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A life for the unity of Christians

A life for the unity of Christians

Mar 11, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

These days each one of us is asked to love, have unity, share, give solidarity. And the churches are asked to repair the centuries old splits …. This is the needed step towards universal brotherhood. With all men and women of the world”. (Chiara Lubich) On Saturday 12th March there will be an Ecumenical Day held in Trent (Northern Italy) : Chiara Lubich; Charism and a Life for the unity of Christians”. The day is one event is of the many to be held in a number of Italian cities in remembrance of the founder of the Focolare Movement on the third anniversary of her death – 14th March 2008. Trent, the “hinge” between the great Latin and Germanic civilisations, the birthplace of Chiara Lubich, will host the event. The participants will be formally welcomed by the local civil and religious authorities: Mayor Alessandro Andreatta and t Archbishop Luigi Bressan. Participants are coming from 36 countries and about 20 Churches. Simultaneous translations will be provided in 17 languages. The ‘show’ – broadcast on Telepace live and via the internet  (9.50 – 12.30 and 15.00 – 17.40 Italian time) – will be held in the Teatro Sociale, and have a live link with a marquee erected in the ancient Piazza C. Battisti. It is expected that messages will be read from: Patriarch Bartholomew II of Istanbul, as well as Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council Promoting Unity of Christians and Rev. Olaf Tveit, secretary general of the Ecumenical Council of Churches. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement will offer a reflection. The day will enable greater understanding of the specific contribution the charism of Chiara Lubich has made to the unity of Christians, which is the needed step towards universal brotherhood. The programme will unfold through sharing of experiences, reflections and music offered by Christians from many churches places such as China, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, Cuba as well as East and Western Europe. Through the talks to be given by Marco Tecilla and Gabriella Fallacara we will hear the story of the 50 years of ecumenical dialogue which has been brought ahead by “Centro Uno”, the Focolare Movement’s office for the unity of Christians which Chiara Lubich founded and was supported from the beginning by Igino Giordani. The day is also part of an international Ecumenical week being held at the “Chiara Lubich” Mariapolis Centre in Cadine (Trent) from 11th to 16th March. The 400 people taking part in this event have the opportunity to visit places in the city which are historically linked with the development of the Movement.  Last year, again on the anniversary of Chiara Lubich’s death, the founder of the Focolare movement was remembered in an event with an interreligious profile in Rome at the Campidoglio (Italian government). It is noteworthy that this year’s ecumenical event is hosted in Trent, not only because it is the birthplace of the Movement but also because the Council of Trent took place there (from 1545 – 1563) an indicator of its vocation to become a “bridge city” and a “city of dialogue”.

New to the Bookshelves: latest publications on Chiara Lubich

Mar 10, 2011 | Non categorizzato

  • To bring You the World in my Arms (PortarTi il mondo fra le braccia)

Armando Torno, Rome:  Città Nuova Experiences told by Chiara’s first friends who accompanied her in her spiritual and human adventure and a large range of unpublished material were Torno’s inspiration when writing this biography on the life of Chiara Lubich (1920- 2008). Whilst being a chronological account, it doesn’t wish to be hagiographic and wants to distinguish the founder and her work. For the first time in a book that everyone can read, an extraordinary and yet extremely simple existence is mapped out; a life where the undisputed reference point was the Gospel.

  • The Will of God by Chiara Lubich (La volontà di Dio)

Comp. Lucia Abignente, Rome: Città Nuova A collection of thoughts, diary excerpts, letters and messages where the founder of the Focolare Movement addresses one of the fundamental themes of Christian Living. This book, containing a lot of unpublished material, is just one of Città Nuova’s new publications for March. Chiara Lubich often spoke and wrote about the Will of God proposing it as a road to sainthood for everyone, as an aspect to be lived  in every moment of our lives, but above all as a possibility to respond to God with our love. “To a God that loves us immensely, we respond by trying to love him immensely. We would have no meaning in the world if we weren’t a little flame in this infinite blaze: love that responds to love”, commented Chiara in her later years describing the experience lived with her first companions at the dawn of the movement.

  • In Trent with Chiara Lubich. Places that speak (A Trento con Chiara Lubich. Le parole dei luoghi)

Franco De Battaglia, Trent: Il Margine A book inspired by a walk through Trent; a visit to the streets, squares, houses and churches that marked Chiara Lubich’s early experiences. Eighty odd pages which, for the first time, narrate the interweaving of two stories: the history of various architectural landmarks in Trent and the life story of Chiara Lubich and her first companions.  “From the ‘casetta’ (or little house) that saw the birth of the first focolare in Number 2 Piazza Capuccini, to the woodland ‘Gocciadoro’ (Golden Drop); from the Androne neighbourhood where she visited the poor, to the city’s cathedral; the journalist Franco de Battaglia reconstructs the map of Chiara Lubich’s Trent. A unique guide for the discovery of the city’s landmarks wedded with the existential itinerary of one of the most important religious leaders of the 20thcentury”. From her beginnings in Trent, Chiara was an constant builder of unity among Christians and a protagonist of interreligious dialogue across all five continents. Her story and choices have now become a part of millions of people’s lives.

Info Focolare – Albania

Mar 4, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.

A life for the unity of Christians

2nd International Conference for Young Lawyers and Legal Practitioners

Mar 3, 2011 | Non categorizzato

180 young law students and legal professionals from 13 nations discuss the challenges of the current hot topics on the theme of respect and dignity of every person. This is the second international congress for the group who met first in Rome in 2009 where they considered the theme: law in search for justice.

The congress opened with a message from Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement (also the co-ordinator for Communion and Law) who, at the time of the congress was in the Holy Land. “We need courage when faced with these challenges; strong commitment, coherence, the ability to see and recognise the signs of our times that give hope and show the way to be followed together in order to build a united world where human dignity is really considered and respected”. Dr Vera Araujo, as a sociologist and jurist, gave a lecture and touched on the value of norms for civil society.

Underlying question for the congress: can there be a ‘common denominator’ for dignity, in a universal dimension and for each person? And how can it be protected?  The answer seemed to grow from the words shared in 2006 by the Vice President of the Italian constitutional court, Paolo Maddalena, which were quoted by Professor Adriana Cosseddu (University of Sassari, Sardinia): “Individual dignity is the essence and the identity of the whole person. Without it there cannot be equality or freedom.”

She invited the young people present to look at and consider the current situation in North Africa: the spreading demonstrations and signs of revolt by large swathes of the population, the grave economic difficulties experienced where the cost of essential goods continues to rise uncontrollably, “its proof that the protection waited for and the guarantees that are given are also requests for the recognition of liberty and dignity.”

This was the basis, on which three intense days unfolded of Congress unfolded. The young participants were also the leaders of their congress.

There were 5 study groups which created enthusiastic debate on the following topics:

–       Dignity and the European Constitution

–         Humanity dignity and new forms of slavery

–        Dignity of the embryo

–         Dignity within the penal system and prisons

§         Human dignity and respect for the environment

Added to these points for consideration were experiences of people working in the field of law: from the criminal lawyer to the public prosecutor; the legal adviser to a voluntary visitor to prisons.

On the last morning Prof Vincenzo Buonomo (Lateran University), as an introduction to Chiara Lubich’s talk from 1977 to the United Nations, underlined the proof of that the expected protection and guarantees that are claimed are so many applications for recognition of freedom and dignity: “… If more people accepted suffering for love, suffering which asks for love, it could become the strongest weapon to give humanity its greatest dignity”.

A life for the unity of Christians

Renata Borlone: “Sometimes saints pass us close by…”

Mar 1, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

His Eminence, Mons. Mario Meini bishop of Fiesole spoke with joy and emotion in his opening speech of this event which he said is above all: “The welcoming of a witness, a servant of God, a witness to the word of God….. Hers life was a stimulus and encouragement for the Movement and for the Church. We want to gather from her these testimonies not as treasures to jealously guard but as a witness of service. Sometimes saints pass close by us and we don’t realise.” This was his invitation to those present to rediscover on a daily basis the ‘face’ of holiness through service of neighbour, and civil and ecclesial community.

“The supernatural, brought to everyone” Cardinal Paul Poupard, President Emeritus of the Ponitifcal Council for Culture said this during the solemn Holy Mass, celebrated in the shrine of Maria Theotokos, and animated by Gen Rosso. He recounted was how he remembered his meeting with Renata Borlone, her characteristic was making holiness not a goal for a few, but a vocation possible for every Christian, of which there is tremendous need today.

The president of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, was represented by Eli Folonari. Maria Voce is currently in the Holy Land. Eli, recalled with emotion, her first experiences of Focolare life which were with Renata in 1950 in Rome, and that it was Chiara Lubich who personally called Renata to be responsible for the Little town of Loppiano.

This extraordinary day had 2000 participants coming from all over Italy, in spite of the bad weather and snow, plus an unknown number who had followed the event via the internet. 3pm was the most solemn moment, when the process was officially closed marked by the sealing of three boxes containing the documentation which has been gathered in the last seven years by the diocesan tribunal. This documentation will now be sent to Rome and given to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The ceremony was full of meaning. This was a big occasion to bring back to everyone the importance of allowing oneself to be renewed by the words of the Gospel which are life, and Renata Borlone witnessed to this up to the end, making her exclaim “Death is life!”

The following morning, still at the shrine, there was a special event. Bishop Emeritus of Fiesole, Mons. Luciano Giovannetti, baptised another Renata, this one with the surname Nembrini, the newest baby born in the Little Town of the Focolare: almost an ideal symbolic act of continuity. His wish for all present was to make of “your own heart”  a real shrine guarding the message of the Servant of God.

The day ended with a special gift: the musical “Mary, flower of Humanity” performed by the international group Gen Verde. This presentation helped everyone to contemplate this woman, Mary who has been a fascination over centuries and continues to be so, reflections of her in our own story, restored the image of the Mother of Jesus as an ordinary woman and a friend on the journey.

Flickr Photo Album

March 2011

Feb 28, 2011 | Non categorizzato, Word of

Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Certainly, his will is not always clear to us. Like Mary we too will need to ask for light to understand what God wants. With great sincerity we must listen well to his voice within us and, if need be, ask advice from those who can help. But once we have understood his will, we want to say ‘yes’ to him straightaway. If, indeed, we have understood that his will is the greatest and most beautiful thing that could happen in our life, we will not resign ourselves to ‘having to do’ the will of God. Instead we will be glad to ‘be able’ to do the will of God, to be able to follow his plan, so that his idea for us might come about. It is the best and most intelligent thing we can do. Mary’s words ‘Here I am, the servant of the Lord’, therefore, become our loving response to God’s love. They keep us always turned towards him, in an attitude of listening and of obedience, wanting only to do his will, to be as he wants us to be. Sometimes, nonetheless, what he asks of us can seem absurd. It would seem better to us to do something different; we would like to decide for ourselves. We might almost want even to advise God and tell him what to do and not do. But if I believe that God is love and trust him, I know that what he sets up for my life and for the lives of those close to me is for my good and theirs too. So I put myself in his hands, I abandon myself to his will with full trust, and I want it with the whole of myself, to the point of being one with it, knowing that to welcome his will is to welcome him, embrace him and be nourished with him. We must believe that nothing happens by chance. No event, whether it be joyful, indifferent or painful, no encounter, no situation in the family, at work or at school, no physical or moral condition, is without meaning. On the contrary, every event, situation or person bears a message from God. Everything contributes to the fulfilment of God’s design, which we will discover bit by bit, day by day, doing the will of God as Mary did. Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. So how can we live this Word? Practically speaking our ‘yes’ to the word of God means doing well and completely all that he asks us to do in every present moment. We should devote ourselves wholeheartedly to whatever we are doing, putting aside everything else, letting go of any thoughts, desires, memories, actions that have to do with anything else. We can say in front of every will of God, whether it be painful, joyful or indifferent, ‘Let it be with me according to your word’, or, as Jesus taught us in the ‘Our Father’: ‘Your will be done.’  Let’s tell him this before each of our actions: ‘May it be done’, ‘Your will be done.’ We will compose, moment by moment, piece by piece, the marvellous, unique and unrepeatable mosaic of our lives that the Lord has always had in mind for each one of us. Chiara Lubich (First published December 2002)

A life for the unity of Christians

From Mount Tabor to Jerusalem: the conclusion of the visit to the Holy Land

Feb 28, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

An intense week; a deep spiritual experience lived in full communion with the Focolare’s local community present in the Holy Land. The members of the movement in that region felt a renewed commitment to building dialogue among everyone, in the spirit of universal brotherhood, the commitment of the Focolare Movement worldwide.

25 February– After a visit to the Mountain of the Beatitudes and to Mount Tabor, the next stop was Nazareth. The General Council was met by a large delegation of the Focolare communities present in Haifa, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In the Basilica, in front of the Grotto of the Annunciation, mass was celebrated in a solemn and yet simple atmosphere. Cardinal Miloslaw Vlk, Bishop Emeritus of Prague, and Mons. Giacinto Marcuzzo, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarch in Galilee, concelebrated together with the 17 priests on the General Council, and two priests from the Latin Patriarch. Mons. Marcuzzo, in his homily, recalled the meaningful words written on the banner welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to Nazareth in 2009: “Welcome to Nazareth, where it all began”. “Mary’s yes”, underlined the Monsignor, “was the first step in this new beginning of human history”. At the end of the Mass, thanking the bishops and the Focolare community, Maria Voce renewed the whole movement’s commitment to ‘relive Mary’ so as to be a presence of her in the world, as Chiara Lubich wrote in the movement’s statutes.

26 and 27 February- Two days in Jerusalem. On Saturday morning the group met at the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall as it’s also commonly known. Busy because of Shabbat, it was the perfect place to further the acquaintance of various aspects of the Jewish faith and to find out more about Shabbat. The group continued by foot towards the vicinity of the Roman steps that link the Valley of Cedron to the area where the Temple entrance once stood. According to tradition it is the place where Jesus prayed to the Father for unity among all men.

In 1956 Chiara Lubich, during her only visit to the Holy Land, expressed the desire that one day there may be a focolare near those steps. The Movement’s local directors in the Holy Land explained the developments over the last number of years that lead to the fulfilment of that dream: the purchase of a piece of land right beside the steps and measures being taken to obtain the necessary permits that allow for a transformation of this terrain into a garden park for gatherings and moments of reflection. After having read the passage of the Gospel of John often referred to in Christian tradition as ‘Jesus’ Priestly Prayer’ along with Lubich’s writings from the 1956 visit, a group photo captured this profound and deeply spiritual moment.

Sunday 27th – Final day of the pilgrimage with a mass celebrated in the Grotto of the Apostles by Cardinal Vlk and Mons. Antonio Franco, Apostolic Delegate to the Holy Land. The latter offered a meditation to those present on the significance of this visit of Maria Voce and the General Council to the Holy Land in the light of spirituality of Unity of Chiara Lubich.

After having visited the places of the passion and death of Christ, a reception in the Notre Dame Centre. 150 members of ecclesial movements, various church leaders present in Jerusalem as well as Jews and Muslims close to the Focolare gathered around the president, co-president and Council. Maria Voce introduced the Roman convoy and thanked everyone present for all that was done for them during the visit and for all of the activities that accompanied their pilgrimage. She assured them that the moments lived together and the people she met would remain in her heart; sure that she too would remain in the hearts of all those she met in the Holy Land.

A very successful school project

A very successful school project

Feb 27, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

Teresa, a “Gen 4” from Porto Alegre (Focolare’s “Gen 4” are children aged from 4 to 8) was invited to show her work at a school science exhibition. She was asked to choose from subjects like pollution, alcoholism, ecology, but she was not happy with any of them. So together with her classmate Valentina (also a Gen 4) they asked the teacher if they could choose a subject that portrayed positive values: the art of loving as a response to those problems. The art of loving is a life choice based on the gospel and launched by Chiara Lubich. Its principles are: “love everyone”, “love others as yourself”, “be the first to love”. “That is the only word that can make humanity into a family”, said Chiara Lubich. The teacher accepted their idea and they prepared for the big day. More than 300 children presented their work, but Teresa and Valentina’s stand attracted the most visitors! To those who asked her what the art of loving had to do with science, Teresa replied forcefully that if people were to live it, there would be no more alcoholism, pollution and so on. Using a Powerpoint presentation, she showed through some experiences of life what the art of loving could do if it is lived. A reporter who was there was very impressed and wrote an article for the local paper which highlighted Teresa’s “alternative” proposal. “I don’t believe in God, but in front of these children I cannot not believe in love”, commented one of the fathers, and one of the mothers, with tears in her eyes, said, “I am beginning to hope again for a better world!” When the exhibition was over, the teacher asked Teresa to present their work at a book fair one month later. And so for a whole day Teresa and Valentina, in a room prepared just for them, presented their Powerpoint to all the children in the school aged from 4 to 8, and threw the cube – the “cube of love” – on whose sides the art of loving is described. They explained the cube using the book “Discovering the cube of love”, a collection of experiences of Gen 4 from all over the world. print print

A life for the unity of Christians

The General Council in the Holy Land

Feb 26, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Last Sunday the members of Focolare Movement’s General Council arrived in Israel to start their scheduled pilgrimage with Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, and co-President, Giancarlo Faletti, who had just concluded their official visit to the Focolare Movement’s local community present in the Holy Land.

On their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, the members of the Council were met by representatives of the Movement’s local community who gave them a traditionally warm welcome. From there the Council members left for Domus Galilaeae on Lake Tiberias, where they spent the first days of their stay in the Holy Land. The venue was built by the Neocatechumenal Way at the turn of the millennium and was blessed by John Paul II during his historical visit to the Holy Land in 2000 when, in the valley beneath the Mountain of the Beatitudes, he celebrated Mass for thousands of pilgrims. Blessing the new facility the Pope said: “The Lord was waiting for you on this Mount”. Meaningful words that are now written at the entrance of the facility, welcoming all visitors to Domus Galilaeae.

The meeting between Maria Voce, the General Council and the Neocatechumenal Way was characterized by a warm atmosphere and the exchange of experiences. On 22nd February, feast day of the Chair of St Peter, the two communities celebrated Mass together.

Meanwhile the Focolare Movement’s Council started their retreat which lasted three and a half days. There were moments of meditation and sharing of experiences as well as the possibility to work on the challenges and prospects facing the Focolare Movement worldwide in the various ecclesiastical and social areas where it works.

The Movement’s mission of unity and communion handed on by Chiara Lubich herself was the focus of these days.

A life for the unity of Christians

World Social Forum – a place of hope for the poor?

Feb 23, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

“When leaving Vienna I saw the pictures of Tahrir Square in Cairo. Arriving in Dakar a newspaper carried on its front page an appeal by an Imam to pray that the President Abdoulaye Wade would stand down. Let’s hope this just stays as prayer, I thought. The opening Mass for the World Social Forum was celebrated the next day in the Church of the Ugandan Martyrs. The homily from Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr had a strong spiritual and social tone. Without mincing his words he denounced corruption, even though a governmental Minster and other public figures were present.

In this intense political atmosphere the 11th Social Forum opened in Dakar (6 -11th February). However, the opening march of 70,000 was conducted in a very orderly manner and was led to the University of Cheik Anta Diop. For the whole week there reigned a climate of support and fraternity, which didn’t falter even in the challenges caused by the organising of over 400 conferences and meetings daily.

One of these conferences was organised by transform!europe (a cultural network from the European left) and the Focolare. The title: “Crisis of civilisation: interpretations and alternatives from a Christian, interreligious and Marxist point of view”, showed that religion is no longer just tolerated but also wanted. Initiatives which ‘brought together’ were in evidence, that is those which showed collaboration between partners, albeit in a geographic sense or in the sense of how the world is seen. On the stage, speakers from the Focolare came from Italy, Austria, France, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal – Catholics and Muslims. From transform!europe Marga Ferre (Spain) and Walter Baier (Austria) were the promoters of the idea to prepare the event together. In her final thoughts Marga Ferrer shared: “I have learnt [through the Focolare projects] that solidarity starts with practical help, beginning with those most in need. Therefore no communism, no Marxism without this sense of empathy! The option for the poor is simple love for neighbour; I would say seeing the world through the eyes of those most in need.”

Then she continued: “We need an ethic and a new morality to develop dialogue about the meaning of life. No one can impose authority and carry out their idea and no-one can tell you what direction to take. We must increase dialogue, unite our strengths to change the ethic. And then, we need a political place and a change of economic legislation.”

She concluded: “We need real love, to make us able to work in politics, not just in a professional manner: that is knowing how to manoeuvre and work politics […] We need dedication. Without love no change to structure will succeed. Call it what we will: fraternity, love, solidarity.”

During the forum in Dakar, there was a growth in knowing and understanding between the Non Governmental Organisations present with the desire to continue to work and carry commitment together. The organisers would like “Dakar to spread” through Africa and the whole world.

Is this a thread of hope for the poor?

From Franz Kronreif