Chiara Lubich: forgive one another

Feb 7, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In today’s society, choosing to forgive is very unconventional. Some people think that forgiveness is a weakness,” Chiara Lubich affirms in the passage we publish here. “No, it is the manifestation of the greatest courage, it is true love, the most genuine love because it is the most selfless.  If we want to contribute to creating a new world, the only way is to do as God does. God not only forgives, but also forgets. The Lord forgives all our faults because “he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness”[1]. He overlooks our sins[2], he forgets them, casting them behind his back[3]. God forgives because, like any father or mother, he loves his children and therefore always forgives them, covers their mistakes, gives them confidence, and encourages them without ever tiring. Because he is father and mother, it is not enough for God to love and forgive his sons and daughters. His greatest wish is that they treat each other as brothers and sisters, get along well, and love each other. Universal fraternity, that is God’s great plan for humanity. A fraternity that is stronger than the inevitable divisions, tensions and hard feelings that creep in so easily because of misunderstandings and mistakes. Families often break up because they cannot forgive each other. Old hatreds maintain the division between relatives, social groups, and peoples. At times there are even those who teach people not to forget the wrongs they have suffered and who cultivate feelings of revenge… And a dull resentment poisons the soul and gnaws at the heart. Some people think that forgiveness is a weakness. No, it is the manifestation of the greatest courage, it is true love, the most genuine love, because the most selfless. “If you love those who love you, what merit have you?” – says Jesus – everyone knows how to do that: “Love your enemies”[4] . We are asked to learn from him and to have the love of a father, of a mother, a merciful love towards all those who come our way, especially towards those who do something wrong. Moreover, to those who are called to live a spirituality of communion and fellowship, that is, the Christian spirituality, the New Testament asks for something more: “Forgive one another”[5]. We could almost say that mutual love requires that we make a pact with one another: to be ready to forgive one another always. This is the only way we can contribute towards universal fraternity.

Chiara Lubich

 (Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 666-667) [1] (Ps 103:3:8) [2] (Cf Wis 11:23) [3] (Cf Is 38:17) [4](See Mt 5:42-47). [5] (Col 3:13)

Living Peace International Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

Feb 4, 2022 | Non categorizzato

“Living Peace”, a peace education project promoting a culture of peace and fraternity, began in 2012. It involves more than 1,000,000 young people, teenagers and children from 130 countries around the world and is inspired by Chiara Lubich’s “Art of Loving”. On 5 February 2022 an online event on Living Peace International’s Youtube channel will celebrate its 10th anniversary. “I was teaching in an American school in Cairo, Egypt, and the idea of contributing to peace and culture developed: it seemed a way of responding to the many challenges in the Middle East.” This is how Carlos Palma, focolarino and teacher, creator of the “Living Peace” project, begins the story. The initiative started on  5 February 2012 with the aim of promoting a culture of peace, fraternity and solidarity. Today, after 10 years, this peace education pathway has developed all over the world. It is promoted by the  AMU  Association Onlus – Action for a United World, in partnership with Teens4Unity and New Humanity. More than 80 international organisations and more than 1000 schools and groups take part in it, involving more than one million children and young people. On 5 February from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm (UTC+1) on the YouTube channel of “Living Peace International” there will be an online event translated in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian, to mark the tenth anniversary of the project.  The “Dice of Peace” lies at the heart of the “Living Peace” project.  There are no numbers on the faces of this dice but phrases that suggest ways of building peaceful relationships between all. The dice was inspired by the points of “The Art of Loving”, which Chiara Lubich had proposed to the children of the Focolare Movement many years ago.  She too used a dice to explain these ideas. “Time Out” is also offered as part of this project: at 12 noon every day, in every time zone, thousands of people take a moment to be silent, to reflect and to pray for peace. Initially, this project seemed most suited to primary schools but it soon spread to secondary schools and reached universities, youth movements, associations, foundations, prisons, religious communities and art centres, etc. What does peace education mean? The UNESCO Constitution states: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Educating for peace is not just another discipline to learn, but rather it means making every educational environment an instrument of peace, a pathway that tries to develop creativity and autonomy in children in dealing with problems and conflicts and learning to dialogue. Educating for peace, therefore, means promoting concrete actions for peace and reconciliation, starting from schools and reaching as many educational environments as possible. “In 2013 I was appointed ambassador for peace by the Universal Circle of Ambassadors for Peace in France and Switzerland,” says Carlos Palma. “Two years later the idea emerged to also appoint young ambassadors for peace ranging from 6 to 25 years old. Today there are 600 young ambassadors in the world who carry the ‘Dice of Peace”’ everywhere.  They are  protagonists of the most varied activities in many different areas. This project has also become a subject of study in some universities. Thanks to the young ambassadors, the ‘Dice of Peace’ has been created in braille for the participants who are blind.  In addition,  they have devised the” Peace Got Talent”  programme which takes its cue from the television series known in various parts of the world.  This gives space to young talented people to promote peace. Then came the pandemic. But in spite of this,” concludes Carlos Palma, “young people have continued and continue in a thousand ways, through the web and social networks, to promote peace and fraternity.” For more information, see this link.

Lorenzo Russo

Chiara Lubich: Unity

Jan 31, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On this occasion we dwell on the fundamental cornerstone of the Spirituality of Unity. Chiara Lubich shows us the way to obtain the grace of unity from the Father. (…) This cornerstone, which is typically ours, implies “something more” than is usually required of the more individual spiritualities, at least as they develop. The “something more”, as we know, is reciprocity and unity. Unity. What is unity? Is it possible to achieve unity? Unity is what God wants from us. Unity is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer: “May all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us “ (Jn. 17:21). But unity cannot be achieved through our own efforts. It can be achieved only through a special grace which the Father grants if He finds us prepared, in accordance with a precise and necessary requirement. It is mutual love, put into practice, as Jesus’ commanded… his mutual love, what he wants of us. It is not – as we know – simply spiritual friendship, agreement or mutual understanding. It means loving one another as He loved us, to the point of forsakenness: to the point of complete material and spiritual detachment from people and from things, so that we can make ourselves one reciprocally and perfectly. By doing so, we will have done our part and fulfil the conditions for receiving the grace of unity, which will not be missing, which must not be missing. … (…) We must remember that there is an added grace in our communitarian spirituality; that heaven can open up for us in every moment. If we do what our spirituality asks of us, we’ll be filled with this grace, and can do much, very much for the kingdom of God. … (…) During the next month, let us make every effort to obtain this gift always! And let us not seek it only for our own happiness, but to carry out our characteristic evangelization. You know it: “That they may be one so that the world may believe” (Jn. 17:21). The world needs faith, it needs to believe! And we are all called to evangelize. (…) May whoever observes two or more of us united (in the focolares, in the nuclei, in the units, in our meetings, or because we are together for any reason) be struck by a ray of our faith, and believe. May they believe in love because they have seen it. Let’s do this. It’s what the Lord wants from us. He wants it through our charism which has been engraved in our statutes: unity is the premise that comes before every other will of God.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Conversazioni, Cittá Nuova, 2019, p. 523-524) https://youtu.be/YEth9TWpKUY

World Gen Day: Together for a greater good

Jan 28, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Gen, the young people of the Focolare Movement, aim to reach holiness. They are young people like all the others: with their joys, pains, dreams, difficulties. But they know that such a lofty goal is not achieved overnight. It is built moment by moment and not alone, but together. This expressed this through testimonies of life, songs and stories on Sunday 19^th December 2021, in a World Day during which they met virtually for over two hours. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare, greeted them and invited them to build true, profound relationships with everyone, stopping in front of others to meet them in the “here and now”. Let’s hear what they had to say, through this selection of experiences of life from the day. Unity in diversity The Republic of Indonesia recognizes several official religions: Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and traditional beliefs. The largest population is the Muslim one. This diversity makes interreligious dialogue an experience of everyday life. I am studying for a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences. At the university I have many friends from different islands, belonging to different religions. Some of them are very close to me, they are like my sisters. I am a Catholic Christian, the friend next to me is a Hindu and others are Muslims. During the month of Ramadan, I often accompany the Muslims to break their fast. Once I invited them to break it together in the Focolare. They felt very much loved. After the meeting, one of them wrote on his Instagram profile: “We don’t have the same background, religion, age and we don’t even come from the same country, but we have a dream: to build a better home for everyone, to hope and pray for a prosperous future. We long for a universal world, as our country’s motto says “Bhineka Tunggal Ika” – “Unity in diversity”. I live in a boarding house where most of the girls are Muslim. At first they were afraid of me, because I seemed very serious and most of them had never lived with non-Muslim people. One day I had a lot of cakes and I thought I could share them with them. The relationship between us is growing. We cook, eat, and play sports and games together. Our experience of living together has broadened our horizon and this makes us happy. Tika (Indonesia) Love beyond our strength My sister studies architecture. She had been dedicating herself to work her degree for three months, even working through the night. She had to present a project on the city: prepare the presentation documentation and the models. Junior students usually help senior ones, but due to COVID-19, my sister had to do it all by herself. At one point she asked our Mum and I for help. I happily replied: “Okay! I’ll help you!” However, I thought: “Really, I have enough to do with my own homework at the moment” and I wondered “Was it a good idea to say I would help her? It’s an important assignment for her degree, would I be able to do it right? Wouldn’t it be better to have someone who knows the subject?” However, seeing my sister in need, I thought, “If I finish my homework early, I can help her.” So, every evening I wholeheartedly helped her with her project, as if it was mine. In the end she was able to hand in the work, finished on time and was successful. She thanked me very much and was happy that this work was completed not only by her, but with everyone’s strength. However, seeing my sister in trouble, I thought, “If I finish my homework early, I can help her.” So, every evening I helped her with all of her heart in her homework, as if they were mine. In the end she was able to deliver the work, finished on time, with success. She thanked me very much and was happy that this work was completed not only by her, but with our contribution too. It would be a lie to say that when I helped my sister I was always loving one hundred percent, not complaining, but I don’t regret doing it, in my heart I felt light and happy. Also, inside me, there was a little joy. I remembered a phrase from the Gospel that says: “Whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him”, and I thought: “Perhaps God has taken up his abode in me?” Rosa (Korea) Between war and hope I study computer engineering. Ever since I was a child, I’ve tried to live the spirituality of the Focolare. For a while however, I felt far away from Jesus and Mary. I was wondering where God is and why He allows the difficulties that we have here in Syria, such as the lack of electricity, high prices and the difficult economic situation. Also, all of this had an effect on my relationship with others. I recently went to London for a month to visit my sisters and there I took part in a weekend with the Gen, the young people of the Focolare. This experience helped me to find answers and to rediscover myself by living the spirituality of unity. I will never forget the love I found among the Gen, a love that filled my heart … it was as if we had known each other for a long time. This experience impressed me a lot and as a result I felt that something was beginning to change within me. As soon as I returned to Syria there was also a Gen congress in which I took part. Due to the difficult situations of the war, it was the first time in 10 years that we were able to meet. It was a rich experience characterized by mutual love and lived as if we were all one family. Inner peace was growing in me day by day. The experiences of the two weekends with the Gen and the people I met, left a mark in my heart and helped me to once again be that positive person who looks forward with courage. There are times when, due to the pressures of life, we lose hope … as if it is the end of the world and there is nothing left. However, if we experience God, with his grace, He allows us to return to him and we discover that the difficult things we experienced were like our little participation in the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. We realize that our pains are small in the face of the sufferings he experienced to redeem us. One thing I want to say is that when we experience painful moments in life, which seem to have no end, they can turn into light, but it is up to us to ask for God’s help in prayer. He is always ready to help us and with great hope we can start over and have an ever stronger relationship with him. Paolo (Aleppo, Syria) Meeting those who suffer most After the earthquake two years ago in Croatia, we decided to take action by going to the places of the epicentre. When we asked the Parish Priest of Sisak how we could best be of help, he surprised us by asking us to collaborate with him to prepare a group of Romany children for their first communion. We agreed to go every week for a few months to the village of Capranske Poljane, where Muslim and Christian (Orthodox and Catholics) Romany people live. We held catechism classes with sketches and games with them.  From this meeting, beautiful relationships began that continue and grow even today. Through the focolarini we also met and visited a family in Petrinja, in a very difficult situation (both due to the earthquake and the socio-economic reality in which they find themselves). With the aid of the Caritas organization, we were able to buy material and tools both to repair their house and to help them get back to work. They found Hope again! During a meeting with the Gen, inspired by the example of so many around the world, I felt that I had to take a step to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to “take to the streets” to try to love others as myself. One day we went to Sisak to talk to the Parish Priest about how to go forward with the Romany people and then we visited this family from Petrinja and brought them various basic necessities. We saw how they had used the money we had raised to fix up their living room which is now really cosy! We also brought a laptop so that the children could follow school online. I felt very much at home. There was a lovely family atmosphere. Even though I hadn’t done anything concrete for their situation up to that point, I gave what I could: myself with my good will and some of my time. I am grateful to God who gave me this opportunity to love and I want to continue to love because I have found the hundredfold of joy that I want to share with others and now I’m sharing it with you. Thiana and Peter (Croatia)

A soulmate beyond the wall

Jan 27, 2022 | Non categorizzato

A meeting capable of overcoming great obstacles; a leap in love bringing two people together and generating unity. Bella Gal, a Jew living near Tel Aviv, talks about her special friendship with E., a Palestinian Christian. A few years ago I had a really interesting and profound encounter with a Palestinian woman, a Christian, a university lecturer, at a conference in Jerusalem where she was giving a talk. Her name is E. She brought up her children alone while her husband was in an Israeli prison for 10 years. He was released due to health problems and sadly died shortly afterwards. Although she was suffering, E. never gave up on life and educated her children who are now professionals, each in their own area of expertise. Her talk was very interesting but also very sad. At the end of the speech, I left the room without waiting for the question and answer session. I could not bear to hear her story. It reminded me of my own suffering, my early childhood and my parents who died during the Holocaust. Maybe it was very selfish of me but E. gave me a very important example and lesson in “making every encounter worthwhile”. After leaving the hall, I sat down in the cafeteria. Suddenly I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. It was E. who said to me: “I saw you at my lecture, and I also saw you leave at the end. Did something happen? Did I offend you?” Although E. had every reason to be hostile towards me, we approached each other with great compassion, realising that we had both suffered but had found our inner strength, picked up the pieces and embraced the situation. As we finished sharing and crying, E. and I immediately felt connected, and a great love and appreciation for one another. We were able to unite deeply as women and see beyond our country’s differences. Over the years, E. has also held important political offices which is a major and historic achievement for a Christian woman living in that context. Today, I can truly say that E. is my soulmate beyond the wall.

Bella Gal

An in-depth study on unity

Jan 25, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Lately, Città Nuova published the book “L’unità. Uno sguardo dal Paradiso’49 di Chiara Lubich”. It is edited by Stefan Tobler and Judith Povilus, and soon it will be published in other languages. This in-depth study, to which many contributed, will help one understand the meaning of unity, the core of the Focolare spirituality. “Unity is our specific vocation”[1]; “So, our ideal is unity and not any other”[2]. Chiara Lubich had a very clear idea about the mission of the Movement she gave life to. If “unity is the specific characteristic of the Focolare Movement”[3], then it is called to question itself on its patrimony and on how to develop it with creativity and faithfulness. How can the Focolare communities, the nuclei,  the “Word of Life” groups live unity today? How can they walk bravely and freely on a road that avoids authoritarianism and individualism,  and  allows full development of personal gifts and the pursuit of common goals? How can they walk along the difficult path of communion, that needs to safeguard its legitimate autonomy and search for identity and acceptance, integration and openness to diversity? This subject concerns the entire Work of Mary, but Chiara Lubich’s legacy is much broader: unity concerns the ecclesial world and also relationships between people of different religions, cultures, nations… The Work of Mary at the Centre  entrusted the Abbà School with a study about all this. The members of the Abbà School, who have worked on this theme for quite some time started from Chiara Lubich’s experience during the years 1949-1951. And this is what gave birth to the book“L’unità. Uno sguardo dal Paradiso’49 di Chiara Lubich” . The book is divided into three parts. “Foundations”,  the first section offers a general outlook on unity from a biblical, theological and spiritual point of view.  Chiara’s writings are marked by their profoundness and vividness. They show the divine ‘logic’ of a God, whose ‘interior’ ‘is not to be thought of as a whole in which differences disappear, but on the contrary: God is One precisely because he is infinite multiplicity’, a dynamic reflected in creation. As Chiara wrote, the Father “says ‘Love’ in infinite tones”, to show the extraordinary richness through which He manifests his infinite love. The second part of the book presents texts from Paradise ’49 that highlight fundamental intuitions on unity, thus shedding light on writings or practices that the wear of time or inactive repetition may have rendered incomprehensible or unacceptable. Does the life of unity require the annulling of one’s own personality, or does it require the “unreserved gift of self following the logic of God’s life that leads one to ‘run the risk’ of ‘losing’ one’s own life”? What does to live “in the manner of the Trinity” mean? Does unity imply putting everyone on the same level or is it rather the manifestation of plurality? Inexact understanding of expressions such as “losing”, “dying”, “annulling oneself” that can lead to misunderstandings and derivations are addressed with clarity, and the fruitfulness of a demanding, total love that leads to full self-realisation is highlighted.  Chiara affirms “that each one of us has a distinct, unmistakable personality”, which is “the word God pronounced when he created us”. So, unity appears dynamic, constantly evolving, creative; it emerges as something that needs everyone’s input, and that respects one and all. Hence, Chiara’s unique and unrepeatable contribution, as a foundress and an instrument of the charism, is apprehended. The third part of the book speaks about different disciplines that get inspirations relevant to their specific fields from the writings of Paradise ’49. This last part is the one that required more methodological attention. Since the language of Paradise ’49 is predominantly religious in nature, the question arose of how to write a transdisciplinary book around a multi-semantic word – unity – without the risk of speaking about different things and confusing languages. If a Movement and a spirituality that define themselves “of unity” gave rise to social realities and academic contributions in the most diverse fields, this means that there is a common denominator, a starting point and a stable foundation that makes it possible for everyone to recognise a common horizon in unity, even though they work in different fields and express themselves in the specific language of their own discipline. One traces only a few intuitive points in certain fields of social life and thought that will require further development. This book is the fruit of a gradual process of work carried out by the Abbà School. It began around 2017, and for more than two years, Paradise ’49 was read in the light of this specific theme. The twelve contributions are signed by the respective authors, who retained their own specific style, expertise and methodology. At the same time, it is the fruit of  communion lived  by the whole group; a way of working that  requires an exercise in “unity” – in keeping with the theme itself! It has not always been easy to welcome and understand the other in his or her diversity, due to the fact that the authors come from different countries, have different scientific backgrounds and specific disciplinary and methodological fields. The book limits itself to only some of the pages of Paradise ’49. Therefore, one cannot claim that it exhausts such a vast and demanding theme, though thanks to the depth of the reference texts, it offers a great wealth of insights and proposals.

Fabio Cardi

[1] Unity and Jesus Forsaken, Città Nuova, Rome 1984, p. 26. [2] Ibid., p. 43. [3] Ibid.,  p. 26                                                                                                                                             

Publication of the report on former French focolarino JMM postponed

Jan 24, 2022 | Non categorizzato

GCPS Consulting announced in November that it would postpone the release of the results of its independent investigation until the first quarter of 2022.   The investigation into the sexual abuse perpetrated by J.M.M., a former French consecrated member of the Focolare Movement, is taking longer than expected. This was announced in a statement last November by GCPS Consulting, the specialised consultancy firm to which the Movement entrusted the independent investigation. “The information-gathering process is continuing well beyond the planned timetable,” the statement says, “and the Commission is planning interviews with key people within the Focolare (…) also as part of a review of safeguarding arrangements. On a positive note, this shows that the process is thorough and complete (…). We aim to publish it as soon as possible in the first quarter of 2022.” Expressing regret for the delay, the appointed Commission hopes that “all interested parties understand that the scope of the work has been expanded and that the aim is to fully reflect the voices of all those who have provided evidence and other information to the Commission”.

Stefania Tanesini

Chiara Lubich: go against the flow

Jan 24, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Word of Life for January 2022 says that the Magi arrived in Bethlehem following the star to pay homage to the Child Jesus. Today we too can pay homage to the Lord by our life choices, as Chiara Lubich suggests in this passage. You are in the world. Everyone can see that. But you are not of the world. This implies a big difference. It classifies you among those who do not nourish themselves on the things of the world, but on what you hear from the voice of God who dwells within you. The voice of God is in the heart of each person, and it leads those who listen to it into a kingdom that is not of this world. It is kingdom where true love is lived, together with justice, purity, meekness, poverty and self-control. (…) Christian life is not calm and comfortable. Christ did not, and does not, ask anything less of you if you want to follow him. The world comes at you like a river in flood and you have to go against the flow. For a Christian, the world is like a thick forest where you need to watch where you put your feet. But do you know where to put them? In the footprints that Christ himself marked out for you when he lived on earth, which are his words.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] a cura di Fabio Ciardi, Cittá Nuova, 2017, pp 110-112)

Mexico: Virtual Visits to Christian Communities

Jan 20, 2022 | Non categorizzato

While the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022 is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere from 18^th-25^th January, it also takes place elsewhere in the world at different times. Here is the story of an ecumenical project, “Virtual Visits to Christian Communities”, which started a year ago in Mexico to promote unity between the different Churches. “Mexico is a country with a Catholic majority. Through living the spirituality of unity, we have discovered a yearning for Christian unity and for several years we have been building beautiful ecumenical relations”. These are the words of Dolores Lonngi, wife of Pablo, both volunteers in the Focolare Movement who have been looking after the ecumenical dialogue of the Movement in Mexico for years. Together with their daughter Ursula, a focolarina, last February, they launched the project “Virtual visits to Christian communities” with the aim of extending ecumenism beyond the ‘Week of Prayer for Unity’ and starting a journey of fraternity and communion of experiences. From the beginning, the objectives of this project were getting to know how each tradition lives and expresses its faith in the society in which it is immersed and identifying ways to collaborate for the good of the whole of society. Ursula, how did these virtual visits take place and where did you start from? “To carry out the project, we set up a Central Commission, made up of the Ecumenical Officer for the Anglican Church of Mexico and President of the Country’s Interreligious Council, the Secretary of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue Commission of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, a teacher of “Ecumenical Theology” at the Pontifical University of Mexico and one of Ecumenism at the Anahuac University of the city of Querétaro, a priest of the Confraternity of Ecumenical Missionaries and ourselves. The first visit was to the Anglican Church and then we moved on to the Eastern Catholic Churches. They all shared real “pearls” with us: history, ministries, the witness of faith and charity of young people and adults. There were various Anglican priests and the Anglican Bishop Emeritus of Uruguay, Mgr. Miguel Tamayo, who spoke of the meetings of Bishops of various Churches promoted by the Focolare Movement. In each of our “virtual visits” we had a moment of dialogue in small groups, which gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better and to build friendships with people from different Churches “. Pablo, what were the highlights and what kind of turnout was there? “In the program of the year there was a moment of prayer on the occasion of Pentecost (the period in which in the southern hemisphere we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity) and another seven Virtual Visits to different Churches, the last Thursday of each month, as well as an ecumenical festival of biblical readings and songs at the beginning of Advent. In order to disseminate the initiative on social media and with the aim of generating an ecumenical community, we opened WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook channels, which in the first months of the project reached more than 10,500 people from Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, USA, as well as several cities of Mexico. Dolores, what’s your impression of this experience? “We were surprised by the great response that this initiative had and we are happy to have contributed in our small way to the growth of the spirit of unity in and among our Churches. We realize that in this way we can realize what the Second Vatican Council already proposed in n.5 of the Unitatis Redintegratio: “The attainment of union is the concern of the whole Church, faithful and shepherds alike. This concern extends to everyone, according to his talent, whether it be exercised in his daily Christian life or in his theological and historical research. This concern itself reveals already to some extent the bond of brotherhood between all Christians and it helps toward that full and perfect unity which God in His kindness wills”.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Chiara Lubich in dialogue with the world: the gift of words

Jan 19, 2022 | Non categorizzato

On 21 January 2022 the Focolare Movement’s international centre at Rocca di Papa, Italy, hosts the launch of an intriguing new book ‘Chiara Lubich in Dialogue with the world: intercultural, linguistic and literary perspectives of her writing’, edited by Rubbettino publishing house. “The writings of authors defined as ‘spiritual leaders’ are often considered solely as works of spiritual edification (…) frequently offered to the public within anthologies, afforded limited critical attention. The truth is, however, they can often be of great literary value, demonstrating a vital, creative, even courageous use of language[1]”, writes linguist Anna Maria Rossi in her introduction to the book she co-curated with Vincenzo Crupi: Chiara Lubich in Dialogo con il mondo, prospettive interculturali, linguistiche e letterarie nei suoi scritti (‘Chiara Lubich in dialogue with the world: intercultural, linguistic and literary perspectives of her writing’), published by Rubbettino. This volume contains the papers presented at the event of the same name held in Trento, Italy on 24-25 September 2020 as part of the centenary celebrations of the birth of Chiara Lubich. The proposal to publish this book “was welcomed with enthusiasm and without reserve as corresponding perfectly to the guidelines of the ‘Iride’ (‘Iris’) series published by Rubbettino, designed as “a meeting point between Italian academics and foreigners, to meet the need for informative resources on the best available material in the field of literary criticism, linguistics and philology,” affirmed Rocco Mario Morano, series editor. “This volume on Chiara Lubich – he continued – makes a significant contribution to this line of research, gathering as it does the depth and breadth of analysis contained within the studies of 25 academics from different parts of the world, who employ their literary experience, sensitivity and competence in a range of different disciplines to this subject”. Morano identifies how, in order to describe her own spiritual experience, the author Chiara Lubich demonstrates particular care to use “models of writing formed, time and again, to meet her driving need to communicate her innermost understanding and thought, permeated with an elevated spirituality and great religiousity (…). This drives her tendency to submit her texts to continual revisions to enable the reader to penetrate her deepest meaning in all its aspects (…). These adjustments never distract (…) from the strong desire and immense joy of giving the Word as an act of love to all people of good will throughout the whole world, whatever their religious, political or philososphical creed”. The book, which is launched on 21 January 2022 at the Focolare Movement’s international centre, focuses on the texts written by Chiara Lubich between 1949 and 1950, writings often referred to as “Paradise ‘49”. A detailed textual analysis of the author’s words and a precise study of the language of mysticism used to communicate such a deep experience, “offers – according to Rossi – through image and metaphor, insights for intertextual comparison”. The word itself is viewed, too, as a means which leads to an ideal, to unity. In fact, an analysis of Lubich’s writings in the second section of the book reveals her as a “woman of dialogue”, one who always directed her attention to others, attentive to the multicultural dimension of those with whom she communicated; a woman who with her words was capable of ‘building up’, of being ‘constructive’ in the face of differences, one who lived evangelical love in full. This love continues into the passage from one language to another in the highly delicate task of translation, which necessarily presumes a process of consultation, exchange and relationship between translator and author. According to Regina Célia Pereira da Silva, Lecturer in Portughese Language at the Università per Stranieri of Siena, Italy, specialist in Linguistic Information Translation, Strategy and Technology, “the words of Chiara come not solely from a religious theory, but rather they are fruit of a real concrete life, touched by encountering the divine. Only if the translator too experiences such giving of oneself through words, will they be able to understand this kind of reality, living it not individually but in a collective way”. To find a way of communicating such a strong experience, respecting the intentions of the author while eliminating every possible ambiguity of phraseology, is not just a matter of expressing the same language, but also the translator should give their own ideas and be ready to lose them, ‘emptying’ themselves. A dialogue must be established between “the author, translator and beneficiaries of a text,” explains Regina Pereira. “This presumes a new dynamic, one typical of Chiara Lubich (…) which involves penetrating the needs of the other in order to share in them and if possible to take the first step. It demands humility and love. The author-translator relationship has at its heart a novel form of communication based on the concept of nothingness which, as an emptiness, is able to welcome the other person completely with their own personal and cultural identity. The translator or the reader enters the text, enters the author and acquires her experience and is enriched by it”.

Maria Grazia Berretta

  [1]Rossi, Anna Maria in Chiara Lubich in Dialogo con il mondo, prospettive interculturali, linguistiche e letterarie nei suoi scritti, edited by Anna Maria Rossi, Vincenzo Crupi, Rubbettino Editore, 2021, p. 11.

Chiara Lubich: Where there is love and charity, there is God

Jan 17, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated from 18-21 January in the northern hemisphere. The Christians of the Middle East who prepared the resources for 2022 affirm: “The new path for the Churches is the path of visible unity which we pursue with sacrifice, courage and boldness, day after day, ‘So that God may be all in all. (1 Cor 15:28)’.” In an interview with Bavarian TV in 1988 in Montet (Switzerland), Chiara Lubich spoke specifically about how to make progress on the path to Christian unity. When speaking of Christian unity, we must bear in mind that this work was not begun by Christians from one Church or another. Here too, we know that it is the Holy Spirit who is urging Christians to progress towards unity. It is God’s plan before being ours. Therefore, we are truly prudent and wise if we follow him by listening to his voice which speaks within us and tells us: take this step, take this other step. Now the Churches are travelling on two tracks: that of building unity in charity, the dialogue of charity, typical of Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, for example, and then dialogue in truth between Churches or groups of Churches. It is good to keep the idea of charity as the foundation because through charity we establish the presence of Christ in our midst. We know that where there is charity and love, there is God. Now if he is in our midst, he can prompt and enlighten theologians so that they can find ways in which we can united and find just one truth, one truth seen perhaps from different viewpoints. So, what is needed? We should continue with the approach the Churches have begun, to dialogue in charity and on this basis, to dialogue also in truth, about the truth. Regarding the unity of all humanity, I see that there are all these efforts being made towards unity and a small example is what we are doing. What I feel is that many barriers must fall, because if the barriers fall, many things will be resolved If we spread Christianity and renew our Churches, and if we bear better witness to Christ and spread Christian principles through dialogue with other religions and with people of good will, we will certainly become one more and more. Jesus came on earth to bring universal fraternity. But only God knows how things will be in the end.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Una spiritualità per la unità dei cristiani, [A spirituality for Christian unity] Città Nuova, 2020, p. 122-123)

Living the Gospel: Precious gifts

Jan 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Giving of ourselves, giving what we hold dear, is the greatest gesture that someone, going beyond themselves, can make. It repeats the experience of the Magi who came from the Far East to the manger, bringing precious gifts to honour the King of Kings. The results of sharing I am a physician, having retired three years ago. In the last years of my employment, before the pandemic, I served at a vaccination centre. The job was very demanding. I was quite tired and looked forward to retirement. The arrival of the pandemic, the establishment of the massive vaccination campaign, the call for the availability of as many forces as possible (medical and nursing staff, even those retired), woke in me a strong desire to get back into the field, to commit myself to help stop this wave that was overwhelming us. I started the vaccination campaign in a large hub. It’s an engaging endeavour. As a physician, I primarily collect pre-vaccine history and certify eligibility so that the vaccine can be safely administered. It is a matter of opening my heart, as well as my mind and scientific knowledge, listening to the person in front of me, understanding and accompanying them toward an informed choice of the best thing to do for their good and that of the community. I have been able to share many painful situations of personal illnesses, stories and family events, fears, anxiety, disappointments, ideals and projects broken by the pandemic, deaths of loved ones, but also joy, hope, freedom, encouragement, trust in science and the community. The feedback I get is: “Thank you, you have saved us, you give us peace…” “I couldn’t wait to come and get vaccinated…” “I’m touched…” “I’m getting the vaccine not just for me, but for others.” One gentleman showed me all that this service of mine to humanity can be. He told me, “I am a non-believer, but if God exists, I met him today in you.” I thanked God, above all because I experienced the strength of unity in everything I do. This witness gives testimony to the Triune God, who shows himself through the “mobile Focolare” that I take with me. P. Italy Sugar and shoes One evening, arriving home, I found my daughters worried. A relative who had come to ask for sugar had taken away what little we had left. I reassured them by saying she needed it more. A few minutes later, an acquaintance arrived with a bag full of food for us. Inside, among other things, was twice as much sugar as we had given. Sometime later, with our first earnings, we finally managed to buy a pair of shoes for our eldest daughter. One day she came home from school and told me that she intended to give them to one of her classmates who had broken shoes. “Mom, you taught us that we should give the best things to the poor,” she said. Knowing how many sacrifices we had made, I was puzzled, but I didn’t feel like contradicting her. Three days later, a lady brought us a pair of new shoes of the same size. She had bought them for her daughter, but they were too small. Our daughter looked at me, surprised and happy. Since we try to live the words of Jesus, we experience that God is Father and leads us by the hand. E., Mexico

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta.

From “Il Vangelo del Giorno,” Città Nuova, year VIII, n.1, January–February 2022.

Synodality in Latin America

Jan 13, 2022 | Non categorizzato

The Ecclesial Assembly was an unprecedented experience for the Church in Latin America. It was an amazing experience which involved the whole People of God in a process that culminated at the end of November. It is ongoing in the effort to implement the priority pastoral guidelines that emerged. “We lived a true experience of synodality, in mutual listening and in communitarian discernment of what the Spirit wishes to say to his Church. We travelled together, recognizing our multifaceted diversity, but above all what unites us and, in dialogue, our disciples’ hearts looked at the reality that our continent is living with its pains and hopes”. These are the words of the 885 members of the Latin American and Caribbean Ecclesial Assembly, which took place from 21^st-28^th November in a blended virtual and personally present way in Mexico, with representatives from all the countries of the American continent. Susana Nuin, a Uruguayan focolarina, coordinator of Cebitepal, the Training Agency of the Episcopal Council of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) commented, “On 24^th January 2021, Pope Francis opened this first ecclesial assembly, inviting all the Holy People of God to participate: Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, Lay People, all generations and all cultures”. It was a journey that involved all the dioceses, parishes, communities and movements, in a period of “listening”. 70,000 collective or individual responses were received, that will be compiled into a book. The broad lines that were worked on in the various groups derived from this material. Susanna continued, “In my opinion, the groups offered a very interesting space, due to the commitment and interest of the participants. We worked non-stop for 3 hours at a time, with a great freedom of expression and hunger for change”. Sandra Ferreira Ribeiro, a Brazilian focolarina, co-responsible for Centro “Uno”, the Focolare’s Secretariat for dialogue between Christians of different Churches, said, “For me it was a real experience of synodality. Every day, in the working groups, there was a different question to be discussed on the basis of the topic that was dealt with in the first part of the day. There were 14 people from different countries, vocations and ages in our group, all connected via zoom. First of all, we listened to everyone’s thoughts, then we tried to prioritize what had emerged and give a summary “. It was an intense and effective process, interspersed with short breaks, which at times were even neglected in order to continue the dialogue and be able to give some personal reflections to the coordinating team. The telematic means allowed a greater participation despite the limit on getting to know one another, that kind of contact that occurs spontaneously in the “corridors”, in the breakss and which also a is part of synodality. The moments of prayer were very well prepared, the Religious had a great hand in this this. They expressed the different cultural contributions with symbols and musical expressions always based on the Word. As in every synodal journey, there was also room for dissent and for the exchange of different points of view. At times these were divergent but they never led to clashes or ruptures. A conscious decision was made not to produce a final document, because there is still a lot to put into practice from the Aparecida document (2007). Furthermore, this Assembly is only one step on a path that must and will continue. Instead, a message was sent to the whole People of God of Latin America and the Caribbean, expressing the challenges and priority pastoral orientations which had emerged, ranging from a new impetus as an outgoing Church to the leadership of young people; from the promotion of human life, from conception to natural death, to formation in synodality. Challenges that include listening to and being close to the poor, excluded and rejected, with the aim of rediscovering the value of the indigenous peoples, inculturation and interculturality; priority to the implementation of the dreams of “Querida Amazonia”[1] for the defence of life, the land and the original and Afro-descendant cultures. Last but not least, to give careful attention to the victims of abuses that have occurred in the ecclesial context and to work for prevention. The guests included Cardinal Marc Ouelet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, representatives of the regional Bishops’ Conferences. They all followed the proceedings with great interest. Sandra concluded, “It was a privileged moment in which to be able to meet the Church of Latin America. In my group there were Bishops, Priests, Religious, Lay people. I met the Church in its members, in the people who expressed their anxieties and concerns. It was exciting to see the living, dynamic Latin American Church and its desire to progress fraternity, the Kingdom of God; its desire to truly bring Jesus to everyone “.

Carlos Mana

To download the final message: https://www.cec.org.co/sites/default/files/MENSAJE%20FINAL-Asamblea-Eclesial.pdf [1]“Querida Amazonia” is a 2020 post-synodal apostolic exhortation from Pope Francis in response to the Synod of Bishops of the Panamazónica region held in Rome in October 2019.

David Sassoli: an authoritative witness and builder of Europe as a continent of fraternal peoples

Jan 11, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Condolences and words of appreciation from Margaret Karram and the Focolare Movement on the death of the President of the European Parliament. “‘We need to open the European Parliament building to the homeless at night because it is painful to see so many people seeking shelter from the intense cold in the corners of our building here in Brussels. The poor cannot wait’. President Sassoli’s words in the year 2019 give me a sense of his human and civic stature and his vision for Europe. While today we are moved by this great loss, with deep gratitude we want to take up these values that we feel are ours too, and commit ourselves ever more to making them a reality”.  This is how Margaret Karram, president of the Focolare Movement, expressed herself this morning on hearing of the death of the President of the European Parliament. She added: “His life, of such great human and political depth, stands before us now as a sign and authoritative testimony to a person who lived politics as service and worked towards a vision of Europe as a continent of fraternal peoples”. David Sassoli and young people In May 2021, President Sassoli spoke to the Youth for a United World of the Focolare Movement. They had invited him to speak on the subject of #daretocare, an international project, considering him as a witness to the kind of politics that is responsible for taking care of the world, starting with its wounds: “This image of ‘taking care’ is very beautiful, – ­he said – because politics has this goal, it cannot have any other: taking care of people, of one’s own community, of one’s own cities. I believe that this expression truly represents your determination to bet on the future”. “I was one of the young Europeans who had the privilege of talking to President Sassoli,” recalls Conleth Burns, an Irish researcher and organiser of the Dare to Care event. Two things struck us in what he said: his conviction that a politics deeply rooted in caring for people and communities is a better kind of politics and one that can transform society. And then his drive to bring politics and the institutions themselves closer to citizens, to strengthen our European democracy. President Sassoli’s vision and his testimony at the service of the common good, as a journalist and a politician, will continue to inspire us all”. Clara Verhegge, a young woman from Belgium, who spoke with the President, also says: “His commitment to the European reception of migrants – despite the fact that he felt powerless – touched my heart and that of many other young people. When we spoke with him, I realised that I was not alone. Indeed, I hope with more confidence that one day Europe will find a unified voice also when it comes to refugees’. When asked by Mátyás Németh, a young Hungarian, whether the climate issue could be an opportunity for the peoples of Europe to unite, President Sassoli said that Covid had made Europe realise that this was an opportunity to restart a common policy on which to base Europe’s post-pandemic recovery. He added: “I think that in times of difficulty we will need open societies that work together and we must be proud of the young people who remind the world of politics of the state of our planet”.

Stefania Tanesini

Palmira’s secret

Jan 11, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Palmira Frizzera, one of the first companions of Chiara Lubich, who died on 5^th January 2022, will live on in the memory and in the lives of many: focolarini, young people and families, whom she accompanied in their formation at the Mariapolis Foco (Montet, Switzerland), the little town of the Focolare in which she lived for over 40 years. Drawing on her words, here are some moments that marked her path in life. “Nothing more can be done for your eyes”. This was the harsh diagnosis that the doctor gave to Palmira Frizzera a few months after she arrived in the first focolare in Piazza Cappuccini in Trent. Palmira was 18 when, three years earlier, in 1945, she met the first group of focolarine. She had had problems with her eyes for some time. Because of this her dream of going to be a missionary nun in India had also collapsed. But now the problem was getting more serious. After various visits to specialists that day, she went to an ophthalmologist in Trent, accompanied by Natalia Dallapiccola, another of Chiara Lubich’s first companions. Telling the story to a group of young people in 2004, Palmira said, “The doctor examined me thoroughly and then said: the right eye is lost already and the left eye is about to go”.

Palmira with Chiara Lubich © CSC Audiovisivi

© CSC Audiovisivi

Carlos Mana

Chiara Lubich: let the light of God shine through

Jan 10, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Today too, the lived Christian life is a light that brings people to God. Believers, individually and as a community, have a task to perform, which Chiara Lubich explains in this text: to reveal, through their lives, the presence of God, which is manifested wherever two or three are united in his name, a presence promised to the Church until the end of time. A Christian cannot escape from the world, hide away, or consider religion a private affair. A Christian lives in the world and has a responsibility, a mission towards all people, which is to be a light that shines out. You too have this task, and if you do not do it, you are as useless as salt that has lost its taste or light that has become shadow. Light manifests itself in ‘good works’. It shines through the good works that Christians do. Now you might say: ‘It’s not only Christians who do good works. Others collaborate for social development, build houses and promote justice…’ You are right. Christians too certainly do, and indeed must do, all these things, but their specific task is not only that. Christians should perform good works with a new spirit, the spirit that allows Christ to live in them. … The Evangelist Matthew, in fact, did not intend only isolated acts of charity (such as visiting prisoners, clothing the naked, or doing the various works of mercy according to the needs of our times). Rather, he was referring to a total commitment to do the will of God, so that they make their whole life a good work. If they do this, Christians are ‘transparent’ and the praise they receive for all they do will not be for themselves, but for Christ in them. Through them, God will be present in the world. Every Christian’s task, therefore, is to let the light that dwells in them shine out and be the “sign” of this presence of God among people. … If the good work of the individual believer has this characteristic, the Christian community in the midst of the world must also have the same specific task: to reveal through its life the presence of God, who manifests himself wherever two or three are united in his name,^[1] a presence promised to the Church until the end of time.

Chiara Lubich

Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] a cura di Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 145 [1]     Mt 18:20.

Living the Gospel: We have come to pay him homage (Mt 2:2)

Jan 7, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Follow the Star that leads to the Child Jesus and become pilgrims.  The example of the Wise Men helps us understand that this time gives us a precious opportunity to set out again together and witness to our neighbours every day the wonder that dwells in that grotto and comes to make all things new. Change is positive As I look back over all we lived in the last year during this time of unexpected pandemic, I have the impression that I am watching an action film that has shaken us all up a bit, parents and children alike.  It has often been tiring and hard to be forced to change plans and pace of life but it is also true that this situation has brought a breath of fresh air into our family. We have become aware of new ways of relating to one another and of needs that we had not previously considered. If faith had been a taboo with our children, here we are now faced with our own frailties, with fears of global dimensions and with questions that had previously gone unanswered. The real change, however, began when we asked ourselves the meaning of what was happening. Accustomed to having answers to every question, this time we were puzzled by the unknown. In short, we found ourselves more supportive not only of each other in the family but also of others. We found ourselves considering humanity as one family. (R.F. – France) Love circulates among the inmates I do voluntary work at the prison in my city. Together with a small group of other people, I take care of the “Città Nuova Reading Project”, in which many prisoners take part every week. One of them seemed sad that he could not receive the Eucharist because he had no catechetical preparation, so I suggested that I could help him. He was happy and thanked me and, together with the chaplain, we draw up a programme for the lessons. Spontaneously, a few other inmates joined in during our preparation sessions. Within a few months we were ready and so we arranged a date when the prisoner was to receive the sacrament for the first time.  To my surprise, on that day, the church was full: the inmates from that sector who rarely attend religious services, all came to Mass dressed in their best clothes. And not only that: drawing on long forgotten childhood memories, they took care of the songs, the readings and the prayers of the faithful. Like the rest of us, they were excited and enjoyed the family atmosphere that had been created, where no one felt alone. (Antonietta – Italy) Kneeling down He lives alone in a dirty hovel, half-paralysed and reduced to skin and bones. He must be just over 60 years of age but he looks a lot older. The first time I went to bring him some food and clothing, I suggested that we pray together. He could no longer remember the Our Father, he only knew the Hail Mary. When I left, I asked him for a blessing, even though I was younger than him, a foreigner and, in his eyes, a rich foreigner. He raised his paralysed hand and marked the cross on my head. He, that poor man, looked at me with eyes full of joy, surprise and tears. Ours has now become a weekly appointment. Each time we say together whatever prayers  come to his mind. He recites them out loud. The only way I can get close to him is to kneel down next to his bed: when I do that  I think: “Here I am, Lord, kneeling before you.” (L.B. – Thailand)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from  “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.1, Jan-Feb 2022)

Thank you Palmira

Jan 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Palmira Frizzera, one of Chiara Lubich’s first companions, left this earth today, January 5, 2022. Thank you Palmira. Today, 5 January 2022, Palmira Frizzera, one of Chiara Lubich’s first companions, left us for heaven. She was born in Terlago, Trent on 9 April 1927 and first met Chiara Lubich in 1945 in Piazza Cappuccini, Trent in the house that became the first focolare. She was impressed by the ideal of “universal fraternity” and decided to follow her. In 1947 she went to live in the first focolare in Trent where she stayed for several years before moving to Sicily, then Turin and, eventually, Rome. She lived in the little town of Montet, Broye, Switzerland for over forty years and was responsible for Focolare Movement in the area and for the formation of the focolarini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca2OayGb0Q8&list=PLKhiBjTNojHoPfT9syIwfyLI4sPeqBV0P&index=3

AMAZONIA | a journey that begins

Jan 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In Parintins, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the “Protecting childhood and adolescence” project to prevent violence against minors, aimed at children, parents, educators and teachers, has been launched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWWeJpqVgWA

Cyprus and Greece, workshops of welcome and fraternity

Jan 4, 2022 | Non categorizzato

Almost one month later, the Focolare communities of Greece and Cyprus reflect on Pope Francis’ visit One month after Francis’ trip to Greece and Cyprus, this quadrant of the globe remains in the international spotlight. We recently heard the story of hope of Grace Enjei, a 24-year-old Cameroonian who, thanks to the visit of the Pope and the help of the Community of Sant’Egidio, with 10 other asylum seekers was able to travel from the “no man’s land” of Cyprus to Rome; but we also heard of the umpteenth shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, on Christmas Day, in which 13 migrants lost their lives. Greece and Cyprus. Two countries with a relatively small population (Catholics are a religious minority) but which mirror the main crises of the world: migration, economic and health. A particular worry is the political influence of their Turkish neighbours. We asked the Focolare communities in these countries about the impact of this apostolic journey and the steps necessary for peace and a better coexistence for all. Lina Mikellidou, Orthodox and coordinator of the Focolare community in Cyprus has no doubts: “When Pope Francis affirmed that it is necessary to make this island ‘a workshop of fraternity’ he hit the nail on the head. Cyprus has been occupied by the Turks since 1974 and its capital, Nicosia, is the last remaining European city to be divided with barbed wire. Attempts to heal these fractures have not led to concrete results despite the commitment of the international community and both sides in recent years. I think it is necessary to develop or strengthen platforms, spaces of dialogue between the different realities in Cyprus, between Christians of different denominations (such as Armenian, Latin, Maronite and Orthodox) and also with Muslims. Then it is necessary to increase the spirit of ‘unity in diversity’ between the two sister Churches, Catholic and Orthodox. Finally, there is the issue of migrants. Our country cannot sustain so many, both from a logistical and an economic point of view. My people are known for their generosity and their welcoming spirit: much has already been done for the refugees, but we can surely improve, trying to raise awareness, find funds and structures to ensure that these sisters and brothers of ours live in more humane and dignified conditions. The Pope encouraged us to have a new approach, a lively attention to burning issues such as that of migrants and ecumenical dialogue. The search for unity between Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew, gives us great hope: they have a fraternal relationship, made up of concrete gestures and profound dialogue”. Alexandros Oshana, a young man of the local Focolare community from Athens maintains that the road to ecumenical dialogue is still long: “… the Pope’s visit offered the possibility of a new beginning. In his talks he often used the words ‘unity’, ‘fraternity’, ‘dialogue’. The Pope prayed for an inclusive church, open to all those who suffer. Francis expressed all of us Greek Catholics 100%, appreciating our desire to be close to our Orthodox brothers and sisters and to remember that first of all, we are all Christians”. In this regard, Pope Francis’ own example was visible to everyone. To emphasize that unity is possible only through an act of total humility, once again he asked the Orthodox Archbishop Ieronimos for forgiveness for the errors committed in the past by Catholics towards the Orthodox. The Archbishop said that he was certain that it will be possible to “shake off the burdens of the past, in particular those connected with the events of the Greek war of independence”. As a sign of brotherhood he also said that he wanted to join Francis “in the enormous challenge” regarding the fate of migrants and that he wanted to undertake “a common action for the environment”.

Lorenzo Russo with the collaboration of the Focolare community of Greece and Cyprus

Chiara Lubich: building new relationships

Jan 3, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In his message for the 55^th World Peace Day, 1^st January 2022, Pope Francis affirms that: “Dialogue entails listening to one another, sharing different views, coming to agreement and walking together. Promoting such dialogue between generations involves breaking up the hard and barren soil of conflict and indifference in order to sow the seeds of a lasting and shared peace.” Chiara Lubich also invites us to forge relationships in which dialogue enables us to reach true peace. Jesus came to create totally new relationships between people: between women and men, boys and girls, wives and husbands, teachers and pupils, workers and managers, employees and employers, between citizens and political leaders, between people of different races or ethnicities, and among nations and states. Jesus wants to build a new social order based on justice, respect, and true fraternity. He wants to give us true peace, individually and collectively, the divine peace that he alone can give. But, for this to happen, we need to follow him, even if at first sight he seems very demanding. Each of us needs to live his Words, whatever our calling in life may be.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Cittá Nuova, 2017, pag. 362)

Dialogue, education, work: a pact to generate peace

Jan 1, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In his message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January Pope Francis issues a strong warning to politicians who invest in armaments rather than education. What can be done to give young people hope and reverse this trend? We asked Prof. Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. Today, according to the World Bank, there are almost 100 million more people living in a state of impoverishment because of the Covid-19 pandemic and world military expenditure in 2020 has risen, despite Covid, to almost 2 trillion dollars (in 2019 it was 1650 billion) according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). Data that prompted Pope Francis to issue a tough yet hopeful message for the 55th World Day of Peace, which falls today, 1 January 2022. The Pope proposes three elements – dialogue between generations, education and work – as tools for building lasting peace. How can this message be contextualised amid the challenges facing society today? We asked Prof. Vincenzo Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. How can dialogue between the generations be initiated to build peace? On what trust is it based today, given that both the pandemic and the development of technology have created so much loneliness and indifference? “First of all, the Pope’s message presents dialogue not only as a goal for building relations between the generations but as a method. This, I believe, is the most important aspect to be grasped, and it is the aspect that also enables us to make dialogue an effective instrument for peace because very often we only link the element of dialogue to the possibility of communicating. In reality, dialogue presupposes something more.  There is a pact between generations, a pact in which the given word has its own meaning. Very often we have made of dialogue nothing more than a technical tool rather than something we share which therefore becomes a method or a daily action’. In recent years, education and training have been regarded as expenditures rather than investments, and military expenditures have increased. What steps should politicians take to promote a culture of ‘care’ rather than ‘war’? “The relationship between the educator and the one being educated is one that has to be built every day on the basis of renunciation of both parties. This type of educational methodology should also serve the great issues facing humanity. The problem of the arms race and the consequential diversion of resources for other areas, is that armaments are linked above all to a concept of power. So it is by means of education that we have to try to promote shared values. This is the aspect the Pope’s message is highlighting because if there are shared values – peace for example – this becomes a way to overcome conflict.  Conflict is overcome by eliminating armaments, so it’s a concept that has a chain reaction”. Work is the place where we learn to make our contribution towards a more liveable and beautiful world and is an indispensable factor to preserve peace but job insecurity and exploitation have increased because of the pandemic. So what can be done to give hope to young people to combat insecurity and exploitation? “Work is not simply something that guarantees peace in society as is traditionally said. Work is something that guarantees peace. Without the prerequisite of work, there is no education, no intergenerational relationship, no dialogue because the person is not only sustained by work, but also expresses their dignity. We find this in the Magisterium of the Church and from Pope Francis who has stressed this on several occasions. Consequently, today politicians, or rather those with responsibilities, the so-called ‘decision-makers’, need to make work a priority and not just one of the many items on the political agenda. I believe that the younger generations don’t just need a job but a job that manages to express their qualifications and, above all, makes them feel that they are protagonists in the decision-making process at work. The element that links the three headings – dialogue, education and work – is therefore the word pact. The pact between generations, the educational pact, the work pact – this is the key word putting them in the function of peace.  Otherwise they would simply be three scattered elements not linked together”. Clicca qui to read the Pope’s message for the 55th World Day of Peace.

Lorenzo Russo

Five years on – the international rhythm of “Milonga”

Dec 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato

An initiative that combines the desire to provide practical help  with the many needs that exist in the world. These are the aims that, in 2016, generated “Milonga”, an international intercultural and fraternal volunteer programme. A new opportunity, a renewed proposal to bring help where it is needed. This is the mission that “Milonga” is still pursuing today, 5 years after its inception. It developed thanks to  the contribution of New Humanity, Youth for a United World and the Latin American Network of Social Organisations Inspired by the Charism of Unity, with the collaboration of Sociedade Movimento dos Focolares-Brazil, Sumà Fraternidad and Promoción Integral de la Persona. It is an international volunteering platform that meets the needs of an increasingly widespread desire among young people to have global social experiences. The first volunteers left in 2016 with destinations in Bolivia and Brazil. Subsequently, more than 200 young people have followed in their footsteps, crossing borders to offer their time, talents and professional skills. This is a small but important contribution to overcoming inequalities in the world. But what is distinctive about “Milonga” compared to other volunteer programmes? For Virginia Osorio, Uruguayan member of the Coordination Team, “Milonga was the opportunity to network with a broad range of people and thus generate a different system of international cooperation which puts fraternity at its heart. In Milonga, service is enhanced by interculturality and training in global and local citizenship, weaving links not only between the north to the south, but in all directions.” This is how young people aged between 21 and 35 are  working in synergy with the NGOs and are engaged in projects in areas of need all over the world. Marco Provenzale, from Italy, says: “For these reasons, the programme is named after a Latin American dance with African roots and plays upon the NGO acronym. In Italian this would read   “Mille ONG in Azione” – “A Thousand NGOs in Action”. Communities and little towns belonging to the Focolare Movement  also support the initiative. It offers significant opportunities for action and training for young people who are motivated and want to contribute to society. In these five years, “Milonga” has made a great impact upon the lives of many young people. “The experience they have with each other reflects upon the role each plays as a citizen of the world,” continues Virginia Osorio, “and stimulates them to want to act wherever there is suffering.” In addition to the many volunteers who have worked in person in these initiatives, during the pandemic more than a hundred have had a virtual intercultural experience online. This enabled them to support actions such as fundraising, helping school children, preparing for exams, practising different languages and much more. Antonella, a young woman from Argentina, did virtual volunteering in Brazil and is now preparing to finally do it in person: “Before, I didn’t participate in things like this. Today, if I don’t do something concrete, I feel empty. My experience with Milonga has given me this new awareness.”

Janeth Lucía Cárdenas and the MilONGa team (social worker, involved with Milonga and the global communication project)

Living the Gospel: Watched over by God

Dec 28, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Through the Incarnation, God revealed to Mary that her small, fragile humanity served his plan of salvation. Advent can be an opportunity for us all once again to live the most beautiful experience of all: to feel ourselves watched over by God and be led by him, as Mary did. We can then face each day with a deep joy in our hearts and a song of praise on our lips. Back to life A friend of ours who is involved with rehabilitating ex-convicts proposed to our religious community that we take in one who was nearing the end of his sentence for a few months. Pietro, as he was called, turned out to be an expert in home maintenance and tirelessly repaired whatever was needed. It was a true blessing for us, since we lack economic means and struggle to find the time for certain jobs. One evening after dinner, in the garden, Pietro began to open up. “I’m grateful not only for the hospitality I’ve received, but also for your respect. Ex-prisoners are often treated like plague victims, and people keep them at a distance. Yet being included is the only medicine that can heal certain wounds.” Before leaving, he left a note. “Thank you. Now I can come back to society because I know that I have something to give.” (O., Italy) Like the prodigal son When a homeless man named “A.” confided in me, explaining why he had been reduced to that state of misery, I saw in him the prodigal son from the parable, who yearns to regain his freedom. When I asked him to reach out to his family, he refused at first, because it was so difficult to show them what he had been reduced to. The mere idea of presenting himself to his brothers and sisters, who were all “successful” with fulfilled lives, only increased his humiliation. And yet – I reminded him at that point – they had not stopped loving him, waiting for him. He did not reply, staying silent. He showed up again after a few days. This time he asked for my help to buy a plane ticket to return to his homeland. Without hesitation, I provided him with the necessary amount of money. Not long afterwards, I received word from him. “It was just as you told me. The joy of embracing me again was a true gift I could give my parents. Thank you for reminding me why I’m here.” (G., Spain) By the hand Due to a stroke, I found myself paralyzed on the left side of my body. Suddenly my life changed. I was disheartened by the turmoil I was causing in the small business I had just started, in the running of my family, and in my teenage children. I had to practice for a long time and accept a new way of life. However, as one world collapsed, I saw dimensions opening up that had been neglected and unappreciated before: my life of faith. For years in fact, I had not prayed. Since I recognized my fragility, it was spontaneous for me to start praying again, not with words learned in catechism, but in dialogue. I learned to converse with God again. Meanwhile, my treatments continued.  At one point, I was surprised to recover all motor functions. Now that I am recovering, I can say that God’s love wanted to immerse me in life fully, not superficially. He took me by the hand, and I held on. (A., Argentina)

Compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta

(from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year VII, n. 4, November–December 2021)

Chiara Lubich: believing in the Word of God

Dec 27, 2021 | Non categorizzato

In this Christmas season, December’s Word of Life invites us to live words that refer to Mary: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. (Lk 1:45). The following text is also dedicated to the mother of God. In it Chiara Lubich invites us to live like Mary in her complete readiness to believe and put into practice what the Lord had announced. There is a close link in Mary between faith and motherhood, as a fruit of listening to the Word. Here, Luke suggests something that also concerns us, because later in his Gospel Jesus says: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 8:21). By almost anticipating Jesus’ words, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy Spirit, announces to us that every disciple can become the “mother” of the Lord. The condition is that we believe in the Word of God and live it. (…) After Jesus himself, Mary is the one who knew how to say “yes” to God best and most perfectly. Her holiness and greatness are found there, above all. And if Jesus is the Word, the Incarnate Word, Mary, by her faith in the Word, is the Word lived, while being a person like us, equal to us. Mary’s role as Mother of God is sublime and great. But God does not only call the Virgin to generate Christ in herself. In a different way, every Christian has a similar task: that of incarnating Christ to the point of saying, like Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”(Gal 2:20). How can this come about? By having Mary’s attitude towards the Word of God, which is one of complete availability. To believe, therefore, with Mary, that all the promises contained in the Word of Jesus will be fulfilled and to face, if necessary, as Mary did, the risk of encountering the absurd that his Word sometimes entails. Wonderful things, that are both great and small, happen to those who believe in the Word of God.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, edited by Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, p. 610-612)

Christmas: stars are shining on the stables

Dec 25, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Igino Giordani summed up Christmas in a few significant words: “Our welcoming the child Jesus into the cold grotto of our hearts; giving hospitality to that Light which had found no place elsewhere and decided to shine on us, making all things new. “Jesus was born in a stable, to show us that he can be born in our hearts too, which are not unlike a stable. And when he is born in our heart, as in the grotto, the angels sing, the light shines in the night, and peace rains down on earth. Jesus, with his Birth, began a Revolution: he took humanity from the stable and raised it to the stars. He made even those strong men who enslaved him become his brothers, his equals. Christmas cannot be reduced to carols and candles. God is not to be made fun of. Our Father in heaven calls for our bread on earth. It is clear: those who want to make us slaves again, to take back our freedom, remain active. And this is done with various kinds of pressure (…). We lose our freedom, we lose our charity: and so we live according to the flesh. Instead of being willing servants of our sisters and brothers, we exploit them. And yet the law, justice, is this: treat others as you would have them treat you. Mutual service, where justice and charity are one. It is God who lives in us: the Word – Reason – who becomes flesh among us and makes the stars shine on the stables.

Igino Giordani, “La Via”, [The Way] 24.12.1949.

Happy Christmas and  good wishes to everyone from Margaret Karram

Dec 22, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Glasgow, SCOTLAND: Great religions safeguarding creation

Dec 22, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Lorna Gold, president of the Laudato Si’ Movement, and Martin Palmer, founder and president of Faith Invest explain how the world’s great religions can be a driving force in civil society on climate change. During the COP26 conference, the religious leaders present took part in various events, that were opportunities for mutual knowledge and dialogue. These included one event held at the Mosque and one hosted by the Focolare Movement. Martin Palmer (England) has spent his entire working life engaging with major religions around the world on environmental issues. This began in 1986, when Prince Philip (the Duke of Edinburgh), who was international president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), asked him to bring together representatives of five of the world’s major religions to look at ways in which those faiths understood their place in nature. They set up a comprehensive program on bringing faiths into partnership with major environmental groups, the UN, the World Bank, and other bodies. Lorna Gold is the Vice-Chair of the Global Catholic Climate Movement Board and President of the Laudato Si’ Movement. She coordinates their work on climate action within faith communities and has been leading work to get the Catholic Church in Ireland and globally to disinvest from fossil fuels. In our interviews, we talked about many subjects regarding COP26, the climate crisis and the current situation… Understandably, it was not possible to include everything in the report broadcast during the Link Up. For example, Martin Palmer told us about the particular period we are going through and said: “I think we are on the cusp of a very great change. And the very great change is that instead of waiting for governments to give the lead, it is civil society, it is the young and the old. I’ve been at this work for 40 years. I think it’s the rise of women’s organizations, which were simply not there in 1997. I think of the whole role of indigenous people, I think of the whole role of faith communities, of the NGO world, of the educational world. I see that, now, we’re at that moment where we tip. There are still many people who think that if we protest, we can influence governments… I have to say, I don’t believe that”. “The faiths are getting together with the financial world, with the educational world and saying, how can we create partnerships? Where we have the money, we have the influence. We have the structures. We have the means to make a change…”. And afterwards we had a very interesting exchange with Lorna Gold about what she defined as “climate anxiety”, where she said: “I think it’s something that all of us, to one degree or another, will face because once you accept that there is a climate crisis and that everything isn’t as ‘rosy’ in the future, as maybe we would have wanted, the prospect of a united world is quite distant if climate change can’t be resolved.. “(…) I try to manage that anxiety. One way is through spending time in nature. Nature is a great healer. Being outdoors, meditating in nature, finding God in creation. It makes you realize that nature is quite resilient. We see generation all around us.”. “I truly believe that this moment we’re living through is a crisis, but it can also be a kairos. A kairos, as Pope Francis says, is an opportunity, a moment, an opportune moment to rethink, to convert ourselves, to undergo that deep ecological conversion and to start moving in a different direction.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfX3QEj07Ns&t=133s  

Chiara Lubich: share

Dec 20, 2021 | Non categorizzato

In this passage, Chiara Lubich invites us to share with our neighbours whatever they may lack in order to have a dignified life. This is the best way to prepare ourselves for Christmas, which we will celebrate in a few days’ time. The con­version of heart needed to pre­pare for Jesus ‘coming does not consist in beautiful words and an outpouring of feelings. Rather, it lies in doing the will of God, above all in loving others, con­cretely expressing our solidari­ty and sharing what we have with those who lack essentials, whether that be food, clothing, lodging, help, and so on. It is what Jesus himself teaches us. The Christian life, in fact, does not primarily consist in long prayers and exhausting penances; it does not ask us to change our profession or occu­pation (provided they are good in themselves) but rather that we live love of neighbour in our life circumstances and activities. ” Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” (Lc 3:11). We are in the month of December, in which we cele­brate Christmas. For the Church, Christmas is not simply the commemoration of a past event. It is the cele­bration of an ever-present and ever-new mystery: the birth of Jesus among us and in us. So how can we prepare ourselves for Christmas? What should we do so that Jesus can be born or reborn in us and among us? We should love concretely. Let’s make sure that our love of neighbour does not stop at words, but is translated into action, into deeds, whether great or small.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] a cura di Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 422-423)

Popular Marian University (UPM) : The space of consciousness

Dec 17, 2021 | Non categorizzato

The cycle of lessons of the new course of the Popular Marian University (UPM) of the Focolare Movement was inaugurated on 6 November 2021. This year the title is, “Where man is alone with God: conscience”. Catherine Belzung, neuroscientist and Emanuele Pili, lecturer, will give the second lesson. Here they answer some questions. “Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.” These words from the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes inspire the title of the new course of the UPM (Popular Marian University) of the Focolare designed for the 2021-2022 academic year: “Where man is alone with God: conscience”. On 6^th November, during the first lesson of this cycle, Renata Simon, co-responsible for the aspect of Wisdom and Study of the Focolare Movement, described moral conscience as a “holy” space. She said, “Conscience does not close man into an impenetrable solitude, as in an isolated cell, but opens him to the call of God”. Analyzing the theme in its various forms and in the context of the spirituality of unity, reflecting on the ability to act according to the responsibility of each person to enter into dialogue with themselves and with this voice, are just some of the objectives that this course aims to achieve. Catherine Belzung, a neuroscientist and Professor of the “Imaging & Brain” Department of the François Rabelais University of Tours (France) and Emanuele Pili, Adjunct Professor of the Department of Theology, Philosophy and Human Sciences of the Sophia University Institute, agree that this is a great challenge, especially in today’s world. They are both speakers for the second lesson which will take place on 18^th December, on the topic: Consciousness in a pluralistic world, different perspectives. The lesson will deal with psychological aspects in relation to moral conscience, introducing the question of freedom and its possible conditioning, which will be examined more closely in the third lesson. “Each of us finds ourselves having to choose according to values and we find this in various disciplinary perspectives”, explains Catherine Belzung. “What often varies are the concepts and the language used. In neuroscience we speak of ‘decision making mechanisms’, in other fields of ‘moral conscience’. We must engage in dialogue to understand if the various words used correspond to a common concept”. Are we neurologically conditioned in acting or are we free? Catherine Belzung affirms, “We are completely free people”. Some research has been misinterpreted and identifies man as a puppet in the hands of his own genetic material, of his own brain. In reality, we are not determined by our biology”. Understanding what hinders listening to oneself and listening to God’s voice in a noisy reality like the one in which we live, seems to be the real question. According to Emanuele Pili, “The time in which we live is so noisy and frenetic, that at times it is like having a suffocating hood around our most intimate and authentic desires. The pervasiveness and omnipresence of technology change the very process through which personal identity is formed. Therefore, there is a real challenge to listen to our most inner part which is not easy to deal with”. How can we get out of this impasse? Emanuele Pili continues, “I believe the point lies in finding a way to pierce the hood that tends to hinder the possibility of returning to ourselves. I think that a lot has to do with the rediscovery, also helped by the experience of the pandemic, of real and simple relationships, lived in their corporeal and emotional dimensions, capable of leaving aside superficiality and mediocrity (…) Rediscovering our interiority and the desire that animates it, is the serious (…), game of everday life. Perhaps, today, piercing the hood that prevents us from accessing our interiority also, and above all, involves knowing how to listen to this cry, which is sometimes mute or stifled, of which for example younger people are, in good and in bad, the most lively and effective testimony”.

Maria Grazia Berretta

Poster in PDF

Music of fraternity on the Balkan route

Dec 17, 2021 | Non categorizzato

The international band, “ Gen Rosso”, travelled to the Balkans. There, thousands of migrants live though tragic situations as they try to reach Europe in search of a better future. This journey inspired Gen Rosso’s Christmas concert, entitled “Refugee”, which will be streamed for free. “We are tired, very tired of living in these conditions, but today we have rediscovered and experienced joy”. These are the words of Mariam, visibly moved, in thanking the international group Gen Rosso at the refugee camp in Bosnia, after a day spent together. Mariam is Iranian and together with other migrants she lives in that refugee camp because she is looking for a better future, where there are no wars, hatred or persecutions. Thousands of refugees like her are stuck in the cold, the freezing cold, in the so-called “Balkan route”, with the hope of reaching Europe. Gen Rosso went to Bosnia in October 2021 to bring relief and hope to these migrants through art, music and dance. They went to a refugee camp run by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) which provides essential accommodation and aid to asylum seekers and migrants attempting to cross the Croatian border. The Band told us, “We didn’t have the slightest idea of who or what we would meet but we wanted these people, who find themselves painfully wandering for years, to experience fraternity”. Migrants need not only food and clothing but also moments of welcome and serenity. At the beginning, “we found ourselves under the questioning and somewhat suspicious gaze of families who kept their distance. It was not easy to start with people from different cultures and traditions, accustomed to indifference and hostility”. It was the children who broke the ice. They were attracted by Ygor playing a Brazilian tambourine and wanted to try. Little by little everyone gathered courage. Michele, lead singer of the Band, said, “Who knows what these children have experienced and what they carry in their hearts. A nice atmosphere was created right away. The fact that the children were present, with their immediacy and simplicity, helped a lot”. Thus began the first dialogues. What is your name? Where are you from? And mistrust gave way to trust. The Band said, “We had planned to divide into small groups, but we understood that they all wanted to stay together and after a long time, to celebrate, with songs and dances of individuals and groups, according to their own traditions. When some mothers wanted to show us a typical dance, they left their babies in our arms, with the trust that is usually given to brothers”. Helânio shared this experience, “A refugee with a wounded leg grabbed my drum, his eyes were shining, it was almost his only way of expressing himself. I was happy to give him this opportunity”. Raymund, one of the dancers, shared, “A woman asked if she could dance. She could feel that someone appreciated her. I understood what it meant to go towards them through music, which can rebuild people’s souls; it was evident in their shining eyes, that they were happy”. It was an unforgettable experience, that has inspired the upcoming Christmas concert that Gen Rosso have entitled “Refugee”. It will take place on 18^th December 2021, at 21:00 (UTC + 1), at the Loppiano auditorium. You can buy tickets here or at the auditorium. It will be streamed free on the public.la web platform. It will be an evening specially dedicated to bringing relief, peace and hope to all those who find themselves in situations of suffering and hardship.

Lorenzo Russo

Living the Gospel: “Blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:45)

Dec 16, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Mary, after welcoming the power of the Most High, hurried to her kinswoman Elizabeth, her heart full of joy. This is the first missionary action by the Mother of God after she pronounced her “yes”. She goes out towards another person bearing good news. Christmas is a time we too can bring this same good news to the world with a generous heart. The puddle We’ve reached a stage in our family where my children seem to have lost any sense of proportion and respect, all in the name of personal freedom. One day I walked out of the house to try to calm down and avoid reacting sharply to them. As I often do, I started reciting the rosary. That got me thinking of Mary. She too was a wife and mother. She had silently pondered everything in her heart, including her pain and sufferings. This prayer and reflection began to break through my negativity, bringing me some peace and the strength to go back home and try to introduce some of that serenity there too. As I was walking back towards the house, I noticed the sky reflected in a puddle. That’s what I felt like: a puddle which can reflect a part of the heavens. And that image was all I needed to find new joy once more. (F.A. – Albania) Together My husband and I had agreed that he would stay at home after work to be with our son John, who has Downs Syndrome, so that I could attend a regular parish meeting which was really important to me. After a while, however, I noticed that taking it in turns so often to care for our son seemed to be having a negative impact on his behaviour. So one evening I decided to miss the meeting in order to stay in with him. When he realised that the three of us would be staying at home together, his challenging behaviour improved greatly. As I got supper ready, he came to tell me, “I’m sorry I’ve been naughty, Mom. Let’s start again.” He was referring to something he’d done the day before and I knew he meant “Let’s start to love each other again”. I was pleased he was aware of what he’d done wrong. My husband heard his apology too, and family harmony was restored all round. We had a really lovely evening together. When John went to bed that night, we both saw how happy he was. (R.S. – USA) In hospital I’m a volunteer hospital visitor. One morning I went to greet one of the older patients and asked if he’d like to receive the Eucharist. He shook his head laughing and replied, “It’s a very long time since I last received Communion…”. Undeterred, I suggested perhaps he’d like to say a few prayers, to which he responded, “Yes, OK, but you’ll have to help me, because I’ve forgotten them all!” I started, and he repeated after me, phrase by phrase. When we’d finished, he turned to me with a smile and said, “That was very moving”. It showed me never to be put off by appearances. We parted company with the warmest of greetings. (Umberto – Italy)

Selected by Maria Grazia Berretta

(from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VII, n. 4, November-December 2021) Foto © Joachim Schwind – CSC Audiovisivi

USA | The work of a family business for environmental protection

Dec 15, 2021 | Non categorizzato

For more than 25 years John and Julia Mundell have worked for the protection of the environment. Their company, Mundell and Associates, began repairing damage and reversing trends of hazardous waste in Indianapolis. Nowadays, their work is known all over the United States and in other countries. Working to preserve the earth is for them a vocation to build unity and an answer to preserve our common home for the next generations. https://vimeo.com/651033127

The Abba School: a  flower with four petals

Dec 14, 2021 | Non categorizzato

At the beginning of 2021, following the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement, the Abba School (the Study Centre of the Movement) started off again with a new organization. To find out more, we interviewed its Coordinator, Mgr. Piero Coda, first Dean of the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (Italy) and recently appointed by Pope Francis as Secretary General of the International Theological Commission. You were in the first group that Chiara Lubich invited to form the “Abba School”. What are the objectives of this Study Centre? What was your intellectual and spiritual experience in contact with her thought and life? It was most certainly a special gift from God to find myself at the beginning of this experience with Bishop Klaus Hemmerle, as early as 1989, before the Abba School officially began in 1990. From the beginning, the purpose that Chiara entrusted to this unique Study Centre was to study and explore the theological, cultural and social implications of the charism of unity. But first of all share the experience of living the Gospel of Jesus in the light that springs from the charism. This is so important, that one of the last things that Chiara said to the Abba School in 2004 was this: “Be a cenacle of holiness!” This is the gift and aim of the Abba School: to learn to live our life, including the way we  think, in that space to which we come through the presence of the Risen Jesus alive among his people, that place which is the life of God, the bosom of the Father. In accordance with the Gospel and the faith of the Church, Chiara teaches us that this life is the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, not only in Heaven, but among us: “on earth as in Heaven”. For me it was and continues to be a unique experience. I could describe it with the words of the first letter of John: “my eyes have seen, my hands have touched, my ears have heard … the Word of life”. The senses of your soul are turned on and experience the light of Jesus Forsaken and Risen, through which to look at reality in a new way. In this way, more than before, theology has become dynamic and fascinating for me. At the same time, since there are experts in all disciplines in the Abba School, who strive to live unity even when they share their thinking, the horizon of “inter & trans-disciplines” has opened up. What I mean by this is the discovery of the root and the common goal of all forms of knowledge which are called to dialogue with each other in a very practical way. The theology in which I engage has been extraordinarily enriched in this dialogue, conducted not only at an interpersonal level, but also at the level of relationship between the disciplines. The Abba School has recently undergone further development. You became its Coordinator in March 2021. Can you tell us in what this development consists? The Abba School has existed for over thirty years and during this time it has developed in a very rich way. Over time, almost 50 people have been part of it and until 2004, Chiara was always present with a fundamental role. Then, groups related to the various disciplines grew up around the various members: psychology, sociology, politics, economics, natural sciences, art, dialogue … at the moment these groups involve over 300 people around the world. In conjunction with the General Assembly of the Focolare and as the fruit of a whole journey of community discernment, we realized that in recent years, the “flower” of the Abba School has blossomed in “four petals” and so we tried to give these a homogeneous and at the same time distinct, configuration, which recognizes and promotes this development at the service of the mission of the Movement. One “petal”, (about fifteen people), is made up of those who are called to continue the specific study of the charismatic and cultural significance of the event of ‘49 as a special expression of the charism of unity in the experience lived by Chiara, Foco (Igino Giordani), the first focolarini and then gradually by all those who participate in the charism.  We conserve a precious testimony of this event of grace, written by Chiara herself. A second “petal” is the one engaged in the transmission of this patrimony of light and doctrine to the new generations: a group of 27 young scholars, with different disciplinary skills, from all over the world. A third “petal” is made up of those who have been members of the Abba School and continue to be part of it (29 people), with a view to carrying out research projects inspired by the charism and at the service of the Movement, based on their respective skills and experience. Finally, the fourth “petal” is that of international groups according to different disciplines. What projects do you have in mind for the future? We have some projects in mind and are discerning together which ones to undertake and in what way. There are already some interesting things on the horizon. The first is that of giving shape to a “lexicon” of the life of unity: a kind of “guidebook” in which the main ideas emerging from the charism of unity are presented in a universal way, enriched by the light of the experience so far. A second thing is to offer a contribution, starting from the uniqueness of the charism, to the synodal journey of the Church that Pope Francis has recently launched. We believe that there is something important here: in 1949, Chiara said that the “Soul”, this new subject, both personal and communitarian, which is born from the Pact of Unity, is “presented as Church” and is welcomed into the bosom of the Trinity. The Synod, in fact, is the expression of the Church that walks side by side with everyone, starting with the poorest and most rejected and all those in whom we recognize the face and cry of Jesus Forsaken. Then there is the great anthropological theme that challenges our time: in particular, the relationship between people and especially between male and female and between different cultures. And finally, the relationship between religions: a sign of the times and a specific purpose of the charism of unity. A member of the Focolare might ask, how can I participate in the Abba School? The whole Movement is Abba School! Chiara once said, the Movement was born as a school. In the Abba School, and therefore in the Movement, it is a question of placing oneself in the particular school into which God led Chiara, Foco and the first focolarini, in particular in ‘49. The commitment, therefore, is that the Abba School is not a house with closed doors: it is full of open windows and doors, so that everyone can participate. For example, we are having an experience in Loppiano in offering some insights regarding how to participate in this light for everyone. It is extremely positive: also because this light, when it reaches people in different situations, with different skills and different sensitivities, arouses joy and creativity. The Abba School is not a one-way reality: in the sense that it starts only from the light that is offered. No! The light goes out and returns enriched by the experience, by the questions, by the solutions that the life of Chiara’s people acquires and contributes. So, it is a virtuous circle, which must be effectively activated and promoted more and more.

Carlos Mana

Chiara Lubich: improving and starting  again

Dec 13, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Every year, as we await Christmas, we hear the invitation to “prepare the way for the Lord”. (cf Is.  40:3.  God, who has always shown a burning desire to be with his children, comes “to dwell among us.” In this passage Chiara Lubich suggests how to prepare  for his coming and to open our hearts to Jesus who is to be born. We ourselves often feel the desire to meet Jesus, to have him at our side as our travelling companion in life, to be filled with  his light. In order for him to enter our lives, however,  we must first remove the obstacles. It is no longer a question of paving the way, but of opening our hearts to him. Jesus himself names some of the barriers that close off our hearts: “theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, pride…”. (Mk 7:21-22). Sometimes it is resentment towards relatives or friends, racial prejudice, indifference to the needs of those close to us or lack of attention and love in the family… (…) How can we concretely prepare the way of the Lord? By asking for his forgiveness each time that we have put up a barrier that prevents us from being in communion with him. This sincere gesture of humility and truth allows us to stand before him as we are, acknowledging our fragility, our mistakes, and our sins. This is an act of trust by which we accept his fatherly love, which is “merciful… and abounding in kindness” (Ps 103:8). It expresses our earnest desire to improve and to begin again. Then at night, before going to sleep, we might stop for a moment to take stock and see how we did and ask for God’s forgiveness. If we are Catholic, when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist we can be more aware and fervent in the expression of contrition repeated at the beginning of the liturgy. It is the moment when together as a community we ask for forgiveness for our sins. Then individual confession, the sacrament of God’ forgiveness can be of enormous help. It is a moment of encounter with the Lord when we can hand over to him all our mistakes. We leave confession with the certainty that we have been saved and made new, and we experience the joy that comes from discovering that we are true children of God. And God himself, through his forgiveness, is the one who removes every obstacle, who “makes straight the highway” and establishes a bond of love with each one of us again.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, edited by Fabio Ciardi, Cittá Nuova, 2017, p. 766-768)

Friends and saints

Dec 10, 2021 | Non categorizzato

The beatification process of Alberto Michelotti and Carlo Grisolia completed its diocesan phase on 8 October 2021. Their story tells of a shared journey in true friendship.            How can we become “saints together”? It’s not easy. It takes time, for sure, and above all a commitment to travel in the same direction, focussing on the same source of light. This is the story of Alberto Michelotti (Genoa, 1958 – Monte Argentera, 1980) and Carlo Grisolia (Bologna, 1960 – Genoa, 1980), two young Italians, very different in many ways but linked by a great friendship and a shared desire to keep God at the centre of their lives. The charism and ideal of the Focolare Movement drew them both and forged true sharing and fraternity between them. They both departed this life in 1980, just 40 days apart: Albert in a mountain climbing accident, Carlo in hospital of a tumour. These two friends are united in a shared process of canonization, launched in 2005 by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Archbishop of Genoa. The diocesan phase just concluded on 8 October 2021. So who are these two young men? Alberto was a natural leader and a “winner”. But his leadership was always in the spirit of service, attentive to those around him, especially the most needy and the youth. Born and raised with his family in the port of Genoa in northern Italy, he attended the parish of St Sebastian with his parents. He was active in many aspects of parish life, including Catholic Action and later, through Rev Fr Mario Terrile, he encountered the spirituality of Chiara Lubich. He was overwhelmed by this. During the Focolare’s summer Mariapolis meeting in 1977, Alberto embraced the ‘good news’ which transformed his life for ever, the reality of “God who is Love”. The same year he became an active member of the Gen Movement, the “new generation” of the Focolare. Here he met Carlo and found a profound unity, overcoming the barriers caused by their very differing characters. Carlo was a shy and poetic young man. A student of agronomy, he loved reading, playing the guitar and writing songs. He was a dreamer, quite unlike the mountain-climbing, rational, mathematical engineering student, Alberto. And yet they shared a great desire to communicate the Gospel ideal of a united world with joy and enthusiasm. And to put into practice Jesus’ message “Where two or more are united in my name, I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:15-20). Carlo had known the Focolare since childhood through his parents. He drew from the spirituality the ‘strategy’ of “becoming saints together”. When Chiara Lubich launched this invitation to the youth, Carlo took it to heart, at the time his family transferred to Genoa. The Focolare founder called Carlo ‘Vir’, meaning “true person, strong person”, and Carlo took this as a guiding principle for his life, drawing his strength from Jesus, the only possible source of energy, as he wrote in one of his songs: “Breathe in the air the love which comes from the new sun which opens up on you”. The friendship between these two young men lasted just 3 years. But the sharing and understanding of their own life experiences indicate a maturity beyond their years. In their quest for authentic Love, they each discovered purity as an instrument to achieve true freedom. And they shared this ideal with their friends. We can see reflections of their deepest thoughts in letters they wrote, long before social media was available. “This is likely to be your military service year”, Alberto wrote in a letter to Carlo on his 19th birthday. “New difficulties and new joys. A bit like today which began with a beautiful blue sky and now by 4 in the afternoon has transformed into wintery grey. But anyway we know that beyond the clouds the sun is surely there”. Alberto and Carlo mirrored one another, recognising each other’s joys and fears, struggles and successes. Trusting in the Love that can achieve everything, they were ready to live the Gospel passage: “No-one has greater love than to give their life for their friends” (John 15:13). Alberto lost his life in the Cuneo mountains on 18 August 1980. He fell during a climb along a glacial gully in the Maritime Alps. Carlo was not able to attend the funeral. Two days earlier, he had been admitted for tests after some episodes of fainting and paralysis of the limbs. The results were unequivocal. The doctor did not hide the seriousness of the situation from Carlo and he was immediately rushed into hospital with advanced cancer. While there, he was told of Alberto’s fatal accident. Only 40 days would separate the two friends before they were reunited in eternity. From his hospital bed, in his last days, Carlo greeted all his visitors with a huge smile, despite being so weak. “I know where I’m going,” he said to a nurse, “I’m going to meet one of my friends who left us a few days ago in a mountain accident”. Carlo felt Alberto’s presence beside him as he looked to his own “leap into God”, as he described it to his mother in hospital. He made that leap into eternity and the home of the Father on 29 September 1980. Today, 40 years on, the ties of friendship between Alberto and Carlo seem as strong as ever as they move into a new and quite extraordinary phase. Never before in the history of the Church have two distinct processes of beatification been considered alongside each other and for two friends. Of course, they cannot be declared blessed or saints until two miracles through their intercession have been verified. But given that they are being prayed to together, they can only be “saints together”. This indicates that a spiritual friendship can be a pathway to holiness. In their lives we perceive the fulfilment of that phrase “thy kingdom come … on earth as in heaven” and such true joy, fruit of a prophetic inspiration expressed by Chiara: “I pray you will become saints, great saints, and soon. In this way, I’m sure you’ll find true happiness”[1].

Maria Grazia Berretta

[1]    Chiara Lubich’s message to “GEN”, Anno XV (1981), n. 4, p. 2-3

Friederike Koller: close to people, global vision

Dec 8, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Always ready, always available, close to everyone and at the same time able to see the global perspective. A Councillor at the International Centre of the Focolare Movement since 2014, she left this earth on 5^th December.

Friederike Koller with the Focolare founder Chiara Lubich

Friederike with young people in Nigeria

Anna Lisa Innocenti and Stefania Tanesini

Chiara Lubich: be alert and pray

Dec 6, 2021 | Non categorizzato

We are in the liturgical season of Advent. So, a time of waiting, of preparation for Christmas, a time for being alert and praying. But how can we do this? Here too, we are helped by circumstances, by the brothers and sisters who fill our days: the love we can give will be our prayer, welcomed by Heaven. “Be alert and pray” (…). these few words hold the key to facing the most dramatic events in life, but also the inevitable trials of every day. However, we are immersed in the frenetic and all-consuming pace of modern life, so how can we possibly avoid being lulled to sleep by many “siren songs”? And yet these words of the Gospel are meant for us too… Even in times like these, Jesus cannot ask us to do something that is beyond our capabilities. Along with this exhortation, he must necessarily show us how to live in accordance with his word.  So then, how can we stay awake and be on our guard? How can we always have a prayerful attitude? We might have made every effort to shut out everything and everyone as a means of self-defence. But that is not right, and it is not long before we realise that, sooner or later, we have to give in. The path to take can be found in the Gospel and in human experience itself. When you love someone, your heart is watchful, always waiting for that person. Every minute that passes is spent for that person’s sake, watching and waiting. A person who loves is watchful. Being watchful is characteristic of love. … This is the attitude of those who love Jesus. They do everything for his sake. They find him every moment in the simple expressions of his will, and they will meet him solemnly on the day he comes. … The smile we give, the task we carry out, the car we drive, the meal we prepare, the activity we are organizing, the tears we shed for one of our brothers or sisters who is suffering; the instrument we play, the article or letter we write, the happy event we share cheerfully, the dress to be cleaned… If we do all these things out of love, they can all become a prayer. To be alert and pray always, we need to be anchored in love, to love God’s will and every neighbour he puts beside us. Today, I really want to love. So, I will be alert and pray at all times.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 634-636)

The Mediterranean: new narratives of unity

Dec 3, 2021 | Non categorizzato

“Planting seeds of peace and seeing them blossom”. Margaret Karram’s words during the forum for dialogue entitled “Seeds of hope against prophets of doom: a partnership between Religion and Government for a new policy on Mediterranean unity” at the Rome MED 2021 organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies).  “I believe that government policies in the Mediterranean region should create a political environment conducive to pluralism and equal citizenship”. These were the words with which Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, addressed the seventh edition of Rome MED 2021 (Mediterranean Dialogues) in Rome (Italy) on 3 December 2021. “I think that religions,” she continued, “can also be part of the solution, by offering and promoting a different narrative. (…)  Each of us has our own narrative, and we have to listen, understand and respect the other person’s narrative”. The event, which took place in Rome from 2 to 4 December 2021, is the annual high-profile initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies).  It brings together politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, religious leaders and NGOs to discuss opportunities offered by the Mediterranean and how to address the many crises across and around the Mediterranean. Margaret Karram’s speech was part of a panel discussion entitled “Seeds of hope against prophets of doom: a partnership between religion and government for a new policy on Mediterranean unity”. The discussion, moderated by Fabio Petito (Head of the Religions and International Relations Programme at ISPI) and Fadi Daou (Co-founder of the Adyan Foundation), was attended by Marina Sereni (Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Italy), Noemi di Segni (President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities), Azza Karam (Secretary General of Religions for Peace), Monsignor Miroslaw Wachowski (Under-Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See) and Haya Aliadoua (Advisor to the Secretary General of the World Muslim League). The panel’s reflection on the crisis of disunity that for some time now and for various reasons has affected the shores of the Mediterranean, the scene of clashes between various cultures, moved the debate along and simultaneously left space for possible initiatives and greater involvement from religious leaders and communities in public life to promote new pathways towards fraternity and peace. “Just yesterday,” said Margaret Karram, “Pope Francis having recently arrived in Cyprus, stressed that the ‘mare nostrum‘ – as the Romans called it – is ‘the sea of all those peoples who border it, in order to be connected, not divided’[1]. I believe this is the Mediterranean area’s true identity”. Thinking of the Mediterranean not as one continuous crisis but as an opportunity to work in an effective way, Karram continued: “As Focolare we have been present in the Mediterranean region for over 50 years.  Bringing interreligious commitment into daily life, helping people with their needs in concrete ways, is the lesson we have learned and which we strongly value; I believe that high level strategies don’t have such a profound impact”. Speaking of concrete initiatives the Focolare President presented a number of examples and testimonies from Lebanon to Syria that demonstrate the importance of putting the person at the centre and taking care of relationships and diversity, and underline the part that religions can play in this field. “Love and caring for every human being are the core of this message,” she concluded. “Religions have the natural ability to network and draw people into a space where we can plant seeds of peace, seeds of hope, and see them flourish”.

Maria Grazia Berretta

[1] Pope Francis, Meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps – “Ceremonial Hall” of the Presidential Palace in Nicosia (Cyprus), 2 December 2021. Cfr. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2021/december/documents/20211202-cipro-autorita.html

“Together for Europe”: achieving unity by living it

Dec 3, 2021 | Non categorizzato

“Together for Europe”: achieving unity by living it On the way towards the reconciliation of diversity. This idea  lay at heart of the last meeting of the “Friends of Together for Europe” (IpE). The  event took place on 6 November  at Castel Gandolfo, Rome. Sharing reflections and  experiences strengthened the  bond among people whose life experience has been very different. The international network of Christian Movements met again this year: 16 members of the steering committee of “Together for Europe” (Sant’Egidio Community, YMCA Germany, Efesia France, ENC Austria, Focolare, Schönstatt, Syndesmos) and over 150 people connected via web met on 6 November 2021 at the Focolare Movement’s International Centre  in Castel Gandolfo, Rome, Italy for a time of sharing and practical commitment. Polarisation, reconciliation and overcoming diversity were among the central  themes of this meeting. The day consisted of various interventions, with contributions from Gerhard Pross from Young Men’s Christian Association of Esslingen, Germany who is currently moderator of “Together for Europe”, and Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement. In his address, Pross invited  us to be “bearers of hope”: “In the midst of the upheavals and crisis of our time, we can live the indestructible hope of the Gospel and be messengers of God.” Margaret Karram, with her message of unity, encouraged everyone to become “apostles of dialogue” during this time of polarisation. “Engage with other cultural horizons, ways of thinking, habits and paradigms in order to appreciate them. This does not disorient but enriches.”. IpE’s mission has always been the free convergence of Christian Communities and Movements from different Churches capable of creating relationships of communion while respecting diversity.  This is an effective response to the ongoing need for a culture of reciprocity and fraternity. For some time now, the national committees and working groups that have formed spontaneously over the years, have been contributing to this process by sharing the details of the progress they have made. From the Czech Republic came the story of the journey that led some members of IpE to visit the White Mountain, near Prague, on 9 May 2021, Europe Day. On the terrain where 400 years ago  there were clashes during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Catholics and Protestants publically admitted to  their mistakes, asked for mutual forgiveness, and expressed their readiness to be of service to Bohemian society which today consists largely of people who do not define themselves as believers. In Germany, at the end of 2020, the National Committee proclaimed a year of encounter and friendship. From January 2021 onwards, in fact, a “virtual living room” has been created once a month, where the various initiatives and groups are invited to meet and where, in turn,  a representative of a Community or group is interviewed.  This enables people to get to know one another better and share experiences. Serbia spoke about the initiative  of a group of Movements from different countries involved in supporting refugees: “In Belgrade, we are often in contact with various people in the refugee camps. When they  apply for asylum  at the Embassy in Belgrade, Hungary, they often have a long wait ahead of them. We offer them food or shelter during this time and  beautiful friendships develop.  They often continue when there are opportunities to spend  times of prayer together and  visit one another.” https://www.together4europe.org/il-green-pass-invisibile/

Maria Grazia Berretta

“New Global Foundation” is born

Nov 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato

A plataform that connects the new cities of the world. The first event

The Unity Conference 2021, with the theme Innovate New Ways for Inclusion in a Divided World, will highlight issues related to building more resilient and inclusive economies, with topics on social impact investments and the impact of climate change, among others. The conference also marks the official launch of the Nuova Global Foundation and is expected to attract media, business and philanthropy participants from more than 21 countries around the world.

The event to be held on November 30, 2021 between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. (GMT +1) will feature online and live participation at the Mariapoli Center in Castel Gandolfo (Rome, Italy) will involve the participation of Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, Jesus Moran, co-president of the Focolare Movement, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, member of the Board of New Global Foundation; Réka Szemerkényi, economist, member of the Board of Directors of New Global Foundation, Richard B. Tantoco, President and CEO of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), Olayemi Wonuola Keri, CEO of Heckerbella Limited.

Nuova Global Foundation is a new established platform that connects the New City global network of journals and publishing houses in affiliation. It aims to support the development of media to spread the ideal of universal brotherhood and a united world and make it a reality by inspiring millions of people.

The Nuova Global Foundation is a global non-profit organization founded by the Focolare Movement. The platform aims to support the development of media organizations and journalistic projects bringing to light global challenges and solutions for the common good and humane global development. NGF supports a growing global network of affiliates across 5 continents and 21 cities, working together to create ideas and solutions for inclusive and sustainable growth in our global society.

For information on the event agenda and to register for free, log on to: https://nuovaglobal.org/unity-conference/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmHPd7mpuZc&list=PL9YsVtizqrYsgzKgJ0bWOp2v2ZXc4bZAW

Chiara Lubich: Be the change you want to see in the world

Nov 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato

On 4 March 1989, Chiara Lubich answered questions from the animators of Youth for a United World. In this extract she refers to the care of creation, a new issue at that time and a pressing need for all humanity today. … the development of science, the development of technology, is something enormous and marvellous which has amazed everyone. … But it’s happened so often without any reference to God. If we continue like this, our planet could explode from one minute to the next and throw us into a different kind of catastrophe – no longer an atomic disaster but an ecological disaster. It’s almost as if, over these last few decades, human beings have been trampling, crash, crash, through the mud with enormous heavy boots, splashing mud everywhere, throwing into the sky things that don’t belong there, and into the rivers things that don’t belong there, pouring into the oceans things that don’t belong there. They’ve ruined the trees, ruined nature…. Yet, at the same time, there have been many new discoveries, many wonderful things and great developments. So, there is good mixed with the bad. But they didn’t listen to God, they were hidden from God, and now this phenomenon is forcing us to face the situation together, with a united world.  If we don’t solve this problem together, we will never solve it. In other words, everything tends toward unity. Even the negative things make us realize that, yes, universal fraternity is essential, but it has to be in God. Yes, things should be done differently; we have to live on this earth, not blow it up. But we have to remember that God exists. So, there is this thrust, this turn-around, but it’s making everything tend towards unity, forcing us to be one, like the ecological problem, which is forcing us to bring about a different kind of fraternity. All these events, especially the painful ones, which are more difficult to interpret, should be seen in two ways. In one sense, they are as they are, but something else is involved, too.  God’s hand is there, God’s providence which transforms them and makes them into the fuel for our spiritual life. The cross was needed to redeem us, that suffering was necessary, that cry: “My God, why have you forsaken me?” to save us. Our suffering is also necessary to create a new world, to change the world, to change people and creation- suffering is needed, it’s necessary.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Answers to the questions of the animators of Youth for a United World, Castel Gandolfo, 4 March 1989)

Peru: As in a family

Nov 25, 2021 | Non categorizzato

How two parents from the north of Peru dealt with their daughter’s illness, sustained by the love of God and a large extended family. “One evening while we were having dinner I noticed a big lump on our youngest daughter’s throat,” said Marisela, the mother. “The doctor examined her, and a scan revealed a 5 cm tumour. He advised us to see an endocrinologist for further investigations. The specialist ordered a biopsy which unfortunately confirmed the presence of a malignant tumour with metastases which needed to be operated immediately.  It was shocking news that none of us was expecting. When I got home, I shut myself in the bathroom to give vent to my feelings and through my tears, I asked God – Why this suffering?” “It was an extremely challenging time for me.  The operation was very expensive,” continued Luis, the father, “but I didn’t want Marisela to worry about money. We would have asked for a loan to have the operation carried out in the capital, Lima, but where would we stay during and after the operation? We got in touch with the people responsible for the Focolare Movement to which we belong. Our Centre was already occupied by a number of Venezuelan families who had immigrated to Peru because of the difficult situation in their own country.  However a member of a religious order from the Movement happened to be offering accommodation to guests of the congregation.  Being welcomed in this way really made up feel God’s closeness. In Lima the neoplastic specialist ordered a second biopsy and further tests to be carried out, just to be sure, but the diagnosis was confirmed so this last hope was also dashed. Our daughter burst into tears but the doctor consoled her by assuring her that everything would be fine.” The community of Lima,” said Marisela, “did everything it could to raise enough money for us to pay for the operation, while a raffle organised by our eldest daughter covered other expenses. The day before the operation, Father Nacho came to see us, administered the anointing of the sick to our daughter and accompanied us to the clinic. During the operation, an army of people were praying for the operation to be successful. And it was!” “The doctor decided that radioactive iodine therapy would be needed,” explained Luis. “Even that was too expensive for us! But faith can move mountains and heal the sick, we told ourselves. The doctor helped us to register our daughter with the SIS (Integral Health System) and in checking her details, discovered that she had already been registered.  Unbeknown to us, someone had been paying her medical insurance for three months. It was such a surprise for us! It meant that she could have all the medical examinations and treatment she needed for free”. “Once again,” concluded Marisela, “we have seen the power of prayer, and we are so grateful to this great Focolare family for the love they have shown us in so many ways and for not leaving us alone during this very difficult time.

Edited by Gustavo E. Clariá

Living the Gospel: the courage to make peace

Nov 24, 2021 | Non categorizzato

To be peacemakers means to act with generosity, be in solidarity with those around us, go beyond and open paths that allow us to get closer to others ­– so they feel embraced as they are.  Not just any cake A Muslim family lives in our building. For their feast at the end of Ramadan, we thought we would wish them well and bring them a cake (we had heard that this is the custom). Since they were not at home, we wrote a note and placed it and a package in front of their door. Later we met up with them. They had been away for the festivities, and upon returning had joyfully found the small gift. With a big smile, the husband thanked us, saying: ‘We have been in Switzerland for 25 years, and no one has ever wished us well. We were very, very pleased.’ In my heart, the joy doubled. Adriana, Switzerland First a sandwich, then a hundredfold I only had enough money in my pocket for one sandwich. As I left the sandwich shop, I noticed a lady looking hopefully at all those who were eating. She was certainly hungry and waiting for someone to offer. Since I could eat something later at home, I took my sandwich and gave it to her, making her happy. Then I took her to a greengrocer, whom I asked if he could give her some fruit that I would pay for the next day. Instead he handed her a bag of fruit, free of charge. I was so happy to see how a hundredfold can come from a sandwich. M., India One coffee was all it took After returning from a holiday, I was in for a surprise at work: a new employee, having completed his apprenticeship, had been placed in the same office as me. It wasn’t because he had invaded ‘my’ space, but from the very first moment I found him to be an unpleasant person because of his mannerisms, his talking about everything and everyone… Would I be able to work with him? And to think that I had returned refreshed, above all in spirit. In fact, with the whole family, I had participated in a retreat based on how to live the Gospel in everyday life. And here I was put to the test, working elbow to elbow with that ‘difficult’ guy. I was wondering how to love someone like that when an aroma of coffee came to me from afar… Idea! Without delay, I went to get two, one for myself and for him. Surprised by the unexpected gesture, my colleague asked, ‘How did you know I needed coffee of all things?’ Laughing, I joked that I was a fortune teller. From that simple act of kindness things changed, and we became truly friends afterwards. J. M., Spain

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(From Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VII, n.4, November–December 2021)

Afghanistan: A friendship that saves lives

Nov 23, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Starting from the reception of a group of Afghans in a facility of the Focolare Movement in Italy, the story of the friendship that made their arrival possible. The friendship between Costanza Quatriglio, an Italian film director, and two Afghan actors, Basir Ahang and Mohammad Jan, who are of Hazara ethnicity that has been persecuted for many years. https://vimeo.com/620774011

Chiara Lubich: better than yesterday

Nov 22, 2021 | Non categorizzato

If we try to improve every day, we too can be builders of peace as the November 2021 Word of Life invites us to be. We do all we can – because this is what our Ideal wants – to achieve unity in the whole world. It is for this reason (for peace everywhere) that we pray every day during the ‘time-out’. Now, one of the means we have for reaching this goal (unity and peace) is that of involving as many other people as possible, and of course the members of other religions. So, I invite everyone to revive the relationships we have with them. … And there are members of the different religions more or less everywhere. Certainly, what God’s will asks of us is always a revolution. We know that in this field there have been centuries of immobility and often of hostility. It is a hard struggle to build peace, and so we must be strengthened, trained and prepared. This is why I would like to suggest, first of all to myself and then to all of you, something which will help us in the following weeks, give us more support and is extra to what we are already doing. It will help us be more vigilant and continually grow so that we don’t lose ground. We know, in fact, that if we do not go forward, we go backwards. I would like to suggest something that will help us to improve a little bit every day in living our Ideal. This something could consist in saying to ourselves before every action: ‘Today better than yesterday’. Many actions in our life are somewhat repetitive: we pray every day, we eat, we go out, we study, we work, we meet people, we sleep, we go for walks, we do housework, we rest, and so on. Well then, before every action, let’s say: ‘Better than yesterday’. And let’s act accordingly. By doing so, we will be as God wants us to be. We are a Movement and we are not allowed to stand still. We will receive more graces and it will be easier for us to carry out this month’s specific task: to give special attention to the faithful of other religions and to collaborate with them towards peace and unity in the world.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Conversazioni in collegamento telefonico, a cura di Michel Vandeleene, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2019, pagg. 425-426)

India / Nepal: A network of hope during the pandemic

Nov 19, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Many shining lights in the nightmare of Covid in India and Nepal: a network of helpers providing oxygen to hospitals in the Indian city of Mumbai and the story of a father who was cured thanks to this oxygen; the young people of the Focolare who provide meals for about 100 Indian families; the community of the Movement in Nepal which, thanks to the help received, provides food, school equipment, medicines and financial aid to people in need. https://vimeo.com/619708201

Mariapoli in spite of Covid

Nov 18, 2021 | Non categorizzato

This year once again Mariapoli, or “Cities of Mary”, have been held in different parts of the world. Since the beginning of the Focolare Movement, these events have been bringing together people for a few days from all over the world, people who want to get to know the Focolare spirituality and way of life, encouraging them to live an experience of universal fraternity. “We came from all over France and many were delighted to be able to rediscover relationships face-to-face and rediscover that unity can be lived in spite of the uncertain future.” This is how the focolarine in France described the Mariapolis days spent at Ressins. The meeting was a live, face-to-face meeting, and it was good to see each other again after such a long period of Covid. “Gaining momentum… to live fraternity today”, was the title of the event which was attended by more than 300 people. In Slovenia the Mariapolis whose theme was Love – the medicine for everything, was also held live with 200 participants. “As I was walking with my children,” said Barbara, who attended the event with her three young children and had been was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, “I heard the voice of Jesus saying to me: ‘I didn’t send you this illness because I don’t love you but because I love you even more”. The illness ignited great love between her and her husband and extraordinary trust in God. Chiara Lubich’s words and the experiences shared helped them to discover how precious relationships built on love are. In Paraguay the Mariapolis took place online. The “cries of suffering humanity”, the “cry of Creation” and “the cries of the new generations” were the themes addressed. “We were able to see all the inequality and lack of tolerance in our society and how we could respond to those cries of suffering,” said Silvia. The joy of the Mariapolis was not only felt by the Paraguayans who took part but also by people who joined online from different parts of the world. In the zone of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Mariapolis entitled New culture, creating dialogue, took place online with more than 1300 people connected and over 4000 views on YouTube. Here are some of the impressions: “The theme of ecology with the presentation of the Dice of the Earth gave me a broader vision of how to care for and improve our common home.” “What happened to me today shows how God acts. I got up happy and ready to love more! I went to the market and on my way out I saw my sister whom I hadn’t spoken to for 10 years. I didn’t think I could forgive her.  Instead I said my yes to Jesus and went to speak to her.” Finally, in Venezuela the Mariapolis was described as ‘an oasis in the desert’ because of Covid and uncertainty about the future. The local community wrote: “It has filled us with hope and we recognise ourselves more strongly than ever as Chiara’s family”. “I promise to become a super hero who will always take care of the planet,” said a 9-year-old boy, “help everybody and be a good citizen, setting an example with my life and always doing good.” A lady who had tested positive for Covid and was following the Mariapolis from her bed said: “Here I am! I’m here too… the best experience for me at this moment has been to feel surrounded by the love of God through each of you”.

Lorenzo Russo