Teens International: an international editorial board made up of teenagers

Nov 16, 2022 | Non categorizzato

A look at the world with the aim of spreading “good news”. This is what animates the Teens International editorial offices scattered in various parts of the world and supported by the Città Nuova publishing group. A space created by teenagers for teenagers, where they can exchange opinions and ideas; they can be trained in the production of contents for various media and can find together communication models that are guided by true values. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Gj7BG4Nu4&list=PL9YsVtizqrYsxCVExqFc_vvuzCKyNbr43

Chiara Lubich: “Kindle fires” of unity

Nov 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Gospel text chosen for the month of November 2022 encourages us to practice mercy towards our brothers and sisters. In this passage from 15 October 1981, given during a worldwide telephone conference call, Chiara Lubich invited all listeners to revive this merciful love characteristic of the early days of the Focolare Movement. It is an appeal that today too can help us to grow in our personal journey of union with God and with the community. What I want to focus on today is unity. Unity must triumph: unity with God, unity among all people. The way to achieve this is to love everyone with that merciful love which characterized the Focolare at its beginnings, when we decided that each morning and all through the day we would look upon every person we met at home, at school, at work, everywhere as a new person, brand new, deliberately not remembering any of his or her shortcomings or defects, but covering everything over with love. … to reach out to everyone we meet with complete “amnesty,” universal pardon, in our hearts; and then to “make ourselves one” with them in everything except sin and evil. Why should we do this? To obtain the same wonderful results the Apostle Paul was seeking when he said: “For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might gain all the more. I have become all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9: 19,22). If we “make ourselves one” with our neighbour, as Paul recommends, which will be easier when we have this forgiving attitude, we will be able to pass our “Ideal” on to others.  And once this has been accomplished, we can have Jesus present among us, the risen Jesus who promised to remain with us forever in his Church, and who allows us to almost see and hear him when he is in our midst. This must be our principal work: to live in such a way that Jesus may live among us – Jesus, who is victorious over the world. For if we are one, as time goes on many will be one, and the world will someday be able to witness unity. So, let’s create cells of unity everywhere, each a focolare – a hearth, burning with love: in our family, on our block, with our playmates, with the people at work or at school – with everyone we can. Let’s kindle fires of love everywhere

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Conversazioni [Conversations], a cura di Michel Vandeleene, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2019, pp. 63-64)

COP27: Letter to end fossil fuel

Nov 13, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Focolare Movement adheres to the “Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty,” signed by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, the European Parliament, the Parliament of World Religions and more than 2900 scientists, academics, associations and representatives of different religious beliefs. “We, the undersigned, call on governments around the world to adopt and implement a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, as a matter of urgency, to protect the lives and livelihoods of present and future generations through a gradual and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels in line with the scientific consensus not to exceed 1.5ºC warming.” These are the words of introduction to the letter signed by more than 2900 scientists, academics, associations and representatives of different religious beliefs, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development and the European Parliament. The Focolare Movement has also joined the effort to ask world leaders for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Oil, gas and coal are the main cause of the climate crisis. The world already has enough renewable energy potential to comfortably expand energy access for all. Yet dependence on fossil fuels continues as experts sound the alarm about how coal, oil and gas are a detriment to our public health, biodiversity, world peace and our climate. Although the Paris Agreement set a crucial global climate target, many governments have continued to approve new coal, oil and gas extraction even though burning these fossil fuels would result in emissions seven times greater than those consistent with keeping warming below 1.5°C. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement there is a need for international cooperation to explicitly stop the expansion of fossil fuels. This is why considerable momentum is building behind the proposal for a Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty. On Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27, the global climate conference began with the participation of more than 140 heads of state and government. During this event, a conference entitled “The Right to a Healthy Environment: Faith and Ethical Perspectives” was held, organized by the Parliament of World Religions, in collaboration with UNEP Al-Mizan (a UN project with several Islamic organizations on the environment). The right to a healthy environment is supported by the ethical teachings of the world’s faith traditions on justice and valuing nature. Experts and religious leaders discussed this topic from the perspective of religious ethics and shared values, culture and advocacy, and call on world leaders gathered in Egypt to sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Lorenzo Russo

Sophia, a trans-disciplinary initiative that is growing

Nov 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The speakers at the inauguration of the new academic year of the Sophia University Institute (SUI) pronounced words of encouragement and stimulus. They included the Grand Chancellor Cardinal Betori, Deputy Grand Chancellor Margaret Karram, Rector Declan O’Byrne and Prof. Mauro Magatti, Professor of Sociology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. The official start of the year is a major event for any academic community. In the times we live in, with the complex challenges of culture and society that emerge from the pandemic and the return of war on European territory, it is a very important occasion. This year, 350 people attended the opening of the 2022/2023 Academic Year of the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (Figline-Incisa, Valdarno-Italy). The title of the event, the 15^th so far, was: “Paradigm shift: the university of the future”. As usual, Sophia wanted to take the opportunity to try to open up new paths, to present something of the “versatility” that is a constitutive part of her heritage. The Grand Chancellor, his eminence Card. Giuseppe Betori, who has accompanied and supported Sophia’s journey from the beginning, said that Sophia “is beginning to enter the time of maturity”. And he recommended “always drawing on the charismatic roots at the base of the Institute, roots from which life emerges”, including academic life. The Vice Grand Chancellor, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, emphasized the renewal that, after the initial phase, characterizes the current moment of the Institute. She said, “We note that a new generation of teachers, who have trained academically in this Institute is taking the baton from those who started. I am referring to the Professors of the ‘first hour’ to whom all my esteem and gratitude goes. They are those who, with courage, left the prestigious positions they held in other universities to give life to Chiara Lubich’s dream: to create a university institution at the service of the Church and humanity, which would give cultural and academic consistency to the charism of unity, to contribute to the realization of ‘that all may be one’ (Jn. 17:21)”. The mission of the SUI appears of no secondary importance in this historical moment of “fragmentation of knowledge and opinions” which requires attention and dedication: “Only by listening to God’s Wisdom, only by letting ourselves be shaped by it and by working, starting with ourselves, to ensure that it is transformed into culture, we will trace the way to answer the many questions of contemporary thought and we will be able to help heal the wounds and immense pains that afflict humanity”. The student representatives, Merveille Kouatouka and Valentina Alarcón, proposed six words in their short presentation: welcome, listen, discover, contemplate, dare, desire. They are the six verbs that the students wanted to choose in their study of a subject that is not usually found in universities: “sharing” (a subject for which Sophia gives university credits, because it is an expression of the lifestyle that the Institute wants to promote). They said it is, “An invitation to open a path to create and be, a ‘place’ in which to share Wisdom and mutually nourish each other. We like to recall Benedict XVI’s invitation in Caritas in Veritate: ‘Truth is logos that creates diá-logos and therefore communication and communion'”. Prof. Declan O’Byrne is the recently appointed third Rector (Acting) of SUI, following Prof. Piero Coda, Rector until 2020 and Prof. Giuseppe Argiolas, Rector since 2020. In his speech, he focussed on an expression present in the 2014 Strategic Plan, which spoke of Sophia as the “university of the future“. He posed the question: “In what sense can such a statement be made?” It doesn’t mean that “Sophia pretends to be some kind of model of what other universities can be”. Rather it means “thinking of Sophia as a university which serves the future. In other words, shifting attention from the already to the not-yet”. And, again and above all, “Sophia, in continuity with the mission of the Church, must be able to direct its work towards the future and must know how to overcome the rigid distinctions between disciplines, but also to connect the trans-disciplinary effort to a vision informed by the destiny of all things to become one in Christ”. In his address, Prof. Mauro Magatti, Professor of General Sociology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and a friend of Sophia since the beginning, reflected on the idea of ​​the university. He said: “Social life cannot be understood without taking into account the ability to accept a deviation from the plan, a quantum leap with respect to constraints that would seem to configure an impasse, or an unshakable determinism. In this sense, the spirit can be thought of as something which is capable of “infinite in the finite”, of “infinitizing” through projections that open lines of flight and spaces of freedom beyond the factual”. He said: “We need new knowledge and therefore a new university (…) To live in the time of complexity, it is necessary to recognize, enhance and cultivate an open, multidimensional, widespread, embodied reason, in constant dialogue and questioning with what is non-rational, a-rational, and supra-rational”. “Live in the time of complexity” is the invitation of Prof. Magatti. Sophia’s Academic Community and its vast array of friends accept the challenge.

Michele Zanzucchi Foto: Cittadela Loppiano

Pope Francis to the Focolare Movement : “May Christ always enlighten your steps.”

Nov 9, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The greeting of Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, to the  men and women volunteers in formation, who were meeting together in Castelgandolfo on 5^th November. She expressed her joy in sharing with them the beautiful letter she had received from Pope Francis. Activate English subtitles https://youtu.be/izLQ6PkQsHA

Chiara Badano: surprised by God’s love

Nov 4, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On 29th October 2022, the Feast Day of Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano, her hometown, Sassello, opened its doors and gathered to remember this young woman whose testimony continues to inspire.  On 29th October 2022, Blessed Chiara Badano would have celebrated her 51^st birthday. A young girl in love with God, who at the age of 17, discovered that she had a bone tumour yet, even in illness, she never stopped believing in God’s love. Many young people, children and adults came to her hometown, Sassello, in the province of Savona (Italy) which is surrounded by woods and beautiful hills, to remember her on her birthday which coincides with her Liturgical Feast Day. Thirty-two years after her death, her witness continues to spread and the fruits of a life lived in light inspire many to go beyond obstacles, to feel caressed by God’s Love even in difficulties and pain and to give their lives for those in most need. The day began at midday at the chapel of the Badano family in the Cemetery, where many people from various countries gathered around Chiara’s tomb for the “Time-Out”, a minute of reflection to ask for peace all over the world. It was a simple but profound moment of meditation and prayer, in which Maria Teresa, Chiara’s mother, Daniele Buschiazzo, the Mayor of Sassello, Msgr. Luigi Testore, the Bishop of the Diocese of Acqui and the members of the Chiara Badano Foundation took part. The Mayor said, “29^th October is generally a moment that enriches the whole community. And the fact that it is especially young people who recognize Chiara as an important point of reference, makes us even more proud. Every year this is a stimulating event for our Municipality and our community, addressing as it does, important issues. This year, the topic is peace”.  In the afternoon, at the Parish of the Most Holy Trinity, in the centre of Sassello, many participated in the Mass, celebrated by Mgr. Testore, assisted by Fr. Enrico Ravera, the Parish Priest of Sassello. The Bishop said “Chiara shows us precisely what it means to welcome the Love of God and constantly discover this Love. So she was able to live her short life above all with this perspective, leaving us a very strong imprint that each of us can take back: discovering the Love of God and letting ourselves be guided by this Love to build our own lives”. 5th “Art Award” Immediately after Mass, the Chiara Badano Foundation announced the names of the winners of the 2022 “Art  Award”, which gives young people the opportunity to illustrate with their own talents how much the story of Chiara Badano, her ideal and her lifestyle has fascinated, attracted and inspired them. This year’s winner in the “Children’s” category (10-16 years) was Manuel Arduini di Cattolica (Italy), with a drawing inspired by Chiara, entitled “The path to light”. Manuel explained, “What inspired me in this design was Chiara’s faith in the Church and in God”. In the “Youth” category (17-35 years), the winners were Guilaine, Darlene, Ashura, Evasta and Erica from Burundi. These 5 girls from the Chiara Luce Centre of the Focolare Movement in Bujumbura, wrote the words for a song (based on traditional music) and prepared a choreography that expresses the joy of getting to know about the life of Chiara “Luce” and how her example helps them in their lives. The Jury also made a special mention of a song by a group from Bujumbura which was entered in the Children’s category. Chiara Cuneo, Counsellor at the International Centre of the Focolare Movement received the award and the certificate and also brought the greetings of President Margaret Karram and Co-President Jesus Morán. Before concluding the award ceremony, Pasquale Capasso and Martina Bolino from Arzano (Italy), winners of the youth category for the year 2020, performed their winning song, “Here for Eternity” as in 2020,  due to the pandemic they could not participate in person. Pasquale Capasso explained, “Having reached the last page of the book on Chiara, “From the rooftops down” written by Franz Coriasco, I thought that this is a story which should continue. I know lots of young people, like me, like us, trying to spend their lives serving others with their talents. And so, the experience of this song must surely be a common experience, with others and friends… and this song came out, which is a stimulus to carry on the witness that Chiara left us, because it is a commitment that we all feel we have to take on. Martina Bolino added, “It started a bit like a game… we joined in this game and the result was a kind of crazy joy that is contagious, so we’d like to thank those who invited us to take part”. “Chiara Luce Badano Solidarity” Award At the end of the award ceremony for the winners of the 2022 “Art Awards”, there was also the presentation and launch of the new “Solidarity Award”: an annual initiative to promote solidarity projects in all parts of the world, which will be linked to the artistic award. Cristina Cuneo, a member of the Chiara Badano Foundation, said, “From an early age, Chiara showed a true passion for the most in need, the weakest, the most marginalized in society, the elderly and in particular children.  For this reason, inspired and encouraged by Ruggero Badano (Chiara’s father) and Delfina Giribaldi, the Foundation, has decided to establish the ‘Chiara Luce Badano Solidarity Award’, in accordance with its statutory mandate to support and encourage projects for the promotion of positive actions aimed at the weaker sections of the population”. The deadline for submitting projects is 20^th January, 2023. The regulations of the competition are on Chiara’s website. For more information on Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano: www.chiarabadano.org

Anita Martinez

Living the Gospel: kindness as a weapon

Oct 26, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Going to meet your neighbours, loving them completely, often means retracing your steps, even when you think you are in the right. It means putting your weapons away and preferring acts of kindness. Dad’s return For work reasons, my husband had been away for a whole week which meant that I had to manage four children at home on my own, as due to Covid-19 the schools were closed. In a discontented way, I kept thinking: “Was it right for him to take on so much?” Anxiety started to build up inside me which I knew would burst out when he came back. At a certain point, however, I noticed that our youngest child was carefully preparing a drawing to give to her father when he came home. That kind gesture made me think and it was a real examination of conscience for me: “What about me? How will I welcome him? Will I attack him with my recriminations, listing all the burdens I have had to bear?” That child’s drawing was an opportunity to change direction and to decide, together with the children who were enthusiastic about the idea, to welcome their father with a party, preparing good things to eat and decorating the house. When my husband arrived, he was taken by surprise. Tired, but happy to be home, he said: “You don’t know what it means for me to have a family like this!” (M.S. – Hungary) Healing relationships Years ago my relationship with a neighbour broke down. My efforts to reconcile with him were futile. Recently, I realized that the feast day of the Saint after which he is named was coming up and I had an idea. But first, since he had moved, I had to do some research to track him down. The morning of his name day, a little nervously, I went to his house with a basket of gifts. His wife answered the door with a cordial welcome, “Look who it is! I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first” and she called her husband. I was wondering how he would react. But I could never have imagined his huge embrace as he said: “What a gift you have given me by coming to visit! I was mean to you, but you know, sometimes I can’t control my temper!” In the living room, we had a friendly conversation for about two hours. And when it was time to leave, he offered me some produce from his fields. I thanked God for this meeting that brought joy to us both: only He could instil in me the courage to dare and to believe in the good that is hidden deep in the heart of every person. (E.B. – Italy)

Compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from The Gospel of the Day, New City, year VIII, n.2, September-October 2022)  

“The Letter”: a film with a call to action

Oct 24, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On Oct. 4, 2022, the docufilm “The Letter,” created by the Laudato Si’ Movement, was presented at the Vatican.  It offers a perspective of how to act for the good of our “common home” and is now available for free on Youtube Originals in 12 languages. Arouna Kandé is a young Senegalese student born in a small village who used to work on a farm with goats and chickens but because of the gradual destruction of the environment the young Muslim was forced to leave the village. The young man explains how rising sea levels in the coastal town of Saint-Louis have already forced thousands of people to leave their homes. “My family in Senegal,” he says, “has done nothing to cause the drought in our village or the flooding in the city. We are being affected by the choices made by other people. However, the future is coming, it is mine, and I will make good use of it.” In the docufilm “The Letter,” presented by the Laudato Si’ Movement, of which the Focolare Movement is a partner, Arouna Kandé’s story is intertwined with the stories of Brazilian indigenous chief Cacique Odair Dadá Borari, 14-year-old Indian activist  Ridhima Pandey, the Asners – an American couple, both marine biologists, and Irish woman Lorna Gold, all of whom are extremely active in safeguarding the environment. With a personalised letter leaving the Vatican and being delivered to each of them, a journey begins through their own lives until they return to the Vatican where Pope Francis engages in a dialogue with them in an atmosphere of intimate confidence and deep listening. Finally, the action moves to Assisi, to places made famous by St. Francis. There, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa offers a unique perspective for understanding the Franciscan roots of the message behind the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, dedicated by Pope Francis to care of the common home. The film was presented at the Vatican on 4 October, on the feast of the saint of Assisi, in the presence of its protagonists, director Nicolas Brown and his team along with the producers. In the Synod Hall, Arouna Kandé explained the importance of raising awareness of these issues. He spoke of schools being washed away by the waters and hundreds of boys having nowhere dry to rest, forced to sleep on their feet for days. The boy told of moving to a coastal town where the sea level is rising. He has not given up: he is now a university student and is setting up a new NGO to lead the next era of sustainable development in his country. Arouna is thus witnessing to the thousands of people who have firsthand experience of the climate crisis and have the knowledge to solve it. Ridhima Pandey, a 14-year-old Indian high school student, who has also participated in demonstrations to hold governments accountable for their climate action. She founded an NGO to help young women become climate activists. Ridhima said that future generations of young people will be the ones who suffer from global land abuse and neglect. “Our generation – the young people – is and will be the most vulnerable.” “The Letter” is a film to be watched in families, communities and schools because the message each of the protagonists receives is directed to every person on the planet enabling us to realise that we can all do our small or large part to care for “our common home” as Pope Francis calls it in Laudato Si’. The film will be available on Youtube Originals on 2 November 2022 in 12 different languages.

Carlos Mana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rps9bs85BII

Economy of Francesco: young people for a new economy

Oct 17, 2022 | Non categorizzato

More than 1000 young people from all over the world met in Assisi (Italy). Their aim: to redesign the economy together, giving it a soul, making it more sustainable, inclusive and attentive to the least. Pope Francis met them and enthusiastically signed a ‘pact’ with them, inviting them to transform their ideals into concrete actions. Copyright 2022 © CSC Audiovisuals – All rights reserved. (2661M)

60 years after Vatican II: back to the dream

Oct 13, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Second Vatican Council opened on 11^th October, 1962.Sixty years later, we reflect on this historic and exceptional event in the life of the Church. “The Council now beginning rises in the Church like daybreak, a forerunner of the most splendid light. It is now only dawn. And already at the first announcement of the rising day, how much sweetness fills out heart.” These are the words spoken by Pope John XXIII on 11^th October, 1962 at the conclusion of the solemn celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica, which ushered in a new era. Sixty years have passed since the opening of the Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical Council, that was universal, and a moment of great communion to face, in the light of the Gospel, the new questions posed by history and to respond to the needs of the world. The work of the Council, subsequently continued by Paul VI, lasted until December 1965. Just a month before the closure of this conciliar event Chiara Lubich, Founder of the Focolare Movement, wrote: “Oh! Holy Spirit, through what you have already suggested in the Council, make us become, a living Church: this is our only desire and everything else serves for this”[1]. These words are the fruit of the growing fervour that already animated the Movements and the new pre-conciliar Ecclesial Communities; an indelible sign of that “hermeneutical circularity which, by virtue of the action of the Holy Spirit in the mission of the Church, is established between the magisterium of a Council like Vatican II and the inspiration of a charism, like that of unity”[2]. But today, how should we view this anniversary? Vincenzo Di Pilato, Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Faculty of Theology of Puglia (Italy), tells us about it. Professor Di Pilato, what dreams inspired the desire to hold this Council? On 25^th January, 1959, the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, starting from the firm decision to convene a universal Council, Pope John XXIII tried to explain his intentions using terms that have become highly significant today, such as: updating, signs of the times, reform, mercy, unity. In the months before the opening of the Council, the Pope expected it to be an epiphany of the Lord (cf. Ex. ap. Sacrae Laudis, 6^th January, 1962), which would lead Rome to become a new Bethlehem. As the Magi once did, the Bishops of the whole world would come to worship Jesus in the midst of his Church. Roncalli dreamed of a synodal Church, a Church leaving “the closed enclosure of its Upper Room” (10^th June, 1962); a “Church of all, especially of the poor” (11^th September, 1962) because the “purpose” of the Council coincided with that of the Incarnation and Redemption, or “the union of heaven and earth… in all forms of social life” (4^th October, 1962). Why pause to reflect on this recurrence today? It is not an event like any other, but an indispensable occasion for a renewed awareness before a time of special graces. The Church, perhaps a little overburdened by her two thousand years, is encouraged to return to “dreaming”, that is, to relive that event again today, in the Spirit of the Risen One, with the certainty that He is here and will be “until the end of the world” (Mt 28: 20). What could the synodal process undertaken by Pope Francis mean other than to perpetuate Pentecost at all times and in all places? Moreover, in the period before and, above all, after the Council, the growing vitality of new Movements, such as the Focolare Movement and other aggregations of the faithful and Ecclesial Communities, have fostered a greater understanding of the principle of co-essentiality between the institutional dimension and the charismatic dimension of the Church. It is important to remember this synergy of the Spirit which ensures that the Church is never left alone in the face of the immense challenges that arise from time to time on the journey of history. In a word: the Church is the place of fraternity where the Kingdom of God begins, whose boundaries go far beyond those of the Church herself. Is the “co-responsibility” of the laity in the Church, a word attributable to the Council, still an open path… Yes, it is certainly a discourse in the making and is equivalent to recognizing the fundamental equality of all the baptized; to reviewing the relationship between priests and laity; to appreciating the circularity of vocations; to putting in place all the structures of communion and forms of synodality that are already possible; to focusing on episcopal collegiality and in the presbytery itself (between the clergy and the bishop); to discovering the co-essentiality of ministries and charisms; to promoting full reciprocity between men and women in the Church; to engaging in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue; to opening up an authentic relationship of dialogue with the surrounding world, with culture and cultures, to valuing capacity and willingness to listen, that familiarity with Christ gives us and refines in us; to promoting new attempts to give life to small lively local communities. In a word: to allowing Christ to emerge not only in what we say, but in the relationships we build with each other and at all levels.

Maria Grazia Berretta

[1][1] C. Lubich, Una nuova Pentecoste, from her diary, 11 November 1965, in La Chiesa, edited by B. Leahy and H. Blaumeiser, Città Nuova, Rome 2018, p. 69. [2]Piero Coda, on the occasion of the Convention “The Second Vatican Council and the Charism of Unity of Chiara Lubich”, Florence, 11-12^th  March 2022.

Peru: waiting with uncertainty but also with confidence

Sep 30, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The experience of Jenny López, director of the Chiara Lubich Centre for the Elderly, in Lámud in the Peruvian Amazon. The story of her meeting with L.  One morning, I was  working in my office in the Council Buildings when I received a file asking for help in authorising the admission of an elderly woman to our centre. The file only carried the name of the person, L., and the document number. I asked for a more complete report and an updated diagnosis of the person’s state of health. I was told that that the elderly woman had been a victim of domestic violence and physical abuse caused by members of her family. She, a vulnerable person, had bruised arms, was unable to move and was in a state of total abandonment. It was prudent that she be removed from her home and country. I was the person in charge of  Casa Hogar, that is the ‘Chiara Lubich’ Centre, and I asked the local authorities to speed up the paperwork for this case because I felt it was  urgent. The court needed to make a ruling to permit the elderly lady to leave her home but the judge was on holiday. At that point, I decided to assume all reponsibility for the case and to offer to admit the lady immediately. It took us seven hours to reach her on the bumpy roads. We found her alone in her little house, asleep, almost dying. I approached her and called her name but she did not answer. I immediately signed the document that allowed us to move her from her home.  We spent that night in a hostel. I could not sleep, my mind and soul were focused on what might happen. I got up early and offered all my fears to God in prayer. The next day I asked for the assistance of a social worker to take over from me so that I could return home to my husband, my children and my elderly parents, but no one was available at that time. It was difficult to decide what to do but I felt inside that I should not give up. L.’s life, hanging by a thread, depended entirely upon our little efforts.. And so another day passed. I whispered to L.: ‘You are suffering like Jesus on the cross and I am here with you. If you have to go to heaven, you will not be alone, I will accompany you’. I spent the night with her, then, the next morning, the doctors arrived.  They took care of her and gave her fluids: only then could we transfer her to the Hogar where everyone welcomed her with great affection. However, 23 doses of a very strong medicine were needed. I made the rounds of many pharmacies and, finally, one seemed to have some but the assistant doubted that they had sufficient. However, when he looked in the box, there were indeed 23. He was very surprised: ‘That’s how it is when you walk with God,’ I told him happily. After that long journey, L. was able to rest. A few days ago God called her to himself, surrounded by the love and prayers of us all, and having received the anointing of the sick. Inspite of the sadness we feel,  everyone is left with a sense of joy because they have loved  this dear old lady who suffered so much, but who leaves a trail of love and prayers from people all over the world. Her brief presence among us came as a gift that we felt we needed to approach “on tiptoe” but also with a renewed trust in God. Jenny López Arévalo (Lámud, Amazon, Perù)

Interviewed by Gustavo E. Clariá

Communion in action: a lifestyle of sharing

Sep 29, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Focolare Movement has published a Mission Report of ‘Communion in action’ for the period 2020-2021, an information tool to communicate the main actions and interventions of this reality around the world. It is a detailed document that is useful for everyone to live and walk together towards unity and fraternity becoming a reality. For the first time ever, the Focolare Movement is publishing a Mission Report and has decided to do so in the light of this period of crisis and uncertainty that bears the aftermath of the pandemic and the open wounds of the many conflicts around the world. But it is precisely when the greatest and most common problems appear that a feeling of true fraternity and solidarity seems to emerge between people. Therefore, rather than being a simple report, this Mission Report aims to give the reader an explanatory narrative of the actions and interventions of the Focolare Movement, highlighting what unites and what still needs to be improved. The Mission Report places particular emphasis on the key element that is evident from the name itself: communion. The lifestyle proposed by the Movement, in fact, is based on the choice of putting love into practice which is rooted in the Gospel. A love that – as the founder of the Focolare Movement Chiara Lubich (1920-2008) said – means loving everyone, being the first to love, “getting into the skin of the other”, in such a way that this love extends until it becomes reciprocal, until it reached the point of becoming communion. In this perspective, the document aims to highlight the effects of communion itself, of what one has and is, in a voluntary and free sharing. At the same time it seeks to make of itself an instrument that opens up dialogue and communion, as President Margaret Karram said in her introductory speech: “It is with these sentiments that I wish to offer it to you all so that it too can become an instrument of dialogue, to build bridges and spread a culture and the practice of fraternity. It is so close to my heart that we may learn to live this communion, this exchange better and better, in a relationship of reciprocity that makes us sisters and brothers and promotes an authentic family where diversity enriches us and binds us in a harmonious unity”.

Stefania Tanesini

To read the Mission Report of Communion in action click here  

The Living Gospel: For though I am free with respect to all, I made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them

Sep 23, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Drawing closer to another person means diminishing the distance between us and them: it means losing that space that is ours alone. It means putting aside what we have to do and embracing the other person’s life. It also means choosing the last place in order to serve. A demanding patient On the ward where I was working as a nurse, there was  a lady in a single room who constantly demanded attention for every every little need. I could see that she was suffering: perhaps she felt the end was approaching. One day, after rudely sending away the priest who, as a chaplain,  was visiting the patients, she had a notice written on the door: she did not want visitors, especially priests. Every morning, as I started my shift, I felt I wanted to love Jesus who was suffering in that lady and so I tried to satisfy all her wishes: I straightened her pillows, I brought her glasses of water, I opened the window more and then I closed it, etc. One day she asked me: ‘How can you be so patient with me?’ I pointed to the crucifix hanging on the wall: ‘He is the one I follow: he sets the example’. From then onwards, the relationship between us grew. One night, she was very unwell, she insisted that the nurse on duty should phone the parish and ask a priest to come immediately. Shortly afterwards she went to confession and received Communion. When I arrived at work, she was quiet. At ten o’clock she passed away. (Vreni – Switzerland) Making the world smile Mohammed is not yet 22 years old. He is Kurdish from Iraq and has already lived in Sweden for a few years. Now he has come to Italy because he needs to attend to his documents. His eyes are clear and bright. I ask him to sit down in the office and begin to explain how the Caritas dormitory where he will be staying temporarily works. Thanks to English, we manage to understand each other. I try to take an interest in him and his family, in his reasons for leaving his homeland and his short but already intense past.  I forget about  the painful situations that I had encountered before his arrival. When he came in, he seemed tired and tense, now I see him slowly relax. He often smiles. At the end  he tells me: “In six years, I have never met a person who welcomed me like you did this morning. You made my stress go away.” And he thanks me.  He asked me to write my name on a piece of paper, but at the end of the interview, he greets me and calls me ‘Dad’. (S.U. – Italy)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, VIII, no.2, Sept-Oct 2022)

Unity as “ecumenism of the heart”

Sep 20, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In an atmosphere of joy, peace and fraternity, the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches concluded a few days ago in Karlsruhe, Germany. Following is from the Centro Uno team, Focolare’s international secretariat for ecumenism, who were present at the event. “The love of Christ moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” This was the Christological theme for the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches that took place in Karlsruhe, Germany, from August 31 to September 8. Present were representatives of some 350 churches, WCC member delegates and leaders, leaders of other faith communities cooperating with the Council for the Unity of Humanity, as well as a delegation from both the Ukrainian and Russian churches. It was a strong sign and tangible testimony to how this council is truly a platform perpetually open to dialogue. Participants from all continents brought with them the living image of all humanity, in its diversity, suffering and richness. They told of their stories, their great love for Christ, their struggles for peace, and their desire to aim for unity. It is a project that needs not just any love to be realised, but the love that comes from the heart of the Trinity, found only in contact with God. This was expressed in the special importance and care given to prayer. Each day, in fact, began and ended by praying inside a spacious and bright tent set up in memory of the place of the covenant, where the Jewish people met with Moses. The diversity of liturgies, languages, music, songs and customs fuelled the joy and awe of the richness of one common faith, expressed in an infinite number of ways. The delegations came to Karlsruhe as pilgrims aiming to accompany and support each other, chart new directions and witness together to God’s love. Leading the delegation from the Catholic Church was Cardinal Kurt Koch, who at the opening of the event made a gift of some of Pope Francis’ words written for the occasion, encouraging the participants to grow in fraternal communion in the name of Christ, to be credible as an outgoing church and to comfort the world in a time of division and war. The Focolare’s contribution fit as a piece in this large mosaic, with attendance of more than 30 people, Catholic and from various churches, including bishop friends of the Focolare, focolarini, Gen (the movement’s youth), Volunteers of God and a Muslim friend. Being present together with so many people from the various churches was a unique experience for each of us and a precious opportunity to feel one in the love of Christ. The assembly concluded with deliberating on a report that referred to three significant challenges of our time: climate justice, racial justice, and equality between men and women. It emphasised how the churches can address these and was accepted by a majority vote. These elements not only set us on the path, but as we read in a few lines of the final document, reveal a similarity with the goals and spirit that guides the Focolare Movement. “One can define the search for unity, which is inspired by love and rooted in a deep and reciprical relationship, as an ‘ecumenism of the heart.’ It is Christian love that impels us to walk honestly and wholeheartedly alongside one another, to try to see the world through each other’s eyes and feel compassion for one another.”

Centro Uno

Floods in Pakistan: networking for concrete action

Sep 13, 2022 | Non categorizzato

An exceptional wave of monsoon rains, five times greater than average, has caused one of the most disastrous floods in Pakistan in recent decades. A real catastrophe but one which, despite the enormous difficulties, has not dampened the desire of many people on the ground to take concrete action for their neighbour. A fund-raising campaign has also been launched by the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination Team. What Pakistan is currently experiencing is a real humanitarian and health emergency. The monsoon rains which began as early as mid-June 2022 and are also caused by climate change have brought a third of the country to its knees.  Some 33 million people, 15% of the entire population, have been displaced, more than 1,500 people have died and more than 700,000 homes destroyed. The threat of diseases such as typhoid, cholera and dengue fever grows day by day, and the needs are becoming increasingly urgent. The megalopolis of Karachi, one of the places where the Focolare Movement has been present for some time, has not been hit as hard as other centres such as the provinces of Sindh, southern Punjab and Balucistan which even under normal conditions are already difficult to reach. However, “the displaced people are also coming here and we are mobilising to organise help in the reception camps,” said some members of the Focolare. In addition, many Focolare members of various ages and vocations are doing all they can to respond as a community to the most pressing needs, with some people even opening the doors of their homes, if necessary, as did Abid, a young father of a family, who took in sixteen Muslims who had lost everything on the first floor of his house. The largest city affected by the flood is Hyderabad. Matthew, a Gen, one of the young people of the local Focolare Movement, wrote: “The city centre is now safe, but the neighbourhoods near the Indus river are still in danger and some parts have been evacuated. The next two weeks will be very difficult.” In these days, fear is mixed with a lucid awareness which is generating an inner, instinctive force that looks to the other and, with renewed courage, mobilises and networks. “As Youth for a United World a few months ago we set up a group called ‘The spirit of giving’.  We are Catholics and Anglicans from the Anglican Church of Pakistan,” continued Mathew’s brother, Hanan. “We met together to make a plan, to work out what we could do to help and how. You could think that we can’t do much or that it’s too little, but we said to one another everyone can give something, we need to move hearts”. And so it was that by knocking on all the doors in their neighbourhood and going into shops, these young people collected about 5000 rupees while another 2000 rupees arrived providentially in response to a flyer shared on social media. A desire to donate which from an experience of dialogue turned into service and action. Among the many people in need, we cannot forget that one of the groups most at risk in these parts are the nomadic Hindu communities: “Our families’ tents were on a plain. With the floods  people sought refuge on a raised part of the land that is now surrounded by water.  Now it is as if they are on an island which they can’t leave,” recounted some young people belonging to these communities. To rally around those affected and initiate targeted relief and support initiatives, especially there where resources are scarce, is more than just a wish.  It is a real priority for everyone. In response to all this suffering in Karachi, in a rather poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, a small group of Gen immediately stepped into action: “We set up a collection point where lots of people passed by.  Some brought food, water or clothes.  Some left money in a box placed at the entrance,” says Rizwan. “I noticed there weren’t many clothes for the children,” says Soiana, “so I started sewing for them using fabric I had left over from my work”. To contribute to the Focolare Movement Emergency Coordination Team’s fundraising campaign for Pakistan you can donate to:

Maria Grazia Berretta

Chiara Lubich: Mary, architect of fraternity

Sep 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Just as she loved and cared for her son Jesus, Mary wants the good of every person. She, a human being, is the model for every Christian, and by mirroring the stages of her life we can make our contribution to a new world. Even though our planet is beset with many tensions, Mary leads us in various ways to unity, and she desires this for all. She wants families united, different generations united; she asks for unity among different ethnic groups, races, and peoples; unity among Christians and unity, as far as it is possible, with the faithful of other religions and even with those who have no specific religious affiliation but seek the welfare of humankind. She reaches out to everyone, and she desires universal brotherhood. (…) May Mary, who made God the ideal of her life, help us make him our ideal as well. May Mary, who embraced the will of God in the incarnation and in her whole life, help us to fulfill his will to perfection. May she, who loved her neighbor as demonstrated in her visit to Elizabeth and at the wedding at Cana, fill our hearts with this same love. May Mary, who lived mutual love fully in the family at Nazareth, help us to practice it as well. May Mary, who was able to offer all her suffering at the foot of the cross, strengthen our hearts when we are besieged by suffering. May Mary, who is the universal mother, open our hearts to all humankind.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Talk given in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 30-11-1987, in Mary, The Transparency of God, New City Press, New York, 2003, p 81-82)  

The meeting of those responsible for the Focolare Movement has opened with a message from Pope Francis.

Sep 10, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In addition to the joy of being together again in person after the pandemic, an unexpected and affectionate greeting from Pope Francis has arrived to those with overall responsibility for the Focolare Movement around the world, who are meeting from 10^th  to 23^rd  September. “I am grateful for so much good news. I am close to you personally, and to all of you. I assure you of my prayers, please pray for me too.” These were the Pope’s words in reply to a letter from Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, with which she chose to open the meeting of those responsible for the Focolare Movement in the world, together with its General Council. The President told the 104 people at the meeting that a few days ago she had felt urged to write to the Pope, to thank him for his constant closeness to her and to the Movement, hoping to give him joy. In her letter dated 6^th  September, among other things, she told the Pope: ‘A year and seven months have passed since I was elected President, and I confide in you that it has been a very demanding time with many challenges to be faced and many decisions to be made. I have understood more and more your words referring to the ‘pruning’ which is necessary for growth and, as I renewed my choice to embrace Jesus crucified and forsaken in this pruning, I perceived that I became more humble, I felt greater hope, and that my unity with you, Your Holiness, was ever stronger, together with the certainty that God is at work. At the same time, I witnessed a great fruitfulness and, in  individuals and communities, I witnessed steps in spiritual growth being taken. I also saw greater care for the ‘least,’ and many tangible actions to help those who suffer the most’. Margaret concluded by assuring the Pope of the prayers of everyone in the Movement. She was very surprised when the following day she received this handwritten reply from Pope Francis:

7.9.22

Ms Margaret Karram My dear sister, Thank you very much for your letter to me yesterday. I am grateful for so much good news. I am close to you personally, and to all of you. I assure you of my prayers, please pray for me too. May the Lord bless you and may Mary protect you. Fraternally,                                                     Francis

Chiara Lubich: communicate

Sep 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On 2 June 2000, the first conference on ‘Communication and Unity’ was held, in which Chiara Lubich presented to those attending, the model of the ‘great communicator’: Jesus in the moment of his forsakenness, the mediator between humanity and God. She then listed the guiding principles of communications inspired by the charism of unity. It is unthinkable that a new communication be imposed from above, by some international agency or institution. It will come rather from the experience of communicators who have God-Love as a model for communication and as a paradigm for professional relations. Guiding principles of our communication—And indeed it is God-Love that those of us who are involved in communication seek to draw upon. They have developed out of their daily experience an original way of communicating. We present it here as a small contribution to the body of research being developed today. The first thought: for them communication is essential. The effort to live the gospel in everyday life, the experience of the Word of Life, has always been indissolubly united with communicating it, describing the various steps and the results, since it is a law that we love others as ourselves. They believe that what is not communicated is lost. So life generates light, both for those who speak and for those who listen, and it seems the experience is fixed in eternity. They have almost a vocation for communication. The second thought: to communicate, we feel the need “to make ourselves one” as we say, with the one who is listening A third thought: emphasize the positive. It has always been our way to put what is good into light, out of a conviction that it is infinitely more constructive to point out what is good, dwelling on the good and positive aspects, than to stop at the negative, even though whoever is in a position of responsibility has the duty at the proper moment to point out errors, shortcomings and failures. Finally: the person matters, not the media, which are merely an instrument. Bringing about unity first of all requires the indispensable means, which is the person, St. Paul’s new self, who has welcomed the mandate of Christ to be leaven, salt, light of the world.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings, New City Press, New York, and New City London 2007 p. 295-296)

Bolivia: a cross-cultural encounter

Sep 1, 2022 | Non categorizzato

As part of the programme of activities for United World Week 2022, the preparation team from Cochabamba (Bolivia), in coordination with the ‘Casa de los Niños’ in the same city, organised a visit to the rural community of Carpani Carpani is a small town of 250 inhabitants, located in the Bolivian highlands (3,900 metres above sea level), between the departments of Cochabamba and Oruro. The invitation to visit the village was addressed to young people in particular but also to anyone else who was interested in joining. To get to the small town of Carpani (135 km from Cochabamba), we travelled for three hours on a mostly tarmaced road along an uphill mountain path.  We then continued on a dirt track for about 15 km, and finally we followed a minor diversion, on a small road, to reach the village of brick and adobe clay houses nestled in the mountains. “The preparatory phase of the trip involved getting various goods, such as food and school materials for the small school which has just one multi-grade class,” says Aristide, head of the ‘Casa de los Niños’ (www.lacasadelosninos.it). Unfortunately, it has been neglected by local and national authorities who even withdrew the teacher’s salary but it has been receiving support from the ‘Casa de los Niños’ for many years – which also takes its inspiration from the charism of Unity – which tries to meet some of the many needs of the small population, sustained by a meagre production of potatoes and by grazing its small flocks of sheep.” Thanks to the support of the Focolare Movement community in Cochabamba, it has been possible to meet a large part of the needs that the Carpani community leader had told them about in advance. “The programme prepared for the day of the visit,” continued Silvana Verdún, “was very simple: community prayer in the small chapel, in the region’s native language of Quechua, although everyone also understands and speaks Spanish, followed by a moment of dialogue with the villagers, divided into groups of men, women and children.” “It was an experience of great mutual giving, and we all felt like brothers and sisters listening to each other and supporting each other, in the same simplicity and human warmth that characterises these people, as pure of heart as the sky and as untouched as the mountains that surround them,” said Franc Moura. The finishing touch to the community meeting was unmissable – the moment for sharing an outdoor lunch. We prepared a communal table with all the dishes that each participant had brought, and they offered us the fruit of their labour: “potatoes a la wathia”. This is a cooking technique typically found in rural communities, which consists of digging a hole in the ground, the depth of which depends on the amount of food to be cooked; the cavity and the boulders extracted are heated with embers of firewood and charcoal. Once the right temperature is reached, the food is placed inside the hole and covered by the hot clods for a certain amount of time. These were beautiful moments that are etched in our hearts. A family from Cochabamba, on their first trip to Carpani, wrote: “We had an unforgettable experience as a family. When we returned home we sat down to talk about it and the conclusion we drew was one of absolute happiness. We were very happy to meet all of you volunteers and the community of Carpani. It was a real blessing and we would like to continue participating in other activities. Thank you for the opportunity”. The ‘united world’ also advances in little Carpani!

By Orlando José Zurita Vilte – Bolivia (from Ciudad Nueva Interamericana) Foto: © Franc Moura

[:it]Chiara Lubich: perdonare, come una madre[:es]Chiara Lubich: perdonar, como una madre[:fr]Chiara Lubich : pardonner comme le fait une mère[:pt]Chiara Lubich: perdoar, como uma mãe

Aug 29, 2022 | Non categorizzato

“In his first ‘Angelus’ message in Rome on 17^th March 2013, Pope Francis said: “We don’t hear Jesus speaking words of contempt, or condemnation, but only words of love and mercy.” In fact, mercy and forgiveness are characteristic Christian virtues that we can practice every day with all the brothers and sisters we meet. What makes mercy so powerful that it triumphs over justice (cf. Lk. 1:54)? And why does Jesus consider this virtue so important that he makes it a condition for personal salvation? As Pope John Paul II clearly explained, mercy is “an indispensable dimension of love; it is, as it were, love’s second name.”^[1] … This theme is found again in the prayer of the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We could say that there is a law written in heaven in which our sins our remitted to the extent that we forgive our brothers and sisters. The theme of mercy and forgiveness pervades the entire Gospel. Actually, Jesus’ goal is what he revealed to us in his final prayer the night before his passion: to unite all people, to make all humanity one big family whose model is the Trinity. The whole of his teaching tends to give us, through his love, the tool for achieving this exceptional fellowship among ourselves and with God. And mercy is the utmost expression of love, of charity, that which completes it, which makes it perfect. Let’s try, then, in all our relationships, to live this love for others in the form of mercy! Mercy is a love that welcomes every neighbour, especially the poor and needy. It is a boundless, abundant, universal, and concrete love. It is a love which encourages reciprocity, which is the ultimate goal of mercy, without which there would be only justice, which serves to create equality, but not fraternity. People often talk about denying forgiveness to those who have committed serious crimes; revenge is called for more than justice. But once every attempt has been made to compensate for the damage done, we must make way for forgiveness, which is the only way to heal the personal and social trauma produced by wrongdoing. “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lk. 6:37). Therefore, if we have been offended or treated unjustly in any way, let’s forgive and we will be forgiven. Let’s be first to show kindness and compassion! Even if it seems difficult and requires great courage, let’s ask ourselves, in front of every neighbour: what would his or her mother do? This thought can help us to understand and live in accordance with the heart of God.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 632/4) [1] John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia, n. 7

Dialogue as lifestyle

Aug 26, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The eleventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches runs from 31 August to 8 September 2022 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Focolare Movement has long been linked to the WCC by ties of friendship and collaboration, which continue in this latest Assembly. In a world torn apart by conflicts, afflicted by a pandemic which has widened inequalities, overwhelmed by an unprecedented climate crisis, characterized by scientific and technological innovations which often create new disparities between people and regions of the world, does it make any sense to speak of unity? And, if so, what contribution can Christians make to achieve it? These fundamental questions will be at the heart of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, taking place at Karlsruhr, Germany from 31 August to 8 September 2022. The Assembly, the highest governing body of the World Council of Churches, is normally convened every eight years. 352 Churches now belong to the WCC, in 110 countries, representing around 500 million Christians. The Assembly will gather around 4,000 participants from all around the world. Unity, for Christians, is the fulfilment of Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:21). Words which inspire confidence in the Assembly’s title: “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”. The work of the Assembly springs from reflecting on the great challenges of the planet which have revealed such vulnerability, as well as ethnic, economic and social divisions and injustices. But which have also highlighted the interdependence of individuals and peoples; the responsibility we have towards others in a world in which no-one can save themselves on their own. In this context, the Christian Churches are gathering together for prayer and celebration, for reflection and action. It’s an opportunity to deepen their commitment to dialogue, visible unity and common testimony. Alongside the official delegates’ program are around 100 workshops and stands hosted by various Churches, Communities and Institutions, including the Focolare Movement sharing its own wide-ranging experience of dialogue. The Focolare stand will be supported throughout the Assembly by the team of “Centro Uno” (which coordinates the ecumenical activity of the Focolare internationally), with Focolare members from Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Romania. On 5 September at 17:00, they will host a workshop on “Dialogue as a lifestyle: methodology and practice”, offering an experience of dialogue between Christians of different Churches, and between Christians and Muslims. A dialogue involving maximum respect of each one’s identity, prioritizing the engagement of theory with life. The World Council of Churches came into being on 23 August 1948, originally with 147 member Churches. Its principal aim to enable dialogue as the way and characteristic of authentic Christian life. The Focolare Movement’s links with the WCC go back to 1967 when Swiss Reformed theologian Lukas Vischer invited Chiara Lubich to Geneva. On her third visit, in 2002, Chiara also visited the WCC’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Ioan Sauca has, on more than one occasion, referred to the importance to the Institute of that meeting with Chiara Lubich and her clarity in addressing the often challenging relationship between identity and unity.

Anna Lisa Innocenti

Sophia University Institute: Professor Declan O’Byrne has been nominated as acting Rector

Aug 22, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Professor Giuseppe Argiolas has offered his resignation as Rector of the Sophia University Institute “for personal reasons”. The present Vice Rector, Professor Declan O’Byrne has been appointed as Acting Rector and will serve in this capacity until the natural end of the mandate, January 2024. The Vice Chancellor, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, has written to the academic community of the Institute saying: “I ask you all to collaborate fully with Professor Declan O’Byrne, who has accepted the role assigned to him by the Congregation for Catholic Education, so that the Sophia University Institute can continue its service of teaching, research and cultural engagement with due professional diligence. I am grateful to Professor Argiolas for his commitment and for the work he has done to develop Sophia, especially during these difficult times of the pandemic, 2020-2022. I entrust to the responsibility of the whole academic body the good outcome of this new academic year”.  The teachers and staff at Sophia are united to the Vice Chancellor in thanking Professor Argiolas for his dedicated commitment at the service of the Institute.

Chiara Lubich: follow the path of love, as Jesus did

Aug 22, 2022 | Non categorizzato

During the Fourth World Youth Day, held in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in 1989, Chiara Lubich gave a talk entitled “Jesus is the way”. We have chosen an extract from it in which she invited everyone to set in motion the transforming power of love as Jesus himself did. He was God’s Son, he was love, and he came to earth out of love. He lived for love, spreading love, giving love, bringing the law of love and he died for love. Then he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, fulfilling his plan of love. Everything was for love: love for you, love for me, love for everyone. We could say then that the way Jesus followed has a name: love. And we, who want to follow him, must walk along this way – the way of love. Love! Some of you might ask yourselves: what kind of love did Jesus have in his heart?  Out of what kind of love did he act? What kind of love did he leave here on earth? The love that Jesus lived and brought on earth is a special and unique love. It is not the kind of love that you might imagine. It is not philanthropy; nor is it simply solidarity or kindness. It is not purely friendship or affection (like the love a boy can have for a girl, or a mother for her son); nor is it only non-violence. It is something exceptional, indeed, divine: it is the same ardent love that burns in God. Jesus has given us a flame of that infinite fire, a ray of that immense sun. It is something extraordinary. We do not think about this very often, but if we were to take it seriously, it would make us strong. … We must make this love become fruitful. How? By loving.

Chiara Lubich

 (Chiara Lubich, L’amore al fratello, [Love of Neighbour] Città Nuova, 2012, pp. 50-51)

The Living Gospel:  love leads to concrete action

Aug 19, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Love urges us to avoid being closed in ourselves but to do good for others.  It leads us to take the initiative and overcome indifference. By showing commitment and getting our hands dirty, so to speak, we are reminded  how much God has loved us  and how great is the dream he has placed in our hearts.  Seventeen hundredweight of books When we spoke to friends about the crisis in Argentina, we learned about the serious shortage of school books in Pease. Hence the idea emerged of making a collection and we circulated the idea among families we knew. The response was immediate and generous. There was no lack of  initiative: advertisements in newspapers, appeals on the radio, talks in parishes and to various parents’ associations. Many people from a number of different cities became personally involved. We collected seventeen hundredweight of books for all school levels and sent them to Argentina by sea. Then, within a month, there were other groups of people who collected another two hundredweight  of books and the money for their transport. Due to lack of experience, it was sometimes difficult to keep in mind all the practical details  (e.g. suitable boxes for transport, customs procedures, etc.) But a solution was found for everything. We were also able to tell many people that we were motivated by the ideal of contributing to building a more united world. (S.A. – Spain)

Serving other people together I am a nurse and work in a social service centre. A couple with a nine-month-old baby who were in considerable need approached me for support. They didn’t even have money for their bus fare, the wife had injured her hand and the baby needed to complete his vaccinations. I could have turned them away because of the very strict referral requirements  but inside I felt the urge to do something for these neighbours. I sanctioned access to emergency services  and made sure I met all the family’s needs so that they would not have to buy bus tickets for another appointment. At one point, another nurse spontaneously volunteered to take care of them in my place: she treated the lady’s hand, provided her with further dressings and medication and also vaccinated the child. She was happy that she was able to help them and so was I. (Maina – Canada)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova,  VIII, no.2, July – August 2022)

Chiara Lubich: imitate Mary by living the Word of God

Aug 15, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In 1976, in the Italian Cittá Nuova magazine’s column “Open Dialogue”, a reader asked Chiara Lubich the following question: “Every now and again I feel guilty for not having loved Mary enough, for thinking very little about her. What do you think I need to do so as to have a true devotion to Mary?” Mary is closer to God than to human beings, and yet she is a creature like us, and stands as such before her Creator. This means that she can be a kind of inclined plane, which reaches from heaven down to earth. With regard to having a true devotion to her – down through the centuries many devotions have flourished among the Christian people, giving them a definite idea of Mary’s maternal love through all the big and small trials of life. However, I would advise you to follow a way that brings to birth in your heart a love for Mary similar to the love Jesus has for her. The fact is that, even though Mary has all those magnificent and extraordinary qualities of which you are aware, she is also ‘the perfect Christian.’ And that’s because, as you can see from the Gospel, she didn’t live her own life, but allowed the law of God to live in her. She, more than anyone else, can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). Mary is the word of God fully lived out. So, if you really want to love her, ‘imitate her.’ You too should be the word of God lived out! And since you can’t live the whole of the Gospel all at once, re-evangelize your life by taking seriously and living every day one of the ‘Words of Life’ that it contains.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Mary, Flower of Humanity, New City UK, 2017, pp. 181-82)

Prophecy and unity for the care of creation

Aug 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Fifth Halki Summit took place in Turkey from 8th-12th June 2022. Sustaining the future of the planet together was the title of the meeting organised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople together with the Sophia University Institute, Loppiano (Florence, Italy). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ6ZGgiT7YU&list=PL9YsVtizqrYsxCVExqFc_vvuzCKyNbr43&index=1

Chiara Lubich: Accept others completely

Aug 8, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Word of Life of August 2022 asks us to always forgive. When we come before God – in the liturgy or in prayer – we should be in harmony with everyone. As Pope Francis says, we cannot go for a rest if there is disagreement with our brothers or sisters. Jesus uses almost an exaggeration in order to emphasize the importance before God of complete harmony among Christians, who are brothers and sisters to one another. Therefore, he says that if you are about to offer your sacrifice and you remember that any kind of conflict separates you from your neighbour, you should interrupt your sacrifice and go first to reconcile with your neighbour. The offering of the sacrifice – and for us Christians this means our taking part in the liturgy – would risk being an empty act if there is a lack of unity with our brothers and sisters. The primary sacrifice that God expects from us is the effort to always live in harmony with everyone. With this exhortation, Jesus is not proposing anything new or different from what was said in the Old Testament. … However, there is something new here and it lies in the fact that Jesus says that we must always take the initiative to ensure that constant harmony and fellowship is maintained. Therefore, he urges us to live the commandment of love of neighbour in a radical way. In fact, he does not say: ‘If you remember having offended your brother or sister’, but rather, ‘If you remember that your brother or sister has something against you.’ For Jesus, the very fact that we remain indifferent about any disharmony with our neighbour – even if we ourselves are not responsible for this disunity – is already a reason for not being acceptable to God and, indeed, being rejected by him. So, Jesus wants to put us on our guard not only against a violent outburst of hatred toward others, but also against any language or attitude that in some way denotes a lack of attention or love for our brothers and sisters. … We should try not to be superficial in our relationships, and instead search our heart carefully, into its most inner recesses, to be sure that we have eliminated even the slightest attitude of indifference or lack of generosity, every attitude of superiority or any intentional neglect of others. In everyday life, we can repair any discourtesy or display of impatience with an apology or a friendly gesture. If at times this isn’t possible, what counts is to radically change our interior attitude. Any instinctive rejection of our neighbour needs to be replaced by an attitude of welcome, of full and total acceptance of the other, of boundless mercy, of forgiveness, of sharing, of attention to their needs. If we do this, we can offer God all the gifts we want. He will accept them and take them into account. Our relationship with him will grow deeper and we will experience true union with him, which is our happiness, both now and in future.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 282/3)

Living the Gospel: Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? (Mt 18:21)

Aug 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Forgiving is a constant daily exercise in our lives, and that very experience allows God’s love to put us back on our feet. Realising that we are forgiven is the starting point for trying to be merciful, opening our gaze on others and being truly free. The queue Just as I was feeling pleased to have arrived in time for the doctor’s appointment, a lady suddenly jumped the queue without thinking anything of it. I could feel myself getting angry and was about to say something when certain images from the war in Ukraine came to my mind.  Immediately I decided to turn my rights into courtesy, into a welcome. But how difficult it is to put aside the idea of what one feels is one’s right! When I got home I told my family what happened and about my inner battle. After a long silence our eldest daughter started telling us about her latest experience.  She too had been standing in a queue at the university secretary’s office and, confronting another student’s lack of respect, strongly reprimanded him to the point of making him ashamed. “Maybe I was wrong,” she added. In the end we concluded that whether it’s big or small, war lurks within us but it can be overcome with forgiveness. (F.I. – Italy) A lesson to remember My wife is a teacher and one day while she was at school and I stayed at home, as a surprise I decided to do all those little repair and cleaning jobs that sometimes get neglected due to various other commitments. I was happy at the thought that she would be pleased, but as soon as she got home she started complaining that the front door had been left open: “Didn’t it cross your mind that thieves might come in?” I was confused. I did not remember leaving it open but I did not want to argue so although I was sorry, I decided not to add fuel to the anger. In the afternoon my wife asked to speak to me. She wanted to apologise: “Seeing how many things you did and thinking how I told you off for something so trivial, I felt humiliated by my blindness. You taught me a real lesson with your silence”. A few days later she confided in me that, when she told the school what had happened between us, it created a great atmosphere of respect in the class that there’d never been before. (L.D. – Hungary)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, July-August 2022)

Chiara Lubich: it is the “as” that counts

Aug 1, 2022 | Non categorizzato

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” The measure of the love we must have for each brother or sister is contained in that “as”. In this excerpt from a talk to young seminarians, Chiara Lubich urges us to care for others as we care for ourselves. Jesus, who came from heaven to earth as the Word of God, had the experience of heaven, and he brought this experience with him to earth. He taught us to live the life of heaven on earth. He gave us the new commandment, in which he explains how we should love one another; he commanded us to live mutual love. He spoke of it as “his” commandment, typically his and new.  And the early Christians considered this commandment, this teaching, as the synthesis of all Jesus’ teachings and they practiced it in an exemplary way. (…) The new commandment. We all know it, but the point is this: how should we interpret it? How should we put it into practice? What is the meaning and what are the consequences of putting mutual love into practice? We can understand this if we begin by understanding what love is, what loving means for a Christian. From the very beginning, one of the things that the Holy Spirit taught us through this charism was this: to realize that those words of the Gospel: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk 12:31) had to be lived to the letter. That word “as” really meant “as”. So whether it is me, or you, or you, or you, it’s the same: love your neighbor as yourself. We realized that before this discovery, we had loved ourselves far more than we loved others. We were baptized Christians, some of us went to daily Communion, but we never dreamed of loving others as we loved ourselves, if we loved others at all. So we had to convert ourselves and be as concerned about others as we were about ourselves. We did this, we tried to do it with every neighbor we met and a revolution began. It seems impossible, but the Gospel is always fresh; it’s just a matter of understanding it, but a grace is needed. Why did a revolution begin? Because this way of behaving, wherever we live like this, impresses people – they’re surprised and they ask why we act as we do, what is behind it. In this way, they give you the opportunity to explain why you treat them as you do, why you serve, why you help. And many of these people who question you, want to try to live in the same way. As a result, people who were previously indifferent to one another, as we all are, even Christians, these people are renewed, they become interested in one another. They begin to love one another, to live in communion, giving the idea of what a living Church can be, just by living this one sentence of the Gospel: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Saint Paul says, “The whole law is summarized in a single commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14).

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Talk to a group of seminarians, Castel Gandolfo, December 30, 1989)

Living the Gospel: the art of starting again

Jul 30, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Deciding to reach out to one’s neighbour, putting aside one’s convictions, breaking down the walls of pride, means finding a way to the other’s heart and, on this journey, learning to recognise one’s own heart: entering into communion and rebuilding. Finally friends A classmate often used to tease me, always showing me in a bad light in front of others, especially girls, and it started to annoy me. I tried to tell him but he excused himself telling me there was no malice in what he was doing. Later I talked about it at home and what surprised me was that my parents did not seem to be on my side: “Have you tried to respect him more, instead of just defending yourself?” What was I to do?  One day I realised my classmate was struggling with some maths homework, a subject I am quite good at. I beckoned to him then gave him what he needed to go ahead. During the break he came up to me almost in tears and gave me half his snack. I don’t know if I really understood what my parents were trying to tell me, but every trace of resentment I had towards him disappeared. The girl he was in love with approached us and, aware of the past tensions perhaps, commented: “It’s nice to see you two getting on so well”. I realised that my parents, wanting the best for me, were helping me to live with the greatest dignity. I thanked them for their advice. (R.G. – Italy) The first step In Colombia, the father is the head of the family but recently, since our daughter started studying at high school, my relationship with her had become difficult and there have been a number of ‘tantrums’. She has a strong character, like me, but I am the adult and have a certain experience of life. Several evenings ago I saw her engrossed in the computer and it was already late. When I pointed out to her that it was time to go to bed, she said she had to finish a job. What shocked me was she did not take me seriously.  In fact, for the first time ever, she even raised her voice. So I unplugged the modem so that she couldn’t surf anymore. After that she stopped speaking to me. The atmosphere in the house was really tense for days, and the air felt unbreathable. At a certain point I began to have second thoughts about my attitude and asked God for the strength to be calmer, less proud, able to take the first step so as to build a new relationship with her. Noticing my efforts, she herself came up to me one day and apologised. (G.G. – Colombia)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, July-August 2022)

Korea: Light filtering through the cracks

Jul 28, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Chiara Lubich: always seeing others as new

Jul 25, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Kindness, mercy, and forgiveness are three characteristics of mutual love that can help us shape our social relationships. The unity brought by Christ always needs to be revived and translated into concrete social actions that are inspired entirely by mutual love. Here are some pointers about the foundations we can lay for our relationships: Kindness means wanting the good of others. It means “making ourselves one” with them, approaching them having completely set aside our own interests, ideas and the many preconceived notions that often cloud our vision. We do this so that we can take on the other person’s burdens, their needs, and their sufferings, and also share their joys. It means entering into the hearts of the people we meet to understand their mentality, culture and traditions and make these, in a certain sense, our own. In this way we can truly understand what they need and can discern the values that God has placed in each person’s heart. In a word, kindness means living for the people we are with. Mercy means welcoming others as they are, not as we would like them to be, with a different personality, with political views that match our own, with religious beliefs like ours, and without those faults and habits that irritate us. No, we need to expand our heart and make it able to welcome all people with all their differences, limitations, and problems. Forgiveness means always seeing other people with new eyes. Even in the most beautiful and peaceful environments, in the family, at school and at work, there are inevitably times of friction, disagreements and arguments. Sometimes people do not speak to each other or avoid each other, not to mention when feelings of hatred towards those who think differently take root in a person’s heart. Instead, we need to make a determined effort to try to see each brother and sister as if it were for the first time, as a completely new person, without remembering how he or she has offended us, but covering everything over with love, with a complete amnesty in our hearts, imitating God who forgives and forgets. True peace and unity can be reached when kindness, mercy and forgiveness are lived not only individually, but together, in reciprocity. Just as coals in a fireplace have to be poked every now and then to prevent them from being covered by the ashes, so too it is necessary, from time to time, to take steps to revive mutual love, and give fresh life to our relationships with everyone, so that they will not be smothered by the ashes of indifference, apathy and selfishness. These attitudes need to be translated into life, into concrete actions. Jesus showed us what love is when he healed the sick and fed the crowds, when he brought the dead back to life, and when he washed the feet of his disciples. Deeds, concrete deeds: this is what it means to love.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] Cittá Nuova, 2017, p. 787)

Austria: Josef’s  journey

Jul 22, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Answering an invitation and starting a new adventure. Josef Bambas is a focolarino – a consecrated member of the Focolare Movement. He is of Czech origin and has been living in Vienna for some years. He tells us about his choices, life in the focolare and the joy of accompanying many young people as they discover their own path in life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQXyw9w_MCo&t=18s

Turkey: Prophetic unity for the care of creation

Jul 20, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Catholic and Orthodox Church representatives gathered for a conference on the theme of integral ecology, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Istanbul, Turkey—Representatives of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, along with other members of civil society, gathered June 8–11, 2022 for the Halki Summit, a conference focused on the theme of integral ecology. Now in its fifth year, the event was organised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in collaboration, for the first time, with Sophia University Institute. It was held over four days in which academics, theologians and leaders, alongside students and activists, debated, seeking new solutions to enact green changes in their spheres of influence. Its inspiration came from the prophetic vision of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, also known as the “Green Patriarch” precisely because of his sensitivity to ecological issues. What were the outcomes of this summit?

Laura Salerno

To learn more, watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ6ZGgiT7YU

Argentina:  CLAYSS, 20 years of service-learning  

Jul 19, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Service-learning consists of  applying classroom learning  and  getting to learn  things that one cannot always learn in class. Clayss, based in Argentina, has built networks and alliances with educational institutions world-wide. A twenty years journey in the field of education is not a short one at all. CLAYSS, the Latin American Centre for service-learning started in Buenos Aires in 2002. It started as ‘a crazy dream’ in  the midst of an economic and social crisis, and it has extended its activities not only to other Latin American countries but also to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. This wide network, built together with various educational institutions, involves all age groups, from kindergarten to university. CLAYSS is marking its first twenty years of life  by 20 conferences organized in 20 different cities. We met Nieves Tapia, its founder and director, at the LUMSA University in Rome.. Professor Tapia explained: “Service-learning combines theory and practice. It gives  both children and young university students  the opportunity to learn by applying classroom learning while being of service  to others”.. An International Service-Learning Conference will be held in Buenos Aires at the end of August, and  preparations are being made for another conference, scheduled to take place in Rome in October. About a hundred Catholic universties are expected to participate. In fact, Nieves Tapia explained  that, “Uniservitate is a global programme that  promotes service-learning  in Catholic higher education”.  And she added::  “Its objective is to generate a systemic change through the institutionalisation of service-learning  as a tool that enables higher education institutions  achieve their mission of  offering an integral education to the new generations and  involving  them in an active commitment to the challenges of our  time”.. Uniservitate’s global network is present in 26 countries in the 5 continents through partnerships with more than 30 universities and educational institutions.

Carlos Mana

Our interview. Activate English subtitles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzFTDiOJhJQ

Chiara Lubich: “Enlarging our heart”

Jul 18, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The ‘holy journey’ that Chiara Lubich proposes to us is not to be made in solitude and detached from the world. It is a journey for everyone without differentiating between age, social status, and life choices. The method is to focus on love of neighbour and mutual love that will help us ‘forget’ the world. … We are called to remain in the midst of the world and to reach God through our neighbour, which means through love for our neighbour and through reciprocal love. It is by taking the commitment to undertake this unique and evangelical journey that we will discover, as if by magic, that our soul has been enriched by all these virtues. We need to have contempt for the world and there is no better contempt for something than completely disregarding it, forgetting about it, ignoring it. If we are all focused on others, on loving our neighbours, we don’t pay any attention to the world, we forget about it and therefore, we have contempt for it – even though this doesn’t dispense us from our duty to reject its suggestions whenever they assail us. We need to grow in virtue. But it’s by loving that we achieve this. Isn’t it written: “I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding [with love].”[1] If by loving our neighbours we run along the path of fulfilling God’s commandments, it means we are making progress. We need love for sacrifice. But loving others truly means sacrificing ourselves so as to be dedicated to the service of our neighbour. Christian love, even though it is a source of great joy, is synonymous with sacrifice. We need to be fervent in doing penance. It is in a life of love that we find the main and the best type of penance. We need self-denial. Love of others always implies self-denial. Lastly, we need to know how to bear with difficulties. Aren’t so many difficulties in the world caused by living with other people? We need to learn how to bear with everyone and love them out of love for Jesus Forsaken. By doing so we will overcome many obstacles in life. Yes, by loving our neighbour we can find an excellent way to transform our lives into a ‘holy journey.’

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Conversazioni, [Telephone conversations] Città Nuova, 2019, p. 262/3) [1]     Ps 119:32.

Translating a charism into life

Jul 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato

From 17 to 19 June, the representatives of local entities representing the Focolare Movement around the world met to reconsider their role and share good practices and challenges at various levels. How is the Focolare structured juridically at a local level? How are the little towns, businesses and social actions in the different countries where the movement exists regulated and linked to the spirit of fraternity that animates them? In the past, someone once said that the Focolare Movement is not a complicated reality, but a complex one; a complexity that has evolved over almost 80 years of history and as a consequence of communities spreading around the world.  There are currently around 2 million members and adherents in 182 countries. For this data to be correctly interpreted, it has to be recorded at the local level, and this is where the complexity arises because of the wide variety of forms of association that reflect the Movement’s activities at a regional level.  In technical terms they are called ‘entities’ and allow for an association of people to exist and operate in a given territory or country. From 17 to 19 June, representatives of the local entities representing the Focolare Movement around the world met at the Mariapolis Centre in Castelgandolfo (Rome, Italy), some in person, others via video link, to reconsider their role and share good practices and challenges at various levels. Markus Alig, Focolare councillor for Western Europe for the aspect of economy and work, clearly expressed the need to take stock: “working together and sharing ideas for restoring  works and structures, increasing transparency and making Focolare members of the different communities aware of projects in the pipeline and how things are going”. Starting from Chiara Lubich’s vision of work, Geneviève Sanze and Ruperto Battiston, responsible for the aspect of economy and work in the Movement, highlighted how central work is in the thought and life of the Focolare. They underlined the importance of entities that run little towns or social actions in which focolarini, people of various vocations and those who are not part of the Movement work together.  This topical theme was also emphasized by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which last April organised the annual meeting of Moderators of Associations of the Faithful, Ecclesial Movements and New Communities, on the theme “Working conditions within the Associations. A service according to justice and charity”. The entities: at the service of the life of the Focolare around the world Of the 180 participants, some recounted the history and the current “state of play” of activities born under the aegis of their respective entities, such as Simon Petre Okello from Uganda, who spoke about NASSO, Namugongo Social Services Organization Ltd, an organisation founded in 1999 by members of the movement to promote socio-educational and health activities inspired by the principles of fraternity. Over the years, three supporting ‘arms’ have developed: a health centre, a nutritional centre and a socio-economic centre. The organisation has thus enabled numerous activities to be developed over the years: continuous educational support from primary school to university; courses in therapeutic nutrition for children and parents; dental, radiology and maternity workshops; and assistance to patients before and after treatment. Social activities also include commitment to the environment in partnership with organisations in different countries. Kit Roble, who is responsible for the Focolare entity in the Philippines, described a pathway, still in progress, towards greater involvement and participation on the part of the board of directors in decision-making processes.  This includes the involvement of qualified external consultants in the near future. A path that has highlighted the need for greater mutual listening and common discernment in facing the various challenges. Renata Dias, a lawyer in the USA, also spoke of a pathway that has led to distinguishing the entities that own the buildings from those that carry out the activities of the Movement, for a correct distinction of responsibilities, in a path of sharing and transparency. The experts: between faithfulness to the charism and looking to the future Among the experts who spoke was Prof. Patrick Valdrini, former Rector of the Catholic University of Paris, who illustrated the relevance of associative experiences that are born from ecclesiastical charisms, their place in the Code of Canon Law and possible new perspectives. A speech that highlighted the spiritual roots of the juridical structures needed for movements and lay aggregations to function properly: “Every charism belongs to the Church,” explained Prof. Valdrini, “it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and for the charism to be offered to people, institutions need to be created that enable the charism to spread and also protect its original spirit”. The last day of the meeting was dedicated to the constellation of associations born from the Focolare spirituality that promote the ideal of a United World. Professor Luigino Bruni recalled how these associations cannot lose sight of their link with Chiara Lubich’s charism, from which they start to find their specific way of incarnating it. Anne Claire Motte, a French lawyer and canonist now living in the Ivory Coast, chose the word “covenant” to express the path that must be followed with respect to the different orders, listening, mutual appreciating and giving utmost respect for people. They parted with a renewed commitment to “building networks” so as to go ahead together seeking inspiration from each other.

Stefania Tanesini

We want to live for peace

Jul 13, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On 4 June 2022, the Gen 4 Global Kids Meeting, (the worldwide meeting of the children of the Focolare Movement) was held. Its title was “Bring love into the world and peace will come”. It was a festive day of sharing and joy in which the little children renewed their commitment to a better world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uyRKmn2kAw

Living the Gospel: “There is need of only one thing” (Lk 10:42)

Jul 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Opening our home to Jesus, as Martha and Mary did in the Gospel, and freeing our hearts from worries in order to listen. Living the Word, putting it into practice in every day life, can offer many a precious opportunity to “choose the better part”. Solidarity A few days ago, Elisa, whose daughter I teach catechism to, asked me to contribute to a collection of food and clothing being sent through some Ukrainian women to their wartorn country. I spread the word, and the response was immediate. To Elisa’s astonishment, in only two days we put together over two tonnes of packages containing food and clothes. Then it was my own turn to be astonished. In my thank you message to all those who’d joined in this action, I mentioned I was also transferring a sum of money to a priest I know who has stayed in Ukraine. And several them contacted me immediately with offers to add their own contributions! In less than a day, I’d received 1,000 Euro. I was overwhelmed as I thanked them. One of the young people involved commented, “Don’t you remember the miracle of the loaves and fishes?”.  My only conclusion, “Lord, increase my faith”. (Carmela – Italy) A children’s game – good for adults too When my children were small I invented a game in which they’d put a sweet or candy in a basket every time they did an act of love. Now they’re grown up with their own families. Recently my oldest son told me how that game has remained part of his life. He decided to put a sweet or candy in a little bowl every time he managed to overcome an obstacle in his relationship with his wife, when he held back his temper, or welcomed his wife’s idea even when he didn’t agree with it, or went to do something himself he thought she should have done, and when he listened attentively to her instead of jumping to conclusions and judging her. Eventually his wife noticed his mysterious brief disappearances from the room and got curious. When he explained, she was moved by his effort to keep their love alive and decided to join in the game. This marked a new phase in their family life and eventually the children joined in too. That simple game for children became important for the grown ups too. (F.Z. – France) Here to serve In our roles at the Ministry for Youth, we strive to work with a real spirit of family. This makes two contrasting demands on us: firstly, not to allow all the national political issues, emergencies and problems to prevent us from building personal relationships with everyone; while at the same time never forgetting that we are there to serve this section of society which has been entrusted to us. This means to keep as our number one priority our service to young people, especially those most in need, taking great care with the management of public funds when organizing any action from our department, making sure not to spend anything unncecessarily, to manage our human resources well, based on high levels of professionalism rather than political cronyism or nepotism, strictly avoiding any abuse of the public administration office for particular or personal interests. Just as in a natural family, life in the political sphere is composed of occasions large and small to choose and start again to love and serve our people. (N.T. – Argentina)

Collated by Grazia Berretta

(from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, anno VIII, n.2, luglio-agosto2022)

Turkey: A visit to Fener on a shared path to unity

Jul 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On June 8, 2022, Margaret Karram and Jesús Moran, along with some members of the Focolare Movement, were received in an audience by His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The meeting, which was held at the Fener, headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, focused on the productive friendship between the movement and the patriarchate. This began 55 years ago with Chiara Lubich’s visit to Bartholomew’s beloved predecessor, Patriarch Athenagoras, and the shared path taken to work together for the unity of Christians and all peoples on Earth.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y2cV4qLtC4

Chiara Lubich: Time to put charity into practice

Jul 11, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Word we have chosen to live by during the month of July 2022, taken from Luke’s Gospel, says: “There is need of only one thing.,. We know only too well how much need there is for charity nowadays, as there was in Jesus’ time. We need love of neighbour, love for everyone, without excluding anyone. God  who is Love. Believing in God’s love, responding to his love by loving; these attitudes are urgently needed today. People today are awaiting these two essential things. Without them, the world risks being like a train running out of control and coming off the tracks. Discovering, or rather rediscovering, that God is Love is the greatest adventure for people today. In the encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, [His Church] Pope Paul VI stated: “We are convinced that charity should today assume its rightful, foremost position in the scale of religious and moral values, and not just in theory, but in the practice of the Christian life. And this applies not only to the charity we show toward God, … but also to the charity which we in turn should lavish on … the whole human race. Charity is the key to everything. It sets all to rights. There is nothing which charity cannot achieve and renew. Who is there among us who does not realize this? And since we realize it, is not this the time to put it into practice?”

Chiara Lubich

(Lubich, Chiara., “Scritti spirituali /2, L’essenziale di oggi, [Spiritual writings/2 The essential for today] Città Nuova, 1978, p. 160)

Gen Verde’s new song: We Choose Peace

Jul 6, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Peace is a choice. This is the message conveyed by ‘We Choose Peace’ (© Gen Verde), the new track by Gen Verde. The international band explain its origins together with Naya, one of the young people who took part in the video clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAUIeJe0SEE&t=101s

“Stoc do”, “I’m here”, in free land

Jul 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Since 2017, in lands confiscated from the mafia in San Vito dei Normanni (Puglia- Italy), “XFARM Agricoltura Prossima” has hosted training camps organized by “Libera”, a network of Associations, involved in a commitment against the mafia and in favour of social justice. This year, some young people from the Focolare Movement took part. You see them handling the red earth of Puglia, in southern Italy, you observe them knead it with straw, you watch them shape the material to create something ecologically sustainable. And you think that what they are doing also has the force of a metaphor. They are aged 13-17 years old. They met in San Vito dei Normanni, in Brindisi, to contribute to the rebirth of an asset confiscated from the mafia gangs. They are mostly children of this land caressed by the sun and at this time of year, invaded by tourists. But they also come from Piedmont and Lombardy, where some people think that the mafia is only something to do with southern Italy. Not these young people. They came down here to Upper Salento to spend part of their holiday in a different way and to make a contribution to change. There are twenty of them, full of the energy and fun-loving, typical of their age. They’re spending 4 days here, protagonists in a project organized for them by Libera and the Focolare Movement. For a few hours a day, they work in the fields of social cooperatives that manage 50 hectares of olive groves and other structures taken from the “bosses”. And in their genuine commitment, you can perceive a desire to get their hands dirty, to roll up their sleeves, to actively bring something new, even in a land marked by the arrogance of the mafia. “This is our land, given back to the community”, they seem to say, as they work with clay, sand and silts to build wooden structures designed for a society in which everything can be circular. To guide them, the young people of the “Ex Fadda” urban laboratory and the “XFarm” project, a handful of enthusiasts of civil economy, active citizenship, and good practices in agriculture who after various experiences around the world found themselves here, in the land where the United Sacred Crown once ruled, to experience a new model of coexistence, to try to realize the dream of communities actively involved in regenerative processes. A utopia created here, a stone’s throw from the wild beauty of Torre Guaceto (Brindisi, Italy), thanks also to the “strength of the We”. Many different associations, secular and Catholic, trade union forces such as the Italian General Confederation of Labour, contribute to provide a common ground wherein to engage with the construction of a more united society, more attentive to preserving the environment and to working for social justice. “Memory is hope, commitment, it is something that characterizes us and pushes us not to repeat the mistakes of the past”, say the children, when the “E! State Liberi” project managers encourage them to reflect on that concept so central to the history of the network of associations created by Don Luigi Ciotti. Memory that becomes alive with the touching testimony of the Fazios, a couple whose son Michael, the same age as the listeners, was killed at the age of sixteen in the alleys of Bari Vecchia because he ended up in the middle of a settlement of accounts between gangs with which he had nothing to do. “Io stoc do”, “I’m here”, Lella says today, as she proudly did before to the wives of the mafia bosses who thought that after the murder they would leave the neighbourhood and the city. They remained, to obtain justice, to identify and then grant forgiveness to those who killed Michael, but also to try to offer a different future to that region of Italy, stained with the innocent blood of their son. “We are here”, repeat those fresh faces who today work in the fields, taking a stand to remind us that a better world is still possible. Just start by taking some land and try to do something worthwhile with it. One mother, when her son returned home after the camp, said, “I saw a light, a brightness in his eyes that I have never seen before. He told me that he had never experienced anything like this before”.

Gianni Bianco

Chiara Lubich: Keep only what you need

Jul 4, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Chiara Lubich spoke to young people in very clear terms. This is what happened at the 1992 Supercongress at the Palaghiaccio in Marino (Italy) when they asked her what they should do to limit consumerism. We need to live and spread the “culture of giving,” of giving. If you want my advice, it is this. At the beginning of the year, each of you should make a small bundle, as we call it, of all the things you have that are surplus to your needs. You might only have a few, but you will have something. It might be a book, a toy, a pencil, a knapsack that you don’t use anymore, some clothes… something, anything that’s over and above what you need. Gather these things together and take them to your centers, either to the Teens for Unity centers or the Gen centers. Then since you are very industrious and organize so many projects and so on, you can sell these things at a mini market, a raffle, or other opportunities you can create, to raise some money to give to boys and girls who are in need. … Bear in mind that you should keep for yourselves only what you really need, just like plants that absorb from the earth only the water, minerals, and other things they need, and no more. Likewise, each one of us should have only what we need. Everything else should be given away, to be put in common with others. Of course, you will experience that by giving, you will receive all kinds of things. This is the experience of our Movement all over the world. Why will you receive? Because the Gospel says: “Give” – this is the culture of giving – “and there will be gifts for you” and it goes on to say, “… a full measure” – like having an apron full of wheat – “a full measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap.”^[1] In other words, you will receive many things from all over, from a man you know, from a teenager, from your teacher, from your mother – you’ll be given many things. … So, spread the culture of giving. You can tell your experiences, as you already do, which is so edifying for people. You can say, for example, that you gave away one thing and then received another…. Tell your experiences, all these gospel events, that you see the Gospel promises coming true. You could talk about them or write about them; make drawings or videos, short videos, or on the television news programs you are already doing for children. By doing all this, you will create a mentality in everyone, the mentality of the culture of giving.

Chiara Lubich

(Lubich, Chiara. “Ai Gen 3, [To the Gen 3] 1981 – 1995, Città Nuova, 2006, p. 66-68) [1]     Lk 6:38