Towards an Ethical Oath for the Digital World

Jun 27, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The level reached by artificial intelligence poses new ethical questions: how can technological development be progressed on a human scale? A Call to Action for developers and innovators in the digital world. A horizon that concerns us all. June 2023, Sophia University Institute: on the screen of the Aula Magna a digital hostess elegantly opens the seminar “Towards a Digital Oath”. We are crossing a threshold: the preparation began a long time ago, but the acceleration of recent times says something new. Promoted by a platform of protagonists: the Sophia Global Studies Research Centre, the Political Movement for Unity, NetOne, New Humanity and Digital Oath, the aim of the seminar is to address the pressing issues of the digital world according to different perspectives: philosophical, technological, ethical, social and political, leading up to a discussion about the proposal of an “oath”, that for professionals in the digital world would be equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath for doctors. Where does this idea come from? What are the goals? The technological world tends to change rapidly, faster than our ability to adapt. The complexity of the machines and systems that structure reality affects not only the way we live, but also the way we see the world and think about the future. The level reached by “AI – artificial intelligence”, alongside enthusiasm for its operational capabilities, presents a general concern about the new possibilities being opened up by these systems and the effects that can result from their malicious use. The recent spread of ChatGPT (November 2022) and all its spin-offs has brought AI massively closer to our daily lives, giving rise to new questions of meaning related to the understanding of what is human and what is not. In the world panorama, the evolution of these devices has produced a kind of disorientation, not only because their use appears within the reach of everyone, but above all because they demonstrate that they do something that was previously the prerogative of human beings, with quantitatively superior capacities. The fact that we are faced with systems that are not “intelligent” in the human sense of the term and that manage their knowledge base through statistical calculations does not change the final result: the feeling of no longer being the authors of fundamental choices, of being challenged by machines that are less like “tools” and more like “colleagues”. The “Towards a Digital Oath” seminar added an important theme to these issues which is that questioning the ethics of technologies means questioning what is human. Many people consider technological development as the human activity that characterizes us most. Digital technologies, and in particular AI, are those that most accurately reflect our way of being and of understanding our existence. The crises of the last century (of values, environmental, social and political) are closely related to them and indicate that technological development must be accompanied by an equally determined educational commitment, so that every form of progress can be guided by a deeper ethical awareness. The “oath” for the digital world goes precisely in this direction. The programme of the first days of June convened a range of experts (link to the programme). After an initial broad overview of today’s digital technologies, the discussion explored the risks and regulations related to their use in Italy, the EU, the US, Brazil and China, intertwining technological solutions with political issues, philosophical reflections and social phenomena. Fadi Chehadé, former CEO of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), promoter of the “oath” for an ethics of the digital world and visiting professor at the Sophia Institute, said, “We need to make a concrete and universally shared commitment to which developers, technicians and users of digital technologies can adhere and firmly anchor their work on a human centred approach”. Fadi Chehadé has been involved in this project since November 2019, when the first group met in Trent (Italy) to shape the project. Subsequently, the group involved scholars in various countries and participated in the UN-sponsored public consultation for the Global Digital Compact 2024. The purpose of the Digital Oath is precise: to suggest guidelines and ethically motivate developers and innovators of the digital world to put the dignity and quality of life of people and communities, the sense of human existence and respect for fundamental rights and the environment, at the centre. The proposal to “translate” the Hippocratic Oath for the digital world has already emerged in various international studies, which underline the urgency of the issue and the responsibility of those who create and manage digital services and administer data. It includes not only the new neural networks but also social networks and cryptocurrencies.  Our work adds to that of other networks: now we need to join forces to establish a coalition between universities, the private sector and organizations committed to writing a code of ethics, a self-regulatory protocol that can benefit people, society and the environment. There is an initial wording of the oath on the new Digital Oath website and it is attracting support; suggestions and changes to the text are welcome and it will be progressively developed. The recordings and documents of the Seminar will soon be available on the website. The road is certainly uphill but there are many of us on the journey: it is a horizon that concerns us all.

Andrea Galluzzi

Ecumenism: Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today

Jun 23, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church held its fifteenth plenary session from 1^st-7^th June 2023 in Alexandria, Egypt. It was hosted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Agreement was reached on a new document entitled “Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today”. We interviewed theologian Piero Coda, who attended the meeting. Fr. Coda, can you tell us how it went, who took part and what was the main objective? It was the 15^th plenary session of the “Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church” which was held in Alexandria, Egypt, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Job of Pisidia (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) and Cardinal Kurt Koch (Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity), with the cordial hospitality of Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria. It was a question of completing the stage of dialogue inaugurated by the document of Ravenna (2007). After developing the theological framework shared by Orthodox and Catholics about the interdependence of synodality and primacy in the life of the Church, it provided an historical examination of the situation experienced in the first millennium, proposed by the document of Chieti (2016) and reached a description of the situation experienced in the second millennium, which was the object of the document approved in Alexandria. Due to the well-known vicissitudes which torment the Orthodox world, the Patriarchate of Russia left the work of the Commission. There were no representatives of the Patriarchates of Antioch, Bulgaria and Serbia at the meeting in Alexandria, while the remaining 10 delegations of the other Patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Romania, Georgia) and the autocephalous Churches (Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) were present. In what terms is it possible to speak of Synodality in the ecumenical sense and what considerations emerged also taking the past into account? The theme is illustrated in the Introduction: “The present document considers the troubled history of the second millennium (…) It strives to give as far as possible a common reading of that history, and it gives Orthodox and Roman Catholics a welcome opportunity to explain themselves to one another at various points along the way, so as to further the mutual understanding and trust that are essential prerequisites for reconciliation at the start of the third millennium.” The result is a clearer and more shared understanding of the reasons that have led, not infrequently for reasons of a historical-political rather than theological nature, to encourage a distance that has not only prevented attempts at reconciliation made over the centuries from coming to fruition, but has exacerbated the polemical interpretation of the other party and the apologetic stiffening of its position. The enhancement of openness to a new situation marked by the rapprochement that occurred in the twentieth century must be noted: it favours a more pertinent assessment of the actual meaning and theological weight of what still prevents full and visible unity. What are the future prospects? The document emphasizes that the “return to the sources” of the faith and the strategy of the dialogue of charity between the “sister Churches” promoted, in the wake of Vatican II, by Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, are significant. The Catholic Church’s commitment today, tenaciously desired by Pope Francis, to rediscover and reactivate the principle of synodality also stimulates hope. What lies ahead? The document states that, “The Church is not properly understood as a pyramid, with a primate governing from the top, but neither is it properly understood as a federation of self-sufficient Churches. Our historical study of synodality and primacy in the second millennium has shown the inadequacy of both of these views. Similarly, it is clear that for Roman Catholics synodality is not merely consultative, and for Orthodox primacy is not merely honorific”. Therefore, the interdependence between synodality and primacy, this was the firm point which was achieved, “is a fundamental principle in the life of the Church. It is intrinsically related to the service of the unity of the Church at the local, regional and universal levels. However, principles must be applied in specific historical settings (…) What is required in new circumstances is a new and proper application of the same governing principle.” This perspective paves the way for the continuation of the journey and the opening of a new phase.

Carlos Mana e Maria Grazia Berretta (photo: ©Dicastero per la promozione dell’Unità dei cristiani)

Living prayer

Jun 22, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Entering into prayer helps us connect deeply with the presence of God in our lives. Chiara Lubich, Rev. Pasquale Foresti and Igino Giordani outline a spirituality for everyone, in daily life in towns and cities all over the world.   I realized, that modern times require a rather special kind of prayer. … In the past, people thought that the world and the universe were fixed, immovable. People had to find God through the stars, through flowers, through contemplation, peace, they found union with God through moments of recollection and prayer in the church, in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Instead, nowadays, people see that the world is in evolution – it’s constantly changing. Everything is changing and human beings also find themselves in this constant movement, they too are in race towards perfection. So, people can no longer stand still and contemplate, they have to … participate with God in this evolution, in this continuing creation.  So, everything you do in your job – at school, in the office, in the factory – is all part of building up the world together with God the Creator, of making the world develop. However, we have to take it ahead with the idea that we are participating in the creative work of God. Seen this way, our work is sacred. We are like the arms of God the Creator who keeps building up the world.

(Chiara Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, 25 February 1989 in “Il Respiro di Dio” [The Breath of God] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Città Nuova, 2022, p.122-123).

  A very important form of prayer can be experienced in work. I am thinking especially of people working in manufacturing, of all those people who during the day are overwhelmed by a workload that almost takes away their very ability to think and so, in a certain sense, also makes it almost impossible for them to pray.  If each morning, with a simple intention, we offer our daily life to God, then we will live deeply in relationship with God throughout the day.  And I think that when in the evening, these people who have worked so hard, are able to recollect themselves with God, even if only for a few moments despite their tiredness, they will find unity with him: they will find it because they have worked all day in relationship with him. And this is truly the most important thing: to be in a right relationship with him. And this, after all, is what humanity wants to hear today, that the whole universe and all that happens in it, can be understood in religious terms and can be transformed into one great prayer that rises up to God from the world.

Rev. Pasquale Foresi (in “Dio ci chiama. Conversazioni sulla vita cristiana” [God calls. Talks on Christian life] Città Nuova, 2003, p.116).

  This morning I felt as if I had come closer to God. I don’t think I had ever felt him so close to me. My joy was, and is, great. I feel that I have found access to Him, freely; and my intention is never to stray away from him again. By the grace of God, I have overcome the obstacles that kept me clinging to the earth. Now I am on earth, and I dwell in heaven (my ambition is huge, but His mercy is even greater.  I love God so much). I am no longer hindered by the impulses of vanity, of preferences in friendships. I go directly to God, discarding these wretched things. People may betray me, slander me, even kill me: but I have God; and I love these people, without being dependent on them.   I belong to God. I do not need anything else.

Igino Giordani (in “Diario di Fuoco” [Diary of Fire], Città Nuova, 1992, p.196).

Activate English subtitles https://youtu.be/nCT9WVDhcuk

SPARKS (the podcast): stories of the changemakers among us

Jun 16, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Today, the first episode of the new podcast, produced by the United World Project, has been published. The podcast tells stories of changemakers that have decided to start a new business, inspired by a spark that pushed them to act for the improvement of their society.

A spark can inspire change

Today, on 16th of June 2023, the United World Project is happy to present to you a new podcast in english: Sparks. In every new episode we will tell stories of changemakers from different parts of the world that gave life to a project, a company or an activity, after being inspired by a “spark”: a small light that has influenced many other people. Each one of them will take us to their country, where we’ll immerse ourselves in a new culture, and tell us how their project started. We do not have to be Greta Thunberg or Gandhi to initiate change. We believe that each one of us can make a difference. Maybe, all that’s needed is just a spark.

The first episode: Giving back to society one jar at a time  

Giving back to society, one jar at a time. We all have big dreams. Mabih’s was to work at the United Nations, and for years she did all she could to make it come true. But things did not go as she hoped. In 2019, she realized that what she thought was her dream to help others was maybe in fact her own personal desire for affirmation in society. So she allowed that dream to transform, and her life changed in ways she could never imagine. Today, Nji Mabih runs a small business, she is 38 years old and lives in Cameroon. To keep reading, click here. To listen to the episode immediately on Spotify, click here!  If you prefer to listen to podcasts on other platforms, you can also find “Sparks” on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Amazon Music, Anghami and Audible. Enjoy!

Laura Salerno

Living the Gospel: “Live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11)

Jun 16, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Letting God dwell in us: this is the starting point to safeguard and give joyful witness of the inestimable value of unity and peace, in charity and truth; to enrich ourselves and be seeds of goodness and brotherhood for the world. Without measuring hatred I live in a Ukrainian town on the border with Slovakia. We are not being bombed but we experience the terrible consequences of the war: displaced people with all their needs, the demand for torches and candles, medicines, blankets… A great darkness has descended on our land. News about people who betray others, of those who get rich in these terrible situations, of those who exploit others are the order of the day: when it triumphs, evil has no rules, no limits. But in spite of everything, something else happens: the people here feel involved in the pain of others and look for solutions. The need for warmth, protection and solidarity has returned to families. I witness this paradox of a war of evil and of the triumph of good. We tell the story of Chiara Lubich and her first followers: they too began during a war and they did not measure hatred, but turned on good and then spread everywhere. The forces of evil will not prevail. Our gratitude is a true prayer that rises to heaven like a song of praise to the God who is Love. (S.P. – Ukraine) A chain of love In the waiting room of my shop, the customers usually exchange news and since I hadn’t seen Mrs. Adele, an elderly woman who sometimes came to us, for a long time, I asked one of them for her news. So I learned that Adele was seriously ill and, driven by the desire to see her again, one day I decided to visit her. I found Mrs. Adele, alone and without relatives, completely abandoned. I immediately I circulated a request for help, looking for someone who could keep her company.  Three clients responded immediately. A kind of competition started until one of their sons worked hard to get her admitted to a home that provided assistance and care. I too volunteered to give my services as a hairdresser, not only for Adele but for anyone. Adele’s story has shown me that it is enough to begin with concrete acts of charity; the chain of love then unfolds quickly and effectively. (F.D.R. – Italy) A School of Solidarity In the desert, outside the city of Egypt where I live, there are 1000 people with leprosy. Until a few years ago no one knew about this colony. We went to check the situation and found that they lacked everything. No doctors visited them.  We contacted Carita and we opened our group to other young Christians and Muslims with whom we go there on our days off work. Two of us are medical students and are in charge of medical care, so they brushed up on the methods of treatment for leprosy. Others gave their time to paint the houses and make them more comfortable. A young journalist has published some articles in various newspapers and magazines in order to inform as many people as possible and raise awareness of the problem. Above all, we realized that the patients of this colony need someone to listen to them, which for them is almost more important than medicine. This experience has become a real school for us: it has made us understand how each of us can give our contribution for others. (H.F.S.- Egypt)

compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from The Gospel of the Day, New City, year IX – no. 1 May-June 2023)

Meeting on Human Fraternity: work in which we all share

Jun 14, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Meeting on Human Fraternity took place in the Vatican on 10 June 2023.  The Focolare Movement together with a number of other ecclesial movements and international associations and organisations took part in this international event. It was represented by its president, Margaret Karram and a number of other  focolarini including Christian Abrahao Da Silva who spoke  about his impressions. The meeting had a number of aims: these included  promoting and developing the process of participation,  rediscovering the meaning of fraternity and building it together through dialogue, knowledge, opportunities for encounter and sharing words and actions.  The gathering was promoted by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation and St. Peter’s Papal Basilica, under the patronage of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s  Basilica in the Vatican and Vicar General of the Vatican State. It was inspired by the encyclical Fratelli Tutti and participants included several Nobel Peace Laureates and a number of well known people from the worlds of science, culture and law. They were given the task  of    creating a “Call to Commitment for Human Fraternity.” The document they produced was read by two Nobel Prize laureates, Nadia Murad and Muhammad Yunus, during the Festival held in St. Peter’s Square in the afternoon and was later signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, on behalf of Pope Francis as well as the group that drafted the document. Christian Abrahao Da Silva, a focolarino who attended the Meeting, tells us what an extraordinary moment it was. Christian, what did taking part in this event dedicated to world fraternity mean to you? First of all, it was a great honour.  Margaret Karram, the Focolare president, another focolarina called Corres Kwak and I represented the  entire Movement during this great event.  Its goal was to  promote fraternity and social friendship among people and among peoples, as an antidote to the many forms of violence and war taking place in the world. The meeting was held in two parts: the morning session  took place in the ancient synod hall, with the presence of representatives of various church movements and associations. Instead, in the afternoon, a large Festival was held in St. Peter’s Square and this connected with events taking place in  various squares around the world. How did the Meeting begin? During the morning, we took part in two working groups where we were asked to answer two questions: “What are we doing concretely to achieve social fraternity and environmental fraternity?” and  “Is there still  an ‘us’?” These were very good sessions in which everyone was involved. People talked a lot about  the “garden” in reference to the Garden of Eden about which   Pope Francis had written in  Fratelli Tutti. The words used most often were were: compassion, responsibility (political and economic), sharing, integral promotion, recognition of every human person, care and welcome.  It was  a real ecclesial experience: there was  great hope that this can grow and  witness to the need to rediscover and strengthen human fraternity. What  impressed you the most? In addition to the group of Nobel Peace Prize winners and the group of ecclesial movements and associations, there was also a group of 30  young students from various Italian schools who were accompanied by their  religious education teachers.  They had taken part in a competition to express the theme of the Meeting in a variety of different artistic forms. Their presence was an important sign of the commitment of the new generations to learning about fraternity. Other things that struck me were  the experiences that some people shared  on Festival stage in the afternoon and the artists who shared their talents so freely and joyfully.

What does the Focolare Movement take home after this event? Pope Francis relaunches fraternity as a new anthropological paradigm on which to rebuild actions and laws because “fraternity has something positive to offer freedom and equality” (Fratelli Tutti, no. 103). This notion brought to mind a talk by Chiara Lubich entitled, “Freedom, equality…what happened to fraternity?” It was one of those events that encourages us to throw ourselves more and more into the heart of our charism of unity. Moreover, Cardinal Gambetti really touched our hearts when he explained the inspiration behind the Meeting.  He said it was both a “process and experience,  a first step in rediscovering the meaning of fraternity and building it culturally.” He continued by saying that  becausé it is not giveǹ biologically, fraternity needs encounter and dialogue, knowledge and shared words and gestures, common languages and the experience of beauty.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Prayers for Pope Francis’ health

Jun 8, 2023 | Non categorizzato

As is well known, on the 7th of June, Pope Francis underwent surgery at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The Pope is “in a generally good condition” and is peaceful. He is thankful for the messages of solidarity that are being sent to him from all over the world and asks people to continue praying for him. Margaret Karram has also sent him prayers and affection on behalf of the whole Focolare Movement.  

Rocca di Papa, 8th June 2023

Your Holiness, dear Pope Francis,

We anxiously followed the news of the surgery you underwent yesterday and are delighted with the recent comforting reports about your health. United with the whole Church, we accompany you with the prayers and spiritual offerings of the Movement’s communities around the world. We assure you that we will continue to support you, asking the Father for your full recovery, so that you may continue your invaluable ministry.

I send you my most affectionate greetings and those of the Focolare Movement!

Your daughter in Christ,

Margaret Karram

Guatemala: an ecumenical chapel at the Fiore Educational Centre

May 30, 2023 | Non categorizzato

An Ecumenical Chapel was recently inaugurated at the Fiore Educational Centre in Mixco (Guatemala). The Directors Maresa Ramírez and Luis Martinez told us how the idea came about at the same time as Pentecost, which is when the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated in the southern hemisphere. “We don’t just focus on one Christian denomination, we look for what unites us within Christianity. That’s why our chapel is ecumenical. We want everyone to feel part of the family of our Educational Centre, we want to include each other.” With these words, Maresa Ramírez explained the objective of the new ecumenical chapel built in the Fiore Educational Centre in Mixco (Guatemala), of which she is General Director and works together with Luis Martinez, who is the Administrative Director. The Centre has been welcoming children from different Christian denominations for 10 years and following the pandemic, the number has gradually increased. The chapel is part of the school’s educational plan which is based on academic, physical-emotional and spiritual processes. The chapel offers several elements to try to favour a relationship with God, while taking into account the age of the children who attend the school. Luis Martinez told us: “The project of the chapel includes ideas based on play, using games to bring children closer to God and have a relationship with Him. For example, we have installed tubes that run from the entrance of the chapel towards the Cross, so that if a child wishes, they can send a secret message to Jesus. Then, the clouds create the atmosphere of the sky, because we place God in relationship with the sky. The children are the focus and when they enter this place there is immediately a relationship which is both fun and serious at the same time”. The school offers children this space where they can go when they feel they would like to spend a moment with God. In the area of education in faith and values, the children learn how to do origami, so that they can write their acts of love, and leave them there, offering them to Jesus, “on the basis of what Chiara Lubich taught children: when you do an act of love, think of it like a little parcel and send it to Heaven”. The occasion of the inauguration was a great example of collaboration, since the dialogue between the Focolare Movement in Guatemala and the Ecumenical Christian Council of Guatemala is extensive. Luis Martinez told us, “We have built a relationship with each of the members, in particular with the Catholic Bishop, Monsignor Valenzuela. When we spoke to him, we realized how important the existence of this chapel is, because in the Guatemalan ecumenical reality, dialogue is really essential”.  Apart from these existing contacts based on fraternity,  people from 7 Christian Churches came too and about 25 people participated in the inauguration of the chapel. The inauguration was organized by the Fiore Educational Centre and Monsignor Valenzuela and included psalms, reading of the Word and several prayers of blessing and praise. The pupils said a prayer for peace. The director, Ramírez,  concluded, “It was a very good moment. Those who intervened noticed that the children are at the centre of our educational plan and that we are the first school in the country to have an ecumenical chapel“.

Diego Santizo

Indonesia – dialogue as a way of life

May 27, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The trip to Asia and Oceania by Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, has come to an end. Here are some updates on what they experienced on the final stage: Indonesia Panongan (Indonesia), 17^th of May 2023 – It is 8 a.m. in the morning in the Catholic parish of St. Odelia, about two hours from Jakarta. Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo, Cardinal of the Indonesian capital, has arranged a meeting for representatives of the government and law enforcement agencies, the municipality, the villages, as well as Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu religious leaders. The purpose was to tell the President and Co-President of the Focolare about a pilot social project, being conducted collaboratively by all these sectors of society, in support of the city of Tangerang/Banten. With more than two million inhabitants, this is the third most populous area west of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which with all its satellite cities has almost thirty million inhabitants. It is an area where there is great development, but also economic inequality. The people living in the villages are poor, working in the rice fields, living off the land and raising chickens, goats, and a few cows. This area, with an overwhelming Muslim majority, is within the St Odelia parish. Father Felix Supranto – known as “Romo Felix” by everyone (“romo” means “father” in Bahasa, the country’s official language) is the dynamic parish priest of St. Odelia’s. He has the gift of knowing how to bring people together. He is our host along with the many parishioners he has involved in various social projects over the years. The Cardinal explained: ‘The dialogue we have here with our brothers and sisters of different religions is something concrete,’ ‘it looks at the needs of the people. There is a need for houses, to create job opportunities, to bring water to the villages. We are working on this ‘together’ and it is important that the President and Co-President of the Focolare have come here to see what could be a model of dialogue, also outside Indonesia. Our country’s motto is ‘unity in diversity’ and it very much expresses who we are, and how we face challenges.” “We are honoured to have you with us,” said Father Felix to Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, “to share the journey we are on. So far, we have built twelve houses to help the poor and it is this working together that makes us brothers and sisters, even with our differences. The day continued with a visit to a school for children from 6 to 15 years old, to several villages where, thanks to the funds raised, it has been possible to bring water, to breed cows, goats and catfish and where the added value is the full involvement of everyone: institutions and local people. The visit to the madrassa – an Islamic school – is the last appointment of this first day of visits that shows us the supportive and communitarian character that is the real strength of this country. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – we are different, but we are one Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, ‘We are different, but we are one’ is in fact the motto of Indonesia, inscribed on the national coat of arms depicting an ancient deity, the Javanese eagle. A record breaking country With its 17,000 islands and more than three hundred ethnic groups, each with its own vibrant cultural tradition, Indonesia is a country of rich diversity. And today the population proudly presents itself to the world as an example of tolerance and coexistence between diverse cultures and religions. One example among many: the Istiqlal (Independence) Mosque in Jakarta is the largest in South-East Asia. It stands directly opposite the Catholic cathedral and during major Christian celebrations, such as Christmas, the mosque gives support by providing parking spaces for Christian worshippers; it happens the other way around on Islamic feast days. Indonesia has the highest biodiversity on the planet, but deforestation and exploitation of resources are threatening the preservation of these natural environments with serious consequences. Wealth is unevenly distributed, and it is estimated that 27,000 millionaire families (0.1% of the population) own more than half of the country’s wealth. Although it is not easy to get accurate statistics, the population is estimated at 273 million, making it the fourth most populous country in the world. Indonesia has the highest Muslim population in the world (86.1 %); Christians of various Churches make up 10.53 %, and religious affiliation is recorded on identity cards. The focolarini in Southeast Asia and Pakistan Jakarta, 19^th May 2023 – Seeing the focolarini from Southeast Asia and Pakistan who have arrived in Jakarta to meet with Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, the great potential of the Asian continent comes to light. They witness to the encounter between very different peoples and cultures: from Thailand to Myanmar, from Vietnam to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. Many of them were connected online, like the focolarini in Pakistan for example, but the distance does not prevent a deep communion in which we witnessed both the challenges of inculturation in individual countries and the strength of unity, which can reach the most diverse environments. There was a very attentive atmosphere during the question-and-answer session with Margaret Karram, Jesús Morán, Rita Moussallem and Antonio Salimbeni (who are jointly responsible for the Focolare’s interreligious dialogue). The women focolarine from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) asked how to spread the spirituality of unity in these times when it is difficult to interest people, and especially young people. “On this trip to Asia and Oceania,” Margaret explained, “I realised that the way we have been offering the spirituality of unity up to now has to change, because society has changed. We are all living so ‘connected’ to one another that we need to find a way of presenting the various vocations not each one on its own, but alongside one another. Perhaps we could do this when we meet as a community of the Movement at a local level; then it will be God who speaks to the heart of each one, calling them to the different paths. I see that what touches people’s hearts is caring for people personally, building true relationships, made of selfless love. People should find in each of us a brother, a sister, a friend. Only when we have built a relationship can, we invite them to get to know the spirituality of the Focolare”. “Sometimes we might think that we do not have the right means for interesting people in the spirituality of unity,” continued Jesús in the same vein, “but we must beware of giving in to the temptation to adapt what we say to the flow of the world in order to be accepted at all costs. We have to be in the world, because it is beautiful, God created it, but we should feel the contrast with the world; it is Christian to experience it, because we belong to a truth, the truth of Christ, which goes beyond the world’. Dialogue as a way of life Jakarta, 20th May-Yogyakarta, 21^st May 2023 – “Since February 2021, our life in Myanmar has changed completely. My region is the one where the conflict is worst. We wouldn’t want anyone to have to hear the explosions of artillery and aerial bombings, it is not human. We are rooted in God and focused on living in the present – because we do not know if we will be here tomorrow – and we continue to bring our people love and new hope. Every day I understand more Jesús’s words: ‘Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (Jn 15:13)”. The speaker was Gennie, who is Burmese and works for an aid agency that takes care of displaced persons of whom there are more than one million since the coup. Hers is one of the testimonies that recounted the life and challenges of the Focolare communities in Southeast Asia at the forum “Dialogue as a way of life”, held in partnership with the Catholic University of Jakarta “Atma Jaya”. 290 people attended from various parts of Indonesia as well as from various countries in Southeast Asia. Another three hundred were linked by streaming from Pakistan and elsewhere. At the centre of their testimonies is the culture of dialogue that is lived in these countries in everyday life, becoming a way of life, also in the world of economics, as Lawrence Chong from Singapore recounted. Since 2004 he has been running a management consultancy company with two other partners, a Methodist and a Muslim, according to the principles of the Economy of Communion. “Today we are present in 23 countries and our work is to bring about change, to have an impact on the economic system and improve it, based on the principles of interdependence and mutual love.” After the celebration, where the different peoples present shared their great cultural wealth and variety of traditions, Margaret and Jesús answered some questions and shared their initial impressions of this trip. “Asia is the continent where the sun rises, while we come from Europe, where the sun is setting,” said Jesús. “In Asia and Oceania, we found a very lively Church, as well as people of different religions, and we immersed ourselves in the light that we found in the deep humanity of people. We have received so much hope for the Church and for the Work of Mary. This hope will not meet with disappointment if these people remain true to themselves. Of course, we also saw the problems: the poverty, conflicts, and wars. So, it is true that the sun rises in these countries, but we also have before us a great challenge: our hope is that the Gospel can also bear a message of freedom for these peoples”. The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Piero Pioppo, who came to celebrate Mass, expressed his wish that the message of unity and of communion may grow and spread in this world that is in dire need of it. The roots of the movement in Indonesia Also in Yogyakarta, Margaret and Jesús were welcomed by the Focolare community with the traditional dance of welcome. The meeting there was a journey into the extraordinarily rich Javanese culture and traditions, and an opportunity to learn about the roots and development of the Movement in Indonesia. After several trips were made from the Philippines from the late 1980s onwards, the focolare arrived in Medan in 2004. But no one will ever forget 2006, the year of the terrible earthquake that claimed thousands of lives. Its epicentre was on the island of Java, in the region of Yogyakarta, where the focolare is now located. Bapak Totok, one of the animators of the local community, tells how the people of the Focolare Movement, together with the local people, rolled up their sleeves to help build 22 “Pendopo” (community centres in twenty-two villages) as well as a social project. These centres have been a sign of peace and unity among people of different religions. Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University: in dialogue to promote fraternity Yogyakarta, 22^nd May 2023 – With its 20,000 students, Sunan Kalijaga University is an important national academic centre for Islamic studies and has also had a Cultural Centre for Interfaith Dialogue since 2005. Margaret Karram, together with Rita Moussallem and Antonio Salimbeni, participated in the seminar “In dialogue to promote fraternity” with 160 students, teachers, and members of the local Focolare community. It is a subject that resonates in a special way here, where dialogue “goes beyond” university lecture halls or study forums, as it is both the challenge and the foundation of Indonesian society. “The presence of the leaders of the Focolare Movement is important,” explained Prof. Inayah Rohmaniyah, “because it allows us to take an extra step, not to look only at Indonesia, but to become together builders of a world renewed by the values of the fraternity that we are living, here, today”. The students’ questions focussed on the strategy of dialogue to combine cultural and religious diversity even in situations of social conflict. “Sometimes we talk very much about the difficulties and very little about the riches that these diversities bring in themselves” Antonio Salimbeni replied. “First of all, we are human beings, brothers and sisters, which is why it is important to be open, to understand the religion of the other from his or her perspective; to try to think as a Muslim thinks, as a Hindu thinks, to see the world as the other person sees it. The journey is ending, but a world is opening up Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán first official trip to Asia and Oceania is ending after 45 days travelling, visiting five countries, and meeting several thousand people – 1,500 in Indonesia alone. They met very different peoples and cultures, they have seen the challenges at first hand, but also the vitality of the Church in countries where Christianity is a minority. They have witnessed dialogue between people of different religions taking place in everyday life, dialogue that can give concrete answers to the social and economic problems of peoples and they have shared in the life of the Focolare communities in this part of the world. It is not easy to take stock on the spur of the moment, but nonetheless the question was asked, and Margaret shared some impressions of the recent public meetings: ‘I feel strongly that God is asking the Movement, in Asia in particular, but also worldwide, to take an important step. Dialogue must become our way of life, our way of acting, at all times. We cannot continue as before, looking only at our Movement and doing our own activities. The time has come to go outside, to work with other organisations, with people of different religions, as we are already doing here. So, let’s get going, there’s no time to lose! This journey has given me, once again the confirmation that unity and peace in the world are possible. Sometimes looking at the world today, with its wars and injustices, I have had doubts. But in all the countries we visited, I met many people committed to building a different society, to building bridges, even making great sacrifices. It is they who have given me the certainty that together we can make a difference and give our contribution”.

Stefania Tanesini

The Holy Land: charisms in communion for a new time of Pentecost

May 26, 2023 | Non categorizzato

A unique opportunity to get to know each other, to share and to rediscover the beauty of being a collective  witness to the Resurrection. This is what the Ecclesial Movements and the new communities  in the Holy Land were able to experience on the journey they began together at Pentecost a year ago. Communion, participation and mission: these are the three key words related to the Synodal Pathway that was launched in October 2021. At its inauguration, Pope Francis invited followers of the Universal Church to listen and be close to others; this created the context of the local phase of the Synod.  At the invitation of Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch  of Jerusalem,  the Ecclesial Movements and the new communities present in the Holy Land were able to meet, listen to each other and work in communion in preparing the 2022 Pentecost Vigil.  This was a special occasion when many people experienced the joy of feeling they were one body in the Church, enlivened and renewed by the Holy Spirit.  Within the sociopolitical and cultural context of the Holy Land, there was possibility of generating “unity,” learning from each other’s charism and putting one’s own at the service of all. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa said, “I think that if we are to feel that we are one body, the first thing to do is to speak, to communicate but, above all, to listen. Listening does not mean only hearing, it means expecting to receive from the other person who becomes the subject –  I am not the subject,  the other person is.” Pentecost marks the time when the Church on  its pilgrimage to meet the Lord, constantly receives  the Spirit from him. The same Spirit  gathers it in faith and charity, sanctifies it  and sends it on mission. At Pentecost 2023 we share an account of this experience of communion.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://youtu.be/I8aQgmAPBOg  

Flood emergency: news from Emilia-Romagna

May 25, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The wave of bad weather that has poured over Italy in recent weeks has specifically affected the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. To date, many people continue to work in the terrible,  muddy conditions to assist entire communities that have been displaced and have lost everything due to the flood. An appeal for funds has been launched by the Focolare Emergency Coordination Committee. It is a climate emergency that has hit Emilia-Romagna and Marche, two regions of central-northern Italy in recent weeks. A catastrophe that has claimed 15 victims so far and displaced about 23,000 people. Several cities have been completely brought to their knees, submerged by water due to the many flooded rivers. There is extensive damage to homes, furniture and cars, as well as to businesses, farms and crops. In Emilia-Romagna the most affected area so far has been that of Faenza which in one night ended up almost completely underwater due to the rupture of the banks of several rivers. The communities of the Focolare Movement in the area told us, “Many families have been evacuated, for example, a family with three children was rescued when the water had already reached the first floor of their home. Despite having lost everything, the next day this same family, helped by the local Civil Protection Organization, opened their family run restaurant and prepared hot lunches for hundreds of evacuated people.” A social worker from Faenza, a member of the Focolare, said: “A few nights ago, I was in the Town Hall, the headquarters of the Emergency Operations Center. It was a very emotional experience. If I think about it, I cry… I ask Jesus for the strength to do what is best for each person.” In another town, Cesena, the Savio River flooded and the adjoining houses were engulfed. Wherever possible, and thanks to a lull in the rain, the first volunteers started working. In the city of Cesenatico the situation is extremely difficult. The sea has invaded beaches, bathing establishments and streets. In the surroundings of Bologna, on the other hand, there are many small towns still flooded; the people have all been evacuated. A bridge has collapsed that has completely diverted the river bed inwards and the people are saying, “it will take time but help will certainly be necessary”. Reports from these areas say, “The water is not being absorbed by the ground. It continues to rain and is like a wave, which depending on the levels of the ground, behaves in an unpredictable way”. In the south of Romagna, between Ravenna and Rimini, the situation has also worsened in the towns of Russi and Lugo. Other members of the Focolare Movement told us: “In the town of Bagnara di Romagna, we have had water 20 cms deep; the ground floors, garages and basements are full of water, but we’re fine.” It’s a catastrophe that will have to be tackled but despite the enormous difficulties, many people fervently desire to take concrete action to rebuild.  One said, “The beauty is that one of the things to manage is the infinite offers of help we are receiving. Many people are offering homes and hospitality and we are setting up a team that will deal with the numerous requests and offers. The local Islamic Community, in contact with the Focolare Movement, has also expressed willingness to welcome or carry out joint actions. The extraordinary fundraising appeal initiated by the Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement in support of the population of Emilia-Romagna and Marche, through the ONLUS Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN) is ongoing. Contributions received will be jointly managed by AMU and AFN to initiate reconstruction actions.   You can donate online on the following sites: AMU: www.amu-it.eu/dona-online-3/ AFN: www.afnonlus.org/dona/ or by transfer to the following current accounts: Action for a United World ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica SWIFT/BIC code: ETICIT22XXX Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica SWIFT/BIC code: ETICIT22XXX Reason: Emilia-Romagna and Marche Emergency Tax benefits are provided for such donations in many countries of the European Union and in other countries of the world, according to the different local regulations. Italian taxpayers will be able to obtain deductions and deductions from income, according to the legislation provided for the NGOs

Blessed Doubts: A Podcast to Explore Our Questions

May 23, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Tommaso Bertolasi and Laura Salerno are the creators of “Benedetti dubbi” (Blessed doubts) a new podcast from the young people of the Focolare Movement. The first episode will be available on 23^rd May, 2023. We asked Tommaso and Laura to explain how doubts can really be a “blessing”, in order to get to know ourselves and others better. What is our calling? What is the best road to follow when we come to one of the many crossroads that life throws at us? Do we know ourselves and, above all, who has the antidote for fear? Questions like these, the kind that overwhelm our daily lives, are the subject matter of “Benedetti dubbi”, the new podcast designed for young people and by young people, released (in Italian) on 23^rd May. To find out more about it, we interviewed the authors of this project, long-time friends, Tommaso Bertolasi, a researcher in philosophy at the Sophia University Institute (Loppiano, Florence) and Laura Salerno, a young member of the Focolare Movement, a writer and a student of literature. Laura, how did it all start? It all started in 2018. Tommaso and I were in Argentina. We met at a conference for young people of the Focolare Movement. Since he is a philosopher, he had been invited as a speaker to talk about freedom. I listened to what he said and liked it very much. Over the years he has continued to engage in dialogue with and for young people, so much so that he has decided to compile some of the exchanges in a book, entitled “The last hour of the night”, which will be released by Città Nuova in August 2023. And then came the idea: “Well if a book is coming out, why not do a podcast that deals with the same content?” And so a few months ago I got a phone call inviting me to help him bring this project to life. Tommaso, why a podcast? Sometimes ideas are like a cocktail: they come out of the union of various things. And this is what happened with “Blessed Doubts”. At a certain point I realized that I had a lot of material for meetings, workshops and dialogues, that I had often prepared with young people. Hence the idea of not restricting important themes such as freedom, choices, fragility and vocation to just one occasion but of being able to offer them to everyone. Then I thought that other languages and themes could also be explored and so here is the podcast. I wanted to create a format more suitable for young people, who often nowadays, find reading a challenge. Or at least, they read something after you’ve convinced them it’s worth it. In all this work, an additional factor was the World Youth Day that dictated the timing of this operation a little. I thought it would be nice that the Focolare Movement could offer something to those who are preparing to go to Lisbon. It will be released on the major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast), one episode per week for 6 weeks. Laura, what age group are you targeting? Our target age range is 18-30 years. This is why the main themes are questions about fragility, freedom, relationships, trying to find one’s place in the world. It’s all about trying to see doubt as a positive thing, as a springboard to live more deeply and more consciously what happens to us. Tommaso, how did you determine the topics to be addressed for each episode? My initial idea was to replicate the contents of the book, paraphrasing it. Working with Laura, however, I realized that her questions led the conversation to other areas, that the young people she had in mind were also her university classmates who do not necessarily recognize themselves in any religious creed. I understood that Laura had deep questions that were partly hers and partly reflected her world of relationships: it was from those questions that we had to start to weave something suitable for young adults. What was the most difficult episode for you, Laura? I think the hardest was the first one. We were both a bit nervous, and then we had to introduce the podcast, make it clear why we think it is important to ask questions, not to exist in anxiety or submerged in paranoia. A further challenge was that a few days before we recorded the first few episodes, I had a bad cold and a high temperature.  Everything always happens at the same time! But we managed to do it also thanks to the super team that supported us during the recording. Tommaso, what did you gain from this project? I learned a lot from all the people with different skills who worked on this project. Indeed, the realization of “Blessed doubts” was a collective operation. And after you listen to the podcast, we’d love to have your feedback, on Spotify, on our social networks (@Y4UW and Movimento_dei_focolari) or via email (ufficio.comunicazione@focolare.org). For further information about other projects in the pipeline, stay connected to the social channels of the Focolare Movement.  

Maria Grazia Berretta

Flood emergency in Emilia-Romagna and Marche (Italy)

May 19, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Emergency Coordination group of the Focolare Movement has launched an extraordinary fundraising campaign to support people in Emilia-Romagna and Marche. These two regions in the centre-north of Italy are affected by serious flooding. Funds will be made available through the non-profit organisations Action for a United World (AMU in Italian) and Action for New Families (AFN). Donations will be jointly managed by AMU and AFN to begin reconstruction (many people’s homes have been damaged, as well as furniture and vehicles that are essential for transport and work activities. There has also been extensive damage to livestock and crops…) You can donate online at: AMU: www.amu-it.eu/dona-online-3/ AFN: www.afnonlus.org/dona/ Or by bank transfer to the following current accounts: Action for a United World ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica SWIFT/BIC Code: ETICIT22XXX Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica SWIFT/BIC Code: ETICIT22XXX Reason for payment: Emergency in Emilia-Romagna and Marche Tax benefits are available for such donations in many EU countries and in other countries around the world, according to different local regulations. Italian taxpayers can obtain deductions and allowances from their income, according to the regulations for non-profit organisations.

Connecting with the Focolare family in Australia

May 19, 2023 | Non categorizzato

We have come to the Australian stage of THE journey BY Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement. IT IS a continent with extraordinary cultural riches and a diverse and multicultural Focolare family.

Suva to Sydney

Margaret and Jesús have certainly taken radical leaps throughout this trip. (Just think of their jump from Japan to Fiji.) The flight from Suva to Sydney 9 May was certainly similar, as the sudden shift from seeing the handful of fishing villages on the south coast of Fiji’s main island to the bright shiny jewel of a city in Australia is nothing short of extreme.

The shimmering lights of iconic Sydney harbour were on full display as our plane circled closely, almost as if to proudly show off this ‘beaut’ of a city.

Stepping into this multicultural metropolis, our diverse local community is there to welcome them in their many languages. They hail from South Korea, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Bangladesh, Brazil, and of course Anglo-Celtic Australia. They are Catholics, Melkites, Chaldeans, Anglicans; the local Focolare region of Sydney includes Brisbane, Australian capital Canberra and their surrounding areas.

Meeting the Archbishop of Canberra

Connecting with the local Church remains top priority. During a profound yet light-hearted meeting with Archbishop Christopher Prowse, currently the archbishop of Canberra, he spotlighted the life of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint.

“If Mary McKillop were alive today, she would be very comfortable with Focolare,” the archbishop said, pointing to her interfaith works.

He took us to her tomb and prayed that like her, the charism of unity would bloom like a rose, spreading its scent throughout Australia.

In through the art door

A clear window into an indigenous culture is through its art, but to know what you are looking at, having a guide is essential.

Enter Alexandra Gaffikin, an English Volunteer in Sydney with extensive experience in the museum and heritage sector. Her roles have included ‘head of interpretation’ at a museum, which certainly was handy as the group visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales for an exhibition on contemporary Aboriginal art.

Iconic bark paintings, for instance, were shown to be so much more: they are at once histories, maps, title deeds, and rulebooks even. They can be three dimensional, with underpainting showing underground water sources, for example.

In Aboriginal culture, these artworks are alive as people (and could even be painted on someone’s body). These are living collections displaying knowledge passed down through millennia.

Moments to enjoy Sydney

Amid a day full of meetings, Margaret and Jesús were able to fit in some time to take in Sydney, hopping on one of the many ferries and heading towards Circular Quay and the iconic Sydney Opera House. The views are spectacular! Happy to get behind the camera for a bit, Margaret ended up snapping quite a few pictures herself.

The upside of merging across the globe

This visit was an opportunity for focolarini from across the region – including from as far as Perth, Wellington and Fiji – to come together for some meaningful sessions. It is a time where the movement’s organisation has been merging, and now as a result exceedingly different cultures (think Korea, Japan and Chinese speaking areas, for instance) now need to adjust and collaborate directly.

“I think up until now we didn’t understand all the consequences and all the positive things, even though it has been very difficult all this process.

“But we will see the consequences, I think, in a few years. Because what it is helping us is to really break down all the barriers… first of all in our hearts, and the barriers between nations…

“If we want to have peace, we have to have peace among us focolarini and among communities. We have to look at other countries… as our own countries and discover that we can be this ‘connecting family’…

“We don’t have to give other people our richness, we have to help them to discover theirs.”

Margaret Karram

A special presence despite medical challenges

There was a particularly meaningful moment when three married focolarine who are seriously ill were able to greet everyone remotely.

“I just want to assure you of my unity. Much as I would’ve wanted, I was fully booked, but I had to change because of what God had in store for me,” said one.

“It’s been good because I feel where I’m where God wanted me to be, but it’s not where I wanted to be,” another told the group.

“Physically I can’t run, but inside I really want to run, I’m so excited,” said the third. “Enthusiasm does not have any age.”

Welcome to country

Aboriginal culture in Australia is the oldest continuous culture known, dating back at least 60,000 years. The proper protocol when beginning meetings in Australia is to have a ‘welcome to country’ from an Aboriginal elder, or a formal acknowledgement of the traditional custodians of the land.

As the Focolare community gathered from throughout Australia, we were privileged to have ‘Aunty Ali’ Golding, a Biripi elder, to welcome us all.

She grew up on an Aboriginal mission and later lived in a suburb of Sydney for over 20 years. In the 1980s, Ali was one of the first Aboriginal education assistants, and in 2004, she gained her diploma in theology.

She has contributed to various local, national and international forums, including the New South Wales Reconciliation Council and Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation. This has helped deepen public understanding of indigenous culture and history for the public.

Aunty Ali’s presence at our Focolare event with Margaret and Jesús certainly deepened our appreciation for this national treasure and her rich heritage. “It has been one of the most heartfelt welcomes that I have ever experienced,” she said. “Here I felt the Creator’s spirit.”

The best meeting of the whole trip (so far)

Margaret and Jesús had a dynamic, insightful meeting with close to 30 young people. When asked about their challenges, they did not hold back, but spoke candidly of the indifference they encounter with their peers daily. Their numbers are small; the distances are huge.

Margaret shared her early Gen life in Haifa with her sister, and how they started small, receiving the Gen magazine by mail. She was proud of how they had begun, and said she was just as proud of those present for moving forward with their Gen life.

Jesús encouraged the young people as well, making the effort to reassure them that sharing their difficulties was not negative at all. “This was the best meeting of this entire trip,” he said at the end. “I liked it a lot.”

Drawing on rich experience

Rita and Antonio, who look after the Focolare Oceania region from Rome, have also been travelling with the group. When asked how they live dialogue and fraternity in conflict situations, they reached into their own vast backgrounds.

“My experience in interreligious dialogue has been discovering that we are walking together towards God,” said Antonio.

“Dialogue is an encounter,” Rita added. “What is really important is to meet the other and discover that love drives fear away.”

How to bodysurf (spiritually)

The surf was certainly ‘up’ on the beaches around Sydney, with young and old donning their wetsuits and grabbing their boards to catch a few waves. ‘Bodysurfing’ is also popular – people ride the ocean waves without a board as well. It’s truly exhilarating.

But to get out to where the best waves are to ride, first you have to deal with the powerful ones rolling in towards you — the ones you don’t want to ride, the ones you aren’t ready for.

“Someone explained to me the dynamics of this sport, and right away what came to my mind was our love for Jesus Forsaken,” Margaret said.

Bodysurfers essentially dive deep below those incoming waves they don’t want to ride, so low that they can touch the sand at the bottom. Doing so, they avoid getting swept away by the power of the ocean. Once the wave rolls over, they come back to the surface to find a wave worth riding.

“Like those who bodysurf, you don’t fight the waves, you don’t ‘fight the trials’, but you go to the bottom of your heart, recognising Jesus in every pain, and continuing to love him, you come up again, finding the light through love.”

T. M. Hartmann

Living the Gospel: “Love one another with mutual affection, outdo one another in showing honour” (Rom 12:10)

May 19, 2023 | Non categorizzato

In these words of St Paul, fraternity is a call to goodness, to the life that is born from baptism, and this kinship in love allows us to see the other’s existence as a precious gift for us. The grade I was in the third year of high school and had an important physics oral exam coming up. I started studying hard knowing that I would be tested the following day (I was the only one in the whole class who didn’t have the end of term grade). Shortly afterwards, my little sister came to ask for help with her studies. At first I said no but then I was reminded of what St Paul tells us: rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. So I started studying with my sister. It took the whole afternoon for her to feel prepared so I hardly managed to open my physics book. The following day I went to school, with my heart racing but convinced that God would intervene somehow. The teacher came in and started testing my other classmates. At the end of the lesson I asked him why he hadn’t called me. He looked at his register and said: ‘But you’ve already got the grade, and it’s a good grade’. I knew very well that I had never been tested, so maybe he put it there because of something I had said. (S.T. – Italy) How to get through the day A man in a wheelchair was begging near the supermarket trolleys. On my way out, I approached him and, after exchanging a few words with him, invited him to pick something from my shopping that he needed. He happily took some food and immediately started eating it. As I said goodbye to him, I experienced such a joy that it helped me face the challenges of a day that had got off to a difficult start. It made me realise that doing a concrete act of love is a good start to the day. I started doing this, overcoming many bad habits and surprising not only my husband, but especially the children who do not always appreciate what they have because they think everything is their due. One evening, hearing the news that an uncle was seriously ill left everyone in the family not knowing what to say until our eldest son, who goes to university, asked what we could do for him.  At that point our youngest daughter replied: ‘We have to do what mum does who puts love into everything she does. That will help us discover what uncle needs’. (L. D. F. – Hungary) Adele “Bipolarity”… I never knew that my dear schoolmate, Adele, had such a serious illness. It was her mother who explained it to me. After spending some time in hospital, on certain days, when her centre seemed unstable, she herself did not understand what was happening to her. The medicines had to find a balanced effect, and it took time. But it did not change my affection and esteem for her. I was amazed the day she asked me to pray the rosary. It seemed she had perfect concentration when she prayed. From then on, we started reading spiritual books or stories with a positive content. I had the impression that my friend understood everything more deeply than I did. When we discussed certain topics, I saw in her a boundless altruism. Together we joined a volunteering group for the poor. Adele got back her life, balance and courage. She knew more than anyone else how to be close to those in need. My experience with her made it clearer to me that a person is truly fulfilled through charity. (P.A.M. – Italy)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year IX – no.1 May-June 2023)

Patterns of love: a project to promote positive feelings

May 15, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The third award ceremony of the schools competition, “One city is not enough. Chiara Lubich, citizen of the world” took place on 12^th May. There were 136 drawings entries.  We spoke to Cinzia Malizia, teacher of the 1^st A Class of the I.C. Camerano – John Paul II – Sirolo (Ancona-Italy) which was awarded the first prize in the primary school section. The 2022-2023, third national competition for schools, “One city is not enough. Chiara Lubich citizen of the world”, was promoted by the Chiara Lubich Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino and New Humanity of the Focolare Movement. The title of the winning multimedia graphic essay for the primary section was “Patterns of love”. It was produced by the children of the 1st A of the I.C. Camerano – John Paul II – Sirolo di Camerano (Ancona-Italy), guided by their teacher, Cinzia Malizia. Ms. Malizia, how did you find out about this competition? As can be seen from our video, mine is a very lively class, sometimes challenging and difficult to manage. Despite being 7-year-olds, they give me a lot to do and, since they are children of the Covid era, I noticed a certain difficulty when identifying their feelings, to bring out the “good” things, positive gestures and kind words. I asked myself: “how can I get to the hearts of these children?” I started looking for some projects on Miur (Ministry of Education and Merit), some competitions that might help, especially for some personalities that could be an example. This is how I came to Chiara Lubich, a person I had heard of but knew little about. I started reading her story and, little by little, together with the children, we followed a pathway with the aim of enabling them to above all rediscover that curiosity, that amazement, that wonder that unfortunately seem lost in today’s society. Did you have a particular focus? I wanted to work with them on emotions, to understand what they had inside. We dealt with fear, worked on anger, joy and so many experiences came out. They started talking, expressing themselves in their own way, and what used to be the weak point of my class turned into a real strength. In our video you will hear the words, “From fear we found the courage”. The children were the first to understand how good it is for the heart to say “sorry”, to say “thank you” or “good morning”. It’s not that children have changed radically now, they are always the same, they can’t keep still, they scream, they ignore the rules, but there are beginning to be gestures that are small but at the same time great because they are part of a journey we are on together. Chiara Lubich was a guide for us, a reassuring figure, almost like a “grandmother”, who with messages of love, hope and her example really worked to create a better world. Even simply looking at each other with love, regardless of social background, religion, skin colour or culture has affected them a lot. They experienced this in the classroom, with their Muslim companion and this means nurturing good feelings, hoping for a different society. We teachers cannot give up. These children have so much to give. How did the children react when they learned they had won the first prize? They were elated, really happy. We worked for months and months and I really think they deserved it. Unfortunately, we were unable to find the means for us all to be able to go to Trent for the award ceremony. Some of us took part by video link while 6 children were able to go, accompanied by their families who were happy to use their own resources to finance the trip. They too were very happy with this project. We worked a lot together, so much together that at the end of the year we’ll do a play based on emotions. The parents themselves have collaborated by making most of the masks that the children will wear and we even brought some of these to the award ceremony. So our journey doesn’t end there. At the beginning, the principal, Dr. Flavia Maria Teresa Valentina Cannizzaro, said to me: “Cinzia, they are so small, do they understand what you are saying?” I hope so, if nothing else they have heard and hearing good things never hurts. I think it’s important that children understand that even before being capable, what matters is being good, having a kindness of mind that allows us to change things for the better. I think Chiara Lubich’s experience really helped them. CONCORSO NAZIONALE “Una città non basta, Chiara Lubich cittadina del mondo”! – IC “CAMERANO – GIOVANNI PAOLO II – SIROLO” (iccamerano.edu.it)

Maria Grazia Berretta

The Focolare in the Pacific, one family

May 12, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The third stage of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán’s journey to Asia and Oceania was to Fiji. The spirituality of unity began to spread in this part of the Pacific at the end of the 1960s. The Focolare in the Pacific, one family Although Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán arrived in Fiji on 3^rd May, the official start of the stage of their journey in Oceania took place two days later, with the “Sevusevu” ceremony. Over 200 people attended, including representatives of the local Church. The ceremony sealed their entry, and the delegation from the Centre accompanying them, into the Fijian community, both ecclesial and social. Sevusevu: the gift of welcome Those arriving in the archipelago are welcomed with the ceremony of ‘Sevusevu’ – meaning ‘gift’. And from that moment on they are no longer visitors, but part of the community and members, with all the rights and privileges of being on Fijian soil. The President and Co-President of the Focolare received precious garlands and the Kava root, derived from the pepper plant, which has ancestral significance. The two ‘candidates’ were presented to the community by ‘heralds’, who spoke on their behalf. They then drank the drink made from Kava in one go and received the ‘Tabua’, a whale tooth which has sacred meaning: it is the most precious object in Fijian culture, and it was offered to them as a sign of the highest esteem and honour. Traditions in the Pacific: where the present and future of peoples are rooted Right from the start, we realised that, in the Pacific, traditions feature in a significant and living way, which is relevant for today They are not relegated to a past that has nothing to do with people’s daily lives but form the foundation of their way of life.  Among the values that traditions continue to hand on are respect, welcome, reciprocity, social solidarity, and a very deep and longstanding bond with nature. “Margaret Karram, Jesús Morán and the Focolare delegation have arrived at a particular time in the life of the Fiji Islands,” explained Peter Emberson, a Fijian, engaged in multilateral consultancy and a political analyst for the government of Fiji and the United Nations, who has known the movement since he was a child. “The present government is more open and democratic, and I see Margaret and Jesús’ visit as part of this process of social and political renewal. There are two questions that here in the Pacific we always ask an official delegation that lands on the shores of our islands: ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘Why have you come?’ At the ‘Sevusevu’ Margaret stood before the Fijian people and offered her commitment and that of the Focolare Movement to build unity here too. It is an identity-making response, which says a lot about the contribution that the Movement can make to our country. And this builds trust”. A region that is still too little known Oceania is a little-known continent and although, in a territorial sense, it is the largest on the globe, in terms of land mass it is the smallest. In addition to Australia and New Zealand, it includes the Pacific region, consisting of 26 nation states and territories. The main ethnic groups are Melanesians, Micronesians, and Polynesians. In total, the Pacific region has a population of 16 million people and in the last 100 years, the Fiji Islands (almost one million inhabitants), have become the political and economic heart of the region. There is a diverse religious landscape in which Christianity is the most practised faith, followed by Hinduism and Islam. Catholicism arrived in the 19th century and today Catholics number just over 82,000. Father Soane Fotutata, secretary of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), during a dinner in the focolare, spoke about the challenges facing society and the Church in this vast territory, where the Catholic Church has 14 dioceses. He explained that the ecological crisis threatens the very existence of people and communities. It is seen in rising sea levels, acidifying oceans, droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that have become more frequent. Then there are social wounds such as economic and climate migration from many islands; prostitution, alcoholism, and poverty, to which the local Church is trying to respond. 2022: the arrival of the focolares in Suva It was in this ecclesial context that the women’s and men’s focolares opened a year ago in Suva, the capital of Fiji. Their presence, in fact, is also linked to a project supported by Missio Scotland and Missio Australia, to collaborate in the diocesan pastoral care for young people preparing for confirmation and post confirmation with a programme that focuses on supporting the handing on of cultural riches between generations. Lourdes Rank, from Brazil, and Stephen Hall, from New Zealand explained: “On our arrival, the Archbishop asked us to be first of all at the service of the Church and to be part of its activities and projects. We got involved in catechesis, with young people and in the life of our parishes. This approach has been very positive: we are now truly part of the life of the Church and we have begun to build relationships with a number of priests, religious and lay people’. In this regard, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Suva, Mgr Sulio Turagakacivi, expressed his gratitude for the service that the focolares give in the local Church. Thanking him, Margaret said: “We can learn from the Church here how to live the synodal process and how to maintain the freshness of the encounter between the Gospel and the local society and culture“. In Futuna the first seed of the spirituality of unity The first seed of the spirituality of unity in the Pacific was planted in the island of Futuna in the late 1960s by Sr. Anna Scarpone, a Marist missionary. The first Pacific focolare was then based in Numea (New Caledonia) from 1992 to 2008, accompanying the growth of a vibrant local community. Today, the two focolares in Fiji are ‘home’ for all the Movement’s communities in the Pacific region, which, besides New Caledonia and Fiji, are in Kiribati, Wallis and Futuna, with some people who already know about the spirituality in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu. Together for the first time On the occasion of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán’ visit, the communities met in Suva for a few days. It was their first meeting in one of the Pacific Islands. Many events and customs, such as welcoming and appreciating each other, showed the extent to which everyone realised how precious those days were. For these peoples, coming together as a Focolare family does not only mean having a spiritual communion, but means contributing to daily life. This involves cooking, preparing the liturgy of the Mass, the songs and the dances – each one offering their specific human and cultural “gift” that is shared with that of the others. Margaret and Jesús met with the men and women focolarini for a morning of deep sharing and were able to spend a lot of time experiencing different aspects of the life of the community, such as meals, Mass, with many opportunities just to talk together. The sharing of experiences gave them an insight into the challenges and commitment of the Movement in the Pacific. In New Caledonia, the community is engaged at the service of the Church and, on a social level, in creating opportunities to build up unity between the different ethnic groups on the island. In Futuna and Kiribati, the Word of Life is central, generating experiences of forgiveness and reconciliation in families and also establishing social projects at the service of women and the needy. In Fiji the community is growing and shares a commitment serving the Church together with the focolarini. Run4Unity in Fiji: journeying together The 6^th of May was Run4Unity day, and Margaret Karram started the worldwide relay from the Pacific, where we see the world’s first sunrise. With the Teens for Unity, she and Jesús planted two trees typical of the Fiji Islands: “the native sandalwood tree and the citrus tree, which need each other to grow,” she explained. “The sandalwood has the fragrance and the citrus, provides it with all the nutrients it needs. It is a wonderful example of mutual care found in nature. This is what the Pacific Islanders want to say to all of us: the only way to give our precious gift, unity, is to journey together, taking care of each other. In this way we can transform our world’. It is a message that highlights what is perhaps the main characteristic of these islands: living as a community. This emerged clearly in the afternoon and evening of 7^th May at the meeting Margaret and Jesús Morán had with the community. “I have come here to be close to you and to share your life at least for a few days,” Margaret Karram told everyone. “What I have found here is very close to my heart and to the culture I come from, which encourages respect for other people and their language, and a sense of family. There are just a few of you, but do not worry: what matters is living the Gospel and bringing unity to those we meet. What you have shared with us during these days has impressed me greatly. Through your love, hospitality and welcome, you have given Jesus to us. But listening to you, I realised that the most precious pearl we possess is Jesus forsaken for whom we have left everything and who is the secret to loving everyone“. Jesús Morán added: “The experiences of forgiveness that you have told us have touched me deeply, and they show that you are living the Gospel, because forgiveness is the greatest newness that the Gospel contains.  Forgiveness is not something merely human, only Jesus in us can forgive, and you have shown us this with a unique clarity“. When Margaret Karram was asked her hopes are for the future of the Movement in Oceania, she answered by saying what her hopes are for the whole Movement in the world: that it may become ever more a family, which is not closed in on itself, but is open to dialogue with all so as  to fulfil the prayer of Jesus to the Father, which was Chiara Lubich’s dream. At the end she added: “I would like to say that in order to contribute to achieving unity, each country, culture or continent must not lose its own identity. We must remain ourselves. This would be a great gift for the whole Movement and also for the world: to be ourselves, with our riches and our challenges, and to live the charism of unity without leaving aside what we are‘. The applause that followed showed everyone’s gratitude at feeling they were understood. Having begun with the ‘Sevusevu’ ceremony, the visit could not but end with equal solemnity. The farewell ceremony, ‘I-Tatau’, seemed to close a circle. Heralds, speaking in Fijian on behalf of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, thanked the community and asked, on their behalf, permission to take their leave. The speaker representing the Fijian community granted them permission to leave and wished them a safe journey in the hope of seeing each other again. The concert that the Pacific communities had prepared for that evening was an extraordinary ‘expo’ of the artistic talents of the peoples present, where dances and songs spoke of their deep connection with the earth and with nature, their pride in their traditions and the desire to share them. But what will remain in everyone’s minds, we believe, were the greetings exchanged between the communities of New Caledonia and Fiji. Sitting opposite each other, they each sang their own farewell song, they waved goodbye to each other looking into each other’s eyes, as if they were leaving their own brothers and sisters. The said to Margaret Karram: “We assure you that we will be one family and, even with our weaknesses, we will do all we can to keep Jesus in the midst in Oceania.

Stefania Tanesini

Latin American Continental Assembly: a call to be heard

May 10, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Regional Assemblies of the continental phase of the 2021-2024 Synod concluded with the Assembly of the Southern Cone, held in Brasilia in March 2023. Here we share some reflections on this “journey” from members of the Focolare Movement who participated in the concluding Assembly.     “From the moment I heard that I had been elected to participate, I felt a great joy but also the  responsibility  to be a true channel through which the Holy Spirit can pass.” This is what Mercedes Isola, a volunteer of the Focolare Movement, said.  She was elected by the Bishops in the region of La Plata, Argentina, to be a lay participant in the Continental Assembly for the Synod of the Southern Cone that took place in Brasilia, Brazil, at the headquarters of the CNBB (National Conference of Bishops of Brazil). Mercedes continues, “There was  very deep sharing among us and we rediscovered our baptismal dignity that makes us all sisters and brothers, people of God, co-responsible in  mission, regardless of vocation. The ‘discernment communities’, made up of people from different experiences and vocations, were a confirmation of this reality: the Holy Spirit is at work in everyone, without distinction.” The meeting was attended by more than 200 people.  It began with a procession of images of the Virgin Mary, patroness of each country, to whom the work of this Assembly was entrusted. Brazilians, Chileans, Uruguayans, Argentinians and Paraguayans were brought together. It was apparent that amid the diversity of each people,  the individual in dialogue with  others becomes a builder of true synodality. “Being open to a Church with greater lay participation, a Church that is inclusive, transparent, and consistent in following Jesus and is concrete in its service and mission,” are just some of the points that were addressed and deepened during the Assembly. Eliane de Carli, a married focolarina from Brazil, tells us. “This experience based upon a practice known as ‘spiritual conversion’, ensured there was  very deep communion in the working groups. In addition, the richness of this internationality allowed us to get to know the challenges of the Church in each country, some of them very similar.” A week of intense work  turned into a life experience. This can be seen in what Marise Braga, a Brazilian focolarina, said: “The day began with a short prayer led by each country in turn.   The group  drafted a final document on the basis of the questionnaires collected in the various countries during the local phase. They answered three questions, highlighting the lights and positive elements that emerged from those reports, highlighting the shadows, tensions and challenges of certain issues in each country, and finally, recognising the priorities to be addressed in the Synod.” The role of women in the Church was one of the recurring themes during this Continental Assembly in the Southern Cone.  This is an issue that is gaining importance and, along with engagement with young people, needs to be addressed. “Before the concluding Mass of this synodal phase, the young people asked to speak,” said Mercedes Isola. “It was very powerful to hear from them why their friends are no longer in the Church. The young people themselves asked for greater openness, a Church that allows all God’s people to be protagonists, with open doors as Pope Francis says.” Father Pedro Brassesco, Assistant Secretary of CELAM (Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council) said that these needs unite all the continents and will push us to “learn a new way of being Church.” “The Church has called us together and is listening to us,” Marise concluded, ‘not only the Bishops, but all the people of God. We often need to invert the pyramid to know what is at the bottom, but patience is needed to see the fruits of this work. Perhaps our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will enjoy it. We are now planting a seed, but we must have hope. It is a first step, towards a Church that is closer to us all.”

 Maria Grazia Berretta

Japan: open your hearts to all!

May 4, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The journey in Asia and Oceania of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, continues towards the Fiji Islands after concluding the second stage on Japanese land. Here you find some updates on their stay in Japan. ありがとう    Arigato           Thank you 思いやり        Omoiyari        Care for others 健康               Kenko            Health 平和               Heiwa            Peace 美しさ           Utsukushisa  Beauty 正直               Shojiki”           Honesty   According to a survey by the Japanese national TV NHK, these six words are the ones Japanese people love most. They well describe the soul of this people and the value they place on harmony in social life and with nature. Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, with the Focolare Centre’s delegation immersed themselves in the very rich culture of Japan for the second stage of their journey to East Asia, from 25 April to 2 May 2023. The Church in Japan: recreating community The doors to the “Land of the Rising Sun” were opened to them by the Archbishop of Tokyo, Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi. He described the local Catholic Church as “small and silent”. There are 536,000 Christians who form 0.4% out of a population of 130 million where Buddhism and Shintoism are the majority religions. It is difficult to know which is the main one, since many Japanese follow both, and so there is a tendency to bring together different aspects of various religions. He explained that the current lifestyle is leading to a disintegration of the family, and this causes people to feel lonely and cut off. “There is a need to recreate community,” he said, “and the Focolare can help the Church do this. I encourage you to make your spirituality known to the bishops first (there are sixteen in Japan), so that through them it reaches the communities’. The conversation continued during the visit to Archbishop Leo Boccardi, Apostolic Nuncio in Tokyo. Christians are only 2% of the population of Asia. So, what is their role? The Nuncio too encouraged the Focolare to spread the charism of fraternity. “In Japan there is order and respect among people,” he explained, “but there is also a lot of indifference. The pandemic has left an open wound: we must rebuild relationships”. “I have seen a church being born,” Igino Giordani (Foco) wrote as early as 1959. He perceived the sacredness of this country’s Christian history when he went to Tokyo at the invitation of the Canossian Sisters. He was the one who sowed the first seeds of the spirituality of unity in this country. The focolares only arrived in 1976 and ’77 and today there are three, located in Tokyo and Nagasaki. The community numbers about a thousand people scattered over the five main islands of the Japanese archipelago. Living between modernity, tradition, and a thirst for spirituality Eight days, however, are not enough to get to know the soul of a people in depth. For Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, every meeting and conversation was precious, as was the visit to significant places in Tokyo such as the Shintoist Menji Jingu Shrine or the ultra-modern district of Shimbuya. This is how Japan expresses its great variety: it is one of the most highly developed countries in the world yet is firmly bound to tradition. Society is very homogeneous and fosters the common good over that of the individual. This people has great sensitivity, gentleness, and pays attention to others, as well as a great capacity for work and a sense of duty. The Japanese are guided by the ‘feeling of the heart’ that knows how to grasp what is essential from concrete facts. And it is significant that the first meeting President and Co-President of the Focolare had was with the young people of the Movement, the Gen. They shared with one another in a harmonious atmosphere of simplicity and family. There was the same depth of relationship and sharing in their meetings with the focolarini and volunteers. Jesuits and Focolare together, a sign of hope for the world On 29 April, the Catholic university in Tokyo, Sophia University, hosted the eagerly awaited symposium “Can we be a sign of hope for the world?”, to which Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán were invited as speakers. The seminar offered an exceptional opportunity for dialogue between two charisms: the ‘historical’ one of St Ignatius, which brought Christianity to Japan in the 16th century, and the charism of Chiara Lubich. The focus was on the subjects of dialogue and unity in a social and religious context which is thirsting for spirituality. The other speakers were Fathers Renzo De Luca, the Jesuit provincial in Japan, Augustine Sali and Juan Haidar, lecturers at the university. The potential of this synergy emerged clearly from the talks. Margaret Karram began by saying that hope is what humanity needs most and it can be found if we engage in dialogue, even with those who are very different from us, without ever wearying.  And she concluded: ‘The small and large efforts towards dialogue that each one of us can make, in building heartfelt and warm relationships, are the solid foundation on which to build a more fraternal world’. Fr De Luca explained how dialogue has been part of the DNA of Japanese Christians since the beginning. “During the persecutions, they did not reciprocate the violence they received with more violence, which is why the Popes have presented them to the world as a model”. Fr Sali reflected on the challenges of the Japanese Church in the face of secularisation, a church which must find new pathways for dialogue to offer Christian spirituality to people everywhere. In his talk, Jesús Morán explained that the Synodal path, that the Catholic Church is taking, can be an answer, but only if it is animated by communion-fellowship. “Communion and synodality naturally lead to a new encouragement to dialogue, which is increasingly necessary given the growing polarisation of societies at all levels”. Fr Haidar returned to the theme of hope and assured all present that “We have no reason to lose hope, because good is stronger than evil and God is always on the side of those who do good”. One of the symposium participants defined this shared reflection by Jesuits and the Focolare, as a “chemical reaction” that can produce new life. “I realised that dialogue requires courage, perseverance and patience; above all, I have to start doing it myself”. “Open your hearts to everyone”, Margaret Karram’s message for the Focolare community “We are here because we want to share what we have received as a gift from God,” said Natzumi and Masaki at the start of the meeting with the Focolare community in Japan that same afternoon. There was joy and emotion in being together in person for the first time in almost three and a half years, after the pandemic. The experiences shared spoke of great faithfulness in living the Gospel in daily life in a social context that is often hostile, due to indifference or social distance. One volunteer touched on a challenging issue for all Christians in Japan: the difficulty in handing on the faith, especially to the younger generations. “If you live the Word,” Jesús Morán replied, “you can be sure that you are giving Jesus. Usually we want to see results, but Jesus is not interested in this because He wants to touch people with His life. Let us give Him everything, then He will reap what He wants and how He wants”. “Do you have a message for the Focolare community in Japan?” This was the last question that came as a surprise for President and Co-President: “The message is dialogue,” Margaret  Karram replied. “I encourage you to have a new openness of heart towards everyone. It is true that Christians are a minority here, but our vocation, as members of Focolare, is to go out to others, courageously, and to open up new paths that can help build fraternity and a peaceful world’. Jesús went on: “Our specific lifestyle is to live unity and so each one of us is fully in our vocation. We are a ‘sacrament of God’s love’ for others, as Chiara Lubich says. May no one feel alone, but go forward together, because faith is lived together’. Visiting the Rissho Kosei-kai: we are one family On 1 May, 42 years after Chiara Lubich’s visit, Margaret Karram and the Focolare delegation accompanying her, entered the large sacred hall of the Rissho Kosei-kai (RKK) Centre. It is difficult to describe the joy and emotion, visible on everyone’s faces: it was like an embrace between brothers and sisters who have been journeying together for many years. This warmth was expressed by President Nichiko Niwano and his daughter Kosho. The Rissho Kosei-kai is a lay Buddhist movement founded in 1938 by the Reverend Nikkyo Niwano. It has about one million followers in Japan, and centres in several countries. It is very active in promoting peace and well-being through humanitarian and cooperative action. In 1979 Nikkyo Niwano met Chiara for the first time. Speaking of her he said, “I have met an extraordinary person with whom I can live in fellowship.” Since then, the relationship between the two movements has never been interrupted. ‘Today we are here as one big family,’ Margaret Karram said in her greeting to the many people present and those following the ceremony online, ‘What all humanity holds most dear is the supreme value of peace. (…). Together we can be a sign of hope in the world; together, as one family, our two Movements can be like small lights shining in society, living compassion and love, which are our most powerful weapons”. Nichiko Niwano responded saying, “Today is a day we will not forget; it is a day to be grateful for because our movements are meeting together. We are like members of one family, and we have so much in common. “It is the dialogue between us that makes this happen,” continued his daughter Kosho, who in the future will succeed to the RKK presidency, “I thank my grandfather Nikkyo Niwano who made dialogue and meeting others the foundation of my life. “We experienced a morning of recollection and sacredness,”  Margaret Karram concluded, “and I am bringing with me what I have learnt thanks to you: to always be grateful for what I receive as a gift. I renew the Focolare’s commitment to go forward together to fulfil the dream of a better world”.

Stefania Tanesini

United World Week 2023: #DARETOCARE – Dare to take care of people and planet

Apr 30, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The 28^th United World Week will take place from 1^st-7^th May 2023. It is a worldwide extravaganza of actions and initiatives to promote fraternity, unity and peace between people and peoples, organized by the communities of the Focolare Movement across the globe. The week opens on 1^st May with a live transmission on YouTube from Loppiano, the international little town of the Focolare in Italy. The conclusion will be on 7^th May with the worldwide relay race “Run4Unity”, supported and promoted by the Laudato Sì Action Platform of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.   A community in Pont-à-Mousson (France) will convert the sport and the kilometres completed into trees to be planted in their sister parish in Burkina Faso. And in Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, the Youth for a United World of the Sahel will go through the streets of the city, to collect plastic, with which they will build a symbolic “mountain of peace”. In St. Mauro Pascoli (Italy), children and adults, will promote ecological sports to raise awareness of environmental care and raise funds to provide sports equipment to young cyclists in Ukraine. In Palawan (Philippines), hundreds of people will clean public beaches to care for nature and for the health of their fellow citizens. They say, “We believe that today, more than ever, unity and fraternity can only be achieved if we take care of ourselves, if we take responsibility to look after the planet together, with concrete actions, starting wherever we are”. From Paraguay to India, through Togo, Benin, and Lebanon to Australia, there are hundreds of initiatives like these, small and large. They take place every year to celebrate United World Week: Seven days of workshops and exhibitions, promoted by the communities of the Focolare Movement throughout the world, in synergy with other movements, associations and local institutions that share its values, to raise public awareness of peace, care for the environment, ecological conversion and integral care of the person which all starts from living out concrete fraternity. The main theme of the 28^th United World Week is care of humanity and of the planet: “Dare to Care: People, Planet and Our Ecological Conversion”. These issues are even more urgent in the times in which we live which suffer from the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis and the proliferation of inhumane hotbeds of war and conflict everywhere on the planet. During this week, the initiatives that are ongoing throughout the year, will be showcased in many virtual and in person appointments, different depending on the places and communities that promote them: exhibitions, cultural events, workshops of dialogue and debate, solidarity and ecological actions, sporting events. Locally we aim to influence the public opinion of our countries while internationally, the objective is to fill our Common Home with hope, starting by recognizing the persevering and tireless action of people who are committed to building fraternity. The main partner of the United World Week 2023 is the Laudato Sì Movement. The United World Week is co-funded by the European Union through the AFR.E.SH project.

International events of the United World Week

On 30^th April, at 21.00 (Italian time), the United World Week will begin with a concert entitled “The reason we care”, given by the international band Gen Rosso. It will be broadcast on their official YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@GenRossoOfficial). The concert is the result of the last few years during which the band has used music to carry out activities of welcome and education with young refugees and migrants in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Lebanon. On 1^st May at 12.00, a major show, entitled “Common Ground, me, you and us”, broadcast live from the Auditorium of Loppiano (Italy), will officially inaugurate the 28^th United World Week. The challenge? To rediscover the value of care, of taking care of oneself and of others, of the relationships that connect us and of our relationship with Mother Earth. The programme will include the testimonies of young change makers from various countries of the world, who are engaged in networking, often bravely going against the current in their taking care of people and the environment, for the common good of their peoples. Like Mimmy from Burundi who, as part of the fight against plastic pollution, has been elected “zero plastic” ambassador, because, with her association, she transforms plastic into ecological tiles and plants trees in the Rusizi National Park. Or Ivan, who in Damaguete (Philippines), with his community, takes care of his people through their commitment to the marine environment and planting mangroves, because he says: “Since we are one of the poorest countries in Asia, fishing is a means of livelihood for many. Our people need the sea to survive, for everyday life.” The live stream will be available at www.unitedworldproject.org. On Saturday 6^th May, it will be the turn of “Peace Got Talent”, an artistic event promoted by the “Living Peace International” network that, taking its cue from the well-known television format, gives space to talented young people who are committed to promoting peace through music, song and dance. Each act in the competition is an expression of informal projects of peace education. The participating schools and groups include some from Ukraine, Syria, Russia, Myanmar and Congo: Countries affected by war and armed conflicts, which are eager to contribute their songs and their voices of hope. The show will be broadcast on www.unitedworldproject.org. On Sunday, 7^th May, over 200,000 teenagers, young adults and families in many countries and hundreds of cities will participate in “Run4Unity,” a global relay race that links nations, cultures and religions to build peace and plant trees. Supported and promoted by the  Laudato Sì Action Platform of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promoting Integral Human Development, Run4Unity 2023 is led by the young people of the Focolare Movement. Participants of all ages will look after their health through physical exercise and will take care of the Earth by converting the kilometres completed or minutes of exercise to trees to be planted around the world (https://www.teens4unity.org/run4unity). Run4Unity will start from the Fiji Islands, which is in the first time zone to begin a new day and is an ecologically symbolic country because it is already strongly affected by climate change. From there, over the next 24 hours, young people will pass the virtual “baton” from one time zone to another through a series of video calls, concluding with communities in California. Participants will run, jog, walk or participate in local sporting events, some of which will be held in places symbolic for peace, for example at the borders between countries or communities in conflict or in ecologically significant places, to give a witness of unity and peace. Participants will include some of the 1,000 Laudato Sì schools around the world which are engaged in ecological education through the Laudato Sì Action Platform, as well as groups and schools that are part of the Living Peace International Project. Information about all the local events for United World Week 2023 can be found at: https://www.unitedworldproject.org/uww2023/.

Tamara Pastorelli (Photo: Pixabay)

Living the Gospel: true friendship

Apr 28, 2023 | Non categorizzato

This is true friendship: a profound bond where not only our own destiny is at stake, but the destiny of the other as well, their own story. Friendship is a free good, a lost good – an authentic relationship where each person, supporting the other, continually finds themselves in the end. The friend in difficulty I was driving to work when I spotted a former university colleague on the road. I gave him a lift, and on the way he told me about his problems. Because of Covid, he had lost his job as a waiter. And the accommodation where he lived was without hot water and electricity because he had not paid his bills. I spontaneously invited him to take a shower at my place and wash his clothes whenever he needed to. He gladly accepted. One day he came as usual. He was not well, but he did not have the courage to tell me. After two days, I learned I had Covid. When this friend found out, he realised that he was the one who had infected me, so he didn’t feel like coming back to wash at my place. However, I reassured him that I had nothing against him, and we started seeing each other again. If I found the strength to go out to meet this brother of mine, it was because as a Christian I feel called to stop and see the needs and wants of my neighbour, to help him and love him as Jesus tells us in the Gospel. Steve, Burundi A marriage in crisis From Brazil, the home of her ‘great love’, Brigitte had written to me that her husband, who had become an alcoholic, had abandoned her and their three children. With my husband’s consent, I decided to visit her. Although the trip was a heavy expense for our finances, the desire to be close to this long-time friend prevailed. I found Brigitte devastated, disappointed, disoriented. She wondered why her fate left her far from her homeland and relatives, alone, a failure in every sense. We talked about the possibility of a return to France. But she did not see the total estrangement from their father as positive for the children. I could understand her. While I was there, I contacted the publishing house where I work, which had some French translation work for her. But the real gift for Brigitte, and for me, was remembering our younger years. Thinking back to our questions about faith and the desire to build a more human world, she seemed to reanimate that dream. At last, she herself had found the most concrete way to commit herself to others, a way towards rebuilding. I left refreshed. J.P., France

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta.

From “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year IX, n.1, March–April 2023.  

Burundi: Jean Paul – always being sure of God’s love

Apr 20, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Jean Paul is a young man from Burundi who, in 2015, at a time of frequent internal conflict in the country, was ambushed and suffered life-threatening injuries. His experience tells of pain transformed by faith, and by loving support from many people around the world. His story became a firm foundation on which to bear witness to God’s love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXLnHUqw5eA&list=PL9YsVtizqrYt2S6qrtBBS1Xu_B3p-juwd Copyright 2023 © CSC Audiovisivi

DIALOP: dialogue between Christians and the European Left Party – in search of real change

Apr 17, 2023 | Non categorizzato

For almost ten years, a project of dialogue between Socialists/Marxists and Christians has been underway in Europe under the name of DIALOP. We met some of those involved during their recent  visit to the International Centre of Focolare in Rocca di Papa (Italy) Walter Baier is one of the members of DIALOP, a project of dialogue between Socialists/Marxists and Christians, which involves intellectuals, academics, politicians, activists and students from different European countries. They say: “We believe that dialogue is the best way to bring about real change and we work to transform the world into a better place to live”. Walter further explained, “I think that with the election of Pope Francis the situation has changed completely, substantially. Not only for the Catholic Church, but also for all the philosophical and cultural currents which oppose neoliberalism. I say this because what the Pope teaches is a way of uniting, which is contrary to individual consumerism. This brings the Pope and the parts of the Church that follow him into a position close to the position of the left, which seeks to emphasize common collective values.” DIALOP’s experience began on 18^th September, 2014, during the private audience that Pope Francis granted to two leftist politicians: Alexis Tsipras of Greece and Walter Baier of Austria, along with Franz Kronreif of the Focolare Movement. On that occasion the conversation focused on the environmental crisis and the global social crisis. At the end of the audience Pope Francis invited them to initiate a transversal dialogue, which would involve a wide gamut of society and especially young people. Baier said, “I have been representing the European Left Party for three months. I am one of the founders. The European Left Party is now composed of 35 parties from 27 European countries. These countries belong to the European Union and I think that our understanding of Europe must really be much broader than just looking at the privileged part of Europe. We need to take pan-Europeanism seriously and we need to understand it better. Europe is not only different, but is also torn apart by deep social and economic divisions. And one of the fundamental demands of the left should be to achieving a decent standard of living in all parts of Europe for our familes. Something we have also learned through being together in dialogue with our Christian friends is how to have differentiated consent and qualified dissent, which is really a very, very useful method. ” Cornelia Hildebrandt belongs to Trasform! Europe . In the face of the ongoing wars she has no doubt: “We of the Left share Pope Francis’ statement that every war is a failure of politics. In these times ridden with conflicts, we believe that dialogue is not only an urgent necessity, but a categorical imperative. It takes all our strength to impose a sustainable peace against the destruction of the environment; better living conditions of people against barbarism.” Dialogue means welcoming the other into your home. It is to become a guest of the guest. It is not only a tool, but a constant encounter, a path of shared intellectual and spiritual experience, in which the distinctiveness of the respective partners does not disappear, but unfolds and develops more clearly. With these encounters, opposites become complementary. Hilodebrandt explains the concept of differentiated consensus and qualified dissent: “We adopt and adapt a method that is used in ecumenism among the Christian Churches. The incoherently formulated basic statements of human society and the world must form a solid basis. In order for partners to speak and act together, common core statements must explicitly make reference to original texts so as to be compatible with the respective traditions of the Catholic Church and of Transform!Europe and beyond. And then it’s about asking questions accurately. And then the search for clear common declarations can begin, which reflect each tradition and enrich each other”. Angelina Giannopoulou is a young Greek woman from Tranform! Europe. She recounted her experience in Dialop and underlined the importance of the presence of young people for the present and future of this reality. She also told us about the “DialogUE Project” which, in collaboration with the European Community involves 14 civil society organizations. It will give an important input to the World Youth Day in Lisbon (Portugal) with a day dedicated to communication that will involve politicians, experts and young people. In the future there will be other symposia on ecology and social policies. Walter Baier concluded, “We cannot accept the situation in which we find ourselves today in Europe and in the world, I think this is the strongest vocation of Dialop”.

Carlos Mana

For more information and access to the “DIALOP Position Paper” see the Dialop website (https://dialop.eu/).

The Rule of True Brotherhood

Apr 16, 2023 | Non categorizzato

On the occasion of the Day dedicated to good deeds, we share the message of peace and hope contained in the “Golden Rule”, launched by Chiara Lubich to the many young people gathered at the Colosseum (Rome) on the occasion of the Supercongress of Teens for Unity, 26 May 2002. https://youtu.be/Yz14YP11XZM

The fruit of redemption

Apr 9, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Jesus is risen. Happy Easter! Beginning with the Gospel account, Igino Giordani reveals to us the fraternal dimension of the resurrection. Jesus, rising from the dead, appeared to the women who had come to the tomb; and he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and proclaim to my brothers…’ And, thus, in those concluding moments, he gave the disciples their definitive name: that of being brothers and sisters. Coming out of death, into glory, he thus defined his relationship with humankind. As he presented himself then, he still presents himself now, as a brother: the firstborn. By rising again, he had conquered death and reclaimed fraternity. He had come to earth to restore the Father’s fatherhood; he had descended into hell to overcome the enemy of humankind; now he was declaring the re-established fraternity of children, in the family of God. All of us are included in redemption and therefore all of us are brothers and sisters. If we do not act as such, we are outside of redemption.

Igino Giordani

Igino Giordani, Il fratello, [Our brother] (I edition Città Nuova 2011 – III edizione, Figlie della Chiesa 1954).

“Come, Lord Jesus”

Apr 6, 2023 | Non categorizzato

In the heart of Holy Week, we publish this thought of Chiara Lubich taken from a conference call on Holy Thursday 1989.           Today is Holy Thursday, a very special day for us. It reminds us of various divine truths that are at the heart of our spirituality, so much so that every year, when this feast occurs, it captivates our hearts. In fact, it’s not unusual to feel an atmosphere of paradise invade our soul. How can we not feel our hearts expand when Holy Thursday so strongly underlines the new commandment of Jesus, his last prayer for unity, the extraordinary gift of the Eucharist and the priesthood that makes the Eucharist possible? Let’s pause today and consider with immense gratitude these extraordinary mysteries which are fundamental for every Christian, and in particular for us. And tomorrow is Good Friday. It too takes us right into the heart of Christianity and of our spirituality: Jesus dies, he dies forsaken. Doesn’t this seem like the moment to face, in some way, a subject that few people, if any, want to face in a world like ours that is so caught up in consumerism and other evils – namely the subject of death? We have to do it, in order to be faithful to our Ideal which teaches us how to face every moment in our life, and therefore, also the passage from this life to the next, which is eternal. And we will address this subject remaining within the topic of “prayer,” which we have chosen to live in these past few weeks. There is one very short prayer that is stupendous. The Holy Spirit puts it on the lips of the Church, the “bride.” It is addressed to Jesus, the “bridegroom.” It concludes the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. The prayer says, “Come, Lord Jesus!”[1] “Come, Lord Jesus!” This prayer could be ours when we think of our death, when we are awaiting it, when we are preparing for death. Yes, because we have, or we should have, our own precise concept of death, which is that it’s not the end, but the beginning. It is our encounter with Jesus. And we know that it’s not optional, everyone has to face it. In fact, that day will come for everyone; it’s God’s will for everyone. Yes, it’s the will of God for me, for us, for each person. If this is true, then we have to learn how to welcome death as it is, as the will of God. But how in general do we accept God’s will? We have understood that the will of God, whatever it is, is an expression of God’s love for us. It is neither logical nor should we only be resigned to accepting it. It’s necessary to see it as the best thing that could possibly happen to us. Therefore, we have to strive to live in such a way that God’s will is our will. And we commit ourselves to living the will of God not only with all our love, but also with enthusiasm, because we know that by doing the will of God, we are setting out on a divine adventure, which we know only in part and in part we still have to discover. We also know that this is the way that we can fulfil God’s plan for us. Indeed, this way of facing God’s will is characteristic of a focolarino, because this is the point that led to our initial conversion, when our lives changed direction totally. … “Come, Lord Jesus!” … But this prayer is also good for other occasions. You can say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” while waiting to receive the Eucharist. You can say it before meeting somebody or a group of people in whom you truly want to love him. And you can say it before carrying out any other will of his. “Come, Lord Jesus! Looking at you, we will be fearless in loving, which is our vocation. While waiting for you to come for us, we will live our life well, so that as soon as the next life opens up for us, we will plunge into that adventure that will never end. You have conquered death. And through this prayer we realize that you, from now on, have conquered death in us, too, in our heart. So then come, Lord Jesus, always, in all of us.

                                                                       Chiara Lubich

[1]     Rev 22:20.

Continental Assembly in Africa: The Vitality of a Synodal Church

Mar 30, 2023 | Non categorizzato

In union with the universal Church, the Church in Africa celebrated the Continental Synodal Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1^st-6^th March 2023. Here are some impressions from those who participated in this very important moment for the family of the People of God. “Understanding the synodal process means opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit who speaks to us, and listening to each other in order to better carry out the Church’s mission”. With these words, Archbishop Lucio Muandula, Vice-President of SECAM (Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar), opened the work of the Continental Assembly that began in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) at the beginning of March 2023. Over two hundred delegates, including cardinals, archbishops, bishops, consecrated people, lay people, seminarians and novices, together with representatives of other faiths, gathered together to reflect on the document of the continental phase of the Synod on Synodality. They experienced the joy of listening and the beauty of feeling part of the “family of God”. Markos Gebremedhin, Apostolic Vicar of Jimma-Bonga (Ethiopia) and friend of the Focolare Movement, said: “We discussed various themes and identified the calls of our synodal journey to prepare a final document that represents the authentic voice of Africa. It was an experience of true synodality, a moment of deep dialogue, mutual listening and discernment, between local churches and with the universal Church”. The continent of Africa is blessed by rich principles and values, the fruit of many cultures and traditions. It is rooted in a sense of community spirit, family, solidarity, inclusion and hospitality. Mons. Gebremedhin continued, “These principles and values are good, healthy seeds which can enable a truly synodal Church in Africa, in which all vocations must be valued, to grow. With great charity, the assembly empathized with the pain and suffering of our sisters and brothers in Africa. This family walks with those who are most affected, in particular by war, ethnic strife, religious intolerance, terrorism and all forms of conflict, tension and anguish”. The topics addressed included a reflection on the fundamental role of young people who are a source of energy, passion and creativity for the Church, and on African women, the backbone of communities. Their talents, their charisma and the great contribution they bring was recognized and valued. Don Giacomo Costa, consultant of the General Secretariat of the Synod guided the participants through the working method of the “spiritual conversation” which was expressed in three moments: taking the floor, making room for others and building together. Guy Constant, one of the Focolare Movement’s “Volunteers of God”, told us “I participated in the Assembly as an adult Catholic appointed by the Bishops’ Conference of Benin. We met in small groups to discuss our personal experience of the path of synodality during the first year of the synod. The reports of each group were then presented in plenary. This was followed by the presentation and reflection on the synthesis document prepared for the continental phase. One of the most beautiful aspects of this was the invoking of the Holy Spirit, praying that He might guide the process and the intervention of each person. This made it possible to readily accept the proposals of others, instead of wanting to impose our own. A second aspect was experiencing a working atmosphere of true unity among us, priests, bishops and cardinals without distinctions. There was a lot of humility in welcoming everyone’s interventions.” This path of synodality seems to have awakened the thirst of a Church that wants to take into account the thoughts and feelings of each member, which does not walk alone, but which learns from others. A vital Church that aims at being an “us”. Fidely Tshibidi Musuya, focolarina from Congo recounted, “I participated in the Continental Assembly for the Synod in Africa as a youth assistant. It was truly a unique experience to hear that I too have a voice that can be heard. For the first time I truly felt a child of the Church. I was born into a Catholic Christian family and many things were obvious to me but this experience made me take on a new awareness of my belonging to the Church, which is not only for bishops, priests and men and women religious, but is truly  the Church for all.”

Maria Grazia Berretta

Argentina: Domus – a network of reciprocity

Mar 29, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Domus Project was set up to help some Argentinean families who wanted to see their right to own their own home fulfilled. This dream came true thanks to the participatory self-building housing project, launched in the town of Lincoln (Argentina) in 2019. People of all ages joined forces and, with the help of professionals, were trained in the art of construction, generating reciprocity, citizenship and fraternal community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJfry9kxJjA&list=RDCMUCgObNLrbHTnFoc42UOhE-Nw&index=4 Copyright 2023 © CSC Audiovisivi – All rights reserved

Living the Gospel: sowing seeds of good

Mar 27, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Loving your neighbour does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes it is enough simply to look to the other person attentively to discover that responding to their needs with joy costs nothing. From that sowing of love, soon we all reap beautiful fruit.  At the bus stop I meet Karim at the bus stop. I hardly know him, I don’t even know what country he’s from, although I think he is North African, and while waiting we chat. I’m headed to the city, he to the seaside, and certainly not for swimming (this is evident from the meagre assortment of beach items to sell that he carries with him). I notice, however, that he doesn’t have a hat to protect himself from the sun, an indispensable accessory in this scorching summer for those who, like him, will spend a few hours on the sunny beach. ‘I forgot it at home,’ he replies. I spontaneously offer him mine. I bought it recently, but it doesn’t matter: ‘Take it, I have two others. Where I’m going I can find shade, but you…’ Bewildered, Karim looks at me almost incredulously. Several times he insists not to take it, then finally relents seeing that I do so wholeheartedly. Meanwhile, my bus arrives. We say goodbye. ‘Have a good day at work, Karim!’ ‘Thanks again for the hat!’ Only then does it occur to me that I gave that gift to Jesus in him. The fact is, that episode of the hat enlightens my whole morning. Saverio, Italy The umbrella From the Gospel I had learnt that behind the poor and the marginalised it is Christ who asks to be loved. I remember a simple episode. In the bar near my home, I noticed a poor man, nicknamed Pen, who was soaking wet because it was raining that day. Knowing that he had had tuberculosis, and overcoming some resistance to be seen in his company, I invited him home to find him something dry. My parents were surprised. ‘Santa, we could use some clothes…’ At first my son did not seem very enthusiastic, but then he found a pair of trousers, while I got a jacket. But the rain showed no sign of stopping. ‘What if we gave him an umbrella too?’ An umbrella was also found. Happy the poor man, but I was happier too, because we had collaborated to help him. But it didn’t end there. Days later, Pen came back to return the umbrella. Actually it wasn’t the one we had given him – it was better. Ours had been stolen and someone had given him another one. He wanted to reciprocate that way. Francesco, Italy

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta.

From “Il Vangelo del Giorno,” Città Nuova, year IX, no. 1, March–April 2023.

Together: the importance of fraternity

Mar 24, 2023 | Non categorizzato

“Together – Gathering of the People of God” is the ecumenical prayer vigil to be held on 30^th September 2023 in Rome in advance of the Synodal Assembly in October. Damian, a Polish Catholic, and Masha, a Russian Orthodox, are two young people from the Focolare Movement who recently participated in the preparatory meeting for the event, which was followed by a private audience with the Pope. Praying together gathered under the same “tent”, to discover each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the idea at the heart of the ecumenical prayer vigil that will take place on 30^th September 2023 in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis announced the event during the Angelus on 15^th January 2023, to entrust to God the work of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, on the theme of Synodality, which will take place in October 2023. It will be a genuine gathering of the People of God, which will extend an invitation, as the title given to this occasion indicates (“Together”), to walk together, which is also expressed  by the verse of Isaiah (cf. Is 54, 2) chosen for the occasion: to “widen the space of your tent”. The Taizé Community will lead the vigil, which will be attended by Pope Francis and representatives of various Christian Churches, as well as many realities and organizations. It is open to everyone, especially young people who are invited to attend from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, and will be welcomed for a weekend of true sharing. Damian Skłodowski, from Poland, and Masha Iasinskaia, from Russia are two young people from the Focolare Movement who are part of the team that is organizing “Together”. At the meeting held on 12^th-15^th March 2023, they had the opportunity to meet the whole team and to begin the work of preparation. Masha, how did the meeting go for you? This preparatory meeting was a very strong experience for me. I was pleasantly impressed to see so many people belonging to different Churches and to various confessions working together. I am Orthodox and, having been part of the Focolare Movement since I was born, I have always lived in an atmosphere in which dialogue between the Churches is normal but I was happy to be surprised on this occasion. I have discovered that many, each in their own reality, feel this need for brotherhood and work hard to achieve this goal in their communities. Damian, how did you share out the tasks from an organizational point of view? The “Together” weekend will be a journey made up of several parts. On the morning of 30^th September, there will be itineraries and workshops on various themes in different areas of Rome. This will be followed by a time dedicated to prayer for all the young adults in the city centre and then there will be a procession to St. Peter’s Square. This preparatory meeting was certainly a way to get to know each other, brainstorm a little on the topics and understand how to share the work between us. Masha and I will take care of preparing one of the morning workshops. Masha, in this context what does the word “Together” say to you? The first time I felt I was living this “together” fully was in Hungary, during the 2012 GenFest, a gathering of the young people from the Focolare which takes place every 5 years. It’s a different kind of event from the one we are organizing now but I will never forget the mandate that was given to us to be “bridges”. A bridge represents something that unites, which creates a bond between us, between our countries, our churches, our differences and the more united we are the more unshakeable this bridge will be. I think this being “together” is essential, especially for me, for my country. I am lucky because I had the joy of receiving this mandate, but we have to bear witness to it, to truly become bridges and this vigil offers a wonderful occasion. Damian, what do you think is the starting point for establishing true relationships of communion? The starting point is to really go to meet others, to put the person at the centre, to get to know each other and ask “how are you?” You have to build that relationship. Yes, it is true, we are different, there are differences between the various Churches, between denominations, between religions but also between people in general. Before finding solutions or giving great speeches, what is important is listening. I, a Catholic and Masha, an Orthodox, are already experiencing this in sharing this work and also during the lunches and dinners of these days of preparation. It was nice to meet the others in such social moments without too many pretensions, with great simplicity. Even when Pope Francis welcomed us in a private audience, he thanked us for our availability and repeatedly used the word “synodality”. This is the path of God’s people: we walk, we open our hearts, our ears to listen, our eyes to see and little by little, we go ahead together.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Living the Gospel: “Live as children of light; for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5: 8-9)

Mar 17, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Word of God, incarnate, lived concretely and in our own times, gives us the possibility of making our life a source of light capable of illuminating every darkness, bringing our contribution to every activity. A new look at things that paves a path of hope for us and for those around us. A peace that brings light It all started when my son had the first symptoms of muscular sclerosis. As a mother I had always dedicated myself to my children and to my grandchildren, but not being able to do anything to stem such a devious evil was terrible. One day I was in church, crying. On the high altar the sculptures of the crucifixion with John, Mary Magdalene and Our Lady at the feet of Jesus caught my gaze. Imagining how Mary felt in front of her Son reduced to such a state, I saw myself as she was, powerless and crushed by pain. I did not have the strength to pray but I remained there to contemplate, to think… and an unusual peace reassured me. From that day on, whenever anguish grips my heart, I return there and it seems that Mary repeats to me: “Stay with me, welcome the mystery and participate with me in the Redemption”. I try to give the peace I derive from this closeness to the family. One morning when my son was getting up, he noticed new limits on what he could do. He phoned me to say: “Mom, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but supported by your strength I feel I can thank God for everything he has given me.” It was like a balm for me. (T.F. – Italy) The reins of the future A reunion among former students, fifty years after graduation. White hair or none at all, walking sticks, illnesses, disappointments… but also the great joy of being together again. How could we not remember those of us who had passed on to the next life? Then the speeches touched on hopes and projects, young people, children… and then came the punctum dolens from which the same serious question arose: “Where did we go wrong? What future have we built?” One of the group, who had consecrated his life to the service of the poor, speaking of the various solitudes encountered, said he was convinced that in this sick world, as Pope Francis says, young people are at risk because they breathe an air of indifference and no longer realize reality. And he concluded: “It is up to us to take charge of the reins of the future.” We said goodbye with the feeling (we later said to eachother) that that meeting had uncovered a new obligation for us, a task, according to the conditions and possibilities of each one. As for me, I am committed to communicating to my grandchildren what their own parents fail to convey. (L.A. – Spain)

by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from The Gospel of the Day, New City, year IX – n.1- March-April 2023)

Middle East earthquake: action and assistance for those affected

Mar 15, 2023 | Non categorizzato

A month after strong earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, here’s a short update on the contributions collected by the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination and a glimpse of a first intervention phase launched in Syria in February, which will run through August. On 7 February, the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination launched a fundraising campaign in support of the people of Turkey and Syria, through the non-governmental organisations Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN). Currently, the contributions collected amount to close to 580,000 Euros, and a first instalment of 100,000 Euros has already been sent to some Syrian regions affected by the earthquake. Specifically, the operation will help close to 2,500 people directly and indirectly reach between 5,000 and 10,000 people in the three earthquake-affected areas of Aleppo, Latakia and Hama. Here are some examples of interventions that will be carried out, a variety of support actions:

SUPPORT WITH BASIC NEEDS

• Provision of basic necessities – food, blankets, medicines, clothes, etc. – to displaced people housed in temporary shelters (churches, mosques, etc.)
• Economic contribution to the neediest families; provision of medical services and aids for post-hospitalisation mobility, medicines, physical and psychological treatment sessions for physically and psychologically affected people
• Distribution of food parcels to families experiencing food insecurity (in cooperation with other organisations)
• Economic support to artisans to buy back or repair lost equipment and tools and restart work

REBUILDING EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED HOMES

• Covering the cost of inspections and technical assessments of the stability of buildings by technical commissions of engineers
• Economic support to families for works to consolidate the foundations of buildings and renovate damaged homes
• Covering costs for the purchase of tools for craftsmen (blacksmiths, plumbers, carpenters, electricians) so that they can resume work in damaged homes
• Economic support for rental costs for those who have lost their homes or need temporary residence due to their homes becoming unsuitable

POST-EARTHQUAKE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT

• Covering home care costs for elderly people living alone
• Implementing collective activities and initiatives for group psychological support, particularly at temporary accommodation centres
• Holding training workshops on psychological support to provide tools and methodologies to operators and volunteers who are active in the rescue sector

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

Click the Link – 11 March 2023 https://youtu.be/S_F0ELXyf_k

Chiara Lubich: a solemn change of direction

Mar 14, 2023 | Non categorizzato

On 14 March 2008, 15 years ago, Chiara Lubich concluded her earthly life. A few years earlier, in a world-wide connection she quoted the short but intense verse from Psalm 15 (16) ‘You Lord, are my only good’ and invited the communities of the Movement around the world to approach this prayer by giving it centrality in their daily lives. Thank you, thank you! In the “link-up” we truly experience love that “reaches out and  comes back” because of how thankful you are and the way you make it your own. . […] In specific circumstances, an excellent prayer that we can say with renewed enthusiasm and with all our mind and heart is: “You Lord; are my only good.”          Ps 16:2. In fact, we all realize that, quite often, while we are working, writing, speaking or resting, or doing something else, that some slight attachment can creep into our hearts, attachment to ourselves, to things or other people. Giving in to these would be a terrible setback for our spiritual life. Saint John of the Cross said: “It makes no difference whether a bird is held down by a thread or by a rope. However fine the thread is, the bird is bound as if by a cord, until it can break it to fly away.  And he continues saying: “It is the same for a person who is bound to something. Despite all their virtues, they will never achieve the freedom of union with God.” In these situations, we must really act immediately, and nothing can be more helpful – this is a recent experience of mine – than to say often to Jesus forsaken: “You, Lord, are my only good. My only good. I have no other.” I believe this is a very important prayer and extremely pleasing to God. It prevents us from being covered with the dust of earthly things. In living this, we are amazed – I am always struck by this and always have been – by how that phrase, “only,” (“You Lord are my only good”) gives a solemn change of direction to our spiritual life. It immediately puts us straight, as if it were the trustworthy needle in the compass of our journey towards God. Moreover, this way of acting is very much in line with our spirituality, in which the positive aspect prevails: by living what is good, whatever is wrong disappears. We are not so much called to detach ourselves from something (from ourselves or things or people), but to fill ourselves with something (with love for him who is “everything” for us). Instead of saying “no,” we prefer to say “yes.” This prayer, “You, Lord are my only good,” is a wonderful way to live as true Christians who love God with all their heart and soul, and not halfheartedly. It’s also a sublime way to prepare ourselves for all the times we meet him in his daily inspirations. It will also prepare us for our solemn meeting with him, at the dawn of that eternal day when the only thing that matters will be our love for God, and for him, our love for every neighbor. “You, Lord, are my only good.” What wisdom, what understanding, what light, what strength, what love, what perfection there is in those few words! May the Lord grant us to experience all the power contained in them.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Conversazioni in collegamento telefonico, Città Nuova, 2019, pp. 630-632) ^[1]   See ^{Saint John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Book 1, ch. 11.} https://youtu.be/Bf-QHf9vOp4

Thank you, Pope Francis

Mar 13, 2023 | Non categorizzato

On the 10^th anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare, has sent the Pope a message on behalf of the whole Movement which is published below.  

Your holiness, dear Pope Francis

I am united with all the prayers that are being offered, in so many parts of  the world, to thank God for these ten years in which you have embraced the Church and humanity being the bearer of Christ’s love.

Thank you, Holy Father, for this time of light, courage and unwavering faith. Thank you for listening to the Holy Spirit, with whom you continuously call us to “go out” from our homes and communities, to journey on the roads of the world and to share joys and sorrows with the women and men of our time.

I still have in my heart the joy and gratitude I felt at our last meeting, on 24 February, when together with some of the moderators of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities, you  invited us to meet you. Once again we witnessed your far-sighted wisdom and evangelical realism, and I want to tell you that your words guide and encourage me every day in my service to the Church and to fraternity among all people.

The topics we discussed with you, Your Holiness, will be the subject of reflection and sharing. In particular, your recommendation to be coherent witnesses and to be docile to the new ideas given by the Spirit, so that the Marian dimension of the Church can be seen, together with the rich contribution that women can make to ecclesial life, also through the contribution made by the Movements.

Know that, wherever we are in the world, we are with you to build the Church and to give our lives so that peace may return wherever it is lacking, and bear fruit in justice and reconciliation among peoples.

Together with our daily prayer, I send you, also on behalf of the Focolare Movement, my warmest wishes for all that you desire and for your health. May Mary, Most Holy, be at your side with her motherly love and care.

With filial affection,

Margaret Karram

Asian Continental Assembly: A Church that Listens and Discerns

Mar 4, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Asian Continental Assembly for the Synod, which drew up the valuable contribution of the largest and most populated continent in the world, recently concluded in Bangkok (Thailand).We interviewed Vanessa Siu-Wai Cheng, a Chinese focolarina present at the event. The important centre of pastoral formation of the Archdiocese of Bangkok (Thailand) is located in Baan Phu Waan. It’s a beautiful place. About eighty people participated at the Asian Continental Assembly of the Synod that took place from 24^th-26^th February 2023. Vanessa Siu-Wai Cheng, a focolarina from Hong Kong, told us about this new continental phase of the Synodal Path in Asia, a pathway that, as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan) Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi said in his opening homily: “It is not only a passing event to be celebrated, but rather a change of attitude of the entire people of God so as to make synodality the founding nature of the Church.” Vanessa, how many participants were there? Seventeen Episcopal Conferences and two Synods of Eastern Rite Churches representing the 29 countries of the FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences) sent their representatives to this event, which aimed to give the Asian Churches the opportunity to discuss the way leading to the Synod as Pope Francis has outlined. We were able to share our experiences by focusing on several issues and some challenges that afflict our continent. We spoke about synodality, decision-making, vocations to the priesthood, the role of young people, poverty, religious conflicts and clericalism, with the hope of being able to proceed together on a true path of communitarian growth. We were delighted to have representatives of the Synod Secretariat, the Commission and the Task Force. This indicated the willingness of the universal Church to engage in the synodal process. What was the working methodology? They were three intense days of communion and group work. The methodology was always that of spiritual conversation. The various inputs we received were very important and stimulating. First of all, Card. Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, brought us the Pope’s warm greeting and assured us that we have not been forgotten. He emphasized that a synodal Church is a Church that listens and discerns. The success of the synodal process depends on the participation of the people of God and the pastors. We must be very attentive to voices, especially those that challenge the Church. What specifically struck you? A very strong impression was from the first day, to see that at every table where a group worked there was an empty chair, representing those who cannot lend their voice and those who do not want to give it. In the centre of the table, there was a candle surrounded by a wreath of beautiful flowers that was lit at the beginning of the day as a symbol of the light of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to make discernment. We experienced conversion in listening to the others, emptying ourselves, all together: cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay people. It was a moment to dig deep, to leave the detail in order to be able to reach, with a broad vision, the continental level. The transformation from the “I” to the “we” took place. In addition, it must be said that Asia is home to many religions, including the most ancient and one of the characteristics of Asians is that of spirituality and prayer. The program included 10 minutes of silence during the discussion of a topic and half an hour of prayer in the chapel between two discernment sessions. These moments of silence and prayer really helped all participants to be with God and in God so as to hear His voice both individually and collectively. What do you think is the biggest challenge? It was wonderful to be together as a Continental Church contemplating the complexity and variety of different and common characteristics and challenges. On the first day I thought it was a bit ambitious to think that in three days we could produce a draft that could contribute to the formulation of the instrumentum laboris for the Synod, indicating precise priorities for the Asian continent, but we felt that the Spirit was blowing strongly. Thanks to the work of a drafting group that prepared a “draft framework”, a draft project in order to save us the time to read all the reports ex novo, we were able to work calmly and with a well-ordered text. The last draft of the document expresses a single symphony with many voices that echo the dreams, hopes, aspirations and suffering of the Asian continent.

by Maria Grazia Berrett Foto: © Synodbangkok2023

Silvina Chemen: religions’ mission is to be uncomfortable

Feb 28, 2023 | Non categorizzato

On 1 February the International Centre of the Focolare Movement had the joy of welcoming Argentine Rabbi Silvina Chemen, a longtime friend committed to interreligious dialogue. In an open and fraternal dialogue, she spoke of her participation in R20, the forum of religious leaders in Indonesia held just before the G20, and her pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a group of Jews and Christians. “If I take a look at my life, my commitment to interreligious dialogue, I can say that all roads begin here, with the Focolare Movement.” These were the extremely happy words that Rabbi Silvina Chemen used to address a large gathering of people, eager to greet her and ask her a few questions, during her visit at the beginning of February to the International Centre of Rocca di Papa in Italy. She is Argentinean, from Buenos Aires, a professor at the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, and serves in the Bet-El community founded by Rabbi Marshall Meyer. Her commitment to dialogue between faiths is a choice that radically pervades her life and that has led her to get to know Chiara Lubich’s charism deeply, sharing the profound desire of ‘ut omnes’ (‘all be one’) by working intensely in favour of peace and universal brotherhood. In November Chemen participated in R20, the forum of religions in Indonesia, a historic moment that, in the presence of so many religious leaders, proudly defined how religions can truly be partners and help build a more peaceful society. “We, the religious people of the world, are part of society and have so much to offer to such a wounded world,” said Chemen. It is true, at this moment in history, on an international, political and religious level, we are taking the first steps toward a common dialogue. Yet we must take another step: looking further into the problems of ordinary people. It is a long journey, but one that over time, patiently, can bear the most beautiful fruit: valuing each other’s differences, cherishing them, lending an ear with interest and together looking toward a single goal. This, Silvina recalls, is what happened in the early experiences of dialogue between people of different religions that she was able to have. “My tradition, the Jewish tradition, is not just a set of precepts, rituals or a liturgy, but it is mixed with everyday life, with every moment of human life – our behaviour, actions, with what we are. It is a worldview of real life, so Judaism is not only lived inside the synagogue, but outside. “Being a cohesive community and witnessing with our lives: this is what I believe applies to everyone. It is often thought that we of various religions are not an integral part of society and that we must live within the walls of our communities. “Instead, I think we cannot miss this opportunity to speak to the world and to talk about dialogue, about what we have learnt from our experience, not to convince anyone, but to plant seeds of good, to have an impact on reality. “I am in love with this possibility of reading a religion through the eyes of current events. We are here to discomfort the comfortable and to support the uncomfortable. When one is too comfortable, it means one is completely disconnected from reality, which by nature is uncomfortable. Here, our mission is to be uncomfortable.” Silvina recently completed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the fruit of a journey that began in her city Buenos Aires some seven years ago, called ‘shared readings’. “Every first Monday of the month we met, Jews and Christians, to study the texts of the Bible,” she says. “It was a space of truth and knowledge, and also saw the participation of a Catholic theologian, José Luis D’Amico, from the Order of the Sisters of Sion, a Bible centre in Buenos Aires. “Other times we also had the joy of having Muslim brothers with us, and we were able to read together the Torah, the Gospel and some passages from the Quran. This experience led each of us to have a dream: a pilgrimage to the Holy Land together to revive the texts in their context.” That is how 45 people, including Jews and Catholic Christians, accompanied by an Israeli guide, had a truly intense experience from 9 to 22 January. They shared each other’s emotions in those places that were of value to each of them, understanding the ultimate message of the texts that were read. “We went between Jericho and Jerusalem,” Silvina says, “to the place where the Good Samaritan is said to have come upon the dying man. It is a text that is somewhat problematic for us Jews, since it could portray Jews as people without pity, as the Levite and the priest of the parable are described. “It was important to take on this text there, to give it another reading and understand that mercy was the key to that Word, as we also read in Ecclesiastes: better two than one, for if one falls, the other helps him (Ecc 4:9–10). “Immediately afterwards we did an exercise, that of talking to someone with whom we had not yet spoken during the trip. It was a truly unique moment: to have the opportunity to listen to each other, compare with each other and find a common message. “We were not a separate ‘we’ and ‘you’, but we were together. It was a precious moment – I would even say prophetic – of a truly united world.”

Maria Grazia Berretta

EcoGive: the App that measures green actions and helps countries in difficulty

Feb 25, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Give to safeguard. By tracking daily action, the new APP teaches young people and adults, how to take care of the planet and of communities afflicted by climate change Track your consumption, on your own or in groups, learn small-large daily actions to save water and energy and not waste food, and provide concrete help to the poorest countries. These are the goals of EcoGive – Dare to Safeguard, a new App which is available on AppleStore and GooglePlay. It was born thanks to the support of the New Ways for a United World Association linked to the Focolare Movement. Our world is now digitally contained in our mobile phones.  Being able to see our daily behaviours reflected in the digital dimension helps us to become aware of how much we really need to consume and how much we waste. This App allows us to track any of the following actions, from the reuse of water used to wash fruit and vegetables to switching off unnecessary lights, to the recycling of used clothes or less wasting of food. Each participant can register their “green deeds”, committing to carry out at least 200 for each school year. There are five thematic areas: electricity, water, gas, recycling/reuse and reduction of food waste. You can then follow the tally of your own deeds and those of your group or school class. You can also see the impact of the project measured in CO2, MWh and water saved. Marco Livia, president of the New Ways for a United World Association (APS), which supported the project and brought it onto an international level, said, “It is a very important project, a contribution to a real cultural change towards a sustainable lifestyle. We are aware of our generation’s great responsibility to the environment and we strongly believe in the power of change that we can transmit to children, and that they can imprint on their peers and in their own contexts.” The idea started in 2008 in Palermo (Italy) on the initiative of Elena Pace, a teacher. The aim is to combine environmental protection and solidarity. The experience then developed over the years thanks to the commitment of the students of various Italian schools. In the 2021-2022 school year, the initiative involved 50 schools worldwide and reached more than 10,000 students. In 2023 its international scope continues to grow. Schools from 12 countries now participate: Italy, Burundi, Benin, Madagascar, South Africa, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The project is inspired by the United Nations 2030 Agenda Goals, focusing in particular on three of them: 13 (fight against climate change), 4 (promote quality education) and 2 (defeat hunger). Support for developing countries The energy-saving measures can also be transformed into concrete support for the populations of the countries most affected by adverse climate-related events. How? Parents, relatives, friends and sponsors are invited to donate. The resources generated will allow the implementation of solidarity actions in developing countries. These actions are chosen by the students, who will learn in this way to give to safeguard the environment. Solidarity projects chosen include the construction of a social vegetable garden in Nairobi, Kenya, the planting of trees in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Mumbai (India) and the promotion of plant nurseries in the city of Carice (Haiti). The project has been supported by several institutions including the Italian Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Environment of the Dominican Republic, the Sapienza University of Rome, the Italian Space Agency and the Municipalities of Rome and Priverno. The EcoGive App was created thanks to the support of Mauro Atturo, CEO & Founder of Problem Solving S.R.L. and of Carlo La Mattina, Sole Director of Innovation Lab S.R.L.

Lorenzo Russo

War in Ukraine: a year that lasted forever

Feb 24, 2023 | Non categorizzato

365 days of war in the words and experience of Mira Milavec, a Slovenian Focolarina who has been living in Ukraine for some years and where she works for Caritas Spes. “It has been one year of war, but it seems like an eternity. I never imagined I’d experience such a situation firsthand.” This is how our conversation with Mira Milavec, a Slovenian focolarina who has been living in Ukraine since 2019, began. Mira has been working tirelessly at the frontline during this year of conflict, working with Caritas Spes Ukraine to support the people. Caritas has been supported by the Emergency Coordination Committee of the Focolare Movement through the NGO’s Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN). Mira told us, “I see a lot of fatigue around me. There are some places in particular where people are still living in very precarious situations. After a year, people’s needs have changed. Before with Caritas Spes we dealt with the distribution of basic necessities, now we have moved on to a new phase in which it is very important to restore dignity to people and also provide socio-psychological support. We are still at the beginning in this area but we are trying to understand how to do it”. Mira, the Caritas operation never stopped… That’s true. I am in contact with our collaborators who are in the most affected places. I think they have never had time to rest but they are there, day and night, personally sharing the sufferings of these people who have lost everything, their loved ones, their houses; their whole life is shattered. I think being in direct contact with these stories, gives our collaborators, no matter how tired they are, the push to continue doing good”. Is there any particular story you carry with you? “Yes, the stories are different, and that’s where hope comes from. I remember a family from Donbass who had to leave their city already in 2014. They had saved all their lives to be able to have an apartment and as soon as they could, they bought one in Kharkiv. Then the war came and they had to leave. They went back to that apartment at the end of 2022 and found it in really disastrous conditions because of the bombing. We brought them wood stoves to keep warm and, despite this tragic situation, it was moving to see immense gratitude in their eyes. It didn’t matter how much it was going to cost to repair the damage to the house. They were happy and grateful to receive that little help, to be alive and still together. ” What have you experienced in this difficult year? “I have seen how in these situations we are all able to do something to help. Above all I feel God’s support and really feel that we are in His hands. Often people here don’t ask for much, it’s enough just to ‘be’, to be there with them. God gives us all different talents and I have to say that in the situation I’m in now, I can really draw on them and they can really help others. Prayer is a real support. I truly hope that this war will end and that each one in our own small way will be able to teach the new generations that such hatred cannot be allowed to exist.”

 by Maria Grazia Berretta

Activate English subtitles https://youtu.be/gFOMlUj6axA To continue supporting the people of Ukraine click on the link Ukraine: fundraising to support the population begins – Focolare Movement (focolare.org)

The Holy Land: “Dare to Care” in Nes Ammim

Feb 21, 2023 | Non categorizzato

In Hebrew, Nes Ammim means the ‘miracle of the peoples’. This place was created to foster dialogue and understanding between Christians, Jews and Muslims. From 16 to 18 September, “Dare to Care for a Better Future” was held here, a meeting organised by the Focolare Movement in the Holy Land and open to people of every generation, nationality, religious faith or non-religious beliefs. It was an opportunity to share a few days together and discover each other as partners, through mutual understanding, in building a better future together. For testimonies of friendship between believers of different religions, see also Holy Land: stories of dialogue ( https://youtu.be/Cp9MOx5xKvA ). https://youtu.be/MiWZNwrasD8

Living the Gospel: instruments of God’s grace

Feb 20, 2023 | Non categorizzato

God chose to convey the grace that saves people through people themselves. That is, he chose to save us through our love for one another, through the charity and care we have for our neighbours. Just when it seems that we have nothing to offer, that we are of no use, he shows us a way to knock on his door as children, to ask and trust. Special request By chance, I had become aware of a patient admitted to hospital in a desperate condition. To save her, a specific blood type was needed, but it could not be found. I did my best to search for it, both among my acquaintances and in my work environment (I am a nurse in the outpatient clinic of a charitable organisation). But nothing could be found. I was about to surrender my arms, heavy in defeat, when a heartfelt prayer to the almighty rose from my soul, a request. My ward duty hours were over, and the specialist doctor I was assisting said goodbye and left. Just a few moments later, a young woman came in for an examination. I asked the lady for her ID and she handed me her Avis card.  I almost couldn’t believe my eyes – what if she had that blood type? If he was available? I rushed to call the doctor back and, unlike other times, found him willing to return to surgery. That’s right! That same afternoon, the woman was at the sick woman’s bedside for the direct transfusion. A. M. M., Italy Behind a door Starting with the idea of halving my personal belongings, giving them away to those who might need them, I established new relationships. I began with two expensive jackets that I seldom wear, offering them to my Moroccan neighbour, whose daughter or daughter-in-law might be interested. She liked them, and in turn begged me to accept a new, never-worn beige coat. For me this brought a lot of work to find out whom to give it to, but it served to get to know my neighbours. Two hours later I met a friend who happily accepted the coat for her sister, who only wears beige! The day continued, marked by the phrase, ‘Give and it shall be given to you’. In fact, I happened to receive furniture, dishes, linen for the flat I have recently moved into. For us Swiss, it is difficult to cross the threshold of a neighbour’s house – we are always afraid of disturbing. But how much humanity is hidden behind doors! It only takes a few minutes of entertainment over a coffee and the filters of prejudice fall away, the heart expands and the family space grows. Isabelle, Switzerland

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta.

From “Il Vangelo del Giorno,” Città Nuova, year IX, no. 1, January–February 2023.

Three women take on human trafficking

Feb 16, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Diana, Argia and Jane donate their time every day to help other women escape the repulsive phenomenon of human trafficking and slavery. Their stories were told for this year’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. Each year, 8 February marks the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. The Talitha Kum international network – which has more than 3,000 members and is supported by the Vatican and many associations, including the Focolare Movement – organised an online pilgrimage this year, “Walking for Dignity.” It included experiences from various parts of the world, and two in particular are linked to the Focolare Movement. Diana and Argia, from Naples, Italy, have been involved for years in a women’s association called “Donne Meridiane,” which works in social work and cultural education.

Blessing Degree

Lorenzo Russo

VIDEO: St. Peter’s Square, Rome, flash mob against human trafficking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUPDp1PaaHc

DialogUE Project: Practicing the Art of Dialogue

Feb 15, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Immerse yourself in the sense of dialogue and confront each other in order to be able to live it concretely every day. This is the main objective of the 8 webinars promoted by the project “DialogUE: Diverse Identities ALlied  Open to Generate a United Europe”. A way to deepen and grasp the beauty of this art, open to all. Can Christians, Muslims and members of other religions understand one another? Can we work together with those who, despite having the same creed, live it with avant-garde expressions or on the contrary anchored to traditions? Can those who believe in an eternal God and those who do not believe in life after death communicate? How can we build a united Europe between the countries of East and West so different in history, culture, development and tradition? These are the questions that drive the DialogUE project – Diverse Identities Allied Open to Generate a United Europe, a project born in Europe in particular through the International New Humanity Association,  an expression of the Focolare Movement that, since its inception, has made dialogue a lifestyle, a mission to which it is committed daily at various levels together with many organizations that share the same passion to build more fraternal societies. The CERV Programme of the European Commission approved and financed the project. Its focus is people and values centred and its objective is to explore and develop the often challenging dialogue between different groups over a period of two years, in order to shape a Europe that is ever more an expression of that “unity in multiplicity” which is the reason for its existence. On this basis, and in collaboration with the “Foundation for Sophia”, starting on  18^th February 2023, it will be possible to participate in an in-depth study on dialogue through an online course divided into 8 appointments. These webinars are open to  all and can be followed in Italian with translation into English, French and Hungarian. The first four aim to provide a real sense what of dialogue is and will be led by Roberto Catalano, an international expert on dialogue. These will be followed by 4 in-depth studies in specific areas, offered by several voices, expressing just as many ongoing workshops among people and citizens of various European countries. The timetable indicating the various topics to be addressed, is as follows (Italian time):

18/02/2023, 15:00 – 17:00 – The necessity of  identity

21/02/2023, 19:00 – 21:00 – Beyond the impossible 2 year experience of online dialogue between East-West Europe

25/02/2023, 15:00 – 17:00 – The inevitability of the ‘other’

03/03/2023, 19:00 – 21:00 – Together for Europe

04/03/2023,  15:00 – 17:00 – The secret of true relationship: the Golden Rule

11/03/2023, 15:00 – 17:00 – Dialogue and fraternity or fraternity and dialogue

23/03/2023, 17:00 – 19:00 – Secularity vs religion? Learn from opposites. The experience between Christians and Marxists

25/03/2023, 15:00 – 17:00 – Interfaith Dialogue:  birth, developments and prophecy

It will be a discovery which responds to the need to communicate and discover the wealth of each person, specifically valuing what unites, viewing differences as a fertile ground to grow patiently respecting everybody. Participate by filling out the registration form at the following link: https://forms.gle/mhvoaTkdrfdqc9kV9 For further information, please contact: dialogue@new-humanity.org.

by Maria Grazia Berretta

Giulio and Pina: falling in love again, day after day

Feb 14, 2023 | Non categorizzato

Loving each other in marriage is a great challenge. It means getting lost in each other’s paths, sharing life, sowing patiently and reaping the fruits; it means choosing each other every day even when we do not recognize each other, if necessary, learning to slow down to keep up with each other. On the day of lovers, we share the story told at the November 2017 “Collegamento” by Giulio and Pina Ciarrocchi. 22 years earlier, in May 1995, following the arrival of a stroke that changed their lives, they found the courage to let God guide them, experiencing a new way to fall in love again every day, seeing Jesus in each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM6vJUrUqX8&list=PL9YsVtizqrYt2S6qrtBBS1Xu_B3p-juwd&index=1

Peru: Feliciano, a new guest of the “Hogarcito”

Feb 11, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The mission of the “Chiara Lubich” Hogarcito, the Centre for the Elderly in the Peruvian Amazon forest, is to accompany the elderly and the ill. A place where service is motivated by love, where there are people who do good, able to put everything in God’s hands. Halfway through last year a woman came to the Hogarcito to ask for help. She urgently needed support for her elderly brother who lived alone, far from the capital where she lived. She asked us to welcome him into the “Hogarcito” and, after asking her to give us some time to explore the situation and our own possibilities, we put ourselves in the shoes of her brother and did not hesitate to welcome him. This is how Feliciano, 74, became a new guest of the Hogarcito. We welcomed him with great affection and with a welcome party. We discovered that he had lost the sight of one eye, that he had speech problems, you could barely understand what he was saying, as well as severe deafness.

Feliciano during rehabilitation

Volunteers of the “Hogarcito”