Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Two congresses for adherents of the Focolare Movement, January 27-29, 2017 (Friday morning to Sunday after lunch). Arrival: evening of January 26, 2017. April 6-8, 2017 (Thursday morning to Saturday after lunch). Arrival: April 4 or 5 evening (including attending the Pope’s audience on April 5, for those who have asked). The theme of both congresses will be: “Jesus Forsaken, God’s window on the world and the world’s window on God.”
On October 22, 1991 the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church unanimously chose him to be the Archbishop of Constantinople- New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The newly elected Patriarch had known Chiara Lubich in the years when he was a deacon studying in Rome and in the many visits Chiara made to Istanbul on visit to Patriarch Athenagoras and Patriarch Demetrius. He was present at several of those meetings and inherited from Athenagoras his zeal for unity of the Church, which Chiara ardently longed for. Their spiritual friendship and communion grew over the years. The Patriarch visited Chiara at Gemelli Hospital in Rome and blessed her a few days before her death. In 2015 he visited Loppiano where he recieved the first “Culture of Unity” honorary doctorate from Sophia University Institute. A month later he was in Halki, Istanbul, welcoming the 34th ecumenical meeting of Bishop Friends of the Focolare. Therefore, this anniversary is also an occasion of celebration for the entire Focolare family. It is difficult to summarize these “blest 15 years” of patient, dauntless, meek and generous toil,” as Maria Voce referred to them in her message. She expressed sentiments of “gratitude to God for the gifts that He had bestowed on this Patriarch who has been an illuminated guide for His Church,” but also for “engaging many others in thought and in concrete action (…) in favour of life, the Creation, dialogue, peace and universal brotherhood.” There was great celebrating at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Istanbul which culminated in the Divine Liturgy. In modern Greek “efcharistó” is the word used to say “thank you.” And it seems nothing better could have expressed the thanksgiving to God for the gift that He has given to the Church and to the world in this man. In the presence of numerous metropolitans from several countries who are linked to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Apostolic Vicar Rubén Tierrablanca of Istanbul, and Mufti Dede Bektaşi from Albania – the Patriarch spoke about these years, in words full of humility and gratitude. Msgr Nicholas Wyrwoll presented a summary of the past quarter of a century under the guidance of the Patriarch: “Many things changed. Bartholomew is now overwhelmingly recognized as the Ecumenical Patriarch, a title that could not be mentioned even within the liturgy. The change in the Holy Synod was noteworthy, which is the most important governing body of the Byzantine Church. Previously the members came from all of Turkey, now they come from the entire world and alternate every six months. He was able to involve the small remaining Greek community in Turkey and the Turkish authorities in the restoration of many churches and monasteries, cherishing and preserving the Christian patrimony of that land. He has shown concern for the protection of Creation. He has collaborated with all the religions. He is a world leader that is listened to. In the homily the Patriarch underscored the importance of dialogue and of communion: “We are from different cultures, different histories, different experiences,” he stated “a common expression of the faith is not to be found with words, but with prayer in common.” He also extended warm greetings to the Mufti from Albania. He convened the Panorthodox Synod in Crete. With this Patriarch, the quest for unity within the Church, especially with the Roman Catholic Church, has gone ahead in leaps and bounds.
Maria Voce, you are the President of the Focolare Movement which is organising a meeting at UNESCO on 15th November called “Reinventing peace”. Can you tell us what we should do in the face of the “piecemeal third world war” which Pope Francis so often talks about? Is it a question of reinventing peace piecemeal and fostering practical projects everywhere, like lights shining in the darkness?The large number of small actions for peace, that those who are part of the Focolare Movement are engaged in, have value in themselves, as do those of many other people. However, they are also part of a holistic outlook and a shared vision: they seek to build universal fraternity and are directed towards “may they all be one”, which is the dream of a God [Cf John 17:221]. This outlook and goal encourage, support and help us to start again always, beyond the difficulties and in the midst of the sufferings that a commitment to peace entails. 20 years ago the founder of Focolare,Chiara Lubich, was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. On 15th November, the meeting in Paris will present the many initiatives that your Movement has undertaken to move forward towards genuine peace. What is the Focolare actually doing in the Holy Land for example; especially in Jordan, Palestine and Israel – countries that are fundamental to peace in the world – to respond to the need for peace education and which can be a source of inspiration for people of good will elsewhere?The encounter between cultures and religions which theFocolare promotes is a daily experience. It is not confined to tolerance or the simple acceptance of diversity; it even goes beyond reconciliation. It creates a new identity, so to speak, one that is broader, held in common and shared. It is a concrete dialogue that brings together people of the most varied beliefs, including non religious beliefs, and which urges them to take on real needs and to respond together to challenges in the social, economic, cultural and political spheres. It occurs in places where there are grave crises, like Syria, Iraq and the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and many other places. The same applies to the Holy Land. We share the same conviction. If there is an extremism of violence, we need to respond in a structurally different way, with an extremism of dialogue. It is a commitment which requires the greatest personal and collective dedication and it is risky, demanding and challenging. Young people, children and families are involved in this; Christians, Jews and Muslims. They seek first of all to remove the roots of misunderstanding fear and resentment from their own hearts. It is an extremism which is nourished day by day through a particular art, the art of loving. On the level of dialogue between Islam and Christianity, what do you expect from the meeting at UNESCO on the 15th November? It is only a year since the attacks in Paris that took place on 13th November 2015. What message do you wish to give concerning this? We hope it will help us all and many others to be newly and more deeply aware that God’s plan for humankind is to form one single human family; a family that is both united and varied, which presupposes diversity, but where the differences are not in opposition to each other. It is a reality to be built up precisely through the path of dialogue. Dialogue between Christians and Muslims is ever more important and necessary, as we well know; but it is not the only one. Source: Vatican Insider
Chiara Lubich with Fr Pasquale Foresi. Photo credit: Loppiano archives
How can one be sure of having really chosen God, and how can this choice be implemented in daily life? «Chiara: (…) You can be sure only of what you are living in the present: at this moment I want this will of God, and I want to meet these priests who are so dear to Mary and to God. Do I want to stay here? I do, with all my heart! What if they told me right now, “Look, Chiara, you can also choose: you could die and immediately go to Heaven with Jesus and Mary, with all our members of the Heavenly Mariapolis, and with all the saints and angels. However, this would not be God’s will but your own, so what would you choose?” I would choose to stay here with them, because I choose the will of God. (…) Ever since I started to live this way, of course I started all anew in every minute. I understood that the phrase, “the righteous man sins seven times,” means an infinity of times, because he runs away from the will of God. But we need to stay put in that, and return to doing God’s will. (…) Another experience I had by living this way, is that every act, even the smallest like washing, dressing, picking up a piece of paper, fixing something, meeting a person… everything becomes solemn and marvelous, because this is a path that all can take. And in reality it must have been Mary who suggested it, because Mary is the mother of all: priests, the laity, women and men, children, the elderly, and of everyone. She is the mother of all because she is the mother of the Church, which is why she gave us a path suitable for everyone. (…) So in such a simple path, all the children, priests, men, girls, the married people, can live. A path to sanctity has been opened and which all can access… it would suffice to want it, so that they no longer live but God lives in them. This idea is something which gives me such immense joy! I have received from Mary the secret of sanctity, a popular sanctity, and a universal sanctity for the entire people of God. For this reason, what the Council wanted was that sanctity to be open to all and not be limited to the convents, or certain categories of people, and this is the path we found. This is something extraordinary. It is one thing to say: “You can become a saint in a state of perfection” so go become a friar, a nun, etc.. But another thing altogether is to be able to say to all: there is a way for you to become a saint. Listen, you may not be able to go to Church because the circumstances do not allow you,, or you are “beyond the iron curtain” where you cannot have contact with priests. You who are in prison can also become saints by living God’s will, and losing everything: liberty if you are in prison, contact with the Church if you are “behind the iron curtain”… But you can. This is the extraordinary thing. Only Mary, and only a mother who loves all and each one personally, could have invented such a thing. Only she. I wouldn’t explain it otherwise. It is extraordinary. (…) It is also because simplicity is one of the most difficult things to understand. Because it is unity, it is mysterious. So… how can we do this? We have to choose God once, and then set ourselves along this track (…)». Chiara LubichComplete textSource:Chiara Lubich Centre
How does an organization like UNESCO serve peace? First of all, you need to remember that UNESCO belongs to the United Nations. Peace is what is at the basis of the United Nations. The scope of UNESCO’s is to coordinate international cooperation as it regards instruction, science culture, communication and, in some way, ethical application. Therefore, its basic purpose is peace, especially through dialogue among cultures. Its intergovernmental scientific program, which is dedicated to social transformations (MOST), highlights how no change may take place if it is not integrated by the different cultures. In fact, UNESCO is known for its promotion of cultural pluralism. But what is the connection between seeking unity and finding a way of making the voice of New Humanity[1] heard among the promoters of peace? If the diversity of cultures needs to be protected along with biodiversity, then where is the unity that humanity aspires to? We haven’t yet overcome this stage? In this regard, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a common basis even though it is still contested; but it still remains for us to find those common universal values that are indispensable for our global social contract. The November 15 event will allow us to reflect on all this. New Humanity’s public event at UNESCO contributes to UNESCO’s work, what we have to offer: best practices joined to deep reflection. Our NGO can help to understand how unity is the source and goal of humankind’s life.In a world torn by conflict, isn’t it a bit utopian to put any credence into one small event? It’s true that the world is going badly, but we have reason to believe in peace. The event will make visible those who make it possible. The promotion of a culture of peace will never really be able to be measured, but the way is open. I personally believe in the international organizations. They might seem to be impotent, but it is no small matter that 195 countries can come together to discuss, and that countries that are belligerent towards one another can meet in the same room. In the moment that you place yourself on a cultural plane rather than a political one, there is a more free exchange. For example, when Palestine couldn’t join the United Nations, UNESCO made it possible by placing it on a cultural plane. We hope that our event will have an impact through what has been sent to the ambassadors at UNESCO. The Acts of the event could become a reference point, an interesting cultural patrimony for researchers and for all the people of the world – and for many years to come. [1]New Humanity was granted membership among the 350 NGOs in partnership with UNESCO, in 2008.
For the first time in 500 years Pope Francis, Bishop Munib Younana and General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev Dr Martin Junge, will sign their names to the invitation for the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reform in a highly significant gesture. Equally significant is the title that was chosen for the event: “From Conflict to Communion – Unity in Hope”. The event will be held on October 31st with an ecumenical service at the Cathedral of Lund, followed by a public ceremony at Malmö Stadium in Sweden.The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999) was already a milestone for Catholic-Lutheran ecumenical dialogue, an important historical document that this year will serve as the theological basis the search of unity in the one Church of Christ. There has been a long history of friendship between the Focolare Movement and Lutherans. It was precisely the encounter with them that made Chiara Lubich realize that the spirituality that God had entrusted to her was not meant only for Roman Catholics.The history: On January 14, 1961, Chiara Lubich had been invited to speak about the spirituality of unity to the Lutheran Sisterhood of Mary. Among the listeners were several Lutheran pastors, including Klaus Hess and his wife Amalie, founders of the Brotherhood of the Common Life inGermany. A few months later the Hess couple visited Rome to know more about the Focolare Movement and the Catholic Church. On May 24, 1961, Chiara founded “Centro Uno” for the unity of Christians and, in June 1968 she inaugurated the Ecumenical Centre at the permanent Mariapolis in Ottmaring, Germany. Meanwhile the Focolare spirituality was being welcomed by bishops, Catholics, Evangelicals and Lutherans in East and West Germany. The spirituality of unity was also spreading in Sweden, and more than half the people at the Mariapolis were Lutherans. In 1982 bishops from different Churches began to attend the Movement’s annual gatherings for Catholic Bishops Friends of the Focolare. In 2015 there were 6 Lutheran bishops from three countries at the Focolare meeting for bishops in Constantinople. In 1988, Chiara was awarded the Augsburg Peace Prize. In 1999, she was an invited guest at the historic signing of the Joint Declaration on Justification in Augsburg. She was invited to compose a prayer that she recited at that solemn celebration. In 2003, the then Lutheran bishop of Munich, Johannes Friedrich, visited the Internationals Centre of the Focolare Movement with a delegation. Chiara spoke to them about Jesus Forsaken: “He presented himself (…) as the model to be imitated in every trial and especially in the pains of disunity; (…) [Jesus] Forsaken is also [the] light for recomposing full visible unity”[1]. In 2009, Focolare president Maria Voce was invited to the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Joint Declaration. Since she will not be able to attend the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reform, she will be represented by Friederike Koller and Ángel Bartol who are the Central Delegates of the Work of Mary.
It was the first time that this international meeting was held in three installments for: the Americas and Oceania; Asia, Africa and the Middle East; and Europe. The gatherings were held one after the other and were attended by the delegates of the zone, people who are following than one nation or territory and some councilors. Some 90 people attended each gathering, men and women representing numerous communities that are working at promoting the spirit of unity around the world. They were welcomed by Focolare president Maria Voce who expressed gratitude to God for this harvest event and the life that has been generated by the charism of Chiara Lubich. She also introduced the spiritual theme for the year ahead: the mystery of Jesus Forsaken as the Key to Unity. “Jesus came to the earth,” she recalled, “to take on all the sufferings of humanity and to ensure that with Him it would be possible to pass from Cross to Resurrection.” There was much sharing during the three days of intense work. It began with a discussion on the needs of young people in today’s world in the Americas and Oceania with its social and technological development but left with many spiritual needs. Other regions seemed to be in need of strategies for nurturing true values. “But it was not a matter of figuring things out sitting around a conference table,” Ray Asprer explained, “but of developing an awareness that the Holy Spirit will suggest what today’s society needs to get from the charism of unity.” “In Oceania,” Vania Cheng added, “we need to get closer to the Aboriginal populations and face up to the challenge of secularization. From there we can move on to bravely sowing the seeds of the Gospel that spread on their own.” “Even though there are many challenges,” said Gabriela Melo from Latin America, “our communities live communion and reciprocity. And this grows the faith that a united world is not a utopia.” The gathering among the three major regions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East was quite significant, each with its own particular problems, especially the Middle East where they are going through a drama that seems to have no answers. Precisely in the region where Jesus lived and died, it is necessary to not only support the people, but also defend the “culture of the Resurrection.” “Regarding Africa,” Joseph Assouad remarked, “the great value of inculturation was highlighted. These peoples have long been on the journey towards Truth, and we must not go there thinking that we are starting from zero!” Roberto Catalano spoke about the Asian continent, saying that it had much to offer the world regarding social and political life. He also underscored the importance of interreligious dialogue in the Asian region and the contribution offered by the Focolare School of the Great Religions in Philippines. Finally, there was Europe, from Siberia to Portugal. The world is waiting for unity from this continent, human and spiritual values, an ability to dialogue especially with Islam which is coming more and more into view in so many regions. Severin Schmit stated: “Above all, the world is waiting for Europe to find a dignified solution for the refugees.” The challenges are many: secularization, Relativism and the new generations. They deserve answers and proposals that are the result of communion amongst the geographic regions of the continent. “These problems,” Margherita Karram said, “have stimulated growth, motivation and greater creativity, building a network among many people in Italy, for example, where they have taken action in welcoming.” Many new insights and answers emerged from the meetings and much motivation. Everyone left certain of the need to trust and be open to others as Pope Francis suggests, because this will open new and unimagined paths. Focolare co-president, Jesús Morán, recalled: “Jesus told Mary Magdalene to go and inform her brothers and sisters that He would go before them to Galilee. What is Galilee? Galilee is the world outside the Holy City, outside the walls of Jerusalem, outside the walls where Jesus died. It’s the world. Jesus goes before us there, he speaks to us there – in the world.”
In jail “I had some problems with this guy and both of us ended up in jail. We were enemies and there was no room for any understanding between us. But when I learned a bit more about Jesus’s teaching on love, I thought about this ‘enemy’ of mine. How could I love him? The thought came to my mind that I could share some of the food that my family brings to me, because none of his family members ever brought food to him. We’re good friends now. Another experience regards the only food container I owned. It was stolen from me and I knew who did it. I went to that person, but he refused to give it back. I didn’t know what to do. I went back to my cell and read the Gospel which is always my point of reference now. I came across the New Commandment. There’s the answer! Right away with all my heart I decided to never think about that food container again. Loving is more important.” (D. J. – Nigeria)The Coffee Maker “We all use the coffee maker at work, but no one ever cleans it and sets it up again. They’re used to having me do that. One day one of my colleagues approached me after a cup of coffee. She asked why I was always so benevolent towards others. I told her it wasn’t so much trouble and that I was the only one who could do it for them. She answered: ‘You’re telling me something important. I always complain that my husband leaves a mess after himself and I should rather begin to do what he doesn’t.’ From then on there was a higher atmosphere at work.” (R. C. – Spain)That son we didn’t know “We were always able to talk and offer moral support to our first son. But with his brother who had a strong character it had always been difficult. Having a teenage boy who didn’t want to communicate created a bad feeling in all of us. Then, he didn’t try at school and teachers were always complaining. My husband and I looked for a common way for us to reach our son. We encouraged each other in loving him as he was, always highlighting his positive qualities even though he seemed like someone we didn’t know. Meanwhile we continued to pray and to knock on Heaven’s door so that God might guide us in the difficult task of parenting. Then came an idea: change school. It worked! Ever since then our son has changed in a positive way. He’s always willing to help out in the house. He’s doing quite well in school and has gone back to church. We’re all enjoying a breath of fresh air.” (B.S. – Switzerland)
On October 22, 1991 the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church unanimously chose him to be the Archbishop of Constantinople- New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The newly elected Patriarch had known 
Therefore, this anniversary is also an occasion of celebration for the entire Focolare family. It is difficult to summarize these “blest 15 years” of patient, dauntless, meek and generous toil,” as 
For the first time in 500 years Pope Francis, Bishop Munib Younana and General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev Dr Martin Junge, will sign their names to the invitation for the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reform in a highly significant gesture. Equally significant is the title that was chosen for the event: “From Conflict to Communion – Unity in Hope”. The event will be held on October 31st with an ecumenical service at the Cathedral of Lund, followed by a public ceremony at Malmö Stadium in 
The history: On January 14, 1961, Chiara Lubich had been invited to speak about the 
There was much sharing during the three days of intense work. It began with a discussion on the needs of young people in today’s world in the Americas and Oceania with its social and technological development but left with many spiritual needs. Other regions seemed to be in need of strategies for nurturing true values. “But it was not a matter of figuring things out sitting around a conference table,” Ray Asprer explained, “but of developing an awareness that the Holy Spirit will suggest what today’s society needs to get from the charism of unity.” “In Oceania,” Vania Cheng added, “we need to get closer to the Aboriginal populations and face up to the challenge of secularization. From there we can move on to bravely sowing the seeds of the Gospel that spread on their own.” “Even though there are many challenges,” said Gabriela Melo from Latin America, “our communities live communion and reciprocity. And this grows the faith that a united world is not a utopia.” 
