Haifa: an evening with friends of the Focolare

18 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

“In Jerusalem the houses, schools, public transport, entertainment venues, and residential areas are separated: for Arabs and for Jews. It is really difficult to live in such an environment.” “I am a European girl. Just from the way I dress you immediately know I am an Orthodox Jew. In our city this is not always seen positively. I don’t know a single Arabic phrase and I’ve been brought up to avoid situations where I could get caught up among groups of Palestinians.” These words from speaker N and J, both young people from Jerusalem, the first an Arab Christian and the second Jewish, describe the scenario in Jerusalem. They live near one another, and struggle to thrive as they feel the tension in the air in this city which is ‘holy’ for all. These two young people were participants in the meeting which was held recently at the Castra Gallery, in a commercial centre on the outskirts of south Haifa: about 100 people came to this humble, simple meeting. Jews, Christians and Muslims came from Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nazareth and other places in Galilee. The meeting was with Maria Voce, and the title: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together” (Psalm 133). Many people spoke and shared the rich and varied lives they are living and working through. For a number of years in Haifa, Jews and Christians have met monthly to deepen their understanding of the Sacred Scriptures of their respective traditions. They listen to one another and try to understand the others point of view, without falling into syncretism – mixing beliefs. This attitude brings ‘a real and sincere friendship, which continues to grow’, to the point that a month between meetings seems much too long! An Arab girl spoke about a project which works to weave friendships and real relationships between students belonging to the 3 religions. ‘The most beautiful moments we have lived together have been the visits we made to the sacred places of the three religions: The Wailing Wall, the Holy Sepulchre and the Mosque. This experience changed my life.’ Other experiences centred on the crisis in Gaza, 3 years ago, when Jews, Christians and Muslims met to pray for peace. This was unique in the whole of Israel. It was very moving understanding the great courage it took to go completely against the current of thought that surrounded them. There were examples too of everyday life, listening to one another making a real discovery of people different to oneself. As a young Jewish girl put it people have wagered on peace: “It is written in the Mishna that God does not find any instrument that can hold his blessing other than Peace. Only with real peace will we obtain all the blessings that the Father in Heaven wants to give to His children.’ Maria Voce was clearly moved as she thanked those who had spoken. It is true what Chiara Lubich said, ‘nothing is small if it is done for love.’ In fact, it’s something great, because here we are speaking about moving the mountain of prejudice. This is the small ‘big’ miracle of the evening in Haifa. The President of the Focolare underlined the prophetic dimension of what was being lived during the crisis in Gaza: “This is an experience based on God and on his will, and shared suffering: the most precious thing in the eyes of God. This will bring lasting fruit, of that I’m certain’. She emphasised how this is an important contribution towards history: ‘These experiences may be small but they are necessary for the picture of peace to be completed’. She then recounted how she had, on this visit, met people from all the religions who were real brothers and sisters. She quoted Scripture ‘Blessed are the people who have God as their Lord’. The evening finished with a shared supper to which everyone brought a contribution, there were both Arab and Kosher dishes. It was not possible to distinguish who was a Jew, and Arab or a Muslim. What a young Muslim girl said was so true: “Now I look at other people beyond their faith. We are still a small group, but we are committed to involving many other friends”. From Roberto Catalano

[:it]Svizzera: musulmani e cristiani in dialogo[:de]Schweiz: Muslime und Christen im Gespräch[:es]Suiza: musulmanes y cristianos en diálogo[:fr]Suisse : musulmans et chrétiens en dialogue[:pt]Suíça: muçulmanos e cristãos em diálogo[:zh]瑞士：回教徒與基督徒的對談

17 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

At Emmaus with Monsignor Marcuzzo

17 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

On the morning of 16 February, the delegation from the Focolare Movement  spent the morning at the site of Emmaus, 27 km from Jerusalem, on the plain toward the capital of Tel Aviv. This is one of three sites with the same name, that have brought us the famous scene from the last passage of Luke’s Gospel. After the crucifixion, two of Jesus’ disciples were walking along the road as they recalled the sorrowful events of those days, when they met a stranger who began to explain the Scriptures to them, and filling their hearts with peace. At the “breaking of the bread,” the Gospel tells us, the eyes of the disciples were opened and they recognized the man as the Risen Jesus.

Maria Voce was received in audience by Bishop Marcuzzo, auxiliary bishop of the Latins, presiding over the See of Emmaus-Nicopolis. The bishop confided to Maria Voce and the delegation from the Focolare that this See was chosen for him because of various reasons. It is one of the twelve Christian diocese that existed in the first centuries in the Holy Land; it is the place that leads all Christians to the point in which everything began again after the death of Jesus and, not least of all, it was where, when he was still a young priest, he had witnessed the destruction of the village of Emamus in 1967 after the Six Day War.

The president of the Focolare also shared a fact with the bishop that concerned her personally. As many know, she is often called Emmaus within the Movement. “Chiara herself gave me this name in 1964. She had spoken to a group of young focolarinas about Jesus among us, which is the actualization of Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” if we live the new commandment of mutual love. In my enthusiasm I wrote to Chiara telling her that I wanted to spend my life in realizing this phrase. And so she gave me the name, Emmaus, since those disciples had lived and experienced the presence of Jesus among them.” 

The meeting was rich in meaning, in a place that stands out in such a singulare way in the history of the first Jerusalem communities. The Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Marcuzzo and Giancarlo Faletti, co-president of the Movement, was a moment of deep communion with valuable insights about the fruits of Christ’s presence in the heart of the community.

The charism of Chiara Lubich, which is strongly centered on the presence of Jesus among those united in his name, came into light precisely here in these places where it historically and physically took place.

By Roberto Catalano

With representatives from various Christian Churches in the Holy Land

17 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Patriarch Mons. Foud Twal set the tone of the appointments that Maria Voce had in her diary for her visit to Jerusalem which began on 11^th February: He expresses his view, “The concerns of the people are our concerns. It’s as if the ascent to Calvary has never ended here in the Holy Land”. We must not become discouraged. “Hope never dies. For example, I notice recently that there are 100 or more associations that bring together Jews, Christians and Muslims in this region. People want dialogue. I also see that little by little, perhaps because of the many sufferings, we begin to speak of ‘neighbours’ rather than ‘enemies’”. Maria Voce joined in: “If a drop of love enters within instinctive self-defence, another step can be taken, and one can go ahead”, without falling into despair. The Patriarch concluded; “This is the speciality we Christians have, to sow love and go ahead”. This same background of suffering and came through in the conversation that the president had with Bishop Munib Younan, President of the World Lutheran Federation: “I see in people a strong temptation to be concerned only with material goods. But no, here we have need of God.” And he explained further: “We need a deep spirituality, for our children and for ourselves, a spirituality that is deeply evangelical”. Maria Voce understood the spirituality the Bishop hopes for would naturally be ecumenical. At the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate, Maria Voce spent time with Bishop Aris Shirvanian. “We must be united so as to defend the Christian Church – he said -, but we cannot say that there specific problems foe we Armenians, we continue to live to keep up our faith, our heritage”. Maria Voce underlined the greatness of this vocation. “Yes – continued the Bishop – we need to defend ourselves, but even more we need to build ‘bridges’ between the Churches, bridges between religions, bridges between peoples.” There was a very warm Lebanese welcome at the Holy Land residence of the Marionite Archbishopric, a community of about ten thousand faithful, above all in Galilee, with Bishop Mons. Paul Nabil Sayah. This Marionite Bishop underlined the importance of the pastoral aspect and actions of the Christian churches in the Holy Land, especially with and for families: “There is never enough space for education, which is a real priority for us. With good education you can hope to reach peace”. The desire to co-operate was also confirmed by Maria Voce. Finally, an important meeting with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem: His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, who received Maria Voce and her collaborators. The historical difficulties between the Christian churches in the Holy Land are well known. The climate has certainly improved, and now one can speak of a ‘real ecumenism’ even though there are still difficulties. In the conversation between the Patriarch and the president of the Focolare there was a common desire to ‘raise the tone of the discussions’, anchoring, Theophilos III emphasised, into ‘the unity of Christians “in Christ”, in His love’. Maria Voce explained what ‘unity’ means for the focolarini, “the unity Jesus asked of His Church”. From Michele Zanzucchi The full Italian version of this report can be found on Citta Nuova site: http://www.cittanuova.it/contenuto.php?TipoContenuto=web&idContenuto=31501

With Rabbi Kronish: Peace now! Peace afterwards!

17 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

I have been in Jerusalem since yesterday. Maria Voce’s busy schedule has also included appointments with some people from Jewish and Muslim traditions. These meetings are a re-affirmation of the commitment to dialogue at all levels. Today the first of these encounters was held with Rabbi Ron Kronish, founder and director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council of Israel (ICCI). We met at 15:00 with Rabbi Ron Kronish who refers to himself as old friend of the Focolare. ICCI office (http://english.icci.org.il/) is located in a neighborhood not far from the center of Jerusalem, on the old road to Bethlehem, which is still very crowded and bustling with life. The ICCI was founded in 1991, on the evening before the outbreak of the first Gulf war. It was 16 January and everyone in Israel was wearing gas masks; there was an atmosphere of fear because of the coming war. In Ratisbonne, the center that we visited this morning, some men of dialogue gathered who, in spite of the war, had decided that the world needs peace. The center works on different levels, but primarily for youth and women. Its goal is to train people for peace. They try to create a basic mentality which has at its basis the awareness that there are conflicts – here Kronish referred especially to the conflict between Israeli and Palestinians – and these conflicts are not easily resolved, but we can, nevertheless, continue to work for the peace of tomorrow. Their slogan isn’t so much “Peace now!” but “Peace later!” For this reason, young people especially, need to be engaged in recognizing the other, listening to the other, discovering the other and, in the end, seeing the other not as an enemy, but as a neighbor to be accepted with his or her diversity. The experiences of the twenty years of these courses which have been taking place within Israel with Muslim, Jewish, and Christian teens and young adults, have been fruitful and enriching. Only 5% of those who enroll choose not to finish the course, while all the others reach the end. This is a sign of the interest and commitment, but also a source of hope because by now thousands have benefited from this new vision. In speaking to Maria Voce, Ron Kronish doesn’t hide the fact that the world has changed since 1991. Peace seemed near, it seemed already possible. Today it is much farther away. We need to be aware of this, but never lose hope. Maria Voce talked about the Focolare’s involvement in the field of formation and of the similarity of ideas and methodology that we share with the ICCI. Kronish asked that our collaboration continue and that we especially carry it out among young adults and teenagers. Roberto Catalano (extract from Italian magazine, Città Nuova: www.cittanuova.it )

Bishops: God is near

16 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Benedict XVI greeted them joyfully during the audience of 9 February: “I am glad for the opportunity you have been offered to compare ecclesial experiences from different areas of the world, and I hope these days of prayer and reflection bear many abundant fruits for your communities.”

Their reflections were conducted within “the light of the charism of Chiara Lubich,” as Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, moderator of the gathering, said in his opening remarks, “which is in deep harmony with the charism of the bishop.” He went on to say: “It’s a matter of knowing how to accept the Love of God who wants the good of humankind as He draws near to every human person.”

“The spirituality of communion, an echo of the Second Vatican Council which is all centered on the Church as a mystery of communion. . . is brought forward in a charismatic way by the Focolare Movement,” underscored Cardinal Marc Oullet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Before the challenges that the Church is facing today especially in lands with ancient Christian traditions, but also in many other parts of the world, the bishops wanted to give voice to the answers the Holy Spirit has generated in recent years, like the communion and the collaboration between new and ancient charisms, the ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, the dialogue with the so-called secular culture.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, highlighted the passage from a multicultural society to an intercultural one which integrates the diverse cultures and faiths, as is shown by the launching of the recent “Court of the Gentiles,” a phrase coined by Benedict XVI in reference to the dialogue between faith and culture. The roundtable discussion which preceded Cardinal Ravasi’s presentation related the various dynamics present in modern society, seen from the perspective of the economy (Dr Stefano Zamagni), of mysticism (Father Fabio Ciardi), of social relations (Dr Vera Araujo) and international relations (Dr Vincenzo Buonomo).

Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement focused her presentation on God’s Plans in the Thought of Chiara Lubich, which was in line with the theme of the gathering.

At the conclusion of the meeting, 25 bishops went for two days to the international Focolare town of Loppiano, near Florence, which, with its 900 inhabitants witnesses that society can be guided by the Gospel. Among other places, they visited Sophia University Institute which is already in its third year of interdisciplinary courses.

1956: I saw the Holy Land

15 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Dome of the Rock – (…) As I beheld the city from the bright blue coastline near to the hills that are dotted with thousands of houses, as our plane soared out over the water so that we could catch a first glimpse of the Palestine hills, I didn’t believe that Jerusalem and the Holy Places were going to make such a deep impression on my mind.

My stay in Palestine lasted seven days.

I don’t recall the schedule of our visits, but the places are deeply impressed in my mind: Bethpage, the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, the stone steps of Jesus’ testament, Gethsemane, the Antonia Fortress where Pilate stood Jesus before the people and said: “Behold the man!” the site of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin; the site of the ascension enclosed in a small kiosk; then there was Bethany and the road that leads from Jerusalem to Jericho, which is mentioned in the parable of the Good Samaritan; Bethlehem. . . a long list of such sweet names that neither life nor death will ever erase. At evening’s fall, raising my eyes to the sky, there were stars dripping light, skies that we never even dream of here in Italy, and I felt a strange and logical affinity between that firmament and those holy places.    (…)

An old road to Jerusalem, an uphill climb, perhaps three meters wide, echoing the cries of merchants who are selling their goods on the left and on the right. People elbowing each other as they come and go, dressed in the most varied types of eastern designs.

You keep climbing and, as you pass through this bazaar – this is what the local people call it – you now and then come upon a doorway that you’re not sure belongs to the house or to a chapel: “Here is a station of the Cross, here’s the third station, here’s the fourth. . . Here is where Jesus met his Mother, here is where he met Simon of Cirene. . .” It was the road of the Via Crucis, the path that Jesus followed.

A few meters higher we are informed: “We’ve reached the sepulcher. Here in this church, held up with these powerful unsightly beams is the most sacred place imaginable: Calvary and the sepulcher.”

There was a living sense of pain in my soul, almost fear or dismay.

We went inside and filed up a narrow, narrow staircase whose marble had been worn down by the millions of pilgrims who’ve climbed it. And we found ourselves before an altar where the Greek Orthodox and Armenians could celebrate.

A guide showed us a rock that could be seen through a glass window, a hole, and then he told us: “The cross was planted in this hole.”

Inadvertently, without saying a word, we all went to our knees.

It was a moment of deep recollection for me.

The cross was planted in that hole… the first cross.

If there hadn’t been this first cross, my life and the life of millions of Christians who follow Jesus by carrying their cross, the millions of sufferings, the pain of millions, would not have had a name, they would not have had any meaning. Jesus raised upon the cross like a criminal, gave meaning and value to the sea of anguish which touches and, at times, submerges humanity, and often every individual.

I didn’t say anything to Jesus in that moment. The perforated stone had spoken.

I only had to add like an ecstatic child: “Here, Jesus, I want to plant, once more, my own cross, our crosses, the crosses of all those who know you and all those who don’t.”

Extracts from Essential Writings, “The Attraction of Modern Times”, by Chiara Lubich.

Visit to the Holy Land

14 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

It was a gathering of some representatives of the ecclesial movements and new communities present in Jerusalem. Here where the Universal Story had a new beginning, and also the small “sacred story” of each group concerning its place and its individual way.

Some hundred people were present in a hall of the Curia in the Custody of the Holy Land, just behind the New Gate.

Chemin Neuf, the Community of the Beatitudes and the Emmanuel Community of France; Cançao nova, the Sons of Mary, the Obra de Maria and Shalom Communityfrom Brazil; Regnum Christi from Mexico; John XXIII Association, Communion and Liberation and the Focolare from Italy (with international dimensions) told of their adventure with simplicity, each of them very original and yet quite similar to one another. Almost all of them shared common approaches: providing hospitality; meeting pilgrims; working to making the treasures of the Holy Land known (also at an ecumenical and interreligious level), and promoting tourism to the holy sites. Numerous movements and communities specialize in the field of evangelization through the media. There were also many examples of communities who worked together.

Like everything in Christianity, this meeting in Jerusalem  was not noteworthy for its numerical dimensions, but but for its qualitative dimensions. It was the quality of relationships which was the highlight. “Perhaps one task of the movements and new communities is to bring to the Catholic Church and more generally to all of Christianity, the only primacy found in the Gospel, the primacy of love,” explained a young woman from the Chemin Neuf Community.

Some movements have been present on location in the Holy Land for years, others for just a few months. The joy and fellowship was what made everyone take note at this meeting that was begun by Maria Voce with the simple sharing of her activities.

In the course of a frank dialogue with those present, Maria Voce explained the meaning of the dialogue between movements and new communities: “I find myself before people and groups who desire to witness that mutual love which constructs the Church.”

In particular, responding to a question from a representative from Communion and Liberation, she said: “Certainly, following the Vigil of Pentecost 1998,” in Saint Peter’s Square, in answer to the call of John Paul II, “we felt linked, united to the Pope’s appeal as he invoked the Holy Spirit. From that time on, Chiara Lubich noticed in the Pope a desire that the movements be in communion among themselves.” To favor “that charismatic, marian presence which is “coessential” to the petrine dimension.” And so, since then,  “wherever you find the Focolare Movement, you meet this desire for unity between movements and new communities.” Each with its own charism, “which complements the charism of the others. Communion isn’t uniformity. . .  If (each of) our charisms is the most beautiful one, then, in the end, the Church is more beautiful, because the charisms are gifts that are to be submitted to reciprocity.”

“How can you live ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land?” asked one young Brazilian woman. “Dialogue is a lifestyle,” Maria Voce responded, “more than a thing that you “do”. It means placing yourself before another person out of love.” Loving without interests, always, being the first, both with other Christians and with the faithful of other religions. “For us, dialogue has always meant a dialogue between people, not between ideologies or religions. . . Because there is love in every person on earth.” Besides, “Unity comes from God, who only asks people to love each other.”

By Michele Zanzucchi

[:it]Le vie dell’unità[:de]Eine Ökumene des Lebens[:fr]Un œcuménisme fait de vie[:pt]Um ecumenismo feito de vida[:zh]還有一種以生活為基礎的大公合一運動

10 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Intercontinental Meeting of Bishops

5 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]Comunione e Diritto a Santo Domingo [:de]„Gemeinschaft und Recht“ in Santo Domingo[:es]Comunión y Derecho en Santo Domingo [:fr]Communion et droit à Saint-Domingue [:pt]Comunhão e Direito em Santo Domingo[:zh]在聖多明哥共和國舉行『共融與法律』的聚會

2 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Madrid, 29 January 2011: Youth meeting

1 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Word of Life – Teens for Unity

1 Feb 2011 | Non categorizzato

Teens for Unity International Website

[:it]Scienze sociali in dialogo[:de]Sozialwissenschaften im Dialog[:es]Ciencias Sociales en diálogo[:fr]Les sciences sociales en dialogue[:pt]Ciências sociais em diálogo[:zh]社會科學界的對談

31 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]Separati. Oltre la ferita[:de]Über die Verwundung hinaus[:zh]分居——跨越創傷

27 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Did you create the world?

26 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Embedded video:

Seville 18-22 January

22 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Video: Mass media: “The Media and the Unity of Peoples”

22 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

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?

Maria Voce

20 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

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.”

Welcome to our new focolare.org website!

19 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Lancio del sito da Maria Voce in un collegamento video dalla Spagna, 22 gennaio 2011.

Since her departure for heaven on the 14^th 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)

Chiara Lubich, June 2000

19 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

26.09.10 Beatification of Chiara Luce Badano

17 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Maria Voce in Spain – January 2011

17 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

“Worlds” which get the world moving

17 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]Spagna: visita di Maria Voce

15 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

Cardinal Rylko visits the focolarini

11 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

“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

“Marilen” Centre for Unity – Oceania

10 Jan 2011 | Non categorizzato

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.

[:it]Scritto inedito di Igino Giordani sulla nonviolenza[:es]Escrito inédito de Igino Giordani sobre la no-violencia

31 Dec 2010 | Non categorizzato