African challenges were looked at with rationality and truthfulness. Geneviève A. Sanze, specialist in Business Ethics and Sustainable Development, underscored some stumbling blocks to development in Africa.
There was a strong emphasis on concrete experiences of entrepreneurs and economists from all around the world, like Teresa Ganzon, Managing Director of Banko Kabayan (Philippines), who recounted her experience in microfinance. Present also was John Mundell, president of Mundell & Associates, who shared his day-to-day experience in a highly competitive business environment in the United States of America.
The Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya, Archbishop Paul Alain Lebeaupin, was presented and commented, “I am happy that the Focolare Movement has been able to give this message of the EOC that the Pope feels so strongly about”.
Prof. John C. Maviiri (Vice chancellor, Cuea) underlined at the end, “A true African development must carry with it the spirituality of communion, a concern for others and solidarity with the needy. This is great opportunity to introduce a new dimension in the curriculum of studies on economics and human development.”
In the days preceding the conference, 23 – 25 January, “Mariapolis Piero”, the little town of the Focolare in Kalimoni (Nairobi), hosted the first “Economy of Communion School” for young entrepreneurs from all over Africa.
“As far as EoC events go, this Pan African school has had the most impact,” Professor Luigino Bruni said.
Some concrete details:
• The first 15 associates of the future business park at Mariapolis Piero have come forward, and the first funds have also arrived.
• Ten entrepreneurs present formally adhered to the EoC with their businesses. They outlined some concrete projects, starting with themselves. With one business in Burundi, the Bangco Kabayan will join as partner in a micro-credit program, starting the bank’s first activity outside the Philippines.
“Here, people want to live,” Luigino Bruni commented at the end of the school. “I was touched by how much the young people here love to study. For them, getting into college is the goal of their life, because it means future. You see people studying at night, below street lamps because they have no light at home. Without this desire and hunger for future, our movement cannot grow”.
Many experiences were shared by the young people of the Focolare who told how they live their daily lives: in school, on weekends, organizing solidarity concerts, building “bridges of brotherhood” (like with some Muslim youths from Tangeri). The experiences of suffering were both powerful and profound. These were shared by a young woman with a serious illness, who gave the chance to Maria Voce – who had been invited to Spain by the youths themselves – to say something about the key to building unity: Jesus Forsaken, the culmination of God’s love for humankind. She invited the youths to take upon themselves the sufferings of others, the divisions, the difficulties. . . and to transform them into love as Jesus had done.
The Focolare’s president addressed the youth with her usual directness and depth: “In archery, when you want to center the target, you have to look higher, because the arrow descends during its trajectory. You need to look higher in order to hit the target. Look higher, don’t be afraid, you are the protagonists of your life. You all are. And you’ve already begun. How? Like the youths told us earlier: taking up the words of the greatest revolutionary, Jesus Christ. His revolution began two-thousand years ago and it isn’t over yet. Each one of us has to play his part in this revolution, beginning with the word love. Living in love, being love alive for all the people you will meet. Do be satisfied with anything less.” And she concluded with a challenge: “This evening was the beginning of something great. Now carry on, without fear. The world is yours. The positive revolution has begun.”
RevolutiON! also involved thousands of youths from around the world who already live and work for a more united world in the different zones of the world. The many messages they sent bear witness to this.
The event concluded at midnight with an “explosive” celebration prepared by the Youth for a United World. Everybody left with joy on their faces, committed to begin right away with the “positive revolution” as a concrete way of responding to the difficult situation of all young people, not only in Spain. Upcoming events for everyone: The “International Meeting of Youth for a Unite World” in Castelgandolfo, Rome, preceding the beatification of John Paul II; and the World Youth Day in August 2011 in Madrid, Spain.
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God”. These words speak to our Christian life, into which the Spirit of Jesus introduces a dynamic tension that Paul summarizes as the contrast between flesh and spirit. By the word flesh, he means the whole person (body and soul), with all our inherent fragility and selfishness. These are constantly opposed to the law of love, and indeed, to Love itself, which was poured into our hearts (cf. Rm. 5:5). In fact, those who are led by the Spirit must face the “good fight of the faith” (1 Tim 6:12) in order to curb all the inclinations to evil and to live in accordance with the faith professed in baptism. But how? We know that for the Holy Spirit to act we need to do our part. In writing these words, St. Paul had in mind, above all, a certain duty that we have as Christians, that of denying ourselves and winning the battle against selfishness in its many and varied forms. It is this dying to ourselves that produces life, so that every self-denial, every renunciation, every “no” to our selfishness is the source of new light, peace, joy, love and inner freedom. It is an open door to the Spirit. Giving more freedom to the Holy Spirit, present in our hearts, will enable him to bestow upon us a greater abundance of his gifts and lead us along the journey of life. “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God”. How can we live these words? Above all we have to become increasingly aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. There is an immense treasure in the depths of our being, but we are not as conscious of it as we could be. We possess an extraordinary wealth, but for the most part, it lies unused. In order to hear and follow his voice within us more readily, we have to say no to everything that is against the will of God and yes to everything that is his will: no to temptation, with a clear-cut refusal of its suggestions; yes to the tasks that God has entrusted to us; yes to loving every neighbor we meet; yes to the trials and difficulties we encounter … If we do this, the Holy Spirit will guide us, giving our Christian life that vigor, that savor, that zest and that brightness that naturally follow when it is authentic. People around us will realize we are not only children of our own natural family, but sons and daughters of God. Chiara Lubich
“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” Let’s take a closer look at what this unity was like. Above all, in the dynamics of mutual exchange, the Holy Spirit united the believers in heart and mind by helping them to overcome those attitudes that make this difficult. In fact, the greatest obstacle to unity is our individualism, the attachment to our own ideas and to our personal viewpoints and tastes. Our selfishness builds barriers that isolate and exclude us from those who are different.
“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” As a result, the unity brought about by the Holy Spirit was reflected in the life of the believers. Unity of mind and heart was lived out and expressed concretely by sharing goods with those in need. Precisely because their unity was genuine, it did not tolerate having some in the community lacking in their basic needs while others were living in abundance.
“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” How can we live this month’s passage? It emphasizes the communion and unity so strongly advocated by Jesus, who gave us the gift of His Spirit to accomplish it. For this reason then, we will seek to grow in this communion on all levels by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit — on the spiritual level, above all, by overcoming the seeds of division that we have within us. It would be a contradiction, for example, to want to be united to Jesus and at the same time to be divided among ourselves, behaving in an individualistic way, each one walking alone, judging one another and perhaps excluding one another. So we need to make a renewed conversion to God, who wants us to be united. Furthermore, this Word of Life will help us to understand more clearly the contradiction that exists between Christian faith and the selfish use of material goods. It will help us to achieve an authentic solidarity with those who are in need, within the limits of our possibilities. Since this is also the month in which we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, these words urge us to pray and to strengthen our bonds of unity, loving and sharing with our brothers and sisters of different churches, with whom we have in common, through baptism, the one faith and one spirit of Christ. Chiara Lubich
The mass-media is that wonderful phenomenon familiar to all of us and in a sense characteristic of our times, but also because the media have always been closely associated with and fundamentally important to our Movement. I had the opportunity to underline this in a discourse in Bangkok, Thailand, in January, 1997 when the prestigious St. John’s University conferred upon me and, through me, upon the Movement I represent, an honoris causa degree precisely in the science of social communications.
In fact, a double affinity profoundly links the communications media to us and prompts us to speak of them. There is first of all an affinity in relation to goals.
The goal of the Focolare Movement is to contribute toward accomplishing what our young people describe as the dream of a God, that is, the heartfelt request that Jesus made to the Father shortly before he died: “May they all be one” (Jn. 17:21).
What is the purpose of the media? The collective sense of their vocation is clear: they too are aimed at helping people to live together.
But it is not only the purpose for which the Movement works that makes the media so close to our life. There is a second affinity, related to its method: the spirituality of unity, characteristic of the Movement, is lived not only in a personal dimension, but in a communitarian, collective dimension. In the birth and development of the communications media we can discern a new step in the evolutionary process of humanity. This development introduces an irreversible thrust, so to speak, from complexity to oneness, from fragmentation to the search for unity in real time.
In examining our spirituality we realize that precisely because it is the way of unity, it is a way of communion.
In a world pervaded by individualism, in a Church which fostered and proposed traditional, though always admirable individual spiritualities, the Holy Spirit impelled our Movement, twenty years before the Council, to change direction and make this very decisive move towards our neighbors.
This is not the moment to give you an in-depth analysis of the key ideas upon which our spirituality is based, but we can affirm that in each one of them there is a clear communitarian dimension. It is a collective way. We go to God through our neighbor, or better, we go to God with our neighbor, with our brothers and sisters whom we love.
And because this love is reciprocal, it is possible to pattern our lives on the life of the Trinity, becoming one as God is one, without ever being alone, as God who is triune. And Christ is in our midst, as he promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20).
This spirituality gradually proved to be a spirituality of the people. It is the animating spirit of an evangelical revolution of love capable of spreading quickly all over the world. And not only among Catholics, but also among Christians of other Churches, among faithful of other religions, among men and women of good will who aspire to a more united world. It is a phenomenon of universal brotherhood among millions of people, present now in 184 nations and animated by a deep need: to feel that they are “one” with all.
This thirst to feel united has always been a characteristic of ours, from the very early days, when a constant exchange of letters put the work God was beginning to do within each one of us into communion. And this work of God became evermore fruitful as it was shared with others. …
The Movement has had an official web site on Internet, where ideal contents are presented, as well as the history and spreading of the Focolare with links to similar sites of other nations and pages of updated news. …
As we said, our use of the media was born from concrete needs, from simple circumstances, like the desire to keep in touch or the need to update those who were not present for certain events we felt were important, or from the responsibility to give spiritual support to those in difficulty.
For many years we did not publicize the Movement or its exciting spread. Even now publicity does not come so much from the Movement itself but spontaneously from circumstances.
Above all, we want everything to keep on flourishing from life, even though we are ever more convinced that the communications media are, so to speak, made especially for us, given their vocation to the unity of peoples. Besides, the early Christians did not have the media. They had their hearts overflowing with the message of Christ, and they passed it on by word of mouth to such an extent that, as Tertullian said, although they were born yesterday, they had already invaded the world. Jesus used words, he spoke; the Gospels don’t speak of him writing down anything, expect when he wrote on the ground (cf. Jn. 8:6).
If we take a quick glance at the modern communications media, we cannot hide the fact that, along with a rapid development which makes them increasingly more useful and fascinating, they present a series of new and weighty problems for society, families and individuals. Therefore, it is a panorama of lights and shadows.
To cite only a few of these problems: there is globalization which leads to a leveling of cultures suffocating their inherent riches; ethical relativism which mixes authoritative messages with others that are superficial or biased; sensationalism, at the cost of intruding upon the suffering and privacy of others; an exaggerated atmosphere of competitiveness within the productive structures of the communications media; excessive intrusiveness on the public… How can we use the media without being used by the media?
Lights and shadows, I said… in some cases, the media today are dogmatically accepted without an attitude of objective criticism; in other cases, they are blamed for the amorality, violence, and superficiality they propose; and in still others they are over-estimated as infallible instruments of power, almost as new idols of a humanity which has lost other certainties. We know that they are simply means, but we want to appreciate this “sleeping giant of potential evangelization”[1] according to a well-chosen expression of the Pope, and we invite everyone to use them well, faithful to the prophetic message they contain.
The message is one of “unity”. At this point I would like to raise a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the way he is present even in modern discoveries and new technologies, for the way he leads history.
At the very moment in which humanity seems to be wandering in the dark after the fall of strong ideologies and the blurring of many values, at the very moment in which there is a longing for a more united world and a demand for universal brotherhood, at this very moment we find ourselves equipped with these powerful means of communication, a sign of the times which says “unity”. Can we not see the hand of God in all this?
[1]. John Paul II, Address to Bishops’ Conference of Poland, February 14, 1998, in L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, March 4, 1998, p. 8.
In 1963, she felt the unexpected and “overwhelming” call of God to follow in the way of Chiara Lubich and she immediately responded. She gave up her promising career and went to attend the school of formation for focolarine in Grottaferrata, Rome. Chiara gave her the name Emmaus, and this is how she continues to be known in the Movement. This name recalls the story of the two disciples who walked with Jesus following his Resurrection, and it recalls what is at the heart of the Focolare’s charism: Jesus makes himself present “where two or more are united” in His name. From 1964 to 1972 she was in Sicily, in the Focolare Centres of Syracuse and Catania. From 1972 to 1978 she belonged to Chiara Lubich’s personal secretariat and, in for the following ten years she lived in the Focolare Centre of Istanbul where she established ecumenical and interreligious relationships, especially with the then Patriarch of Constantinople, Demetrius I, and with numerous metropolitans including the now Patriarch Bartholemew I, as well as with representatives of various Churches. As a law expert, from 1995 she was a member of the Abba School, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies chaired by Chiara Lubich. And from 2000 she was also co-responsible for the international commission, “Communion and Law,” a network of academics and professionals involved in law. From 2002 until their approval, which came in 2007, she worked directly with Chiara Lubich in updating the General Statutes of the Movement. On 7 July 2008 she was elected president of the Focolare Movement and she began by revealing her presidential style would be to remain committed to “giving priority to relationships” and continuing to strive with all her strength towards the goal for which the Movement was born: to seek unity at all levels, in every field, pursuing the various paths of dialogue that were opened by Chiara Lubich. On July 27, 2008, at the conclusion of the General Assembly, Maria Voce was received by Pope Benedict XVI at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, together with the Co-President Giancarlo Faletti and an international representation of the Movement. On April 23, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI received her in a private audience. The pope spoke of the “charism that builds bridges, that makes unity” and recommended that the Movement continue in implementing the charism with renewed commitment through an ever deeper love and striving for holiness. In October 2008 she participated and spoke at the Synod of Bishops on “The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church.” On 24 November 2009 Benedict XVI appointed her as a Consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Laity. She has made several trips to meet communities of the Movement around the world and to continue contacts with people in civil and ecclesiastical environments, in cultural and political environments, and in ecumenical and interreligious environments. These important steps strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation constructed during almost 70 years of the Focolare’s life and they bring newer developments on the path to brotherhood. Maria Voce was re-elected for a second consecutive term in September 2014. The Holy See immediately confirmed her election, as prescribed by the Statutes of the Work of Mary. Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, wrote: “At the beginning of this second term we invoke the special assistance of the Holy Spirit for Maria Voce, and we entrust her service to the maternal intercession of Mary Most Holy whose Holy Name we celebrate today.”
Lancio del sito da Maria Voce in un collegamento video dalla Spagna, 22 gennaio 2011.
Since her departure for heaven on the 14th of March 2008, Chiara Lubich has been very close to us. Chiara was a great communicator. As soon as she discovered that “God loves us immensely”, she wanted to tell everyone about it, using the means available to her in those times. The hundreds of letters she wrote testify to this. She wholeheartedly embraced all means of communication and new technologies and saw them as an opportunity to spread her ideals of a united world. This is obvious in her talk “Mass Media: a Vocation for a United World” published especially for the opening of this new website.
We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Chiara. This new international website of the Focolare Movement is dedicated to her.
We have been working on the development of this new website for over a year with the help of many collaborators: the first companions of Chiara Lubich, the editorial staff which is composed of representatives of the various branches and realities of the Focolare Movement, our technical personnel and graphic designers, our translators, the zone delegates around the world and regional counsellors. It has been a great team effort and we thank each one for making it all possible.
However, the fact we are online doesn’t mean that the website is complete. On the contrary, it will be a constant “work in progress”. It will keep evolving with your suggestions and input. The aim is to present the life of the Focolare Movement in its unity and variety.
What’s new?
4 menu headings give you an overview of the whole Focolare Movement.
8 themes act as cross references to the contents, covering subjects such as economics, politics, sport, education, communications and spirituality.
Focolare Worldwide: you will be able to select a nation and find useful information about it: a map, links to Focolare sites, news and events, and contact information for significant places.
A glance at the past: A direct link on the Home Page takes you directly to “Chiara Lubich – founder”. A similar link is dedicated to Igino Giordani.
Spirituality: the Focolare “Word of Life” is one of the most popular features of the current site. The new site will continue to give access to relevant and enriching experiences with increased use of multimedia, and will now be extended to the children and youth versions.
Headlines: a top banner will highlight current news. Colour coded photo framess will indicate the theme of reference.
Multimedia content: Photos, audio and video will be grouped together in the “media gallery”, directly accessible from the Home Page. There will be Photo galleries for important news and events.
Towards Web 2.0: The first steps towards interactivity and sharing. With one click news can be shared with the main social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc.
Direct access for children and teens, with a different content style.
Interaction with other sites: A box that brings together news from other sites with Rss feeds (Città Nuova, NetOne and others)
On pilgrimage to Montserrat On 17 January, near to the end of her stay in Catalonia, Maria Voce went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, who is the patroness of Catalonia. She was accompanied by the Abbot, Dom Josep M. Soler. The meeting was cordial and full of mutual esteem, in continuation of the fraternity and communion which has marked the relations between the Focolare and the Benedictines. While visiting the Monastery of Montserrat in 2002, Chiara Lubich remarked: “Oftentimes, the movements give the example of charismatic and evangelical freshness, as well as an abundant and creative evangelisation. But the movements have much they can learn from the witness of consecrated life, which guard and preserve many treasures of experience and wisdom.” The abbot said that he was gladdened to learn that Chiara Luce Badano, the young woman recently beatified in Rome, was at Montserrat shortly before her death. “Another thing that unites us!” exclaimed Dom Josep. Still on Monday, the 17th, the Cardinal of Barcellona, Lluis Martines Sistach welcomed Maria Voce with great affection, recalling Chiara’s visit in 2001. In the evening the president met the Archbishop of La Seu d’Urgell and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, Bishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília. The journey ended with a visit to the Basilica of the Sagrada Famiglia, which was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI last November. Then there was a visit to Ciutat Nova, the Catalan edition of Citta Nuova. Now they are leaving for the land of Andalusia, Seville, in the south of Spain.
Economy of Communion: A new paradigm for the African Development is the title of the first Pan African Summer School of the Economy of Communion, which will be held from January 23 to the 25 at Mariapolis Piero in Nairobi (Kenya). There will be 110 aspiring young entrepreneurs who want to learn how to start businesses of communion, together with experts in the Economy of Communion from the United States, Philippines and Italy. The youth expected are from all over Africa (Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Cameroun, Central Africa, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Angola); they speak 4 different languages: English, French, Portuguese and Italian.
Formation, reciprocity, and enculturation are the fundamental pillars of the school. “The Pan African Summer School is based on three assumptions,” said Luigino Bruni, responsible for the worldwide EoC project. “The first: today, cooperation in development is done with people, not with capital. Without quality universities, no serious development can take place. Second: the method of the school is reciprocity. There will not be any professors from the West who are coming to teach the African youth. Starting from the high esteem that we hold for the culture, everyone will learn from everyone. Thirdly: development cannot happen without business culture, and this is what Africa is missing today. Africa needs to open itself up to the market while saving the “community” roots that are so strong in its culture’s DNA. So, one can understand how “Economy” and “Communion” can truly be an important opportunity here.”
In the days that follow the school, from January 26 to 28, 2011, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi will host the International Conference on the Economy of Communion, in which 300 people are expected to participate. It’s the first time that the Economy of Communion will be presented in an African University. Dr. Aloys Blasie’ Ayako, Dean of this prestigious university’s Faculty of Commerce, has strongly encouraged this event – which will pay special attention to “business culture” – as he sees great hope for his people in the Economy of Communion culture.
To give continuity to this important moment, there is a professional development course in the works at CUEA. It is aimed at spreading an economic business culture for Africa and will be entrusted to a group of economists and scholars that work throughout the world developing the Economy of Communion.
The difficulties that Europe’s democracy is going through was the topic suggested for a training seminar on politics held on the 13th of January for the youth of Cagliari in Sardegna, Italy. The context was indeed a difficult one. In Sardegna social tensions have been increasing. Despite the fact that disillusionment, disorientation and uncertainty about the future appears to be widespread among the youth, this event once again attracted many participants.
What does universal brotherhood have to say to Political Science and to modern democracy and all its paradoxes?
This was the main point of keynote speaker Daniela Ropelato, Professor of Political Sciences at the University Institute Sophia located in Loppiano (near Florency, Italy). She shared with the audience the main ideas of a reflection that involves politicians and scholars, citizens and government officers, who have found in the charism of unity the cornerstone for their public commitment.
The school on politics in Cagliari is not an isolated experience: it is one out of ten such schools born recently in Italy. They are part of the international network of the Schools of the Movement for Unity. “Learning communities”, as they are called in Argentina, are for those young people who do not wish to yield to current trends in politics but who have decided to practice a “politics of communion”.
The young people from Sardegna attending were the main protagonists of the event: their example is a concrete answer to the need for unity.
“An extra drive to become more active, also in our small way,” said one of the participants, “to become citizens who are aware of the contribution we all can give”. “We can do politics at home, in a waiting rooms, in a shop, in a square, by giving our opinion and witnessing with our life”.
Their School has being named after “Domenico Mangano”. He had moved to Viterbo from Sardegna. He was convinced that the light and logic of the Gospel had to lead our actions in politics. He was a justice builder and developer who was at every bodies service. He had many high administrative responsibilities in the city of Viterbo. He witnessed that a positive relationship among generations may be the key to the so needed innovation the public sphere needs.
The aim of www.chiaraluce.org is to make Chiara Luce’s experience known as widely as possible and it will have a special emphasis on the collective spirituality. The website seeks to reach everyone. Apart from Italian, it is translated into English and Spanish and it seeks to focus on the life experience of Chiara Luce which many of us can relate to. This is why the site has simply been called Chiara Luce. It’s not meant to be a commemorative site but rather a site which speaks about a friend who is close to us. It is divided into three parts: LIFE, LOVE, LIGHT. The choice of words is not random. In fact, the site wishes to be a continuation of that evening celebration for Chiara Luce held at Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, at the Vatican, on 25 September 2010. LIFE: this first section, which focuses on the life of Chiara Luce, is what is currently active. It is subdivided into 7 sub-sections: her parents’ wish for a child, Chiara’s childhood and teenage years, her sickness and death, her beatification and the ensuing phenomenon – each section is enriched with images and videos. The second section, entitled LOVE, aims to deepen the collective spirituality and will gather the most relevant experiences from the whole world. Finally, the section on LIGHT, is expected to go online in February and will be geared towards the most social and dynamic aspect of the Internet. It will be connected to the most such social networks as Facebook, Orbit, Twitter, YouTube and grant visitors access to everything that the online network has to offer on the topic: past, present and future events surrounding Chiara Luce. Ample space will be given for comments and feedback. Welcome to www.chiaraluce.org !
“I am here not on official business, but urged by a need of the heart. I am here to extend to all of you a heartfelt thanks, in the name of the Church, for what you are: a great hope of the Church of today and tomorrow.” Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, addressed these affectionate words to the 1,200 men and women focolarini who were attending the fourth and last annual retreat for focolarini. They were there from Europe and the continents.
Cardinal Rylko underscored that “the charism which the Holy Spirit gave to Chiara is for the Church, and it is a treasure that must be guarded and protected, but especially lived,” which is precisely the best way, said the prelate, of protecting it, “living it all the way to the bottom, with passion, enthusiasm, and gratitude,” he reiterated. Recalling, then, the Apostolic Letter “Novo Millennio Ineuente,” in which John Paul II proposes the “spirituality of communion” to everyone, he added: “Whenever you speak of communion you touch the central nerve of the charism of unity.”
He therefore invited the focolarini who had gathered together for those few days to “live again in our day the gift of communion, which is your very strength.”He highlighted the particular task that is awaiting the Movement today: to freely offer this gift which was freely given, to this world that is broken and divided by hatred. Hence the importance of cultivating “a profound communion with the universal Church and, in particular, with the person of the successor of Peter, the Pope.” He recalled the words spoken by Benedict XVI, in 2006 to the Movements: “. . . I ask you to be even more collaborators in universal apostolic ministry of the Pope, opening the doors to Christ.”
Aware that “you take these words as the programme of your life with a missionary zeal that touches the ends of the earth,” Cardinal Rylko concluded by underscoring that the communion with the universal Church is a concrete fact. It means “being participants in the major challenges facing the Church at the present time,” particularly mentioning the intolerance and persecution of Christians in various countries of the world.
After lunch, which took place in a peaceful family atmosphere,the Cardinal – who was celebrating 15 years of his episcopal ordination – wanted to go to the chapel of the Movement’s Centre in Rocca di Papa to visit Chiara Lubich’s tomb. He also visited the house where she lived for over 40 years, and then went to the Chiara Lubich Centre, which houses the founder’s archival legacy. They were solemn moments imbued with vivid memories
A snippet of history By 1982, every continent except ours, had its own mini-city, its own Centre for Unity. So it was in that year that we started to search for the best place for a Centre for Unity for the whole of Oceania. We narrowed the search area down to a 1.5 hour’s drive radius from Melbourne and all our friends searched high and low for a property that was: beautiful, affordable, close to Melbourne and the airport, easily reached by interstate visitors, where the local council regulations could accommodate development, where there would be space for the Australian and New Zealand (and Islander) soul to sing. In short: location, location, location … We looked east to Gippsland, south-west to Geelong, north to central Victoria and to the West (the Lion Park!). But no place quite fitted every requirement. Then in March 1986, one of the pioneers of the Focolare, Marilen Holzhauser, died. At a home Mass in the Focolare, offered for her, we asked Marilen to help us find a property. Then, as is often the case, the unexpected happened in an unplanned and almost miraculous way. The December 1986 newsletter tells the story: ‘On the Anzac weekend, we had a New Humanity seminar in Healesville, together with Margaret Linard and Giuseppe Arsì (Scinti),and there we experienced a very great unity. At our Sunday Mass and services, we prayed for a Center for Unity. After Mass, we went to say hello to Fr Gerald Loughnan, then parish priest of Healesville, an old friend whom we hadn’t seen for some time. Father had 100 acres of land in Greendale (in country Victoria), which he had thoughts of subdividing and selling. We felt that Marilen in heaven had listened to our prayers and was pointing the way. Margaret Linard vividly recalls how it all unfolded: “I said, ‘Father, do you still have that block of land? You don’t want to sell it do you?’ He said, ‘Well, I have the land but I want to retire there.’ After Mass the next day, Father Loughnan came rushing towards us with his vestments flapping in the wind. He hadn’t even bothered to take them off and he said, ‘About that land. I’ve been thinking about it. I think I will sell it. Do you still want to buy it?” Fr Loughnan decided to keep ten acres for himself and sell us the rest. So how much was asked for the property? Exactly what we had in the bank through the generosity of everyone who shared the search and the dream! An invitation was sent to all those who had been involved in the search for a property over the previous two or three years to come and see the land. Whoever was sceptical when they heard that the land had no power, no town water, no telephones and so on, were soon won over when they saw the place. The magic of Marilen was beginning to weave its design.
In one of the few breaks granted by the rain, the president of the Focolare offered the following prayer at the tombs of the patriarchs Athenagoras I and Dimitrios I: “Eternal Father, hasten our steps towards full communion between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church. (. . .) “We entrust to you each one of them who knew Chiara Lubich so well, and the continuation of the ecumenical journey.” Maria Voce was accompanied by a group of focolarini from Istanbul, in the tiny cemetery of Balikli, situated within the Orthodox Shrine of Mary Source of Life. After the important audience with Patriarch Bartholomew I(the reason for the trip), the president’s stay in the historic city continued with other meetings, such as the one with Father Luigi Iannitto, a 91 year old Conventual Franciscan who had encountered the charism of unity in 1949 and, in the seventies, had gathered together the first group of those who began to live the spirituality of the Focolare in this land. In an atmosphere of deep friendship there was also a meeting with a group of Muslims in Istanbul who for many years have been in close collaboration with the Movement. Bishop Louis Pelatre, Apostolic Vicar of the Latin Church in Istanbul, welcomed Maria Voce warmly. They have known each other since the eighties, when both lived in Istanbul. They wasted no time, immediately jumping on to the big issues, beginning with the dialogues and their great importance. “They are the new frontier; we can’t close ourselves” the prelate emphasised, as he expressed great appreciation for the work that the Orthodox Patriarch is carrying forward in ecumenical dialogue and in the dialogue with Muslims. Finally, he thanked Maria Voce warmly “for having not only maintained two focolares in Istanbul, but for also having renewed them with the arrival of two young focolarini.” Regarding living in frontier situations, Bishop Pelatre reported that to those who from time to time asked him what he was doing in Turkey, given the small number of faithful there, he always answers: “It’s not fair to say there is nothing to do, but rather we should figure out how to do.” On the same street which is named after Bishop Roncalli, since the future Pope XXIII was nuncio here at the turn of the forties, there is the seat of the Apostolic Nuncio, where the meeting with Archbishop Antonio Lucibello took place. He began by extending warm Calabrian greetings, due to their common origins, and then there was the visit to Pope Roncalli’s study. Next they had private discussions about the relationship with Islam. “A dialogue that is more cultural rather than interreligious,” he stressed. He showed profound esteem for Bartholemew I and his untiring ecumenical efforts and for his efforts with Islam. Maria Voce then returned to visit some of the symbolic sites of the city, from the Blue Mosque to the Islamic Art Museum. At Hagia Sophia – first a basilica, then a mosque, now a museum – she admitted, “I can’t hold back the emotion, despite the crowd: this is a place that immediately links you to Heaven. I felt like asking God’s forgiveness for the disunity that’s been created between the churches.” Before returning to Rome, there was an evening together with the all the Focolare community in Istanbul. There were remembrances of old times, deep sharing and listening and lots of loud laughter. “We really feel that you are one of us,” someone told Maria Voce as they said goodbye. To which she replied: “Then consider your president Turkish!”
God loved us to the point of making himself one with us.
He opened up our hearts according to the measure of his heart in order to make us capable of bringing about an outpouring of love and peace in the world.
This is my prayer and my wish for each one of you this Christmas.
Born 1894 into a poor, profoundly Catholic family in Tivoli, Igino Giordani’s parents could not guarantee regular schooling and worked in manual labour. But the young Igino was noted for his intelligence, and a rich gentleman for whom he worked, impressed by his acumen paid for him to study at the seminary, not to become a priest but to be one of the most brilliant diplomats at that time. As he finished his studies the First World War broke out and he went to the trenches. He never fired a shot against his enemies, because Christianity forbade murder. As a result of this brave choice he was gravely wounded. Whilst he was in the military hospitals he graduated in Literature and Philosophy. He married in 1920. He and his wife Mya had 4 children, and he began working for the newly formed Italian Christian political party, founded by Luigi Sturzo. The Fascist regime destroyed freedom and rights, and even Igino was persecuted. From this period there remain some of his famous writings denouncing fascist violence. On returning to Italy from a journey to the United States he became the director of part of the Vatican Library. From there he also directed the journal ‘Fides’, which was known in Catholic environments throughout the world. It was through them that the re-birth of a post-fascism Catholic political party came about, Christian Democracy. He was elected to Parliament in the first elections after the Second World War. 1948 was the decisive year of his life: he was 54, and a man established in politics and culture. He met Chiara Lubich, a young woman aged 28, in whom he found extraordinary spiritual inspiration. He adhered fully to the Focolare Movement and at Chiara’s side he took on an important role building the Movement and deepening its social doctrine, to the point of often being designated by Chiara as co-founder. Of special note, the deep spiritual relationship with Chiara was the start of the intense mystical period known as “Paradise ‘49”. From then Chiara clearly saw through Giordani’s life confirmation that the ideal of unity was made for all, and was a gift for the whole of humanity. Igino was the first married focolarino of the Focolare Movement. Due to some courageous political decisions (pacifism and unity in spite of the ideological differences, or because of them), in Parliament, he became considered as a Christian Democrat out of step, and as a result was not re-elected. This was the time to dedicate himself more to the Focolare Movement, to contribute to the debate in the Church taking ahead themes that would be understood in the Second Vatican Council (above all concerning the mission of the laity). He became the director of the newly created ‘Citta Nuova’ (1959) magazine, and from 1961 became a director of Centro Uno, a body within the Focolare Movement working within ecumenism. In 1965 he was nominated president of the international institute Mystici Corporis in Loppiano. After the death of his wife and with the agreement of his children, he lived the last seven years of his life in a “Focolare”. He left this earth on 18th April 1980. The process towards his canonisation has begun. Introduction to the Bibliography Igino Giordani was an intellectual difficult to label: we cannot describe him as a political thinker or journalist, or studier of ancient Christian literature, or a writer about the lives of saints or history, in the hope of being able to sufficiently express his talents. He was driven by a great passion and was spurred into public life through a wide range of interests. It is said that “for him writing was life”, therefore an understanding of the figure of Giordani could (almost) easily come through analysis of his writings. There are about 100 books and more than 4,000 newspaper articles. NEW ENGLISH PUBLICATIONA Soul on Fire: a profile of Igino Giordani (1894-1980) The story of Giordani’s personal journey to God Paperback: 144 pages Language: English (translation by Margaret Linard, Australia) Publisher: Centro Igino Giordani, Focolare Movement. ISBN-13: 978-0975025215 Copies available from Centro Igino Giordani, email
“We are called to use our spirituality for the sake of all humanity, . . . . to nurture their own dreams of peace. . . .”. These were the final words of the Secretary General of theWorld Council of Churches in Geneva, the Reverend Olav Fyske Tveit, at the conclusion of his visit that had a markedly familial character, to the Focolare’s international Centre in Rocca di Papa, Italy.
Shortly before, following a presentation of the Movement, Doctor Olav Fykse Tveit noted the “commitment of your heart,”“a very strong care for individuals,” “a strong connection . . . . between personal commitment and the very wide global commitment.
“. . . . that is, in many ways, what the ecumenical Movement is all about”. Making reference to the Ecumenical Council of Churches, he mentioned the path of brotherhood in which 349 Churches in 110 countries are engaged in discovering “how we can move in new directions together”.
The Secretary General was accompanied by a delegation of directors from various departments of the World Council of Churches, and was welcomed by the president of the Focolare, Maria Voce, the co-president Giancarlo Faletti, members of Centro Uno, the secretariat for ecumenical dialogue, and some members of the General Council. In her welcome address, Maria Voce recalled the decades-long relationship of deep friendship between the World Council of Churches and the Focolare Movement. Recalling her first visit to the headquarters in Geneva in 2009, Maria Voce reiterated the commitment to continue the legacy of Chiara Lubich, who had established the first contacts in 1967. “We stand beside the World Council of Churches – she said – in advancing the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood.
The occasion for the visit was the visit of the Reverend Olav Fykse Tveit to the Vatican, where, for the first time, he was received in audience by Benedict XVI, and met Cardinal Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. He had other meetings in Rome with the Methodist community, the Waldensian Church, and the Community of Sant’ Edigio.
“At bottom of the contemporary social crisis lies a powerful need of unification.” With these prophetic words, in 1954, Igino Giordani points to the daily practice of mutual love as the master way towards the reconstruction of the social fabric.
«There is a social question to resolve, because there is the question of the charity that must be put into action. Charity is the sentiment through which another person can be seen as a brother. Indeed, in the human person you see God by way of image, almost a mystical God, raised on high by the Redemption.
They talk about people abandoning the churches. But this could also be a consequence of a charity that was not enacted, of the brotherhood that remained only in missals, of the image of God that was obscured by a practical atheism. Where love is lacking, it is the case to ask whether it was the people who abandoned the churches or the churches that abandoned the people.
I speak of churches, not the Church, which is the People of God and can never abandon itself. Though they distanced themselves from the poor, the Church can never distance itself from itself, a people of paupers, to which the rich also belong, if they become poor in spirit by turning the use of their wealth into a service of charity.
At times, where Christians have forgotten their neighbour, allowing the faith to cake in the sarcophagus of their egos, detached from good works and, in this way, asphyxiated – their weaker, younger brothers, not feeling the love, lose the sense of God who is Love and loves to incarnate charity in the works of men who, by their social service, become the auctioneers and carriers of God. “You have charity, you have the Trinity,” said the great Augustine.
The brothers didn’t love each other, the fabric became worn, and they were detached».
I. Giordani, Il Fratello, 1954
“Il Fratello”, of which this page is an excerpt, is being republished in the Opere Vive series of Citta Nuova Publishing.
“Christopher’s life reminds me of Chiara Luce’s life,” says Francisco from Panama, who attended the rite of Beatification of the young Italian woman. And he adds: “They were both young people, simple, with normal lives. But they searched for God in everything. Two young persons who gave God to everyone who met them and, with a smile, transformed their lives.”
Christopher Amaya was born in Costa Rica. He was only a year old when, in 1994, his family moved to Panama. His parents separated when he was still a child and, notwithstanding the pain, he becamse a reference point for the both of them. After coming to know the spirituality of the Focolare, and understanding how behind every pain there is a presence of Jesus in that moment of maximum suffering when He cries out the abandonment, Christopher realized that this painful situation in his family was “his” particular face of Jesus Forsaken.
He met the Focolare through Project Give, at his school. He soon became one of the leaders of the project that promotes a culture of giving and values of peace and solidarity. He began to insert himself among the Gen3. them he came to know about Chiara Lubich, the foundress of the Focolare Movement. He established a personal relationship with her, considering her as his mother and friend, someone he could trust for understanding the truth.
One day, during a difficult time for the family, he confided to someone: “My mother Chiara taught me to forgive and to really love my relatives”. He often spoke of his life and of his choices with the other Gen, because he felt that with them he could experience the presence of Jesus, according to His promise: “Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). During one of these conversations he shared how God was calling him to a vocation that involved a total choice of God, even though he didn’t yet know what it was.
Christopher was actively involved in his parish and in the final months he set out to unite the various youth groups. Many of his peers recall him as a bridge-builder between parish groups, so that there could be unity among.
This year he was chosen as a member of the honour guard, a privilege granted only to the finest students in the school. On national holidays they wear a tri-coloured sash and carry the Panama flag. Christopher was murdered before he had the chance to march, but his friends wanted him to be there just the same, by marching with his photo with a sash and anti-violence slogan.
Sharlin, a next-door neighbour who was at his side during those last moments, affirms: “I can bear witness to his ‘Yes’ to God and assure you that he loved Him to the last moment; because, who among us, with a wound in his chest, would have turned to his mother to say: ‘Stay calm, don’t be frightened’?”
At his funeral messages arrived from all over the world. His mother remarked: “I’m happy, because I’m finding out how good my son was and that what he sowed will continue to grow in all those who will follow the example of his life.”.
When Mary asked the angel at the annunciation, "How can this be?" the answer she heard was, "Nothing will be impossible for God," and to confirm it, she was given the example of Elizabeth who in her old age had conceived a son. Mary believed and she became the Mother of the Lord. God is all powerful and is frequently called by this name in the Scriptures, especially when expressing the power he has of blessing, of judging, of directing the course of events, and of achieving his plans.
There is only one limit to the omnipotence of God: the freedom he gave human beings who can either oppose his will and thus become powerless, or choose what they are called to: to share God's own power.
"Nothing will be impossible for God."
These words open us up to an unlimited confidence in the love of God the Father, because if God exists and his being is Love, what logically follows is that we can have complete trust in him. In his power are all graces: temporal and spiritual, possible and impossible. And he gives them to those who ask and also to those who do not ask because, as the Gospel says, the Father “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good” (Mt 5:45). What he does ask of all of us is to act the way he does, to have the same universal love, supported by the faith that:
“Nothing will be impossible for God.”
How should we put these words into practice? At one time or another we all face difficult, painful situations both in our personal lives and in our relationships with others. We sometimes feel helpless because we realize we have attachments to things and to people that enslave us and from whose chains we would like to be freed. Often too we find ourselves up against walls of indifference and selfishness and we feel discouraged in the face of events that seem to be more than we can handle. In these moments, the Word of Life can pick us up. Jesus lets us experience our own limitations, not to discourage us, but to help us understand more deeply that “Nothing will be impossible for God,” and to prepare us to experience the extraordinary power of his grace, which is manifested precisely when we see that we cannot manage on our own. "Nothing will be impossible for God."
If we remind ourselves of this word of God in the most critical moments, we will experience its energy, for it brings us to participate, in a certain way, in the very omnipotence of God. There is, however, one condition: we must align ourselves with God's will and try to show to others the love that has been put into our hearts. By doing so, we will be in unison with God's all-powerful love for everyone. This will contribute to fulfilling his plans for every person and for all of humanity. There is a special moment that enables us to live this Word of Life and to experience all its effectiveness. It is in prayer.
Jesus said that he will grant us whatever we ask the Father in his name. Let’s try then to ask him for what is most important to us now, firmly believing that for him nothing is impossible: solutions to desperate cases, peace in the world, cures to grave illnesses, peace and unity in family and social conflicts.
Moreover, if we ask united with others, in the full accord of mutual love, then it is Jesus himself in our midst who prays to the Father and, according to his promise, we will obtain what we ask for. One day, with this faith in the omnipotence of God and in his love, we prayed for a friend who had an x-ray that revealed a tumor. We asked that the tumor would not be there when the x-ray was taken again. And that’s exactly what happened. A boundless trust that makes us feel we are in the arms of a Father for whom everything is possible, should be our constant virtue. This doesn’t mean that we will always obtain what we ask for. God’s omnipotence is that of a Father and he always uses it only for the good of his children, whether they realize it or not. What’s important is that we remain aware that nothing is impossible for God. Then we will experience a peace we have never known before.
The Umbria, Veneto and Sicily regions of Italy hosted the second edition prize-winners of the Chiara Lubich Fraternity Award. Their gaze extended over the whole world with an international award given to the city of Catamarca and its fight against crime, with a special mention of the town of Pollica.
The award ceremony was held in the presence of civil and religious authorities, numerous mayors and citizens. There were awards for the Commune of Massa Martana, together with the Communes of Deruta, Notefalco and Spoleto, for the City Project in the region of Umbria; the Commune of Marsala, for a network development project between citizens, and, in third place the project of three communes of Berice vicentino, Castegnero, Longare and Nanto, with its new association for developing modes of intervention for environmental emergencies and for poverty.
Daniela Ropelato, professor of Social Sciences at Sophia Institute and representative of the international Mppu, gave an important presentation on “Participation, city, fraternity”. Very timely topics, but difficult to actualize. Ideas included such things as: listening to the demands of young people; finding a balance between individual rights and the common good, participatory management of the territory; the responsibility of politicians and citizens.
In the previous edition the award was given to the host city, Ascoli, for its “I love my city” project. And it was precisely the Hall Council of the medieval town hall to host the second annual meeting of the Cities for Fraternity meeting which was sponsoring the project. The association, created in 2008, brings together seventy municipalities of Italy who are inspired by the idea of brotherhood for the political agenda.
This year’s novelty: the giving of a special award to the Commune of Pollica, in respectful homage to Angelo Vassalo, its “mayor martyr who gave his life for his people”; and an international award to the city of Catamarca (Argentina), for its commitment in the area of educating the most marginalised sections of society, through educational support projects in the region. The assembly of the Cities for Fraternity Association also promoted the idea of “regional” action, through periodic meetings for cities of the same region, with the goal of coordinating and rendering more efficacious their activity for the region.
From Ascoli to Catamarca, or from the Apennines to the Andes, since the travertine city is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains and Catamarca rises from the foot of the Andes of Argentina’s northwest. All of them are cities linked by an ideal thread, by the values of fraternity proposed by Chiara Lubich for political action, “the love of loves,” as she liked to call it.
The international award was a clear sign of openness to the world, with the conviction of the associated communes that – after having taken effective action in response to the needs of their own regions, they return to the words of Chaira Lubich: “one city is not enough’ and to her ideal of universal brotherhood.
The facts are known. In recent days North Korea has inexplicably shelled Yeonpyeong Island, close to the maritime border with South Korea, leading to 4 deaths among military and civilians, and Seoul has in turn responded by firing artillery shells toward the North.
“Life in the streets, seems to run normally, but in reality the country is on the alert,” writes President of the PMU, Mark Fatuzzo, who in these days of tension is in South Korea for a series of meetings and public events. The government employees have been ordered to remain in their offices, political parties have called for permanent “security committees” and there was a special session of Parliament, during which a strong condemnation was issued for the act of aggression.
Right up till the last moment it seemed that the public events scheduled in Seoul by the Korean PMU would have to be cancelled. But things took a positive turn and it was possible to do everything as planned.
Everything began on November 24th with the National Centre for the PMU which includes parliamentarians among its members, three of whom were present. “It was an important event,” says Fatuzzo, “lasting about three hours with intense dialogue in which everyone participated.” As can be imagined, based on recent events, discussions were centered on trust. Can there actually be some form of concrete fraternity between North and South Korea? How will fraternity be explained using the categories of dialogue, reconciliation, forgiveness, and of overcoming historical and present conflicts? Everyone was confident that this is the road to follow, supported by the awareness that the entire PMU worldwide is living with them these moments of painful suspension. There was also some feasting for the admission of a new young member of the PMU Centre: Emilia Heo who studied International Relations in Geneva and now works in Japan.
November 25th was the day for two other meetings at the headquarters of the Korean parliament. The first, with the Political Forum for Unity, a group for parliamentary research, consisting of some 30 Members of both the majority and opposition parties, and of different religious and cultural orientations – Christians of various denominations, Buddhists, Won-Buddhist, Confucians, Taoists – or without any religious reference.
This was followed by a public seminar entitled “The politics that people like” with 150 people in attendance, including twenty members of the three major parties: The Grand National Party, the ruling United Democratic Party and the Progressive Liberty Party, from the opposition. A strong presence of young people and representatives from the media was also quite significant. Both the introductory statements and the round table discussions supported by three deputies, two academics and a young student, as well as the ensuing debate, gave a view of politics that opened people’s hearts to hope, even in the midst of the current suspension and crisis.
Closing Ceremonies for the first class in the School for Formation in Politics are scheduled for Saturday, the 27th of November.
There was a strong emphasis on concrete experiences of entrepreneurs and economists from all around the world, like Teresa Ganzon, Managing Director of Banko Kabayan (Philippines), who recounted her experience in microfinance. Present also was John Mundell, president of Mundell & Associates, who shared his day-to-day experience in a highly competitive business environment in the United States of America.
In the days preceding the conference, 23 – 25 January, “Mariapolis Piero”, the little town of the Focolare in Kalimoni (Nairobi), hosted the first “Economy of Communion School” for young entrepreneurs from all over Africa.
Many experiences were shared by the young people of the Focolare who told how they live their daily lives: in school, on weekends, organizing solidarity concerts, building “bridges of brotherhood” (like with some Muslim youths from Tangeri). The experiences of suffering were both powerful and profound. These were shared by a young woman with a serious illness, who gave the chance to Maria Voce – who had been invited to Spain by the youths themselves – to say something about the key to building unity: Jesus Forsaken, the culmination of God’s love for humankind. She invited the youths to take upon themselves the sufferings of others, the divisions, the difficulties. . . and to transform them into love as Jesus had done.
On 17 January, near to the end of her stay in Catalonia, Maria Voce went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, who is the patroness of Catalonia. She was accompanied by the Abbot, Dom Josep M. Soler. The meeting was cordial and full of mutual esteem, in continuation of the fraternity and communion which has marked the relations between the Focolare and the Benedictines. While visiting the Monastery of Montserrat in 2002, Chiara Lubich remarked: “Oftentimes, the movements give the example of charismatic and evangelical freshness, as well as an abundant and creative evangelisation. But the movements have much they can learn from the witness of consecrated life, which guard and preserve many treasures of experience and wisdom.” The abbot said that he was gladdened to learn that 
The aim of 
“I am here not on official business, but urged by a need of the heart. I am here to extend to all of you a heartfelt thanks, in the name of the Church, for what you are: a great hope of the Church of today and tomorrow.” Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, addressed these affectionate words to the 1,200 men and women focolarini who were attending the fourth and last annual retreat for focolarini. They were there from Europe and the continents.
In one of the few breaks granted by the rain, the president of the Focolare offered the following prayer at the tombs of the patriarchs Athenagoras I and Dimitrios I: “Eternal Father, hasten our steps towards full communion between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church. (. . .) “We entrust to you each one of them who knew Chiara Lubich so well, and the continuation of the ecumenical journey.” Maria Voce was accompanied by a group of focolarini from Istanbul, in the tiny cemetery of Balikli, situated within the Orthodox Shrine of Mary Source of Life. 
After the important 
Bishop Louis Pelatre, Apostolic Vicar of the Latin Church in Istanbul, welcomed Maria Voce warmly. They have known each other since the eighties, when both lived in Istanbul. They wasted no time, immediately jumping on to the big issues, beginning with the dialogues and their great importance. “They are the new frontier; we can’t close ourselves” the prelate emphasised, as he expressed great appreciation for the work that the Orthodox Patriarch is carrying forward in ecumenical dialogue and in the dialogue with Muslims. Finally, he thanked Maria Voce warmly “for having not only maintained two focolares in Istanbul, but for also having renewed them with the arrival of two young focolarini.” Regarding living in frontier situations, Bishop Pelatre reported that to those who from time to time asked him what he was doing in Turkey, given the small number of faithful there, he always answers: “It’s not fair to say there is nothing to do, but rather we should figure out how to do.” On the same street which is named after Bishop Roncalli, since the future Pope XXIII was nuncio here at the turn of the forties, there is the seat of the Apostolic Nuncio, where the meeting with Archbishop Antonio Lucibello took place. He began by extending warm Calabrian greetings, due to their common origins, and then there was the visit to Pope Roncalli’s study. 
Next they had private discussions about the relationship with Islam. “A dialogue that is more cultural rather than interreligious,” he stressed. He showed profound esteem for Bartholemew I and his untiring ecumenical efforts and for his efforts with Islam. Maria Voce then returned to visit some of the symbolic sites of the city, from the Blue Mosque to the Islamic Art Museum. At Hagia Sophia – first a basilica, then a mosque, now a museum – she admitted, “I can’t hold back the emotion, despite the crowd: this is a place that immediately links you to Heaven. I felt like asking God’s forgiveness for the disunity that’s been created between the churches.” Before returning to Rome, there was an evening together with the all the Focolare community in Istanbul. There were remembrances of old times, deep sharing and listening and lots of loud laughter. “We really feel that you are one of us,” someone told Maria Voce as they said goodbye. To which she replied: “Then consider your president Turkish!”
“Christopher’s life reminds me of Chiara Luce’s life,” says Francisco from Panama, who attended the rite of Beatification of the young Italian woman. And he adds: “They were both young people, simple, with normal lives. But they searched for God in everything. Two young persons who gave God to everyone who met them and, with a smile, transformed their lives.” 
One day, during a difficult time for the family, he confided to someone: “My mother Chiara taught me to forgive and to really love my relatives”. He often spoke of his life and of his choices with the other Gen, because he felt that with them he could experience the presence of Jesus, according to His promise: “Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). During one of these conversations he shared how God was calling him to a vocation that involved a total choice of God, even though he didn’t yet know what it was. 
The Umbria, Veneto and Sicily regions of Italy hosted the second edition prize-winners of the Chiara Lubich Fraternity Award. Their gaze extended over the whole world with an international award given to the city of Catamarca and its fight against crime, with a special mention of the town of Pollica.
Daniela Ropelato, professor of Social Sciences at Sophia Institute and representative of the international Mppu, gave an important presentation on “Participation, city, fraternity”. Very timely topics, but difficult to actualize. Ideas included such things as: listening to the demands of young people; finding a balance between individual rights and the common good, participatory management of the territory; the responsibility of politicians and citizens.
The facts are known. In recent days North Korea has inexplicably shelled Yeonpyeong Island, close to the maritime border with South Korea, leading to 4 deaths among military and civilians, and Seoul has in turn responded by firing artillery shells toward the North.
Everything began on November 24th with the National Centre for the PMU which includes parliamentarians among its members, three of whom were present. “It was an important event,” says Fatuzzo, “lasting about three hours with intense dialogue in which everyone participated.” As can be imagined, based on recent events, discussions were centered on trust. Can there actually be some form of concrete fraternity between North and South Korea? How will fraternity be explained using the categories of dialogue, reconciliation, forgiveness, and of overcoming historical and present conflicts? Everyone was confident that this is the road to follow, supported by the awareness that the entire PMU worldwide is living with them these moments of painful suspension. There was also some feasting for the admission of a new young member of the PMU Centre: Emilia Heo who studied International Relations in Geneva and now works in Japan.
November 25th was the day for two other meetings at the headquarters of the Korean parliament. The first, with the Political Forum for Unity, a group for parliamentary research, consisting of some 30 Members of both the majority and opposition parties, and of different religious and cultural orientations – Christians of various denominations, Buddhists, Won-Buddhist, Confucians, Taoists – or without any religious reference.