode was followed up when Grandma came to visit us and the children told her what they had done. And she, looking at us puzzled, “But how, you help others when you are also in need?” Before we could react, clearing the air was the youngest who said, “But Grandma, we eat three times a day!” With that sentence, serenity returned, and a few days later Grandma also returned with an envelope in her hand: “This is my contribution that I put together with yours… After all, I too eat three times a day!” (L.R. – Italy)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from The Gospel of the Day, Città Nuova, Year IX – No. 1 September-October 2023)
The 10th International Congress of Sportmeet for a United World was recently held in São Sebastião, Brazil – 20 years after its inception. It continues to promote a culture and practice of sport that can contribute to peace, development and universal fraternity. A worldwide network of sportspersons, sports operators and professionals, men and women of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, languages and religions who see physical and sports activities as important and positive realities for the integral growth of the human person and the community; people animated by the desire to contribute, through sport, to development, peace and building a more united world. This is the mission of Sportmeet for a United World, an expression in the world of sport of that spiritual and social renewal that the Focolare Movement wants to contribute to implementing. With a representation at the United Nations by New Humanity, an NGO accredited to UNESCO, this reality celebrated its 20th anniversary a month ago in São Sebastião, Brazil, where the 10th International Congress of Sportmeet for a United World was held. Federica Comazzi, president and international coordinator, told us all about it. Federica, who took part in this meeting and how were the activities divided out? What were the objectives and topics covered? The conference was built in collaboration with Ecoone, MPpU (the Political Movement for Unity) and the municipality of São Sebastião (Brazil) which provided the municipal theatre, accommodation and transport through its Department for Sport,. In collaborating with Ecoone and MPpU, Sportmeet felt supported by these realities that enriched the programme with their contributions, took care of relations with political and academic authorities, and offered an important contribution towards drafting the final manifesto signed at the end of the event. The objective was to initiate a process of rethinking sport with a socio-environmental perspective, starting from a reflection on the lights and shadows of contemporary sport, enlightened by a principle common to different peoples from different parts of the world, that of Well Being (Teko Porã in Guarani, the language of the indigenous peoples present in the territory of São Sebastião and other parts of South America). The congress was attended by around one hundred people from eight institutions that are active in the fields of education, recovery from addiction, and social integration in the suburbs of large metropolises and cities in Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. The programme was developed around the presentation of several papers. Each afternoon there was room for practical activities and an in-depth study of the local culture. “Can sport, which helps build fraternity between people, also contribute to improving human existence from a socio-environmental point of view?” was one of the questions at the centre of the congress. After looking at nature and the local reality in Brazil, what was the answer to this question? It became abundantly clear that the fight against poverty and a new economic paradigm not based exclusively on the quantitative parameters of growth stand out not only as a necessity, but also as an emergency. In this context it was made very clear how play and sport constitute an irreplaceable force with enormous potential in terms of human development and the spread of a culture of sharing resources, basic elements for an integral ecology that can save humanity from environmental disasters. The definition of Well-Being helps us understand how universal fraternity and respect for nature are connected. Although it is not a closed and well-defined principle, since it is enriched by the gaze of so many peoples of the earth, Well Being is defined starting from three harmonies: with oneself, with others and with nature. Sport today, the official sport promoted by the Olympic Movement, too often has an approach based on the exploitation of natural and human resources for a single purpose: money. There is an imbalance between these harmonies, and it is clear how this has led this great container to be emptied of its values. We need to return to a sense of play, as conceived prior to the Olympic Movement itself and experienced in indigenous communities. It carries with it a deeper, symbolic value that leads us to a deeper understanding of who we are. We need to rethink a game and a sport that does not have as its primary objective the interest of the individual and therefore does not exploit resources, but permits encounter between people, nature and souls. In celebrating these 20 years of Sportmeet’s journey, what are your hopes for the future? The event in Brazil was the first international meeting after the pandemic and it highlighted and confirmed two features of Sportmeet’s mission. Firstly, the academic dimension, to be carried out with a nucleus of professors from different Universities and Institutions scattered across the different continents who found resonance in the values and experiences of Sportmeet with respect to their work. Secondly, a sphere, which is not disconnected from the first, of action for socio-cultural change in sport and through sport, with the challenge of forming a network of people from the different organisations that have expressed an interest and recognise how useful it is to have a common space – also to avoid the risk of self-referential isolation. The story of Sportmeet has highlighted a fundamental element: that culture and life must go hand in hand and that they can enrich and nourish each other.
The second year of the Synodal Training Course, which began in 2022, has been launched. The Course is organized by the Sophia University Institute’s Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG), with the collaboration of the General Secretariat of the Synod. The second year of the Synodality Training Course will focus on being “missionary disciples” at the service of universal fraternity. The 2023/2024 Course was inaugurated on 12th September: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0set08JiKY Initiated by the “Evangelii Gaudium” Centre (CEG), a theological-pastoral training centre present within the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (Italy), with the valuable collaboration of the General Secretariat of the Synod, the lessons will begin on 6th November. To learn more about it, we interviewed Prof. Vincenzo Di Pilato, Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pugliese Theological Faculty in Italy and Coordinator of the CEG. Professor Di Pilato, what was your experience last year and what were the results? The first year of the Online Course on Synodality, which ended last May, was very rich and, I would say, exciting. The 248 participants came from the English-speaking world (Canada, Ireland, UK, and USA), Latin America (Brazil and almost all Spanish-speaking countries), Asia (India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore), Africa (Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa) and almost all European countries. There were many representatives of diocesan or national churches engaged in the synodal process, including priests, religious and lay people. The majority were Catholics of all vocations: priests, nuns, consecrated persons, lay people, even a Bishop. There were also representatives of other sister Churches. Although the videos and texts of the lessons were available on a web platform (especially for those who for whom the time was inconvenient), there were students from Asia who connected live, at three in the morning (local time). It was a strong experience. Then in June, at the end of the Course, we held the fourth and final module in a face-to-face workshop, at the “Vinea mea” Spirituality Centre in Loppiano (Italy). 130 people participated. We focussed on themes such as: clericalism, participatory processes and community discernment. It is now clear that the Course, which will open for the second consecutive year, represents an attempt to respond to the call that the Holy Spirit, since the days of the first Pentecost, addresses to us to “go out”. Among the many letters received, one was from a person in charge of the diocesan level of the synodal journey in Malaysia: “Thank you very much for the wonderful sessions. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn so much about the origins of the synodal Church and synodality. It really opened my eyes to the great wisdom and suggestions offered by the Holy Spirit who guides the Church. Honestly, while listening to the sessions of the first module, I felt so poor, but at the same time enriched. And that’s why I’ll be signing up for the next year. ” What issues will be addressed in this new year? First of all, we will try to be in tune with what will emerge from the Synodal Assembly next October. When we looked at the basic text (Instrumentum laboris) on which the members of the Ordinary General Assembly of the October Synod will work and which is the outcome of the community discernment during the listening phase, we realized that some issues seemed more urgent than others, such as: ministry, places and method of participation, formation to become “missionary disciples” at the service of universal fraternity. Each 3-hour lesson will take place via internet from 6.00 to 9.00 pm (Italian time) on Mondays from November 2023 – May 2024. The course will be in Italian with translations into English, Portuguese and Spanish. This year too, we will conclude with a face-to-face residential meeting here in Italy, again using a workshop methodology. You can register for the Course at this link: https://www.sophiauniversity.org/en/centro-evangelii-gaudium/. The active support of the General Secretariat of the Synod in these two years encourages us to move forward in being builders of unity in the Church and in the world, according to that synodal form with which Jesus lived his human-divine existence with the Apostles and with all his disciples. The “going out” to which the Holy Spirit impels us, through the clear voice of Pope Francis, is not, in fact, equivalent to dispersing, to fragmenting, but is to lead our individual spiritual life to that of the Forsaken and Risen Jesus who embraces everything and everyone. As the title of the Working Document for the continental stage of the Synod stated, it is a matter of “widening the space of our tent” (cf. Is 54.2). You have just edited a book entitled, “Synodality and Participation, the ecclesial subject of mission”, (published by Città Nuova). It is a collection of interventions of experts from the ecclesiastical and theological world. What is the contribution of this text in the light of the documents which have emerged from the various stages of the Synodal Path and on the verge of the new universal stage? The book is a collection of the inputs of a research seminar organized by the CEG, on 24th June, 2023 at the “Vinea mea” Spirituality Centre in Loppiano (Italy). The seminar was entitled: “Participate/preside/decide. Sacramental root and communal dynamic in the journey of the people of God on mission”. Over thirty scholars participated, including theologians and canon lawyers engaged in responding to the invitation expressed in the Instrumentum laboris, to rebalance the relationship between two fundamental ecclesiological principles: that of “authority”, strongly affirmed in the current Code of Canon Law, and that of “participation”, which the current Synod is relaunching as an ordinary practice of the life of the Church. We asked the experts present at the Seminar how we can effectively enable the active participation of each member of the people of God (faithful and pastors) within our communities? Will such participation remain at an advisory level or will it have authority? Will it be a matter of negotiating for a legal “concession” or rather of “recognizing” the decision-making capacity of the collective subject of ecclesial action as it emerges from the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council? And will an update of the Code of Canon Law be necessary? As Card. Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, said, the synodal journey has entered a new phase: it is called to become a generating, dynamic event and not simply to be reduced to a solemn celebratory transient moment. How can the Church listen to the Holy Spirit without listening to the entire holy people of God? As Card. Francesco Coccopalmerio, Severino Dianich, Alphonse Borras and P. Coda, in their dense interventions contained in the book say, the answer to this question has an impact on pastoral practice (think of the various parish, diocesan councils, etc.) and on formation, as well as on theology and canon law. (https://edizionicittanuova.it/prodotto/sinodalita-e-partecipazione/).
Allow our lives to be a continual praise of God by acknowledging His love and the greatness of His works in our lives. This is what this Psalm invites us to do. It is the foundation of every prayer, especially when, by loving the brothers and sisters we meet, we understand the fullness of gratitude.Concrete help for far and near The war in Ukraine brought us apprehension and fear. In response to this wave of evil, when winter arrived last year, we and other friends of the parish worked to procure heavy clothing and generators and flashlights to supplement the lack of electricity, to be sent to our neighbours close to our border. But one thing led to another and looking around, we then extended this solidarity action to the poor of our town. Without realizing it, a division had arisen in our society that we hadn’t paid enough attention to before. Someone pointed out that it took the war in Ukraine to open our eyes. Today, in addition to continuing the collections for the victims of war, we also work for those closest to us who are in need. (J.M. – Hungary) Hope In the waiting room of a bus station, I noticed a young, beautiful, elegant lady. Her face displayed signs of grim suffering. We got on the same bus. Then, at the train station, we bought tickets for the same destination. I made a bit of innocent conversation as we headed to our platform. Unfortunately, our train had just left; we had two hours of waiting ahead of us. I invited the lady to sit in the waiting room. Looking at her tense face, I put aside my problems and tiredness and decided to listen to her. While she talked to me about the trauma she had been experiencing for months, I found myself reliving an awful situation. I told her about it. Later, on the journey, our conversation was so intense that we didn’t realize that we had reached our destination. I tried to say goodbye, but she wanted to accompany me to the place where I had to go, so as not to interrupt our conversation. Her face had relaxed, her burden lightened. Then the goodbyes. Maybe I won’t see her again, but I’m sure that hope was born in her heart. (RA – England) Smiles help you keep going I am a palliative care doctor. In the morning, it is nice to be greeted with a smile and the relaxed faces of those who the night before were afraid of how they would spend the night because of the pain: yes, everything went well, and I feel better too. It couldn’t be taken for granted: opiates are still feared drugs because they are little known and needed to be discussed in a transparent doctor-patient dialogue. I observed another sick woman, whose communication was limited to movements of the eyes. I asked her, “Are you in pain?” Closing her eyelids meant yes. I wondered: how did I not notice before? I proposed a treatment which she accepted. Her frown relaxed, her eyes smiled. When I find myself facing my limits every day, I stop smiling. In those moments, others (a colleague, a family member, a worker) are like my “mirror” and help me to look inside myself. I need a good dose of humility to learn to accept myself. But then I laugh at myself and, having passed through the cloud, I see the possibility of starting to love again. (Paola – Italy)
Compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from The Gospel of the Day, Città Nuova, year IX – no.1 September-October 2023)
On 8 August 2023, at the age of 99, Livia Groff (widow of Olivo Goller), a married focolarina from Trent (Italy) and part of the first Focolare community formed around Chiara Lubich, returned to the house of the Father. We remember her through a short extract in which she tells us what true conversion was for her. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor 5:17). This is the phrase taken from the New Testament that Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, gave Livia Groff as a motto for life who ended her journey on this earth on 8 August at the age of 99. Born on 25 May 1924, the third of 7 sisters, she began working as a shop assistant in Trent as a young girl. At the invitation of her friend, Doriana Zamboni, one of Chiara Lubich’s first companions, she met Chiara when she was 21 and joined the group of girls around her who took the words of the Gospel literally, put them into practice and shared with each other the effects of living those words. For Livia, this encounter was like a real thunderbolt. Discovering the love of God and discovering Jesus present in every neighbour were to become the polar star of her life and the certain guide on a journey she always shared with her husband, Olivo Goller, and her children, Diego, Maria Elena and Andrea. A witness of great fortitude and closeness to her neighbour, she faced the various trials that life put before her sustained by her faith in God and His love. For 37 years she cared for her husband Olivo who, due to an inexplicable car accident, was left paralysed in his legs and unable to walk for the rest of his life. Another great trial came for her at the age of 61 when her daughter Maria Elena died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 33, in Predazzo, near Trento, where she taught. With great courage and concreteness Livia always tried to put Jesus at the centre of every relationship, and with extreme kindness she knew how to take care of anyone she met on her path, accompanying her sons, Diego and Andrea, both focolarini, in their life choices; supporting the sick, as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist as she had already done with her husband; inviting many to prayer. A beauty, which many recognised in her, incarnated, which went beyond style, but which concealed within itself a secret: the ability to look at the love of Jesus on the cross who cried out his abandonment, and recognise this in the trials of life and accept it without hesitation. We share below a short extract of an interview Livia Groff gave in Trent, dated 13 December 2011, in which she tells of her first meeting with Chiara Lubich and the beginning of a journey that changed her life. Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://youtu.be/vmFJ5v15rLg
The Season of Creation is a time during which Christians around the world unite in prayer and action to care for our common home. It’s a time of grace that the Christian Churches propose to encourage people to renew their relationship with the Creator and with creation, through meditation, conversion and community commitment. Each year, this period opens on 1st September with an ecumenical celebration on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and ends on 4th October, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology loved by many Christian confessions. The theme chosen for this 2023 is “Let justice and peace flow“. It draws inspiration from the words of the prophet Amos, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!“ (Amos 5:24). The hope, therefore, is that like a “mighty river” these two elements, justice and peace, can invade our planet with well-being and beauty. It is a challenge that certainly mobilizes us and to which everyone, as part of the people of God, is called to respond by committing ourselves on the front line and in our own small way, to create bridges of dialogue, for climate and ecological justice, listening to the communities most affected by the loss of biodiversity. There are many activities and initiatives launched around the world in preparation for the opening day, such as the one promoted by the Laudato Sì Movement, which invites us to pray for climate justice and share this prayer with all the negotiators and political leaders of COP28 (https://laudatosimovement.org/pray-with-us-for-climate-justice/). You can register for and access the Ecumenical Prayer Meeting on 1st September, through the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s6x-_ULjRZWRyzUYGNAhAg#/registration. Or you can watch it on the Laudato Sì YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv3kExaSMmI For more information visit https://seasonofcreation.org/en/. https://youtu.be/VTm53zJN6NA?si=gQpYtBQ2uznuPIpU
From the end of July to the beginning of August 2023, Gen Verde travelled the length and breadth of Portugal. A fortnight long tour featuring art workshops and concerts. Many young people were involved in an experience of transforming music into a means of testimony and encounter. The journey, from 23rd July-4th August, started in Braga (north Portugal), continued south to the Algarve and concluded in Lisbon, in the festive and intoxicating atmosphere of a World Youth Day (WYD). This was the itinerary of the Gen Verde International Performing Arts Group, an all women band which began in 1966 from an inspiration of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. It was a demanding tour characterized by encounters and friendship. The seeds sown through words and notes yielded a rich harvest of real life experiences. One of Gen Verde’s projects is the “Start Now” workshop, a musical and artistic project which focuses on peace and dialogue education. One such workshop took place in Braga with an amazing group of young people from Spain and Portugal and included a special collaboration withProjeto Homem Braga (PHB). PHB specializes in the treatment, prevention, harm reduction and reintegration of people with addictions. After a meeting with Gen Verde, one of the PHB educators said, “We usually feel a bit anxious when we invite people from outside to get to know the users of our Centre because we don’t want to disturb their recovery process. Today we have to thank you for giving so much joy to all of us”. A Spanish boy who attended the workshop commented, “We have discovered that music, dance and art can really help us overcome many barriers, such as linguistic and cultural barriers. Sometimes it’s difficult to ‘row’ in the same direction, it takes patience because we don’t all go at the same pace, but one thing we carry with us is the joy that is transmitted, beyond the difficulties. Love makes us overcome all conflicts”. To the sound of “Girl On A Mission (Magnificat)”, the song composed by Gen Verde for the WYD, the Band moved to Faro (Algarve- Portugal) where they participated in the Dioceses’ pre-WYD preparation, concluding on 31st July, with a concert in the Algarve Stadium. Next stop was the Portuguese capital for another “Start Now” workshop with about 100 young people. At the end, on 2nd August, the young people performed with the Band in the jam-packed Auditório da Faculdade de Medicina Dentária. A Portuguese girl said, “It was very gratifying to take part in an activity like this because we can learn about and get to know others. We understood that it is important both to say our opinion and to know how to lose that idea in teamwork. The word that summarizes everything we have learned is humility, to give others the opportunity to express themselves”. Another girl spoke about learning to overcome challenges in the sense of “being able to listen, to understand others’ ideas, to learn how to interact, to let go of shyness and create something beautiful and do it together”. Marita Alvarez (Argentina), one of Gen Verde’s singers, told us: “Over the years, we have met many young people in our artistic workshops in many countries, from Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, to Spain, Austria, Germany and Italy, to name a few. Deep, true and lasting relationships have been formed. We have seen how these young people become leaders of their communities, committed and ready to multiply joy through the “Magnificat anima mea” that God has brought about in their lives”. With the WYD, Lisbon gleamed with all the colours of youth. It was a unique opportunity to give witness and at the same time, experience the vivacity of a pilgrim Church which, from all parts of the globe, calls us by name. In this family spirit, Gen Verde took part in the second day of the “Rise Up” catechesis organized by the Focolare Movement. They sang and animated the Mass with over 7,000 young people. They then concluded their trip to Portugal on 4th August, with a concert in Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, at the end of the Halleluya Festival.Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement was there and had this impression, “I was very struck by their unity. The young people were overjoyed. They were all taken by the rhythm and the music, but the songs include many deep moments and in those, the young people were able to pause and reflect. I thought it was like a ‘fifteenth station’ of the Via Crucis! There is no such thing and yet as everyone says and imagines, it is a sign of the Resurrection. It was a hymn to the Resurrection, to joy. I believe that this is the right way to communicate the Gospel with a musical language that young people love”.
Benoît and Chloé Mondou, a young couple from France, decided to start their married life by taking part in the World Youth Day in Lisbon (Portugal).
“Initially we thought our honeymoon would be a tour of Europe, but when the opportunity to go to WYD came up, we didn’t hesitate for a single second!” Benoît and Chloé Mondou were married in Haute-Savoie (France), a week before World Youth Day in Lisbon (Portugal). He is twenty-four years old and she is twenty-two. They met seven years ago in the scout group of which they are active members. Today they are volunteer guides. Benoît has known the spirituality of the Focolare since he was a child and, through him, Chloé began to live it too. They set off for Lisbon with a group of young people from the French speaking countries of the Movement: France, Belgium and Switzerland. They said, “We didn’t give up the trip to Europe but we thought that it was really important to go to the WYD. Now we can say that it put down an important marker for our marriage”.
In their home town, Benoît and Chloé are also involved in a social project in which they visit people in nursing homes. Chloé said, “We are lucky to have been brought up in the same religion but we are also fortunate that we like praying together. For this reason, taking part in the WYD has given an even greater dimension to the faith we both have. During the WYD, there were times when we were separated, but then we met for praise or adoration and so we had those moments to pray together”. Benoît continued, “It was very strong because in normally in daily life we don’t really have the opportunity to pray together. In Lisbon taking time together, even if you were in a group, was strong. Personally, I think it’s an experience you should have at least once in your life. And if you can do it as a couple, even better”.
The moments with Pope Francis were fundamental. Chloé said, “For me the most important thing that the Pope said was when he reminded us that we are all loved, each person as they are, because when you are part of a group, sometimes you tend to create your own personality to stand out, to be accepted. But in places like that you realize that this is how we really live with each other, this is how we are natural and this is how God loves us more.”
Benoît continues, “From the words of the Pope I feel I am taking up a challenge that is close to my heart: to try to be Jesus. The Pope invited the one and a half million young people who were in Lisbon to return to our countries, to spread the good news, to help others and to bring others ahead with the word of Christ. “
Chloé reflected “At the WYD I discovered a new way of living my faith. I realized that there are many different ways to live faith and it doesn’t matter if one person goes to sing in the street and another prefers to be alone at the back of a church. In a family, everyone has to find their own place and their own way of praying”.
Benoît concluded, “We left Portugal with greater faith. This experience increased the desire, which we already had, to raise our children in the faith and to educate them in the Gospel. After our wedding in the Church, we needed this WYD, this pilgrimage, recollection and prayer. It was really good for us”.
After World Youth Day in Lisbon, the International Meeting of Bishops Friends of the Focolare Movement was held from 8th-10th August 2023 in Braga, northern Portugal. In the aftermath of the World Youth Day in Lisbon, 87 bishops from 42 countries stayed on in Portugal for a meeting, organised by the Bishops Friends of the Focolare Movement. They gathered to reflect on “The Mysticism of Encounter – Contemplation and Mission in a Changing Age“. En route to Braga, on 7th August, the first stop had to be the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, as it was the feast day of the two shepherd saints, Francisco and Jacinta. Recognising that massive changes are occurring, which call for an adequate response also from the Church, from 8th-10th August they reflected on and put into practice the “mysticism of we”, seen as a response to the new stage of witness and proclamation of the Gospel to which the Holy Spirit is calling the Church today. They took up once more Pope Francis words to the Focolare Movement on his visit to the little town of Loppiano in 2018, when he said that the charism of unity given to Chiara Lubich “is a providential stimulus and a powerful help to live the evangelical mysticism of ‘we’”. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, and Jesús Morán, Co-President, attended the whole meeting and made various contributions. Margaret’s talk invited everyone to “Start from unity in order to ‘be’ and to ‘speak’ today“. Unity is the life of God, she said, and we who want to imitate that life are invited to live it and we have a duty to proclaim it courageously. The comments and sharing in plenary that followed highlighted a renewed faith in the importance of seeking unity in the Church and in the world; and language groups enabled further deepening of the subject. The various components of each day contributed to experiencing the ‘mysticism of we’, whether that was in the conversation with a group of young people who took part in WYD; in the testimonies shared by bishops on the synodal path; or insights into the daily life and suffering of particular Churches. Insights A few weeks before the Synod Assembly in October, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary of the Synod, and Prof. Piero Coda, a member of the Synod’s theological team, contributed to the meeting by video link. The Synod aims to help us rediscover unity in the one baptism, to equip us to live together despite our differences, and to teach us how to inhabit the tensions in which we inevitably find ourselves. A panel discussion that set out to present some answers to the pressing problems in the Church and societies today, generated much interest and led to numerous questions. Father Fabio Ciardi, OMI, emphasised the treasures to be found in charisms both old and new; Francesca Di Giovanni, former undersecretary of the Vatican State, spoke of the place of women in the Church, who must not only be valued according to roles they might have but considered in view of the ‘gift’ they are for the Church. Rosinha and Amandio Cruz, a married couple working within the Archdiocese of Braga, presented aspects of the renewal of the Church and of evangelisation which are supported in particular by families. On the last day, Father Fabio Ciardi spoke on the ‘wounds’ of the Church today, and on the light Chiara Lubich had found in the discovery-revelation of Jesus Forsaken. He is the one who took upon himself every division and who generates reconciliation; he is the foundation of the ‘mysticism of we’. There were also moments of recreation and cultural enrichment, such as the visit to the nearby Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine, where Cardinal Francis Kriengsak, Archbishop of Bangkok, presided over the Eucharistic celebration. Francis Kriengsak, Then, with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, the local Focolare community offered a typical Portuguese dinner, followed by an exhibition of traditional dances. At the conclusion of the meeting, in the Mass presided over by Cardinal Lazarus You, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, the Bishops renewed their commitment to put into practice Jesus’ commandment: “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).
These were Pope Francis’ final words as he said goodbye to the young people and all the participants at the concluding Mass of World Youth Day 2023.
It is difficult to describe what we experienced during these unforgettable days of grace. I know it is a cliché to say that you have to experience it to understand it. But it is true! It is certainly true on this occasion. I have participated in four WYDs, the first two and the last two, and I can testify that there is something about these days that cannot be explained. A well-known Portuguese public figure, who is agnostic and a cinema lover, wrote in a newspaper article that what he contemplated on the streets of Lisbon in this scorching summer was the most beautiful film he had ever seen. It was impossible not to be uplifted by the cheerfulness and liveliness poured out in torrents by the young people who had come to the ‘city of light’ and who filled it with the other light they carried within themselves. We saw them everywhere, in the shopping malls, in the metro, on the buses, in the bars, in the parks or on the roads. They gathered in small and large groups, and were like multi-coloured, loud, talkative, multi-charismatic human rivers, with a kindliness that warmed the heart. Walking among them, I saw the inhabitants of the city; some were puzzled, some interested. If Lisbon, with its magical and indescribable beauty, was a gift for these young people, they were no less a gift for this city, which will be proud to have seen one and a half million young people come together to celebrate their faith in Christ, something previously unheard of.
The Portuguese Church and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the organisers of the event, together with the city and its civil authorities, did an amazing job. But there is no doubt that the prize goes to the young people. Who could have imagined this happening after three years of a serious pandemic and in the midst of an institutional crisis, such as the one the Catholic Church is going through because of abuses of various kinds?! Even though today the Spanish press gave coverage to the case of a girl with 5% visual capacity who claims to have recovered her sight in the past few days, for me the real miracle was the living faith of these young people, expressed in their own words and with a multitude of bold and even disconcerting gestures.
In fact, while they showed an overflowing enthusiasm by singing and dancing, the most emblematic moment – indeed the real centrepiece of the event – was once again the Eucharistic adoration at the vigil: more than a million people knelt down without anyone telling them to do so, to adore in ‘deafening’ silence the One they consider the ‘heart of the world’! It was impossible not to be moved. And at that moment, the fado given to us by the singer Carminho gave us goosebumps: ‘You are the star that guides my heart/ You are the star that has lit my path/ You are the sign that I guide destiny/ You are the star, and I am the pilgrim’. And one wonders at the power of attraction that a small host can exert on such a large crowd of young people spread over a field over three kilometres long (100 football pitches).
You might think that the young people who gathered in Lisbon are good people, with an orderly life, polite young people, who do not get involved with other people’s problems. Nothing could be more mistaken. An international group of young people toiled for years to come up with an artistic framework of extraordinary beauty and visual effectiveness. They constructed a huge stage, a kind of giant scaffolding on which they moved around in an ethereal manner, letting themselves fall while securely tied to ropes, and carrying the cross from side to side, up and down. The feeling of vertigo was continuous, and the choice of this approach was not accidental: at each station, with a few words of reflection and a lot of visual impact, the ‘vertigo’ that imbues the lives of young people today was crudely expressed: addictions, lack of meaning, an uncertain future, contempt for life, toxic relationships. All motifs that the cross bore, or rather, that the crucified one bore on his shoulders, to be transfigured into new life.
Of course, the key moments of this WYD, as of the previous ones, were the meetings with the Pope. Another puzzling and characteristic feature of these events: why do young people love the popes so much, regardless of their (the popes) character, be it traditional, intellectual or reformist?
Apart from these highlights, the programme was filled with many other smaller events, but which were no less significant, such as concerts in key city locations, meetings in nationalities, sharing with people involved in the Church in parishes or associations and above all the various catecheses led by the young people themselves with bishops from different parts of the world as keynote speakers. These were all opportunities to deepen the WYD motto: Rise up.
“Have no fear, take heart, do not be afraid!” Pope Francis seemed to be speaking to the whole Church with these words. For there is no doubt that courage is needed and in this, young people are called to be in the front line. They are the present and the future of a Church renewed by the Spirit.
A Church that, as Francis has repeated several times, desires to be a home for all, without excluding anyone, and to recover the prophetic drive that permeates it. This Church walks with new confidence, the confidence it finds in itself and beyond itself, in Jesus Christ. A Church that desires to give hospitality to all humanity in the resurrected humanity of Jesus of Nazareth, as a well-known theologian says.
Perhaps I am too optimistic, but in these few days I have seen a young Church that has already gone a bit beyond the time of trial or is at least confident about overcoming it. The thousands and thousands of young people I met in Lisbon taught me this.
They don’t create problems; they do not become fossilised in criticism. Far from it, something (their purity, perhaps, refined in pain and uncertainty) leads them to focus on the core of faith with simple hearts. And, as the Master says, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 5:1-12).
Three images summarise everything I want to express in this article: young people on the move, all over Lisbon (a symbol of the world), sometimes exhausted by the heat and tiredness accumulated after nights of little sleep. Young people with the ‘vertigo’ of the cross on their shoulders, on which all their sufferings are written. Young people kneeling in adoration, aware that in a piece of bread there is all of life, a life that does not pass away. The living Church, the Church of always, the Church of today, the Church of the future.
During the World Youth Day 2023 in Portugal, DIALOP’s journey goes one step further. From 20 countries, 134 young peolpe participated in the workshop “Communication in times of war” promoted by DIALOP during the WYD to discuss how social media and digital technology may become traps of conspiracy and tendentious interests during conflicts. The journey Christianity and Socialism – two movements with very different characteristics – have been for long at loggerheads with each other, but have nevertheless both shaped world history in past centuries. It is based on the idea that the biggest challenges of the world today cannot be solved alone, DIALOP fosters dialogue of good willing persons, with secular and religious backgrounds, especially between Socialist/Marxists and Christians to create a transformative transversal ethic. Bringing DIALOP to the World Youth Day is part of the “DialogUE Project” which, in collaboration with the European Community involves 14 civil society organizations, explores and develops the often challenging dialogue between different groups, in order to shape a Europe that is ever more an expression of that “unity in multiplicity”. The preparation involving both Christian and Marxist-socialist experts started 6 months before the event, a committed and laborious path towards the WYD. The challenges were many, such as finding a dynamic way of mediating heavy content like conflict and communication, different languages, countries and backgrounds. “The emotion of standing before a generation that is hungry for a calming, reasoned, clear truth and hope and being able to give some of this”, Luisa Sello, one of the coordinators of the project shares her impressions. Youth in dialogue War and its destructive potential influence the structure of communication, transform the perception of facts, and instrumentalize language and mindsets. In such context, social media and digital technology may become traps of conspiracy and tendentious interests. Can we approach the truth? Can we react or are we convicted to destroy relationships with humans, countries, populations because of lies and misinformation? How can we keep making choices, build relationships, and stand with truth and justice? The workshop addressed all these challenges and engaged the youth to build on proposals for the European Union, which will be collected and presented to the EU within the European Commission funding project CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme) in March 2024. After panels and dynamics discussions, the question “what can we do?” resonated among the youth. The desire of being part of a transformation as a changemaker is at the heart of each young person present. Steven, from the USA, wants to become a priest and travel overseas to help people shared his perplexities: “I can’t even tell my parents to stop reading sources of information that are problematic. When Jesus returned from Nazareth he was rejected by his family. So many of us have lost hope. Where do we get our hope back? That’s why we’re here at the WYD.” Adriana, a journalism student from Argentina felt encouraged by the workshop “Our role as the youth is very important to fight against disinformation and it can be done also in a fun way. If we create community we can be stronger.” Towards a transversal ethics The course of history depends not only on the strength of ideas but more heavily on the evolution of political and economic interests that integrate more than once only pale reflections of these ideas. The calling of Pope Francis in 2014 that inspired DIALOP to initiate a transversal dialogue continues to unfold. When asked by a young person how to create a common ethical framework when there is so much division, Walter Baier, the President of the Party of the European Left answered: “Pope Francis said that we have to accept conflict as something natural, what we need to know is what to do with the conflict. The fact that Christians and marxists coming from very different traditions, even with very different languages, can sit together and work on a common framework is an example of dialogue.” Angelina Giannopoulou, from transform!europe and José Manuel Pureza from Bloco de Esquerda also lectured besides Michele Zanzucchi and Ana Clara Giovani from Sophia University together with Maria Chiara de Lorenzo from the Focolare Movement. In the future, as part of DialogUE Project, DIALOP will hold other symposia on ecology and social policies. For more information, access https://dialop.eu
This is well known by the friends of the Focolare Movement community in Mexico City who, a few months ago, organized a day of dialogue among Christians of various Churches linked to the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in collaboration with the Integral Ecology Commission of the Archdiocese of Mexico City. After an initial time of prayer in the beautiful chapel of the Archdiocesan Minor Seminary, participants went on an ecological walk led by some women from different indigenous communities. Indeed, these communities have a deep relationship with Creation, which they manifest with symbols, songs and prayers in their languages. Particularly, it became evident how water is an essential element for the life of all living beings without distinction. And the symbol of flowing water – an ecological, life-giving and synodal image – was echoed when, thirsty after the walk, the leaders of the Churches present – Anglican bishops of Mexico and priests of the Orthodox Church of America – took earthenware jugs to serve drinks to each of those present, also in small earthenware cups. 
The concluding fraternal agape was a time of exchange and closeness, sharing of dreams and possible future plans. Among those present were the Anglican Primate of Mexico, the Catholic Bishop of Mexico City, an Anglican deaconess, some members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Catholic priests from the diocesan offices for Ecumenism, Youth Ministry and Care of Creation a group from the Community of Sant’Egidio, some members of the Commission for Integral Development of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Mexico, the Mexican Institute of Social Doctrine, and the Pastoral Care of Indigenous People. It was a moment of great unity in which everyone could see that it is worthwhile to spare no effort to help generate a dialogue of life in Mexico and everywhere. 
all the members of the Movement, with gratitude for the fruits that the life and work of many people around the world continue to generate; and with gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do. It is also addressed to those who would like to know more about us and actively collaborate for a more fraternal and peaceful world. This is why we chose the standard, and in this case perhaps somewhat unusual, name of ‘Communion in Action Report’ because we feel it best expresses our experience of walking together towards a united world. This is our second Mission Report’. It refers to the activities supported by the part of the communion of goods which is shared internationally and to the financial data of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre for the year 2022. This Report follows that of 2021, which highlighted the various activities that the communities of the Focolare Movement carry out worldwide in all fields and aspects. For 2022, we focused on a more thematic document, taking the specific perspective of Dialogue and trying to offer a glimpse of what we seek to bring to society on the path towards fraternity, towards that unity in which diversities can be enriched and give rise to harmonious collaborations.
How can we become roots of joy? This is the question Pope Francis asked us on the eve of WYD in Portugal, and which he also posed to us in the meeting for seminarians, deacons and young priests held in Castelgandolfo (Rome) from Dec. 26-30, 2023, with the intention of deepening the contribution of the Focolare Movement’s spirituality of communion, to the Church’s synodality and missionary spirit. I am experiencing for the third year in a row this appointment of the Christmas season and for the third time I was surprised by the beauty of coming together; coming from different places we found each other, met and recognized each other. It is always an exciting experience to reconfirm the beauty of our spirituality centered on unity and fraternity among all, so that it is not just a slogan but an experience, an embodied life experience. 
A moment experienced with particular emotion was the meeting with Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, who wanted to listen to our reactions on the theme she proposed this year, “Called and Sent”; we felt welcomed and listened to in our different experiences. In particular, Margaret shared with us how she felt about the outbreak of violence in the Holy Land. Strong was her invitation to witness to God’s love by making us neighbors through true words that flow from a deep inner life and the authenticity of a life lived because only those who have experienced love can love, only those who have experienced failure and forgiveness can become credible witnesses. 
the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the Focolare Movement, also known as the Opera di Maria. Thank you! It coincides with the day on which the Servant of God Chiara Lubich decided to consecrate herself fully to the Lord. From an inspiration she received in an entirely ordinary context of life – while she was going shopping for her family – a radical act of self-giving to God arose, as a response to her call that she had felt, sweet and strong, in her heart. It was 7 December 1943, in Trent, at the height of the war; on the very eve of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s “yes” became Chiara’s “yes”, generating a wave of spirituality that spread throughout the world, to tell everyone that it is beautiful to live the Gospel with one simple word: unity. But unity also means harmony: harmonic unity. In these eighty years, you have made this message resound amid the young, communities, families, persons of 
consecrated life, priests and bishops; and also in various social environments: from the world of school to that of the economy, from the world of art and culture to that of information and the media; and in particular, in the spheres of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. You have thus been an active instrument of a great flowering of works, of initiatives, of projects and above all of “rebirths”, of conversions, of vocations, of lives given to Christ and to our brothers and sisters. For all this today we want to give thanks to God. In February 2021, speaking at your General Assembly, I emphasized three important attitudes for your progress: living your charism with dynamic fidelity, welcoming moments of crisis as opportunities to mature, embodying spirituality with consistency and realism (
increasingly realized. Start out from your communities, fostering in them a style of participation and co-responsibility, also at the level of governance. Let the “focolari”, the hearths, increase within them and spread around them a climate of mutual listening and family warmth, in which we respect and care for one another, with particular attention to those who are weaker and those most in need of support. To this end, it will be helpful for you to pursue avenues of mutual participation and consultation at all levels, paying special attention to communication and sincere dialogue. With regard to the second line, fidelity to the charism, I remind you of some of your Founder’s words: “Leave to those who follow you only the Gospel. If you do this, the ideal of unity will remain […]. What remains and will always remain is the Gospel, which does not suffer the wear of time” (C. Lubich, in La Parola di Dio, Rome 2011, 112-113). Please, sow unity by bringing the Gospel, without ever losing sight of the work of incarnation that God continues to wish to accomplish in us and around us through his Spirit, so that Jesus may be good news for everyone, no one excluded, and “that all may be one” (Jn 17:21). 
And so, we come to the third line, commitment to peace, so important today. Indeed, after two millennia of Christianity, the longing for unity continues to assume the form, in many parts of the world, of an agonizing cry that demands a response. Chiara heard this during the tragedy of the Second World War, and decided to give all her life so that the “legacy of Jesus” might be realized. Today, unfortunately, the world is still riven by many conflicts, and continues to need artisans of fraternity and peace between men and between nations. Chiara said, “To be love and to spread it is the general purpose of the Opera di Maria” (Eve of Pentecost, Saint Peter’s Square, 30 May 1998). Being love and spreading it: this is the main purpose. And we know that only from love is the fruit of peace born. Therefore, I ask you to be witnesses and builders of the peace that Christ achieved with his cross, defeating enmity. Think that, from the end of the Second World War until now, the wars have not ended. And we are unaware of the tragedy of war. I will confide in you, 
Herbert Lauenroth, historian and member of IpE’s Steering Committee, emphasized the crisis affecting all Churches and highlighted the weight of the moment: “Where is Europe today, Together for Europe? What kind of Europe, what kind of ‘Togetherness’ are we moving toward?” Against a backdrop of growing uncertainty, participants discussed what “Together for Europe” means, trying to discern the direction and future prospects. From the first sessions, it was evident that the choice of Timisoara as the venue for the meeting added an extra layer of significance. The European Capital of Culture 2023 is a testimony to the harmonious coexistence of different christian denominations, where diverse communities meet and thrive in unity. Gerhard Proß, IpE moderator and head of the CVJM (Christlicher Verein junger Menschen) in Esslingen, Germany, offered a perspective from the christian faith: “God creates space in the cracks,” he said, “Jesus himself entered the deepest of cracks in this world.” He went on to explain that the image of Christ, with his arms outstretched between heaven and earth, symbolizes a deep entrance into the cracks between God and humanity, between individuals, groups, denominations and nations. Jesus went down into the deepest: “There he created a space of life.” Words that resonated deeply, provoking reflections on how, in the face of contemporary challenges, Christian communities can create spaces of life in the midst of division, tension and uncertainty. Cultivating unity 
The attendees participated in dialogue sessions, engaged together in intellectual discourse, experiential workshops and prayer times. Six workshops explored topics such as social integration, youth perspectives, ethics and non-violence, promoting a deeper understanding of diversity within the Christian community. One highlight was a visit to the Orthodox Cathedral Museum, followed by Vespers in the city’s Orthodox Cathedral, attended by dignitaries and religious leaders from the different churches present. These 
moments of common prayer fostered a harmonious atmosphere in which unity and diversity coexisted. Plenary talks and activities were punctuated by music and prayer, creating a thread throughout the conference. During one of their songs, the Ecumenical Youth Choir invited everyone to embrace different ways of praying, “We know that we all pray in our own way. Let us open ourselves to experience each other’s prayer during these days in Timisoara.” Particularly powerful was the moment of prayer for peace in which conflicts around the world were named, with a focus on Ukraine and the Middle East. All participants pledged their commitment to unity, making a pact of mutual love. A moment that was meant to symbolize the cornerstone on which a fraternal Europe is founded. Linking values to policies 
As part of the EU-funded 
Organized by Multipolar Dialogue, an initiative that brings together citizens from East and West Europe in a methodology based on the practice of a “pact of love” on which can be built a space of trust, the event offered a rich mixture of lectures, talks, dialogues, and best practices, creating a dynamic space for sharing experiences and knowledge. Attendees engaged in thought-provoking dialogues on a range of topics, such as, sustainable development, biodiversity, integral ecology and noise reduction. In addition to these dialogues, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, such as initiatives like school and community gardens, “
Beyond the invaluable knowledge gained and the experiences shared, these four days left a profound impact on the participants. They felt more than just attendees; they became part of a global community with a shared concern for our planet’s well-being. The sense of connection, dialogue, and collective purpose was palpable, as individuals from diverse backgrounds and countries came together to answer the cry of the earth. As Anna Waibel, a driving force behind the School Gardens project in Austria, expressed, “For me it was really awesome to see that my school is not the only place that tries to change something, but that others also want to do so. I noticed that nothing works without community and acting together.” Anny Hesius, the Multipolar Dialogue coordinator from Belgium, aptly summarized the collective sentiment, saying, “The proposal was to offer each other to listen and exchange knowledge and it has made us more aware, stronger, more co-responsible and more decisive. We have become a true family. Protagonists of peace and justice, of love toward the inhabitants of the earth and our common home” In these four days, participants not only expanded their ecological knowledge but also found a sense of purpose and community, leaving with a renewed determination to collaborate and bring about meaningful change on a global scale. 
It was a demanding tour characterized by encounters and friendship. The seeds sown through words and notes yielded a rich harvest of real life experiences. One of Gen Verde’s projects is the 
With the WYD, Lisbon gleamed with all the colours of youth. It was a unique opportunity to give witness and at the same time, experience the vivacity of a pilgrim Church which, from all parts of the globe, calls us by name. In this family spirit, Gen Verde took part in the second day of the “Rise Up” catechesis organized by the Focolare Movement. They sang and animated the Mass with over 7,000 young people. They then concluded their trip to Portugal on 4th August, with a concert in Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, at the end of the Halleluya Festival. 
The moments with Pope Francis were fundamental. Chloé said, “For me the most important thing that the Pope said was when he reminded us that we are all loved, each person as they are, because when you are part of a group, sometimes you tend to create your own personality to stand out, to be accepted. But in places like that you realize that this is how we really live with each other, this is how we are natural and this is how God loves us more.”
Bishops Friends of the Focolare Movement. They gathered to reflect on “The Mysticism of Encounter – Contemplation and Mission in a Changing Age“. En route to Braga, on 7th August, the first stop had to be the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, as it was the feast day of the two shepherd saints, Francisco and Jacinta. Recognising that massive changes are occurring, which call for an adequate response also from the Church, from 8th-10th August they reflected on and put into practice the “mysticism of we”, seen as a response to the new stage of witness and proclamation of the Gospel to which the Holy Spirit is calling the Church today. They took up once more Pope Francis words to the Focolare Movement on his visit to the little town of Loppiano in 2018, when he said that the charism of unity given to Chiara Lubich “is a providential stimulus and a powerful help to live the evangelical mysticism of ‘we’”. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, and Jesús Morán, Co-President, attended the whole meeting and made various contributions. Margaret’s talk invited everyone to “Start from unity in order to ‘be’ and to ‘speak’ today“. Unity is the life of God, she said, 
and we who want to imitate that life are invited to live it and we have a duty to proclaim it courageously. The comments and sharing in plenary that followed highlighted a renewed faith in the importance of seeking unity in the Church and in the world; and language groups enabled further deepening of the subject. 
The various components of each day contributed to experiencing the ‘mysticism of we’, whether that was in the conversation with a group of young people who took part in WYD; in the testimonies shared by bishops on the synodal path; or insights into the daily life and suffering of particular Churches. Insights 
A few weeks before the Synod Assembly in October, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary of the Synod, and Prof. Piero Coda, a member of the Synod’s theological team, contributed to the meeting by video link. The Synod aims to help us rediscover unity in the one baptism, to equip us to live together despite our differences, and to teach us how to inhabit the tensions in which we inevitably find ourselves. A panel discussion that set out to present some answers to the pressing problems in the Church and societies today, generated much interest and led to numerous questions. Father Fabio Ciardi, OMI, emphasised the treasures to be found in charisms both old and new; Francesca Di Giovanni, former undersecretary of the Vatican State, spoke of the place of women in the Church, who must not only be valued according to roles they might have but considered in view of the 
It is difficult to describe what we experienced during these unforgettable days of grace. I know it is a cliché to say that you have to experience it to understand it. But it is true! It is certainly true on this occasion. I have participated in four WYDs, the first two and the last two, and I can testify that there is something about these days that cannot be explained. A well-known Portuguese public figure, who is agnostic and a cinema lover, wrote in a newspaper article that what he contemplated on the streets of Lisbon in this scorching summer was the most beautiful film he had ever seen. It was impossible not to be uplifted by the cheerfulness and liveliness poured out in torrents by the young people who had come to the ‘city of light’ and who filled it with the other light they carried within themselves. We saw them everywhere, in the shopping malls, in the metro, on the buses, in the bars, in the parks or on the roads. They gathered in small and large groups, and were like multi-coloured, loud, talkative, multi-charismatic human rivers, with a kindliness that warmed the heart. Walking among them, I saw the inhabitants of the city; some were puzzled, some interested. If Lisbon, with its magical and indescribable beauty, was a gift for these young people, they were no less a gift for this city, which will be proud to have seen one and a half million young people come together to celebrate their faith in Christ, something previously unheard of.
The Portuguese Church and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the organisers of the event, together with the city and its civil authorities, did an amazing job. But there is no doubt that the prize goes to the young people. Who could have imagined this happening after three years of a serious pandemic and in the midst of an institutional crisis, such as the one the Catholic Church is going through because of abuses of various kinds?! Even though today the Spanish press gave coverage to the case of a girl with 5% visual capacity who claims to have recovered her sight in the past few days, for me the real miracle was the living faith of these young people, expressed in their own words and with a multitude of bold and even disconcerting gestures.
In fact, while they showed an overflowing enthusiasm by singing and dancing, the most emblematic moment – indeed the real centrepiece of the event – was once again the Eucharistic adoration at the vigil: more than a million people knelt down without anyone telling them to do so, to adore in ‘deafening’ silence the One they consider the ‘heart of the world’! It was impossible not to be moved. And at that moment, the fado given to us by the singer Carminho gave us goosebumps: ‘You are the star that guides my heart/ You are the star that has lit my path/ You are the sign that I guide destiny/ You are the star, and I am the pilgrim’. And one wonders at the power of attraction that a small host can exert on such a large crowd of young people spread over a field over three kilometres long (100 football pitches).
Apart from these highlights, the programme was filled with many other smaller events, but which were no less significant, such as concerts in key city locations, meetings in nationalities, sharing with people involved in the Church in parishes or associations and above all the various catecheses led by the young people themselves with bishops from different parts of the world as keynote speakers. These were all opportunities to deepen the WYD motto: Rise up.
Perhaps I am too optimistic, but in these few days I have seen a young Church that has already gone a bit beyond the time of trial or is at least confident about overcoming it. The thousands and thousands of young people I met in Lisbon taught me this.
The preparation involving both Christian and Marxist-socialist experts started 6 months before the event, a committed and laborious path towards the WYD. The challenges were many, such as finding a dynamic way of mediating heavy content like conflict and communication, different languages, countries and backgrounds. “The emotion of standing before a generation that is hungry for a calming, reasoned, clear truth and hope and being able to give some of this”, Luisa Sello, one of the coordinators of the project shares her impressions. Youth in dialogue War and its destructive potential influence the structure of communication, transform the perception of facts, and instrumentalize language and mindsets. In such context, social media and digital technology may become traps of conspiracy and tendentious interests. Can we approach the truth? Can we react or are we convicted to destroy relationships with humans, countries, populations because of lies and misinformation? How can we keep making choices, build relationships, and stand with truth and justice? The workshop addressed all these challenges and engaged the youth to build on proposals for the European Union, which will be collected and presented to the EU within the European Commission funding project CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme) in March 2024. After panels and dynamics discussions, the question “what can we do?” resonated among the youth. The desire of being part of a transformation as a changemaker is at the heart of each young person present. 
Steven, from the USA, wants to become a priest and travel overseas to help people shared his perplexities: “I can’t even tell my parents to stop reading sources of information that are problematic. When Jesus returned from Nazareth he was rejected by his family. So many of us have lost hope. Where do we get our hope back? That’s why we’re here at the WYD.” Adriana, a journalism student from Argentina felt encouraged by the workshop “Our role as the youth is very important to fight against disinformation and it can be done also in a fun way. If we create community we can be stronger.” Towards a transversal ethics The course of history depends not only on the strength of ideas but more heavily on the evolution of political and economic interests that integrate more than once only pale reflections of these ideas. The calling of Pope Francis in 2014 that inspired DIALOP to initiate a transversal dialogue continues to unfold.