Nothing can stop us from loving
A message from Maria Voce, Focolare President, to the Movement’s communities around the world, for 14th March, the anniversary of the death of Chiara Lubich. Text of the message
At the roots of fraternity in politics
An event dedicated to one of the “founding fathers” of the Italian Constitution, a writer, journalist, politician and co-founder of the Focolare Movement, Igino Giordani. The event, promoted by the Movement’s General Archives and the Igino Giordani Centre, was the first in a series aimed at getting “to the roots” of fraternity as a political element. At a time when values such as respect, coherence, loyalty are engulfed in a misleading narrative often resulting from an artificial communication system, the aim of these talks which were the inspiration of the Focolare Movement’s General Archives and the Igino Giordani Centre is to extract certain “pearls” from the heritage safeguarded by the two centres that characterized the life of political figures who were guided by the values of fraternity typical of the charism of unity. “If everyone was like Giordani, there would be no wars, no discrimination, no hatred. This great man must be a reference point for humanity. It’s up to us now to promote his ideas”. These words spoken by Gaia, a seventh grade student, give us an idea of how relevant Giordani’s message is and what an inspiration he is for the new generations. More than 300 people met together on 15 February 2020 in the Auditorium of the International Focolare Centre in Rocca di Papa, including politicians, mayors and local administrators. The event, which was viewed via livestreaming by people all over Italy and Europe, forms part of the year marking the 100th anniversary of Chiara Lubich’s birth. During the evening Giordani’s charm clearly emerged from words spoken by those fortunate enough to have met him such as Argia Valeria Albanese who recalled: “From those meetings, even personal ones held in the garden of the Mariapolis Centre in Rocca di Papa, I was greatly inspired to make a long term commitment to a political party and its institutions. There was another phase in my life where I felt a strong relationship with Igino Giordani not so much as a teacher or someone to follow but as an older brother to whom I could open my heart in those moments of failure… The misunderstandings and often the resentment, the denigration and not managing to achieve the objectives I’d set myself, however noble and disinterested, electoral defeat, losing friends”. Pietro Rossellini who served the community of Montecatini as Councillor affirmed how he was guided by “the radical mutation of this man as he got older, considered to be the strongest defender of the Christian faith par excellence, who allowed himself be transformed by Chiara Lubich by changing his controversial verve into Fire of Love. His being was not distorted, but made more sublime, elevated.” For Patrizia Mazzola, who worked passionately as a teacher in the Ballarò and Brancaccio neighbourhoods of Palermo, “some of Giordani’s writings have changed my idea of political and social commitment and given me courage in some of my battles in favour of the least of the city”. Chiara Zanzucchi and Lucia Zurlo from the General Archives and Alberto Lo Presti from the Igino Giordani Centre observed that the desire to organise this series of events lies in a growing awareness that the Archives are alive and kicking. These meetings dedicated to “witnesses in politics” enable us to appreciate how much the charism of unity has influenced political commitment through their moral coherence and political passion, their contribution to fraternity and peace.
Gianna Sibelli
When business puts people at heart
A gathering entitled “Back to the future for a more humane economy” was held March 4 at the Italian embassy to the Holy See. Entrepreneurs, scholars and economists came together for a more just, inclusive and sustainable economy, in line with the upcoming “The Economy of Francis” event. “In 2000 we opened a small cosmetics company in a 60-square-meter space, with only one employee. Today we work in a building that is 7,500 square meters with 43 people working, and we produce about 100,000 pieces per day. “People are our profit and our strength.” So says Marco Piccolo, 45, an entrepreneur from Turin, Italy, who has four children and also finds time to educate young people in his parish. He and his company joined AIPEC, the Italian Association of Entrepreneurs for an Economy of Communion. The association is linked to Focolare founder Chiara Lubich’s insights of an economic model that puts people and a “culture of giving” at the heart of business. Reynaldi is a company that has bet heavily on young people and women (currently 70% of their employees and managers), as well as environmental sustainability: the company does not emit CO2, does not waste water or harm the environment. These attributes mean many large companies in northern Europe and the United States buy their products. “With entrepreneurial vision you can transform an economic system, do things well and focus on caring for the people in the company,” he says at a gathering in Rome at the Italian embassy to the Holy See called “Back to the future for a more humane economy”. The event was promoted by Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the Focolare Movement and the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. It came from an idea to offer an opportunity to reflect on today’s economic system and the need to start a global renewal so that the economy of the future will be more just, inclusive and sustainable. It is in line with the “The Economy of Francis” event called for by the Holy Father, to be held in Assisi next November. Piccolo’s company is a virtuous example of a more humane economy in action. It is an economy that, in the words of Pope Francis, “brings to life and does not kill, includes and does not exclude, takes care of creation and does not plunder it”. Reynaldi was one of the first companies in Italy to transform its legal structure from a for-profit firm to a ‘benefit company’, which means it integrates in its corporate mission, alongside its objective of profit, the goal to have a positive impact on society and the biosphere. “We take care of the people who work with us, and that’s why we don’t want working hours to be overwhelming,” says Piccolo. “We want there to be time to live for family and for people to be well.” There have been many virtuous companies or cooperatives in the wake of Piccolo’s. Take Conad, a cooperative Italian large-scale retail company, which involves Caritas offices so as not to waste food from its supermarkets, allocating it to those in need. Or when buying products from other companies, they verify whether they exploit child labour or illegal hiring. “If each of us does our part, both in our actions and by injecting wellbeing into the community, this can contribute to an overall improvement in society,” says Francesco Pugliese, CEO of Conad, who spoke at the conference. If we want to redefine economic progress for the future, we need to involve young people who know how to ask questions, speak out and find important answers. And the popes intends them to be the architects of the Economy of Francis. “We know that St. Francis of Assisi is a source of inspiration for a way of understanding the economy and finance,” says Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Councillor of State for Vatican City. “We hope that the November event will help us rediscover this. “In Assisi the young people will try to make proposals and work in 12 thematic villages, where we will try to cover all the important issues and present a proposal for each village. It is a personal commitment, but also a commitment to institutions, business and politics,” she concludes. There is certainly a need for networking, dialogue between institutions, businesses and universities to find solutions to help young people find work. As Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani reminded us: “Today’s world is more complex than it used to be, and many societies have been experiencing the scourge of youth unemployment for too long. But opportunities exist, and everyone must pursue his or her own talent.”
Lorenzo Russo
Coronavirus: The International Focolare Centre issues preventive measures
Owing to the Coronavirus outbreak in many countries of the world, the International Focolare Centre at Rocca di Papa, Italy, issued a number of safety measures to prevent the spread of this contagious virus. The International Focolare Centre, located at Rocca di Papa (Rome – Italy), announced a number of preventive measures to help control the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic and have it stopped as soon as possible. These measures issued on March 9, are in accordance with the Italian Government decisions and as indicated by the Italian Bishops. They are in line with the nationwide coronavirus lockdown announced by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, when Italy has been declared a “protected zone” from March 10 until April 3. The measures issued are the following:
- All activities organized by the International Centre at Rocca di Papa or elsewhere in Italy, scheduled to take place during March, April and May 2020 have been These include activities planned for Chiara Lubich’s Centenary (1920-2020) and other various initiatives.
- There will be no group visits to the International Centre until the end of May 2020.
- Collaborators at the International Centre cancelled visits to places in Italy and abroad scheduled to take place till the end of May 2020.
- Weekday and Sunday Mass will not be celebrated at the Centre until April 3.
- The Centre guarantees its function for essential services, while collaborators will carry out ordinary work in a remote way.
Focolare Communication Office
Living the Gospel: the Golden Rule
Jesus’ teaching:“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is known as “the Golden Rule”(Mt 7,12), a universal principle found in different cultures, religions and traditions . Authentic human values, that build peace, lead to solidarity and contribute towards just personal and social relationships, are all based on this ethic of reciprocity. The hundredfold I live in a small town, where there are only a few shops, and you don’t always find what you need. One morning a poor, sick neighbour of mine knocked at my door and with a big smile on her face asked for some cooking oil. I needed the little I had for my own cooking, but I felt that I had to give it all to her. When I came to prepare lunch, I realized that I had to make do without oil, but I was happy. I was just going to handle the pot when someone knocked at my door. It was a nun; I have not seen her for quite some time because she lives far away. When I opened, she told me: “Come, I’ve something for you in the car.” And she gave me three boxes full of oil containers: a total of 54 litres. (G.V. – Burundi) If you give love… After 20 years of absence from our country, my wife and I were faced with the difficulties of settling again. At first, we felt like strangers; we had to start all over again, but we found strength in the words of the Gospel to open ourselves to others, rebuild old relationships and make new friends. As we were not young when we got married, we decided that if we would have no children, we would give the warmth of a family to those who do not have one. So we started the process of adoption. Some months ago we received the news of the arrival of Veronica and Carlos, two little siblings from Brazil. We shared their photos with our new acquaintances, and we went to Rio to pick them up. When we came back, a great welcome awaited us; a huge banner with a welcome sign for Veronica and Carlos was put up in our street, and there were lots of balloons and messages on the veranda of our house. We were also given clothes and other necessary things for these two children. How can we ever forget the great support we have received! We are more than ever convinced that if you give love, you receive love. (M.S.F. – Spain) A Conspiracy of love My mother-in-law was living alone; then she came to live with us, even though she had daughters who could welcome her. Her presence, very well accepted by my children, was an additional commitment for me, as I already had the family to look after. She suffered of some form of arteriosclerosis, that made her talk to herself without realizing that she was being heard, and she often spoke ill of me. My children laughed at this situation, even though it really hurt me. Was this the thank you for the care I was giving her? One day, when she was down with flu, our conversation at table fell on grandmother’s odd behaviour. My husband was very upset, but together we decided to live “a conspiracy of love”, which meant a greater effort to love grandma more and better. This was one of the most educational and fruitful moments in our family life.The many relatives, who often come to visit grandmother, are amazed at the atmosphere that reigns in our family. (C.S. – Italy)
Stefania Tanesini (taken from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, anno VI, n.2, March-April 2020)
Solidarity during the coronavirus…
Practical help, community building and stories of hope from all over the world are spreading the “antivirus” of fraternity. “It is no longer ‘I’m afraid of catching this virus’ or even ‘I couldn’t care less about catching the virus.’ I need to take care of OTHER PEOPLE. I worry about you. I keep my distance for you. I wash my hands for you. I give up that trip for you. I’m not going to the concert for you. I’m not going go to the shopping centre for you. This is an opportunity to turn an emergency into a time of solidarity.” A young Italian woman from the Focolare Movement posted this message on Facebook. She is appealing for a radical change of mentality and action as her country rises to second place in the world ranking of nations affected by the Coronavirus. As this virus continues to spread, it is affecting countries across the world in a variety of different ways – health care systems, schools and the economy are in crisis in some areas. The economist, Luigino Bruni, international coordinator of the Economy of Communion wrote, “Although we understand the concerns of many leading economists at the moment, we believe that the task of “civil enterprises” does not end in merely calculating the damage and in contributing to the spread of alarm. This is the moment to demonstrate that the State is us and that corporate social responsibility is not only a marketing tool but is a genuine practice that is activated especially during times of crisis. It pays attention to common goods (health, work), practices correct communication, formulates concrete and sustainable proposals with an overall vision, initiates practical action in support of the most vulnerable people and enhances a system made up of companies, families, schools, universities, organizations and bodies that become protagonists of a new and indispensable proactive solidarity.” Bruni referred to a recent example of social responsibility. Mahmoud Ghuniem Loutfi, who works as a delivery man in Turin, Italy, bought masks for the local Red Cross out of gratitude to the city that welcomed him and which has become his home. He did not think about the impact this would have on his finances but asked himself what he could do for his community, and, therefore, also for himself. Mahmoud’s story is typical of the many examples of cooperation, sharing and solidarity we are seeing at the moment. Gloria, a young girl who knows the Focolare in Hong Kong explained how technology is helping people to stay in contact. “We try to organize meetings by videoconference so we can stay united during this special period. Also, the fact that we have to spend more time at home with our family means we have the opportunity to understand one another better and share problems more.” Caritas Lee lives in Ulsan, Korea. He told us about a fundraising activity at his university. “The goal was to raise 500,000 won (€380). Everyone was making small donations but I kept thinking about the 1595 people who had been identified as suffering from the virus at the time. Then a wonderful thing happened: a total of 46 million won (€35,360) was collected. This was donated to the diocesan hospital and the Daegu health district, the region most affected. After this initiative, other universities wanted to raise funds to help the health system. In addition, many volunteers as well as doctors and nurses began to offer their services for free in the hospitals. Another thing is that some landlords are not expecting their tenants to pay their monthly rent and some people are leaving food in front of houses for those who can’t go out.” Yopi lives right in Daegu. His house is near a hospital so you can hear ambulance sirens all the time. “At first, when I heard them, I prayed for the patients. Then I started to feel anxious. With the beginning of Lent I decided to pray the rosary every day. Slowly the anxiety has given way to peace in my heart.” Micaela Mi Hye Jeong wrote from Gumi, also in Korea. “Here we’re preparing 150 masks to be distributed where the need is most urgent. We thought that instead of getting disposable masks that pollute the environment, we could make them ourselves from washable cotton. During a time when we are frozen with fear, it’s as if my heart is beginning to feel warm again because of the opportunity to practically live what the Gospel teaches.” In Brazil, Armando, an Economy of Communion entrepreneur, has a company that supplies the health sector. “During this period, the cost of masks and disinfectant has risen by up to 500%,” he said. “I asked myself how, in this situation, I could witness to what I believe in and live for? I decided to go against market prices by selling my products at prices 50% (or more) lower than my competitors. What is more, my employees have all supported this policy.” In Italy, some young people from the Castelli Romani area have offered to go shopping in local supermarkets and provide free home delivery. “If you are over 70 years of age or have health problems and, as a precaution, you prefer to stay at home, we will take care of your shopping,” the WhatsApp message reads. “Don’t think about shopping, let’s get over this quickly.”
Civil Defence volunteers engaged in health checks at the “Milano Malpensa” airport.
Lorenzo Russo
Rome, Italy: On a journey with the charism of unity
Paolo Balduzzi continues his journey looking at the story of Chiara and the Focolare. This time he goes to Rome where Chiara met Igino Giordani, the first co-founder of the Movement. With him the charism opened up to ecumenism, politics and a thousand different applications in society. https://vimeo.com/389431555
United World by 2050?
400 young people, 56 countries, 16 languages, 4 days: WeGENerate! Last January, myself and Luisa (a friend of mine from Brazil) spoke with 400 Gen (young people of the Focolare Movement) in Trent, Northern Italy. We asked them a question: did they want to be the United World Generation? Did they want to be the generation who will deliver a united world by 2050. 77 years earlier, Chiara Lubich and her friends made a phrase of the Gospel ‘that all may be one’ (Jn 17:21) the aim and mission of their life. When I was at the International Gen 2 Congress ‘WeGENerate’ last month, with a group of young people the same age as Chiara was when she said this ‘Yes’ to the Gospel, I thought for the first time that this Ut Omnes prayer might be a question, rather than a simple statement of prayer. A question, because, this prayer requires an answer. A question because they are not only nice words to pray, but they challenge the reader to live the answer. A question because ‘Ut Omnes’ is a questionable subject and it’s not ‘a given’ that it’s even possible. The question that Luisa and I asked last month (do you want to be the United World Generation?) was only, then, a reformulation of the question that Chiara Lubich answered in 1943. We put a date on the end of the question to see if we, the Gen, really wanted to answer this question. Instead of answering the question with words, the Gen decided to organise. On one of the afternoons, 400 Gen from 56 countries with translation in 16 languages planned local and global actions to fight corruption, lessen inequality, stop climate change, reactivate dialogue and prevent conflict. We answered this Ut Omnes question by planning advocacy training and global formation activities to protect democracy, prevent conflict, fight corruption and stop inequality. We answered this Ut Omnes question by promoting the #CleanPlate, #GreenDay #ClearPlasticJarChallenge and CarPooling campaigns to combat environmental problems. We answered this Ut Omnes question by imagining platforms and apps to unlock dialogue; by breaking down ignorance and building relationships. Mark from Syria answered this question by affirming his intention to return to Syria and help rebuild his country. Victor answered this question by challenging himself to be a living realisation of the charism of unity in Venezuela. Joelle answered this question by promising to bring this message of unity and love back to Lebanon. Contexts which are not dissimilar to the context in which Chiara answered this question in 1943. Many people, like Mark, Joelle and Victor, will make their way to Trent this year to encounter the city that shaped Chiara Lubich. They will visit the exhibition, they will take the tour of the city, they will encounter a community of people who are living to build unity in that beautiful city. They will travel to Trent hoping to understand the roots of Chiara’s story and the story of the Focolare Movement. From my experience at this congress, if you really want to travel to the roots of the story of Chiara Lubich, you need to ask yourself the question that she answered in 1943: that all may be one? And then ask yourself, do you believe it’s possible to be one? And if yes, what am I going to do about it?
Conleth Burns
The United Kingdom: not only Brexit
We went to Great Britain a few days before Brexit, when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. We met many people, including the community of the Focolare, to see what has happened and what their hopes for the future are. https://vimeo.com/389431416
“The Economy of Francesco” postponed until 21 November 2020
Luigino Bruni, economist and scientific director of “The Economy of Francesco” said, “Postponing the event will allow us more time to prepare. Young people from all over the world are responding with a great sense of responsibility and even more commitment. The setback could be a blessing.” In agreement with the Holy Father, we are going to postpone “The Economy of Francesco” to 21 November but the work of the scientific committee and of the young people involved in the organization does not stop. On the contrary, it proceeds with great commitment and enthusiasm as we read in the press release of 1 March. The decision was taken “given the travel difficulties for the approximately two thousand young people from 115 countries who are expected to participate” and because of the corona virus. The appointment, however, has only been put back and Pope Francis will be in Assisi in November to meet the young people who, during the preceding days, will take part in workshops, discussions and dialogue regarding new approaches to various economic issues. The general focus of the meeting was outlined in the letter that on 1 May 2019 Pope Francis addressed to “young economists, entrepreneurs and business men and women all over the world”, inviting them to “re-animate” the economy – in the literal sense of giving it back a soul – to be among those who respond to the cry of the poor of the earth and do not look the other way. “This is why I would like to meet you in Assisi,” wrote the Holy Father, ”to work together to promote, through a common “pact”, a process of global change engaging not only with those who have the gift of faith but also with all people of good will, beyond the differences of creed and nationality, united by an ideal of fraternity and attentive above all to the poor and excluded.” In a post on Facebook, Prof. Luigino Bruni, scientific director of the event, thanked the Pope for the new date. “We will be more prepared,” he said. “Young people from all over the world are responding with a great sense of responsibility and even more commitment. The setback will be a blessing. We must be realistic dreamers, and therefore live through the anxieties and crises of our time. We must do everything possible not to ‘ lose anyone” of the 2000 young people who have already been selected, many of whom have already bought air tickets. I was impressed that none of the young people have complained about the postponement – they just want to continue the race. We have already held 230 “Towards Assisi” events and these extra eight months will allow us to hold another three hundred.”
Stefania Tanesini