Oct 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Don Mario Bodega was a priest from northern Italy and spent thirty years in the diocese of Milan ministering as parish priest, spiritual director of a college and chaplain in the Niguarda Hospital. He also lived at the Focolare Centre in Grottaferrata, Rome, and for the last ten years of his life was parish priest of the parish church of Loppiano, one of the Focolare Movement’s “little towns.” Thinking about Don Mario Bodega makes you recall Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” for a variety of different reasons. Firstly, joy really was a distinctive characteristic of his, secondly, this piece of music was one of his favourites and thirdly, he often played it on his harmonica. He had learned to play in the seminary and music had been important to him during many phases of his life. As a young hospital chaplain, at Christmas time, he used to go from room to room playing his harmonica. As soon as they heard his first notes, people in the hospital used to say, “Now it really is Christmas.” A prisoner in Bollate, near Milan, wrote, “When you played the ‘Ode to Joy’ for me, I realised that not everyone here comes to make judgements about me – some people just come to love. Thank you for helping me to find God again because I thought he had abandoned me.” Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, also spoke of joy when he announced the news of his death, “Let us accompany this man of God, a priest and friend, to the joy of his meeting with God. A beautiful smile, indicative of deep, personal happiness has been his characteristic throughout life – during the days of his youth and in old age and sickness; when he had many pastoral commitments and during the time when lack of health meant that activity was greatly reduced.” Don Mario was born on 15 September 1942, during the Second World War, in Lecco, in northern Italy. After finishing primary school, he entered the seminary and, through the rector, he got to know the spirituality of the Focolare Movement. He was ordained priest in 1968 and carried out many different ministries during the thirty years he spent in the diocese of Milan. Then, when invited by Cardinal Archbishop Martini, he began to work with the Focolare Movement. During the eleven years he spent in Grottaferrata, Rome, he deepened his relationship with Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Movement. In the course of his life, he wrote 135 letters to her. In one of her answers, she indicated a Word of Scripture that he could particularly focus on living. It was, “Following his mercy, they have abandoned the vain and false realities.” (cf Jonah 2:9) “I Believe in Mercy” is the title of the book he produced. It contains many of his experiences. Bishop Meini of Fiesole gave a copy to all the priests of the diocese on Holy Thursday 2018. In 2009, Don Mario came to Loppiano as parish priest. There, in addition to creating a deeper communion among the inhabitants, he was a sure guide on the spiritual journey for many people. He played an important role in the “Paths of Light” programme for couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage. He also contributed to the development of the Sophia University Institute. The dean, Professor Piero Coda, wrote, “His house and the San Vito parish church in Loppiano are a stone’s throw from our Institute. They became our home and Don Mario’s presence and guidance have been a source of light and balm – a school of life. Our Institute also became his home. So much so that , among the most moving reactions to his death, were those those shared by our Muslim friends who are part of the ‘Wings of Unity’ project.” In 2018 he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Shortly before as Loppiano was preparing for Pope Francis’ visit, Don Mario said that, given his very poor health, he did not think it was appropriate to be introduced to the Holy Father. With great paternal love, the bishop convinced him to change his mind. Don Mario told Pope Francis that he was a parish priest who was sick and walked with difficulty. He said he felt he could no longer work. “If you can’t work standing up, work sitting down” was the Pope’s response. And that is exactly what he continued to do, with great tenacity and joy, for his remaining 365 days of life. In fact, he died exactly one year later, on 10 May 2019.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 11, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Every Christian has a “mission” in his or her community. It may be to create a united family, to educate young people, to engage in politics and work, to care for vulnerable people, to bring the light and wisdom of the Gospel to culture or to live a life consecrated to God for the service of others. Holidays My husband and I have different ways of relaxing. I like sports and swimming but he likes to visit new places and museums. This year, as the holidays approached, I felt more than ever the need to rest and recover my strength, but a voice inside me kept telling me not to express and impose my preferences, but rather to adapt to what my husband would like. But he also tried to do the same with me. This meant that both of us were detached from our personal projects and this made our holidays more beautiful and restful than ever before. (B.S. – USA) Setting an example A young migrant man who was trying to sell socks knocked on my door. We were talking and I was trying to get to know him a little when a neighbour of mine passed by. I knew this neighbour had a negative attitude towards migrants but, to my surprise, she invited him to come to her house too because she had something for him. The next day I heard that she had given him shoes and medicine, and she had also promised to provide further support. I really wouldn’t have expected that! (C.V. – Italy) Serving others Our son suffered from depression. We couldn’t help him no matter how we tried and eventually he ran away. One summer afternoon he decided to end his own life. I felt a deep sense of guilt and thought I was being punished. However, slowly, with the support of the parish community, I began to pray and I made myself available to people in need. Sometimes, I offered practical help, a word shared or a smile. One day a mother came to me. She had lost a child just as I had. I told her how I was trying to fill that void by putting myself at the service of others. Although she was not a believer, she too found a certain serenity by doing the same. (G.F. – Italy) From enemy to sister One of my nursing colleagues did everything possible to make my life difficult. Her actions made me suffer. One day, I went to work with a bouquet of flowers and offered them to her with a smile. I will never forget her expression of amazement. It was the beginning of a new phase in our relationship. Now we have become like sisters. (Annamaria – Italy)
Edited by Chiara Favotti
Oct 9, 2019 | Non categorizzato
As Peru continues to welcome thousands of refugees, mostly Venezuelan, Gustavo Clarià reflects on the Focolare’s response. I was familiar with the content of Pope Francis’ ‘Message for the 105th Word Day of Migrants and Refugees 2019’. But listening to it being read to a hundred or so migrants, mainly from Venezuela, was something else! The words resonated in a new way, some paragraphs in particular, and it touched me deeply. 
I was meeting many of these people for the first time, as they arrived at the Focolare’s “Fiore Centre” in Lima, Peru, which is active in receiving migrants during the current situation. I listened to them explain why they had left their own country, with what suffering, often going through the anguish of leaving a spouse, children or elderly parents behind, their efforts – often futile – to help those relatives by sending money back. They spoke of their loneliness, their experiences of rejection and discrimination, of being condemned by local people for ‘stealing our jobs’, of continually being regarded with distrust and suspicion. They helped me understand the Pope’s message from a new perspective and to recognise its importance more clearly. I started to see what lies behind the so-called migrant phenomenon. According to statistics, 70.8 million people have been forced to flee their countries around the world, of these nearly 26 million are refugees. It’s a shocking number. Pope Francis concentrates the response to the migrant challenge into four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. They do not apply only to migrants and refugees. They apply to everyone, as the Pope goes on to explain, “the Church’s mission( is) to all those living in the existential peripheries” including “migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable”. The Pope’s full message was read to our group by Silvano Roggero, who is the Venezuelan son of Italian immigrants and a member of the Focolare’s International Commission for Migrants . Koromoto, from Venezuela, expressed his reaction, “We got here through the Lutheran Church. At first we were so frightened about what would happen to us and what we would find. But they gave us such a generous welcome, we were made to feel like family, like we do today among you here with the Focolare”. I saw such gratitude to the county which has welcomed them in, a sincere desire to integrate themselves, while still keeping strong ties with their roots. I’ve understood their anxiety to help the loved ones they have left behind in their home country and to repay the help they have received. Our day together continued in a family atmosphere with a celebratory lunch, accompanied by some of them singing songs from their homelands. We all got to know each other better and hope to meet up again, Peruvians and Venezuelans (and others) , as we continue to vitalize the four verbs proposed by Pope Francis.
Gustavo E. Clariá
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20190527_world-migrants-day-2019.html
Oct 8, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Tonadico in the Dolomite mountains: “Aim high” – voices and faces from the European Mariapolis. People of all ages, from East and West, had an important experience of openness, knowledge of different cultures and dialogue in Europe.
https://vimeo.com/363570650
Oct 6, 2019 | Non categorizzato
300 telephone conversations made by Chiara Lubich during conference calls with Focolare communities worldwide have been edited into one volume. Maria Caterina Atzori, one of the steering committee members entrusted with the “Works of Chiara Lubich”, at the Chiara Lubich Centre in Rocca di Papa (Rome), is interviewed about this book. Conversations is the second volume in the series “Works of Chiara Lubich”. The first volume, “Words of Life”, was published by the New City Press, in collaboration with the Chiara Lubich Centre, in 2017. Can you tell us more about this second volume? In the book “Conversations” there are 285 spiritual thoughts, which Chiara Lubich wrote between 1981 and 2004. She shared them personally with Focolare communities in various parts of the world during telephone conference calls made from time to time. These rich thoughts speak about life and delineate a spiritual journey in its various stages, lived in the light of the charism of unity. Chiara traces a path to collective holiness, one that opens a new road marked by its communitarian dimension and that leads us to God “together” with our neighbour. She was the first one to embark on this journey, but at the same time she was joined by those, who were led by her example and guided by her “telephone calls”. They accepted her invitation to set out together on this “Holy Journey” of life, an expression Chiara used to define this journey which recalls Psalm 83. Has Chiara Lubich created a “new literary genre”? Chiara had no intention of creating a new literary genre. In fact, the texts in this volume were not meant for a written publication. This came later on. Initially, New City Press published them in small booklets, as they were widely requested not only by Focolare members, but also by others who met the Charism of Unity. These texts were written one at a time; they were written to be “spoken”, to be transmitted through the use of the telephone set. The novum of their “literary genre” lies in the fact that during each telephone call the speaker managed to create an immediate dialogue with her listeners; she formed a family worldwide, a family united in its commitment to walk the “Holy Journey” of life together. Later on, these same texts were put together for publication. So, in this sense, one can say that “Conversations” brought to life a new literary genre: a genre that combines word, communicative methodology and life, and establishes an intimate and profound dialogue between the author and her interlocutors, in a broader sense between broadcaster and listener, writer and reader. What are the characteristics of these texts? The text of each telephone call is presented in the book as a letter. Although each one is contextualized in time and space, yet it is still aims at establishing direct contact with its new readers, who are addressed with the opening words: “Dear all”. These “conversations” are still happening, not through the telephone set but through the pages of a book. Chiara uses a language rich in warmth and colour; that goes well with both young and old, people from different social backgrounds. From time to time, she engages in contemporary reality, interprets man’s life in the light of the Charism of Unity, recounts her experience about the thought she wants to transmit, interacts with her interlocutors, proposes a motto to be lived till the next telephone appointment (in the book: till the next letter). She expresses her spiritual thought through concrete daily images, familiar to her interlocutors. Frequently, she uses similarities, metaphors and slogans that are lively and easy to remember. Thus, her message is clear, engaging and “easy” to live. And each of these texts continues to invite the reader to live the message. We have been told that the “Opera omnia” (the complete work) of the Focolari foundress is to be published in a series of volumes. The first one was “Words of Life”, and now we have the second one. May we know what are the next scheduled publications? We prefer to speak about “Opere” (works) rather than about “Opera omnia”. In fact, the documentary material signed by Chiara Lubich is very substantial and there might be further acquisitions. This material needs to be sorted out and catalogued, a process that takes quite a long time. However, we already have the possibility of editing a corpus of works, drawn from both published and unpublished material, that offer the legacy of her thought in a systematic way. The series “Works of Chiara Lubich” is to meant to achieve this. It will consist of 14 volumes, organized into three main thematic areas:1.The Person; 2. Spirituality (the first two volumes published by New City Press, Words of Life and Conversations, are part of this second section); 3. Work (the next volume, which will contain speeches in the civil and ecclesial spheres, falls under this third section. It is work in progress, expected to be finished within the next year). Are these texts only published in Italian? Are there any publications in other languages? The volume Words of Life is currently being translated into English. We hope that Words of Life and Conversations will soon be translated into several languages. Both the individual spiritual thoughts and the comments on the Words of Life have already been translated into various languages for immediate communication with non-Italians; so we hope that the volumes of the series “Works of Chiara Lubich” will soon be in bookshops in a wide range of languages.
by Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Focolare Movement rejoices with Chiara Amirante and the New Horizons Community she founded, at Pope Francis’ surprise visit to their ‘Sky Citadel’ (‘Cittadella Cielo’) near Frosinone, Italy. “If I start answering your questions, it will be words, words, words… which I think would risk spoiling the sacredness of what you have just said. Because what you’ve spoken are not words but lives, your own lives. Your stories. Your journeys. Quests, yes, but quests of the whole person, flesh and spirit together”. This was Pope Francis’ spontaneous response to five young members of the New Horizons Community who had presented their own powerful testimonies of suffering and rebirth during the Pope’s private visit to the Community’s centre in Frosinone province, Italy on 24 September. “Each of your stories speaks of a ‘glance’, a ‘look’,” continued the Pope. “At a certain moment, you felt a glance, unlike any other: a look gazing on you with love. I too know that glance. With that glance, Someone takes you by the hand and lets you go, without taking away your freedom”. The Pope arrived in the ‘Sky Citadel’ at 9.30 in the morning to an emotional and joyful welcome. It is the headquarters of New Horizons, which offers a Gospel-based approach to healing and self-knowledge that has succeeded in allowing many young people to escape from the infernal tunnel of suffering and dependency and in their own turn become witnesses of hope for other troubled youth. This “fruitful witness” was highlighted by the Pope in his talk. “Your witnessing is sowing, and what you are sowing is not an idea but fact: the fact that God is love, that God loves us, that God is always seeking us out every moment, that God is close to us, that God takes us by the hand to save us. (…) We are women and men of the Magnificat, of Mary’s song, proclaiming how God has looked upon me, has gently touched me, has spoken to me, has won. And He is with me. He has taken me by the hand and brought me out of hell”. The Pope spent time greeting Community members and Centre leaders from Italy and abroad who were gathering for their annual central Assembly. He celebrated Mass with them, shared lunch and planted an olive tree in the garden. There were representatives from all five ‘citadels’ of the New Horizons Community, founded by Chiara Amirante. Chiara got to know the Focolare spirituality as a child, and knew Focolare foundress Chiara Lubich personally. As a young person, Chiara Amirante was struck by the sufferings of the young people she met on the streets and listened to their cries for help to escape from the hell of all they were living through. In response, she felt called to create a community which could welcome them. And New Horizons Community was born. This recent visit by the Pope follows his telephone call and video message in June this year to congratulate the community on its 25 years of life. In her welcome to Pope Francis, Chiara recalled the beginnings of her adventure, when, in contact with ‘people of the night’, she was guided by the certainty that encountering “the Risen Christ would bring life once more to where I could only see death”. In 1994 the first community was formed in Trigoria, Rome. In 1997 a community offering welcome and formation was established in Piglio, Frosinone province, Italy. Today there are 228 centres of reception, formation and re-integration, and many initiatives promoting solidarity, human and social development in different countries. In 2006 Chiara launched “Knights of the Light” (“Cavalieri della Luce”) for people who commit to living the Gospel to renew the world with the revolution of love, and in particular to witness the joy of the Risen Christ to the most desperate in our societies. So far, more than 700,000 have accepted this challenge. As Chiara explained to Pope Francis, “There are new forms of poverty which constitute a real emergency, causing millions of ‘invisible’ deaths ignored by the majority” … the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, anorexia, bulimia, depression, compulsive gaming and gambling, internet-addiction, bullying, sexual addiction and abuses. “Now more than ever,” concluded Chiara, “we feel the urgent need to do everything possible to respond to the unanswered cry of so many”.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 2, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Only weeks before the Pan-Amazon Synod, Gustavo E. Clariá traveled to a Peruvian village in the Amazon rainforest. He tells the story—not of fires, deforestation, oil companies, or precious-metal seekers—but of Jenny and Javier, who chose to live in the South American Amazon with the desire to bring, as a family, the light of the Gospel to “poorest of the poor.” 
“From Argentina, we decided to move to Lámud, Peru,” said Javier, “the town where Jenny was born, in what is called ‘Ceja de Selva’ (half jungle, half mountain). It’s located near to where the great Marañón and Amazon rivers begin. We wanted to be close to her parents, who are now elderly and in delicate health.” Javier is Argentinian. He met Jenny while she was studying in Rosario, Argentina. They have three daughters, aged 2, 4, and 17. They sold “what little they had” and left for the Amazonas, Peru’s poorest region, 1,600 kilometers from Lima and 14 hours from the nearest Focolare house. Moving from a big city like Rosario to a town with 2,500 residents at 2,300 meters elevation was a big change for the family. “We knew we wouldn’t be making a return trip,” he said. Moving from a big city like Rosario to a town with 2,500 residents, at 2,300 meters elevation, was a big change for the family, and it was especially challenging for Javier. At a young age, both Javier and Jenny met the Focolare’s spirituality of unity; they now wanted to live the Gospel as a family. That’s why “their biggest concern” was to get to a place where they “would be alone,” with no one with whom to share this ideal of unity. They decided to do everything they could to bear witness and proclaim the Gospel with their lives, so that even in the Amazon, a seed of the spirituality of unity would be planted. They decided to live the commandment of reciprocal love so that Jesus would always be spiritually present in their family, according to his promise: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18:20). With the conviction that, as Chiara Lubich once said, “one of the fruits of Jesus in the midst is giving birth to a community,” they left for Peru. A few days after arriving, the local bishop visited their town. They introduced themselves as a “Focolare family.” The bishop blessed them and encouraged them to continue in their commitment. They began by touring the periphery of the village by visiting “the poorest of the poor.” They went to people’s houses—if you want to call them that—where they found elderly people who “didn’t even have a decent bed to die in, such was their poverty!” They met many families and children who could afford to eat only once a day. “We would bring them something to eat, hug them, look them in the eye, and give them a word of encouragement,” said Jenny. Sometimes, they would stay two or three days with them, “sharing their pain, their poverty, their brief joys and hopes.” 
Hopeful that they could help bring to life a small community in their town, they began to organize meetings of the “Word of Life,” but with no success. They changed tactics several times. “We never got discouraged,” said Javier. “We knew that Jesus has his time and the important thing was to stay in the game.” They invited their neighbors again to meet about the Word of God, and gradually some people joined, including some of the mothers of the children in kindergarten with their daughters. They also organized a children’s program. This felt like the beginning to them, a small calling. Then the parish priest asked them to take on the family catechesis of the village and ten other surrounding villages, including some located two hours away. Recently welcomed their first visit from the Focolare community of Talara, a city located 650 kilometers and 12 hours by car from Lámud. It was a visit that marked them in a special way, “a before and after in the life of our community.” Jenny and Javier share in the joy of those who have found their place in the world. “We are few, but something was born!” they say. “We don’t want to set expectations, but we believe that Jesus has a soft spot in his heart for the Amazon, for the poorest of the poor. This is so perhaps because he was also born among the poor, and he stayed with them. We don’t know the roads he wants to take us, but they’re the only ones on which we want to travel! Like Him, we want to give our lives for our people.”
Gustavo E. Clariá
Sep 30, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The annual meeting of the delegates of the Focolare Movement concluded in Rocca di Papa. Among the priorities for 2020 is a new commitment in the field of human rights and justice, the centenary of Chiara Lubich and the next General Assembly of the Focolare Movement. 
Finally we made it! An extended communion among the participants of the annual meeting between the delegates of the Focolare Movement worldwide and the General Council, was held from September 14th to 28th 2019 in Rocca di Papa. It highlighted the principle that had got the conference underway and that will be the guiding principle for the entire Movement in the coming year: everything that is done in the name of the Movement in the ecclesial, social or cultural fields, as an activity for children or adults, families or those engaged in politics, makes sense only if it is characterized and guided by the presence of Jesus in the midst of those who love one other as He taught. This does not mean that the Focolare is becoming entirely spiritual. In fact, the first part of the meeting was dedicated to gathering the life of the Movement. With the distinctiveness of the different ecclesial, political and cultural environments in which the Movement is located, social and educational projects were presented, as well as the commitment to refugees in areas receiving little media coverage, artistic initiatives and actions promoting human dignity. 
During this exchange it was clear that the reform, which has been underway for some years under the title “New Set Up”, is bearing its first fruits. In many parts of the world, leaner structures seem to release new creative energy. New forms of proclamation and evangelization have developed, synergies between the various branches of the Movement and with other ecclesial and lay realities. There is also a new balance being achieved in the relationship between central government and geographical areas, that is, between global sensitivities and local action. While respecting the diversity present within the Movement – such as those of cultures, confessions, strengths and resources- in this balance it has been possible to identify together the priorities to be addressed in the coming year 2019/2020. 
Under the motto “In time for Peace” the Movement will commit itself in the fields of human rights, peace, legality and justice following a pathway proposed by young people. Efforts will be made to try and involve other people and institutions to take concrete and important steps in these fields. The centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich will take centre stage in the coming months. The activities that begin on December 7th , 2019 with the title “Celebrate to meet” want to offer the possibility of a living encounter with the foundress and her charism. Finally, 2020 will also be marked by the General Assembly of the Movement , which takes place every six years, offering new perspectives. “But everything we do has a single purpose” – said Maria Voce, President of the Focolare, at the end of this meeting. “We want to transform the world, giving visibility to the presence of Christ in it, through the mutual love among us”. This is – so to speak – the typical “soft skill” of the Focolare, its “transversal expertise” . It is not produced with methodologies and programming, but it is the foundation of everything , the starting and finishing line.
Joachim Schwind
Sep 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
This year once again the Focolare Movement all over the world invited men and women, young and old, people of every background to experience the Mariapolis – whereby a temporary ‘city’ is created which is built on fraternity. 
While the settings may be different, the experience is the same: the Mariapolis is the typical expression of the Focolare Movement where those who participate in these gatherings – usually held in the summer – are invited to experience a few days of utopia: a society based on living the reciprocal love of the Gospel. A very big European Mariapolis was held in Fiera di Primiero this summer where the very first Mariapolis took place sixty years earlier. It ran in four stages, each lasting a week. In many other parts of the world the Mariapoli attracted people from very different backgrounds. This year there were 235 Mariapoli around the world with bringing together around 46,000 people. Our editorial team has received letters and reports from Wales, Vietnam, Peru, Canada, Finland, Italy, Bulgaria and Brazil. 
In Turkey the Mariapolis took place in Şile, a little town on the Black Sea near Istanbul, a resort that provided a holiday atmosphere which everyone appreciated. The 70 participants came from Ankara, Iskenderun, Izmir as well as other countries. The main theme – personal and collective sanctity – was developed by presenting some of Turkey’s best-known saints: St. John Chrysostom, St. Ephrem, St. Helena and St. Thecla whose lives have had a great influence on the Church of the early times. In Kerrville, Texas (USA), the theme of the Holy Spirit and the Church was explored which has guided the life of the Focolare Movement all over the world this year. Out of the 350 people present, 100 were participating for the first time in a Mariapolis perhaps because studying the Church was particularly attractive to people at a time that has been marked by so many scandals and sufferings. The same subject, presented with an focus on ecumenism, was at the heart of the Mariapolis in Sweden held in Marielund-Stockholm with Lutherans and Catholics taking part. Two Buddhists as well as those who do not profess a 
specific faith were also present. The participants came from different cities in Sweden and a good representation from Norway. Despite the diversity it was possible to deepen the idea of “the Holy Spirit as the one who is the Church’s vital energy and who gives each person the particular grace to realize their own calling through the unity of all the members of the mystical body of Christ”, in their own words. The participation of newer generations to the program gave the Mariapolis in Lviv, Ukraine, a joyful touch. Young adults, teenagers and children were entrusted with the preparation and running of an entire day which they did in a lively and engaging way. At the start of each day it was the children who “taught” the adults by telling them how they had lived the words of the Gospel of the previous day. The Mariapolis in Penang, Malaysia, was characterized by the diversity of languages, cultures, ethnic backgrounds and people travelling great distances with participants from Singapore, for example, travelling 700 km. “The effort made to keep mutual love alive among us” – they wrote – “and thus give space to the presence of Jesus in our midst, the commitment to face and overcome difficulties and the willingness to give up one’s own ideas, made this undertaking possible”. The Mariapolis of Boconó in the west of Venezuela was intended to offer participants the opportunity to rest, in view of the difficulties of daily life which is exhausting because of extended periods without electricity, interminable queues for fuel and economic hardship. At least twice as many people as were expected responded to this attractive offer – both physically and financially. However, on the first night, a hurricane with hail, rain, trees being uprooted and strong winds caused a power cut that lasted until the end of the Mariapolis which meant that everything collapsed: no water in the bathrooms, no facilities for cooking or no way to keep the food cool. However, through the deepening of spirituality, the invincible love of God became a real, existential experience: they found a way to cook with wood, a neighbour offered the participants their generator and everyone’s attention for the needs of others grew. “God is never outdone in generosity,” they wrote at the conclusion of this wonderful experience.
Joachim Schwind
Sep 27, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Twelve songs which are part of the history of this music group become a collection, taken from their world tour “Life”, a tour that will continue in the coming months. Among their plans for the future Gen Rosso will also be involved with delivering courses, educational projects, co-productions and the third edition of “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village”. 
After more than fifty years of life theirs is an artistic proposition capable of continuous renewal. At the same time, they keep the compass fixed on some key points: a life lived under the banner of fraternity, a collaborative production between artists of various nationalities that speaks of unity between peoples and nations, a message that proposes a culture of giving and sharing – attentive to the challenges of our planet. This is Gen Rosso an international music group, made up of musicians and technicians of different vocations from Europe, Asia and Latin America. Recently their “Life” tour became an album with eighteen tracks chosen from the songs recorded by Gen Rosso over the years. We talk about it with one of the group, Michele Sole. – On July 1st your live album from the “LIFE” Tour was released. How was this new album conceived and what are its characteristics? From the autumn of 2018 until today we have had some beautiful concerts all over Italy with our production “LIFE” and since the audiences were enthusiastic, like we were ourselves, from there we had the desire to create a cd ‘Life – live’. Once the recordings made on stage were re-created, we mixed them trying to keep all the energy and emotion that we breathe in our concerts. You can hear the audience singing with us, their applause and their voices, giving the listener the feeling of being right there with us on stage. In short, a real live recording! – 
Recently you have created, in the international little town of Loppiano where you are based the “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village”. What is this and what are the objectives? The “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village” will be held this year from December 27th 2019 until January 5th 2020, this will be the third edition. It is an artistic experience, the sharing of values from the perspective of the charism of unity. It involves young professionals and students, aged 18 and above, from different disciplines such as music, dance, singing, theatre. The teaching methodology is designed by Gen Rosso tutors together with teachers who have recognized artistic skills and experience. The program includes an in-depth study of specific themes from the art world, the exchange of experiences, creative spaces and practical workshops that will converge in a final performance. You can register at village@genrosso.com. The programme will start on December 27th 2019 and will end on January 5th 2020. 
– In your travels, you participate in events that promote peace and friendship between peoples and universal fraternity. Is there a recent one that you remember in particular and why? Yes, in the spring we had the joy of being in Jordan, thanks to “Caritas Jordan”, to carry out the project “Be the change” . We worked with hundreds of students from different social classes, different religions and different nationalities, It is a project to foster dialogue and promote a culture of peace and friendship, with the participants themselves being the promoters of a change in their lives and in their cities for a better future. – What are your plans and future appointments? First of all, we will resume the world tour with the concert “Life” along with educational projects and the inclusion on stage of young people prepared during various workshops. The tour will begin in Italy (September 28th in Venosa; October 12th in Piacenza; October 23rd and 24th in Acerra; October 26th in Prato, November 1st in Teano). Then an Asian tour in Indonesia for almost the entire month of November 2019. 
Meanwhile, we will continue with courses in the little town of Loppiano, sharing experiences, training and art. From October 15th to 17th we will examine in depth light design, a course intended for people interested in expanding their knowledge of the use of light and colour. In addition, to support young emerging artists, we have started co-productions. The first is Stabat in Silentium, the staging of a play by the young writer Francesco Bertolini. This play is the result of a profound experience of solidarity that emerged after the earthquake in Amatrice (Italy). “How can one still believe in God after an earthquake?” is the “uncomfortable” question which is the starting point of this work. The protagonists are the young victims, but also the volunteers who leave their quiet life to go where tragedy has occurred.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Sep 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At the Mariapolis in Arny, 35km south of Paris, the first “Ambassadors of a United World” course was held from 2–7 September. There were 16 young people from 14 countries who participated. 
“Better Together” was the catchphrase that guided them. The programme was sponsored by New Humanity, an international non-profit organisation, which is an offshoot of the Focolare Movement and takes its inspiration from the spirit and values behind it. The goal was to strengthen the expertise of a group of young change makers, peace builders and community leaders, training them in the culture of unity, peace and fraternity, in order for them to become true “ambassadors” of a united world, capable of being spokespeople for the NGO nationally and internationally. The 16 who participated were from Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, the Philippines, Kenya, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain and the U.S. “This was New Humanity’s first training course,” said Chantal Grevin, New Humanity’s main delegate at UNESCO in Paris. “It was an effective experience that allowed us, in just one week, to give them the necessary skills to become active workers in our NGO.” 
“We talked about what we mean by a ‘united world’, what peace, human rights are, and as a result what we mean by ‘person’”, explained Marco Desalvo, the NGO’s president. “We made an effort to translate all the best practices that our young people promote each day in the world, into a language that can inspire the international institutions, to spread the spirit of universal fraternity in every area of society at every level, just as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims.” The young ambassadors were welcomed by UNESCO officials from the humanities and social sciences (youth branch) and the education sector (global citizenship and culture of peace). “An open and free dialogue sprang up, allowing these delegates to discover New Humanity’s activities in a better way, through experiences from the young ambassadors, who were able to act as one, seeing all they had learned in recent days and their positive experiences of global citizenship,” added Grevin. Each young person was given the possibility of personally meeting the UNESCO delegate from their country and express their vision regarding the huge challenges of peace, the environment and fraternity. 
During the training course, the young people also had the opportunity to meet and speak with Monsignor Follo, a permanent observer to the Holy See, and Marie Claude Machon, Philippe Beaussant and Patrick Gallaud, who are the president, vice president and ex-president respectively of the liaison committee between NGOs and UNESCO. “Thanks to this course I learned so much about the United Nations system and NGO activities worldwide”, said Luciana, an Italian lawyer, at the conclusion of the experience. “Yet above all I rediscovered the true motivators that drove me towards this world. As an ambassador of New Humanity, I would like to promote the idea that supporting each other can make a great difference in creating a more united world. I understood that small 
gestures can have a great impact on people’s wellbeing. This is why I feel so privileged to be a part of this fantastic project!” Pascal, who is Lebanese, shared: “When I first arrived, I was discouraged at not being able to find solutions for my own country. Then I found courage and hope, and I understood that we can persevere, we can truly work to reach a united world. I know it will happen! I am quite happy to be going back to my country and start working.” And Noè, from Mexico, said: “I arrived here with my friend Josef from the U.S. We live just a few kilometres from the border separating our countries. We are already working together on projects to help migrants. When we go back, we’ll be able to put into practice what we learned here.”
Tamara Pastorelli
Sep 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Communication and Evangelization Today – a seminar promoted on 1 October in Rome by the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome and its Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, the Chiara Lubich Centre of the Focolare Movement and the Editorial Group Città Nuova. Speakers: Mauro Mantovani, Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome; Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Holy See Dicastery for Communications; Fabio Pasqualetti, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication; Giulia Paola Di Nicola, Sociologist, Leonardo da Vinci University, Chieti; Cesare Borin, IT manager – Focolare Movement; Michel Vandeleene, editor of the book “Conversazioni. In collegamento telefonico”; Cristiana Freni, professor of the philosophy of language at the Salesian University; Marco Aleotti, RAI television director. Moderator: Alessandro De Carolis, Vatican Radio. Throughout its history, the Church has always felt the urgent need to spread the message of faith and the Word of God, and this commitment led to the use of its oral and written tradition, various expressions of art, the liturgy, and also the modern means of mass media. How does this commitment change when the modern means of communication are constantly changing? This question will be dealt with during the Seminar; and the “world-wide” experience and spiritual doctrine in the book Conversazioni. In collegamento telefonico by Chiara Lubich, published by Città Nuova, in 2019, will provide some source of inspiration. In this book, one finds the text of telephone conference calls made by Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, who availed herself of this advanced technology in communication to dialogue, share, encourage and inspire thousands of people to do good. It was clear to her that a concrete and positive response to the urgent questions of our times can only be given by people who come “together” and have a strong relationship between them, and whose commitment to change the world starts with “changing themselves”, and not “for themselves”. On the occasion of the publication of this book Works by Chiara Lubich “CONVERSAZIONI in collegamento telefonico” (Conversations during telephone conference calls) Vol. 8.1 – by Michel Vandeleene (Città Nuova, 2019) Chiara Lubich made use of the modern means of communication, and since the early eighties, she started a monthly or bimonthly telephone conference call. The most important centres of the Focolare Movement in the five continents were connected for the conference call through a service provider in Switzerland, hence the name Collegamento CH. During the conference call she shared a spiritual thought, fruit of her life and her charism. Thus, a very original experience of Christian community life on a global level was born. It helped people walk together and support one another on the road to holiness. The book contains 300 spiritual thoughts that Chiara Lubich shared between 1981 and 2004 and some other unpublished ones.
Focolare Communication Office
Sep 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In order to commemorate the centenary of Chiara Lubich’s birth, students have been offered an initial opportunity to deepen her thought in the light of national and international events which characterized the history of the twentieth century. 
The Ministry of Education, University and Research (Italy) announced the national competition, open to Junior and Senior High Schools, on their website https://www.miur.gov.it/competizioni-e-concorsi-per-studenti highlighting the theme: “One city is not enough”. Chiara Lubich, Citizen of the World To discover her illustrious figure, her commitment and life witness on the occasion of the CENTENARY OF HER BIRTH with the aim of building Unity and Fraternity among peoples The competition is being promoted by the Chiara Lubich/New Humanity Centre and by the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, University Studies & Research, as part of the centenary celebrations of Chiara Lubich’s birth. Who is it for? It is aimed at students of all Italian junior and senior high schools whose participation consists of writing a paper (in the form of written text or a multimedia presentation) on one of the following topics: – Chiara Lubich in the context of the Second World War – Chiara Lubich and the collapse of the Berlin Wall – Chiara Lubich “Citizen of the World”, in dialogue with peoples and cultures In addition – and this is the fourth thematic area – students can narrate positive experiences they have personally lived, thus documenting chronicles that are of a positive nature, inspired by the message conveyed by Lubich’s writings. What are the aims of the competition? The competition aims to develop a spirit of initiative by creating situations of didactic conflict by writers still unexplored by standard textbooks; it aims to make Chiara Lubich known as a significant protagonist of the twentieth century through a profound understanding of her vision of “a united world”; it also aims to accompany new generations in their active pursuit of paths of peace and brotherhood between different cultures, languages, religions and peoples. 
What resources are available to discuss the proposed topics? Chiara Lubich is quite a well-known figure, however, both teachers and students are free to contact the Chiara Lubich Centre by leaving a message on their website or by writing to: concorso.studenti@centrochiaralubich.org The Trentino Historical Museum Foundation will also inaugurate an international multimedia exhibition entitled “Chiara Lubich World City” (opening from 7 December 2019 until November 2020), which will include specific tours for schools. What are the terms and conditions for participating in the competition? Works that are strictly unpublished must be received by 31 March 2020. The competition announcement gives precise indications on the way the projects may be transmitted. The evaluation commission will be composed of members of the Ministry of Education, University Studies & Research, the Chiara Lubich/New Humanity Centre and the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation. How will the awards be conferred? Awards will be presented to the winning schools during an official ceremony to be held by the end of the 2019-2020 school year, most probably in Rome.
Maria Caterina Atzori (Project Lecturer – Chiara Lubich/New Humanity Centre)
Sep 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Koen Vanreusel, a Belgian businessman who works for the Economy of Communion says: “We need collaboration between different generations in the business world.” 
“We need young people to open up new ways of working; we older people are happy to support them through our work and by sharing what we have and what we know.” This is what Koen Vanreusel said when he spoke about his commitment to young business men and women all over the world. Koen has 4 children and 9 grandchildren and is the managing director of “Easykit”, a Belgian company which employs 100 people. His views stem from the fact he follows the principles of the Economy of Communion (EoC) and are the reason why he will be visiting Assisi, Italy, from March 26-28 2020 for “The Economy of Francis” gathering. This event was initiated by Pope Francis for young economists and business men and women from all over the world. Koen, how do the principles of the Economy of Communion inspire your work? The Economy of Communion is the fruit of the “culture of giving” which began within the Focolare Movement. Its roots lie within the Gospel, where it says “Give and it will be given to you” (Lk 6:36-38). This gives rise to a new economy – more specifically, an economy of communion. Practically, as regards my company, this means putting the person at the centre of the work and respecting each person’s dignity: with our employees we try to create a family, a community. We have nine stores in different places and we are always careful to create a good relationship with all the employees. In addition, joining the EoC means donating a part of the company’s profits each year to those in need and thus making a contribution to combating world poverty. What difficulties do you encounter in living the Economy of Communion at work and how do you overcome them? We are a company the same as any other on the market and we face the same difficulties. But when we have problems, we try to create an atmosphere in which we can talk to colleagues and management about the situation. I also find that it is important to share these experiences with other entrepreneurs who are followers of the EoC. When we meet, there is always a great sense of trust and so we talk about the difficulties and together we try to see what opportunities there are. How do you try to involve your employees in living the “culture of giving”? Our employees know that we share the company’s profits with the poor: we provide them with information about the support that the company is giving to others so that they too can feel involved. In addition, at the end of the year, when calculating profits to be shared with those in need, the employees receive a percentage and can decide to what they will donate this money. In this way, they participate in the allocation of the company’s profits. We also try to be role models and set an example by contributing something extra at work beyond the call of duty, by doing something free for a colleague or supplier and by showing that this also gives great joy. How did you come up with the idea of supporting businesses that have been started by young people both in European countries and on other continents? 
During one of the annual meetings of European EoC managers, we met young people from Serbia and Hungary who showed great appreciation for our business model and so we decided to share it with them. We supported them when they started a company in one of their own countries and continued to do so as the enterprise developed: we are very happy that this involvement means that we can share knowledge and our way of working. Then, during the EoC international meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, we met a group of young Congolese entrepreneurs who were determined not to abandon their war torn country but to stay and help people in need by starting a company. We felt we wanted to remain in contact with these young people and accompany them in their experience by offering them our skills. We want new generations of business men and women to join the Economy of Communion. What effects could the EoC paradigm have if applied on a large scale? It can help to build a fairer society with a smaller gap between rich and poor and a lower rate of poverty. By working together we can discover that a better world is possible. We will tell you about it in October, in Brussels, on a day dedicated to this very topic.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Sep 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Gospel makes the seed of goodness that God placed in every human heart sprout. It is a seed a hope that grows with each personal daily encounter with God’s love, flourishing with the love we have for each other. It spurs us to fight against the bad seeds of individualism and indifference, which cause isolation and conflict, and to carry each other’s burdens and encourage each other. Inheritance After our parents died, my sister and I – we’re both married – began to have misunderstandings about our inheritance, which we felt was not distributed correctly. It got to the point that we became enemies. It seemed so absurd to me, yet that’s the way it was. I gathered the courage and went to visit her. She was surprised, and happy enough to hug me. After each of us asked each other’s forgiveness, we decided to take our mother’s jewels that we had received and donate them to a charity. After that we felt free: generosity towards others had brought us closer to each other, and we also felt closer to our parents in paradise. (F., France) Whatever I have extra isn’t mine Some time ago, when we used to spend the night at a migrant centre, early one morning Gabriele and I, after spending the night there, accompanied a priest and some teens who had been guests to the door. They were leaving to get their documentation. It was cold, and we were dressed for it, but one of the teens only had a light T-shirt on. I asked him if he was cold but realised from the look he gave me that he could not understand my question. So I took off my coat (I had a heavy jumper underneath) and gave it to him. Gabriele gave him some money to buy something during the day. I got back home with a great joy in my heart. At home, my wife told me that for a while her sister wanted to give me a gift, and she had chosen a coat. (Rosario, Italy) Children of God Like most mornings, getting on the subway full of all kinds of people, who as usual were planning on reading or busy with their smartphones, I felt a sense of pain and sadness. Do they know what to live for? Do they have an ideal in life? But then I thought, each of them will have had hardship in life, and perhaps right now one of them is suffering with something… And I began to see them differently: no longer as poor people, but as children of God, who loves and supports each of them. (T., Italy) Sharing I was at university for an exam when I saw that an accountant had come looking for a student who had not paid his student fees. Seeing that right then I had some money in my pocket, I asked that student if I could pay for him. From that moment on, we were friends. Getting to know him better, I learned that he was an orphan who had lost both his parents and looking for some work to pay for university accommodation. I shared his need with other friends, and we committed to helping him both economically and spiritually. (Steve, Burundi)
Chiara Favotti
Sep 17, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In order to carry out his mission to reform the Church, the Italian Jesuit Father Riccardo Lombardi (1908-1979), tried to mobilize the crowds by preaching in the squares and on the radio. Forty years after his death on September 9th, 2019 in Rome, a conference was held to rediscover this charismatic figure who also played an important role in the history of the Focolare. 
The greatness and – we could even dare to say – the holiness of charismatic figures can be verified when God puts them to the test by taking away their health, their inspiration or even the work they founded. This gospel logic can be clearly seen in the life of Father Riccardo Lombardi, an Italian Jesuit, a great preacher and founder of the Movement for a Better World. This was highlighted by a conference in Rome organized by his Movement, 40 years after his death, in collaboration with the Focolare and the Community of Sant’Egidio. Faced with the power of self-destruction achieved by man and in the rubble at the end of the Second World War, Lombardi became a preacher of universal fraternity in the squares and on the radio, an activity for which they called him “God’s microphone”. After a famous exhortation that Pope Pius XII addressed to the Diocese of Rome in 1952, Father Lombardi wanted to create a group of people who would renew the Church according to a spirituality of communion. Andrea Riccardi, historian and founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, stressed during the conference that Lombardi did and said what Pope Pius XII could not say and do publicly and thus also became the “microphone of the Pope”, to whom Lombardi was particularly attached.
©CSC media
©CSC media
Joachim Schwind
Sep 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At the conclusion of their assembly, Focolare youth presented to the Movement a summary document of a process which was not always smooth. It will contribute to the international annual meeting of delegates from around the world just underway in Italy. The timing could not have been better: the last two days of the Focolare Youth Assembly, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, coincided with the first two days of the annual meeting of delegates of the Focolare Movement from around the world. This gave the 190 youth of 66 countries from the various sections of the Movement the possibility to present to a truly representative international Focolare forum the summary of their work on the identity, formation and role in the Movement of young people and their commitment in the world. The 44 delegates representing the geographical regions of the Focolare welcomed this opportunity to more fully appreciate the sensitivities, hopes and expectations of the new generations. The impact of Saturday morning, 14 September, was strongly felt. The final document produced by the young people, and the questions they directed at the “more mature generations”, as they light-heartedly called them, indicate how challenging their task had proved to be. In the course of only a few days, they experienced and faced up to their many differences of background, culture, sensitivity, religion and beliefs. With authenticity and courage they considered difficulties and open questions which provoked concern and suffering in many of the participants. What was even more striking in this process was the human and spiritual depth evident throughout their work: a profoundly felt and tireless desire to dedicate all areas of their life to the goal of unity on a big scale, a more “united world”, and their readiness to approach painful situations with a preferential love for Jesus in his abandonment on the cross. On this solid basis, the young participants enthusiastically encouraged the whole Movement to appreciate diversity as an integral and essential part of any experience of unity, and to create spaces and tools to better facilitate dialogue on controversial subjects. They requested more participation in the direction of the Movement both at local and central levels in order to be able to share in the responsibility for the future generations. But with the same frankness, they expressed their own need to be better formed in the spirituality of the Focolare and to deepen their relationship with the older generations in the Movement. In response, Focolare President and Co-President, Maria Voce e Jesús Morán highlighted the importance and maturity of the experience these young people have shared in just a few days. They recognized in this Assembly and its final document “a fundamental step ahead and a great legacy for the Movement”. 
The afternoon of this memorable day was dedicated to the inauguration of the restructured auditorium of the international headquarters of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa (near Rome, Italy). It was also the occasion for Maria Voce to present to both assemblies the thematic spiritual talk for the forthcoming year, centred on the reality of Jesus present in the midst of “two or three united in his name” (cf Mt 18:20). This is the Alpha and Omega of the Movement’s spirituality, declared Focolare President, as she spoke movingly and very personally, at this the start of the final year of her term of office. Living mutual love even in the most painful moments, creating space for Jesus to be present among people today, transmitting his joy to them: this is the pathway Mary Voce invites the Focolare to journey along in the forthcoming months. For the youth Assembly participants, it could also be a key to understanding the experience of these intense days together. For the international delegates, it will give impetus to their consultations now getting underway.
Joachim Schwind
Sep 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
To heal the employment crisis we need a new economy, and to build one we need to give young people space and a voice. More than anyone, they understand what’s new and how to carry it out. This is one of the goals of the “Economy of Francis” event to be held in Assisi in 2020. In May 2019, unemployment went down in Europe. According to Eurostat, it went down to 7.5% in the 19 countries of the Eurozone and to 6.3% in the 28 countries of European Union. This still contrasts with the high cost of youth unemployment, and despite the improvement in the numbers, this still calls for more effective policy. We discussed it with Luigino Bruni, economist at Lumsa University in Rome and scientific director of the committee organising “The Economy of Francesco”, an event called for by the pope and dedicated to young economists and entrepreneurs from all over the world, to be held in Assisi from 26–28 March 2020. 
What do you think we can expect from this event? I think there will be great leadership by young people both in thought and practice. They will share their ideas about the world, which they are already changing, concerning the environment, the economy, development, poverty. It will not be a conference, but the start of a process, although one with a slow pace that allows us to think and ask ourselves, for example, in St. Francis’ homeland and footsteps, what it means to build a new economy, and who the marginalised of today really are. It will be primarily a moment in which young people draw up a solemn pact with Pope Francis, assuring him of their commitment to change the economy. This will be the heart of the event. After all, young people have clear ideas about… Young people make things interesting. They are the first to react to changes, because they’re the ones who most understand them. There are so many valuable experiences throughout the world in business and start-ups. Young people think about the economy differently, but the adults – who have the power and university chairs – are not able to listen and give them space. Their thinking is 20 years behind the times, while young people have something to say. In Assisi they will be the ones to speak; the adults will make themselves available to support and listen. Why haven’t the economic recipes that have been put forward to solve the unemployment crisis been working? The data from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, needs to be read with caution: the fact that European unemployment has decreased does not mean that employment has increased. In Italy, for example, there are many people who are no longer searching for work. In addition, people are working less because many contracts are for a smaller number of hours in order to give jobs to more people. Today machines are doing jobs that up until 10 years ago were carried out by people. Robots are our allies, but we need to invent new jobs, because the traditional ones are no longer able to take in enough work. The new tools end up naturally selecting workers, favouring the most competent, since there are less and less people who are able to compete with the machines. This means that less people are working and those who do are the most expert, which creates inequalities. So a social pact is necessary to make sure that everyone has access to paid jobs, creating new types of new jobs. So we need a new approach? In just a few short years we have gone through epochal change at an extraordinary pace. But the way we think and the systems we have change much slower, and this contrast is what causes a crisis. So we need to work more at a cultural, scientific and research level, because – as Pope Francis says – the world suffers from a lack of thinking that is appropriate for today.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Sep 11, 2019 | Non categorizzato
With these three words the president of the Focolare opened the movement’s Youth Assembly which runs from 10 to 15 September. 
As the 190 delegates were being introduced to Focolare President Maria Voce and Co-President Jesús Morán, the overwhelming impression was of a parliament for the under-30s, serving not a single nation but the whole world. These young members of the Focolare Movement from 67 different countries have convened in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Italy, for the Foocolare’s first Youth Assembly of Gen, young religious men and women, seminarians, together with youth active in the Parish and Diocesan movements of the Focolare. “We’re not only here to organize and plan, but mainly to get to know each other and communicate what is actually motivating us, what’s at the heart of our choice to work towards a more united world,” explained one of the Assembly team. 
The delegates are drawn from different geographical, cultural and religious backgrounds. They are active in areas such as justice and peace, disarmament, humane economy, environmental campaigning, dialogue between religions and ethnic groups. Many have been involved in challenging summer projects such as the Gen Congress in Amman, Jordan for young Focolare members in different nations of the Middle East and beyond; another in Oceania; workshops tackling legal and economic inequalities, as well as summer-camps organized by the Parish and Diocesan Movements. The Assembly is designed to promote sharing, learning and planning, drawing on the support of experts. It is distinctly “hands-on”. For example tackling issues of identity and life choices (with Fr Vincenzo Di Pilato); how to be protagonists and effective leaders (with Jonathon Michelon); witnessing and participation (with Sr Alessandra Smerilli). The Catholic Church’s recent synod dedicated to youth led to the popularly-received “Christus Vivit” document, which will also be discussed during the workshops (with Francisco Canzani). 
To guide all this activity, the Focolare President proposed three key words: unity, courage, communication. Unity – Maria Voce encouraged the young people to “forget” where and what they come from, in order to be able to live complete mutual love and so experience the unity that comes from this. Courage – “I expect you to have such courage. I also expect your courage to test and challenge the rest of us”. Inviting them to speak out and share, she encouraged them not to shy away from making criticisms, but always to express them in “a constructive spirit”. Finally, she urged them to communicate the charism of unity. “You must be prepared to give what you have received to the new generations. This communication can only happen through people who live the spirituality, who want this charism and who then communicate it”. Everything covered during the Assembly will be summarized in a final document containing the contributions and concerns of the young generation of the Focolare as they seek ways of working ever more closely together for their shared goal.
Stefania Tanesini
Sep 10, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In Austria 61 Catholic Bishops who are friends of the Focolare Movement gathered together for an international meeting. The Church’s “wounds” and the challenges faced by Christian communities today were at the heart of their reflections in a meeting enriched by spiritual insights and sharing fraternal life. 
A kind of tsunami has struck the Church as a institution in recent years. The revelation of scandalous abuses has shaken the credibility of the Church to its very core, a Church that for some time has seemed to be in decline in many traditionally Christian countries. And this is not the only scourge afflicting Christian communities across the world. Urbanisation, poverty, war, corruption in society and the Church itself, political and cultural pressures, all kinds of intolerances and religious fundamentalism, a lack of opportunities for development and serious risks to the environment are leaving many people hopeless and overwhelmed. These are just some of the “wounds” that 61 Bishops from four continents who know and live the spirituality of the Focolare shared when they met from 2 to 10 August near Graz in Austria. Even though they came together primarily for a meeting to deepen their spirituality and live fraternity together for a few days, they listened together to the “cry” of their people. Otherwise, how else could they be witnesses of a crucified and risen God who took on every evil and responded to it?! We must not stop at theories – they said – or give in to pessimism but go to the roots. On the Church front, individualism and clericalism were highlighted, a lack of formation and coherent witness, the need for solid spirituality and accompaniment, the need to grow in the capacity to listen and dialogue. 
How can we respond to these challenges? Not from above, under the illusion of being able to impose solutions, but from below, following the way of Jesus who, by becoming small, becoming nothing to be a gift, took love to its very limit and in this way generated fraternity. Looking at the situation from this perspective allows us to recognize the potential for good even where, at first glance, there only seems to be evil. This is the path these Bishops want to tread in a decisive way, mindful that it is a matter – as the Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii gaudium” recommends – of triggering processes that will only start to bear fruit over time. Nothing less is required today: being faithful to its origins, exploring new ways of being Church. With very precise paths, which include basing the proclamation and catechesis on the life of the Gospel and the communion of life; forming people in the spirituality of communion and the ecclesial and social “we”; creating “living environmental cells”; and listening to those who think differently to ourselves. “Show yourselves as a joyful group” was the wish of Pope Francis for this meeting of Bishops who are friends of the Focolare Movement. This is how it was because, by sharing sincerely with each other, they experienced God. Then everything changes at root level. Only by being can an enlightened doing be born.
Hubertus Blaumeiser
Sep 8, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Members of religious communities and movements belonging to fifty different orders, congregations and institutes gathered together in the ecumenical Focolare village of Ottmaring in Germany, 1-5 July 2019. The 100 participants were consecrated and religious men and women. Sr Tiziana Longhitano SFP and Fr Salvo D’Orto OMI, who coordinate this area of the Focolare Movement internationally, explain the significance of this event.
Photo: Ursula Haaf
Photo: Maria Kny
Edited by Anna Lisa Innocenti
Sep 6, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Two hundred young people from 67 countries representing all the various youth expressions of the Movement worldwide are gathering together for the first time in Rome: young people belonging to different Churches, some followers of different religions, from a wide variety of different cultures. All have been called together in order to draw up proposals and a shared vision for the next six years. “There’s a new thirst for something challenging and authentic among young people now. We’re very aware of the issues facing today’s world. And we realise that it’s too difficult to do anything about them on our own. We know how to link up with many other young people who want to be agents of change. And we can work together with the older generations too”. So speaks Nicholas, a 27-year-old Italian and Amanda, 29, from Brazil. Both are members of the commission preparing the Focolare Movement’s first international Youth Assembly, taking place at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Italy, 10th to 15th September 2019. The idea for this Assembly first emerged in 2017 and has developed since then through numerous pre-Assemblies of youth in various locations around the world. Why this Youth Assembly? “It’s because we feel that ‘we are’ the Focolare Movement. It’s part of us. Many young people had expressed the desire to meet together and talk about issues important to our generation. At the same time, Focolare members older than us were asking how we view the Movement and the specific contribution we as young people can make today to become ever more dedicated to the cause of a united world. We ourselves identified the main topics to be covered by the Assembly. We’ve researched dynamic engaging methods to enable the young people present to express themselves freely while sharing “an experience of God”. Who’s taking part? There will be 200 young people, representing all continents (67 countries): Youth for a United World, young members of the Parish and Diocesan Movements, Seminarians (known as ‘Gens’) belonging to the Focolare Movement and young religious and consecrated men and women in formation (known as ‘GenRe’). So this is an innovative development for the Focolare – to bring together in this Assembly representatives of all the different youth expressions within the Movement. To facilitate the spirit of collaboration, a preparatory commission was formed in November 2018, comprising 15 people from the different youth wings in various parts of the world, most being aged under 30, with just a few older people too. What will be discussed in the Assembly? We thought the best way to ascertain the thoughts and desires of our young people around the world was through a questionnaire. In the preparatory Commission we drew up 4 questions asking young people to describe two characteristics of someone identifying as a young Focolare member; to indicate 2 strong points and 2 things they would like to change in the Movement, giving reasons; to reflect on how to ensure the young people’s voice is heard within the Focolare Movement; to identify priorities for the forthcoming six years. No less than 7,300 responses came in! We felt the weight of responsibility as we collated all this input. From reading it all, we were able to produce a resource for the pre-assemblies around the world, which also nominated their own regional representatives. We then incorporated the feedback from these preliminary meetings into a working document for the main Assembly. It presents proposals, pointers and new perspectives on the international Assembly’s four central themes: formation and accompanying; going outwards; the identity of Focolare youth; the role of Focolare youth as protagonists. Now we’re all ready to be amazed and surprized by our Assembly! It will certainly provide a strong new impetus to go forward towards fulfilling Jesus’ dream: “That all may be one” (John 17:21), as we give our own contribution to the building up of a more united world.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Sep 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Word of Life for this month, taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, says: “Comfort one another and be of help to one another” (1 Th 5:11). It is simple; we all can understand it and put it into practice, yet it can revolutionize our personal and social relationships. On the bus As I got on the bus to return to the city where I study, I realized that the lady sitting next to me was holding a child covered in skin sores. I felt like changing my place, but I tried to overcome my sense of repugnance. The journey was long; we started talking and I got to know that we were both going to the same place. The lady was going there to seek medical care for her child, but she had neither money nor a place where to stay. She had only the name of a contact person and a lot of hope. We arrived at our destination late at night. I felt I could not leave her alone, so I invited her to come with me and share some space in the room I shared with another student. When we arrived at my place I heard her greeting someone. It was the contact person she had to meet. (M.F. – Brazil) Reconciliation For several years, misunderstandings gradually increased and built a wall between us and some of our relatives. Explanations and attempts of reconciliation, even by others outside the family, proved futile. My husband and I knew that some of our relatives shared our same feelings, so one day we decided to start a chain of prayers to ask for God’s gift of reconciliation. We also involved some friends to pray with us. Yes! Through God’s grace we obtained what did not manage to obtain through so many other attempts during the years: in a few moving minutes both sides decided to bury the past and have a complete change heart. (Giovanna and Franco – Italy) Outside my four walls I was a young girl when together with some friends I rediscovered the meaning of the Gospel. Since then my days acquired a different flavour. Now that I am married and have children, I feel “settled”. I know that I have to renew my choice of God every moment to give him the first place in my life. The moments I share with my husband have become more precious and the daily chores for my children are more constructive. Shopping or listening to a neighbour are no longer a waste of time but opportunities of encounter. The desire for further constant commitment led me to get involved in scholastic organizations and community work in my neighbourhood. I try to be attentive to the needs of people around them, and being open to their needs does not allow me to be confined within my four walls. (Nuccia – Italy) Edited by Chiara Favotti
Sep 2, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Trust, openness, gratitude are the words with which the President of the Focolare Movement Maria Voce and the Co-President Jesús Morán summarize the meeting with Pope Francis during the private audience of September 2, 2019. “Bring ahead the prophecies of Chiara” was the encouragement of the Pope. https://vimeo.com/357332500 Maria Voce: We have just come from the audience with the Pope. It was a beautiful meeting – a meeting of extraordinary cordiality. We had brought him a book of Chiara’s link-ups as a gift; he really appreciated it and looked at with care. We also gave him an icon of Mary called “Joy of all the Afflicted”. He loved both the title and the icon itself because he said that it was new to him and that seeing the images of people who were suffering and were going towards Mary reminded him of the last pages of Manzoni’s book where all the lepers in the hospital pray to Mary and invoke her in their affliction. The whole meeting was marked by great trust, by great openness. He kept saying, “Go ahead, go ahead” – he will have repeated it a thousand times. He thanked us for the good we do and we felt that he was really happy to see us. He also said, “Pray for me,” and so we assured him that we were praying. At a certain point I said to him: “Everyone is praying today because the whole Movement knows that we are here with you and everyone is praying for this meeting – not only the Catholics but everyone.” He extended his arms as if to include everyone who prayed. It was very beautiful. Jesús Morán: Very beautiful. I think it was a meeting marked by mutual love because he kept saying to us, ” Thank you for what you are doing – go ahead,” and we kept saying, “We support what you do; we defend your ideas.” I immediately thought of Chiara’s experience when she went to Paul VI who told her, “Everything is possible here.” Everything really is possible there. We will have to see concretely but he told us, “Go ahead, carry ahead all that Chiara foresaw,” because then we talked about many things, even practical ones. 
Maria Voce: He continued to say how upset he is at seeing there is nationalism, obstacles to peace and conflict even among our own people. He said: “Even in the bosom of the Church (there are) some who think differently. Why do we not learn from history?” “I have cried,” he said, “I cry when I hear certain statements against peace and against mutual understanding.” Then he told us something that seemed very beautiful. He said that sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission – that often it is better to make mistakes and then ask for forgiveness Jesús Morán: He was very sad because certain conflicts continue to cause death. He said, “Is it possible that we have learnt nothing from the bloody wars we have experienced?” He seemed worried when we talked about Europe. We told him about the European Mariapolis. First of all, we talked about Chiara’s Centenary and he appreciated what we said. He understood that this will not be a commemoration of the past but because we feel that Chiara’s charism is truly relevant today. Maria Voce: One thing we felt is that he cares deeply about priests, members of religious communities and bishops. He cares in the very sense of saying, “Help us in this”.
Sep 1, 2019 | Non categorizzato
It started as a school for children with hearing and speech impediments, but IRAP is much more than this. Everyone feels at home there and workshops for crafts and cookery have developed creating jobs and settings for a shared life. IRAP’s story shows that integration is not something exceptional but the daily life and destiny of the Lebanese people. https://vimeo.com/343239260
Aug 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
On Monday, September 2, at 10:45 a.m., the President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce and Jesús Morán, will be welcomed by Pope Francis in a private audience. An important year for the Focolare is approaching: from December 7, 2019 to December 7, 2020, the Movement will remember the centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich. With exhibits, publications and events, the centennial would like to offer to many the opportunity to learn more about the Focolare foundress and her “Charism of Unity”. The official motto of the centenary, “celebrate to meet”, shows that this is not a nostalgic memory, but that Chiara Lubich’s original message is more relevant and engaging than ever. In the recent “European Mariapolis” in the Dolomites, the participants, coming from all over the continent, expressed a strong invitation to all the European peoples to make a pact of fraternity among them. It was an example of the relevance of Chiara’s message also in the current political situation. The centenary year will also be of great importance for the internal life of the Movement: in September 2020 the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement will take place which – in addition to electing the President and Co-President – will give the orientation for the next six years to the Movement. All these are reason enough to inform Pope Francis about the current life of the Movement, about the projects underway, about the challenges to be faced. Maria Voce’s request addressed to the Vatican on 18 June 2019 to meet the Pope in a private audience was answered quite promptly. Thus the Pontiff will welcome the President and Co-President next Monday, September 2, at 10:45 a.m. Maria Voce has invited us to pray for this meeting “so that it may give joy to the Pope and be a grace for the whole Focolare Movement”.
Joachim Schwind
Aug 28, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A “campus” on law was set up in Bologna, Italy, promoted by Focolare’s Youth for a United World. It was a place to get educated and participate in social action to affect change and re-weave the social fabric. 
From July 20–28, close to 40 young people from most regions in Italy came together in Bologna to create a campus where they could concretely dedicate themselves to others. They got to know and work with associations and groups who are committed in the social sphere, such as integrating immigrants and combatting problem gambling. They collaborated with youth summer camps and cafeterias, finding different and original ways together to do things. “The campus,” explains Francesco Palmieri, one of its organisers, “began after an earlier experience in Syracuse some years ago that was successful and then repeated in Rome and Turin. This year in Bologna, the young people singled out the neighbourhood of Cirenaica, a multicultural area where the social situation is complicated. “Campus is an experience of civic engagement that young people start for other youth like them, to answer a single question: can we do something?” This is about personal commitment, therefore, including during training sessions with various experts, from judges to university professors, from volunteers to priests and laypeople who are committed on the front lines of civil society. The theme of law and order emerges, overlooked in a number of cases, such as in taking in migrants, fighting the mafia and problem gambling. “The campus experience enriches us,” adds Francesco, “and we return home with many answers to questions that we hadn’t ever asked.” Among the experts present was Professor Adriana Cosseddu, who heads the Communion and Law international network. We asked her a couple of questions. Focolare’s young people launched “Pathways for a United World” in 2018 – six paths towards a united world, with activities and ways to go deeper into the six overarching themes. After the first, which was dedicated to economy, communion and work, the second this year is aimed at exploring human rights, justice, legality and peace. What are its objectives? “These are courses that, together with the Focolare community worldwide, youth and teens engage with and take a lead role, in order to contribute to making humanity one family. “There are many ways to do this, and this year we chose four.First was opening the doors to dialogue and hospitality so that human rights are recognised and implemented. Then we began working with all our might for peace, so that we can overcome the logic of conflict with true exchange, and so that peace is pursued universally as a human right. To reach true peace you need to practice justice, which safeguards the relationshipsthat are the foundations of our coexistence. This is the importance of law and order, which requires, through rules and behaviour, that we enable processes that can cut through the logic of profit and privilege, of widespread corruption, to promote neutrality and fairness.” What more can the Focolare’s charism of unity bring to law? “The charism of unity portrays others in a new light: not the stranger or an enemy to defend myself from, but a gift for me because of the richness of their diversity. Reciprocity, which in law is translated into legal requirements, becomes a call to responsibility towards others, who I need to take care of, because of reciprocal love. “As a result, while today law tends to protect the rights of individuals, Chiara Lubich opened up horizons that showed law as an instrument of communion. And communion has a goal: to work so that concrete human relations, even those that are carried out under the sign of law, may help those involved to look beyond themselves and recognise each other, in their respective dignity and according to a responsible freedom, in order to open up to collaboration. In this way small pieces of brotherhood are generated”. The next step for this pathway is “From Human Rights to the Right to Peace: Walking with Humanity,” an international seminar sponsored by the Communion and Law international network. It will be held at Loppiano, Italy, from September 19–21.
Aug 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
September 1st World Day of Prayer for the care of Creation, will kick start a month full of initiatives for the protection of the environment and much more. Interview with Cecilia Dall’Oglio from the Global Catholic Climate Movement. What do environmental issues and Ecumenism have in common? A lot, indeed an awful lot. It is enough to recall that in 1989 it was the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Dimitrios who gave the decisive impetus to the various Christian Churches to jointly declare September 1stWorld Day of Prayer for the protection of Creation. This year the anniversary is part of a year full of global actions for the climate, thanks also to the fast-movingaction of millions of young people who, with Greta Thunberg, have gotten organised, raising awareness and knockingon Parliament doors. “Not only individuals but also our communities should ask themselves about the environmental sustainability of their activities,” says Luca Fiorani, physicist and international coordinator of EcoOne, a cultural movement inspired by the spirituality of the Focolare in dealing with environment issues. “And in order to begin to change mentality and adopt an ecological lifestyle, it is first necessary to be informed. I’m doing some of my own advertising I’ve just published a small book of less than 80 pages: “The (crazy) dream of Francis. A small (scientific) manual on integral ecology”. I take the reader by the hand through the key concepts of the encyclical Laudato Si’, the recent results of international negotiations on climate change and the most up-to-date scientific data on the state of the health of our planet”. Luca Fiorani also explains that EcoOne has been collaborating with the Global Catholic Climate Movement for about ten years. Cecilia Dall’Oglio is responsible for the organization’s programs and we asked her some questions. – What motivatesyou personally, to be committed to the environment? The desire not to abandon my brothers and sisters in the world who suffer for the same reasons as our Mother Earth suffers. The desire to give my contribution so that others can have the direct experience, which I was able to have, of meeting with witnesses of hope, of a living Church committed to social justice. In the Laudato Si’ Pope Francis reminds us that “there are not two different crises, environmental and social, but a single socio-environmental crisis to be faced with “an integral approach to combat poverty, to restore dignity to the excluded and at the same time to care for nature” (LS 139). For more than twenty years I have been working with the FOCSIV to coordinate campaigns for social justice together with the offices of the CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference) and lay Catholic groups and I would like to recall in a special way our beloved MarcoAquini of the Focolare Movement. This announcement, this active resistance, must be truly effective and free the poor who cry out and for this reason I am happy now to take up the current challenge in the service of the Global Catholic Climate Movement of which the Focolare Movement is an active member. – What is the “something more” that faith can bring to the environmental movement? Faith is fundamental in bringing an integral ecological approach to environmentalissues. Ecological conversion and the adoption of new lifestyles are proposed for the fullness of joy, that “happy sobriety” of which the Instrumentum laboris of the Special Synod of the Amazon also speaks, the fullness of life, true freedom. All Christians are called to be custodians of God’s creation because “Living the vocation of being custodians of God’s work is an essential part of a virtuous existence, it is not something optional or even a secondary aspect of the Christian experience” (LS 217). The Global Catholic Climate Movement was established in 2015 to support Catholic communities around the world in responding to Pope Francis’ urgent appeal in the Laudato Si: to promote an ecological conversion at a spiritual level that leads to renewed lifestyles and the participation, alsoof Catholics, ingetting people involved in actions for climate justice. – What is “Time of Creation” and what can each of us do to adhere to it? The Time of Creation is a “favourable time”, a Kairos, during which we pray and act for the care of our common home. It occurs every year from September 1st, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to October 4th, the feast of St. Francis, and is celebrated by thousands of Christians around the world. This year’s theme, “The Network of Life: Biodiversity as a Gift from God.” is closely linked to the Synod of Bishops for the PanAmazonia Region to be held next October. Thousands of Christians all over the world celebrate the time of creation by organizing events. The celebration guide and other tools in various languages are available on the Time of Creation website. Thanks to the theme chosen for the celebrations, the events will permit our brothers and sisters in the Amazon to feel our closeness to them and to all those who suffer from the “extractive mentality” that is destroying not only the Amazon but all of Creation. They are therefore a clear sign of ecclesial communion and support in the Church’s journey towards the Synod.
Stefania Tanesini
Aug 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Antonio De Sanctis left us on June 21. He personified someone who, within the Focolare Movement, is known as a “volunteer of God” – someone who is committed to social and communitarian action. Tonino, as everyone called him, left us on June 21 this year. He lived in Frascati, a beautiful town in theCastelli Romani area just outside Rome, Italy. He personified someone who, within the Focolare Movement, is known as a “volunteer of God” – someone who is committed to social and communitarian action and promotes activities that benefit others. He worked sometimes alone and sometimes as part of a team in numerous projects many of which he initiated. He was a faithful and caring husband to his wife, Mary; an attentive father; a tireless worker and a committed member of the communitywhere he lived and was capable of creating truly fraternal relationships. Tonino regarded the community as a place where the presence of God and the Church could be made visible:he was not worried about what other people thought and often broke through social convention. His life is best described by the words from scripture that refer to the corporal works of mercy: these words are precepts for all Christians. “Because I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; sick and you visited me, imprisoned and you came to visit me…”This last phrase is particularly characteristic of Tonino because throughout his life he was dedicated to supporting prisoners and their families. This began thanks to a chance comment made by a friend. Tonino used to visit a lot of young people in prison. One day, he realised that a nun who was also a volunteer visitor was upset because of the “mountains of pornographic literature” that used to arrive. He was thinking about this on his way home when, in the main square of his town, he met a priest friend from a nearby village. He shared his concerns straightaway. The priest replied, “Next Sunday, come and tell my parishioners what you have just told me so you can collect donations to send “New City” magazines to prisoners.” This was how it began. For many years, on Sundays, at the various Masses in theCastelli Romani and southern Rome areas, Tonino’s unmistakable voice could be heard. In a shy, modest way, he used to talk about his commitment to prisoners and ask for donations to subscribe them to the Focolare magazine. He sent dozens of copies to the various prisons he visited. In February 2012, “Città Nuova”, published “The Rainbow Behind Bars” recounting, in four instalments,Tonino and his family’s many experiences. These stories are like the “little flowers” of Gospel life to which Saint Francis” often referred. Sometimes Tonino’s behaviour could seem daring – he did not mind running risks. For example, he did not hesitate to welcome prisoners into his home. He became a second father to many of them even after they were released. The excerpt from a letter written by one of the former prisoners expresses this very clearly: “In your house, I finally felt ‘at home’. I have never had this sense of belonging to a place and to people before. You were the means through which I felt Jesus’ mercytouch my heart and I understood the place God occupies in my life. He is my first thought in the morning and my last thought before I go to sleep. I am happy because God has entered my life like a great hurricane sweeping away everything else. Antonio, you and your whole family are a living witness to the Gospel, you are a work of God.” Many people attended his funeral on 22 June in the cathedral of Frascati. The Mass was concelebrated by his brother-in-law, Don Enrico Pepe, and Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz. In their eulogy his three children, Miriam, Gabriele and Stefano, said: “You were a safe harbour at the end of a sunny day or after a storm: you were always there, ready to listen, to welcome us and to encourage us to return to the sea without fear.”
Lina Ciampi
Aug 22, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Since 2012, theworld-famous Salzburg Festival, the most important event dedicated to classical music, starts with an overture spirituelle:anumberof sacred music concerts and performances dedicated to dialoguebetween religions. Many famous international artists take part in this festival, andthis year, for the first time, the Archdiocese of Salzburg participated with an exhibition of works by the French artist Michel Pochet. 
On July 20, 2019 the entrance hall of the Archbishop’s Palace in the city of Salzburg was packed with people.At five o’clock on that Saturday afternoon, Helga Rabl-Stadler, the president of the Festival and Archbishop Franz Lackner inaugurated the exhibition entitled “Lacrimae”(tears), worksof the French artist Michel Pochet. Mgr. Matthäus Appesbacher, the Bishop’s vicar said: “It is the first time that the Salzburg Catholic Church is participating in the so-called ouverture spirituelle of the music festival”. He recountedall about the genesis of this exhibition, andsharedthat when he came to know that Pochet presented his work of art, the weeping face of God-Mercy, as a gift to Pope Francis, he decided to invite the artist to this year’s ouverture spirituelle, the central theme of which was “tears”. In his brief speech Michel Pochet insisted that “beauty is a primary need for man”. He emphasized that artists need to be freed from social uselessness complex, and he related the story of a young man in the Amazon region who managed to support hishungry family by playing his flute. The works chosen for this exhibition, which lasted till July 30, stimulated dialogue. The majestic setting for it was the city of Salsburg, where the legacy of this past Church state stands outeverywhere. Here, the encounter between Church and art speaks with a strong celebratory tone, while Pochet’s works are decidedly anti-triumphalistic in matter, form and content. 
His canvases, as the one which “speaks” about God’s presence in Auschwitz, demonstrate this. Pochet uses alightstroke on a white cloth almost reduced to shreds. This piece of art depicts God’s crying face-heart looking at the outrageous horror of a mountain of corpses. One detail surprises and almost irritates: each corpse has an identification card, something thatdid not exist in extermination camps. However, we see itin TV detective films: it is only a bureaucratic procedure that draws dead people in morgues out of anonymity. On canvas it is a timid reminder of God’s memory: He does not forget, although an attempt has been made to erase countless names from the face of the earth. Next to this scene, almost as a contrast, there appears a large face of Mary whose linear features, present an almost virile aspect. This cloth soaked in tender colours is full of poetry: Mary’s tears are like pearls of dew and speak of the dawn of a new creation. This exhibition was set up in the entrance hall and an adjacent room. It included a series of graphics in black and white: a “Via Crucis” with scenes from Christ’s passion and others that show today’s sufferings. It also included a series of meditations on other “faces of God”, that show closeness tohis people through his archangels. One can define this as “sacred art”, although it differs a lotfrom works known by this name. It does not depict scenes from the Holy Scripture or – as in the Baroque and Rococo art- the concepts of theologians, but it depicts the audacity of personal reflection. The focus on the face brings to mind the words of the philosopher Giuseppe M. Zanghì, according to whom “the emerging Sacred” in the twenty-first century is “One without a face”, a “Power without a face”.[1]
Peter Seifert , art historian
[1]Giuseppe Maria Zanghí, Notte della cultura europea, Rome 2007, pp. 46-47
Aug 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In international jargon they are called “expats”: they are the young expatriates who have found work and have decided to live abroad. Each one has his or her own reasons for making this move, each one has their own story. Mitty is an expat: she is Italian and does research on glucose biosensors at a Japanese university and lives in the Focolare community in Tokyo. “Today, technology has enormous influence in all fields, including health care. I feel called to work in this area because I want to help direct technical research according to ethical and non-business choices. Sometimes we biomedical engineers invent things that reduce human beings to robots but do nothing to improve health. There is no doubt that Mitty whose real name is Maria Antonietta Casulli has clear ideas. She studied biomedical engineering in Italy, but moved to Switzerland to complete her thesis at the prestigious Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL – Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne) and was awarded a research post to prepare for a doctorate. The prerequisites for a marvellous career were all there: a substantial salary, a beautiful house with a view of Lake Geneva, good friends. What more could she have wanted? “And yet – says Mitty – something was not working: it was 2013; we were in the midst of an economic crisis and I had a perfect life. But beyond the Alps, in Italy, many of my friends were running the risk of becoming depressed because they couldn’t find work. In addition, I didn’t want my life to consist only of a career and money. But the “coup d’état” was a trip to the Philippines where I found myself in the middle of one of the most powerful and devastating typhoons in the world: Typhoon Yolanda. The contrast I experienced was enormous: this people had nothing of what my friends and I had, but they lived life with a capital “L”; their life was full, rich in relationships and great dignity. Paradoxically, this seemed to me to be the medicine for the crisis that my continent, Europe, was going through: it was not just an economic crisis; it was much more: a void in the fundamental values of life”. After that trip Mitty decided not to return to Switzerland because she felt she wanted give back to God all the life that he had given to her. And so, following a period of formation for focolarini, she moved to Japan two years ago and now lives in the Focolare community in Tokyo. Upon arriving, her first task was to study the language. This challenge plus the time taken for formation has meant she has been out of the world of work for five years. Could she go back to doing research, especially in a society like Japan? “Just as I was asking myself these questions, a friend who was passing by told me about a Japanese Catholic professor from a university in Tokyo who does research on glucose biosensors – the very subject I had studied for my degree! Since the chances of finding someone in Japan who had completed the same studies are almost nil, Mitty understood that God was at work in her life and she has since seen he continues to do so. The professor gave her the opportunity to complete her doctorate, but there was still a problem: “In Japan I wouldn’t have had a salary as I would have done in Switzerland. In fact, I would have had to pay for my doctorate”. Here too, God’s answer was surprising. Almost by chance, Mitty found herself being interviewed by six managers from different Japanese companies: a difficult situation for a young foreign woman. “I felt that God was with me and that, in the end, they were all just people to love. This changed the way I presented the project and listened to them when they spoke. For an hour I told them about my project, but for the next hour I answered their questions about my choice of life as a focolarina and why I was in Japan. I received 100% of the funding for the project and I must say that I saw the power of God making its way into this culture and these environments in a world I had never imagined. Just two months after beginning my doctorate, my former Swiss professor came to Tokyo and we were able to organize a seminar at my new university. At dinner, watching the two professors speak together, it seemed to me that I understood what God wants from me now. Not only to do research, but to build bridges: between universities and companies, between East and West. All I have to do is continue to give myself totally to God”.
Stefania Tanesini
Aug 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Emilia Romagna Teens4Unity, who chose the Holy Land as their site for this year’s “workshop”, shared a very profound spiritual and human experience with peers who live in that country. Their enriching experience ranged from visiting the Grotto of the Nativity to trekking in the Judaean Desert, from visting the Holy Sepulchre to bathing in the Dead Sea, from the renewal of their baptismal promises in the River Jordan to a boat trip on Lake Tiberias. If one stops at this itinerary, it would have been only a trip or, as many would call it, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the footsteps of Jesus to retrace the life of Him who gives meaning to our life as Christians. 
But if to this itinerary, one adds an afternoon visit to the Creche Orphanage in Bethlehem, a meeting with the Auxiliary Bishop Kamal Batish of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the exchange of experiences with youth and other local Focolare members, then one would be able to talk about the Emilia Romagna Teens4Unity Workshop that took place in the Holy Land from 23 to 30 July. The protagonists were 45 young people and animators, keen to become more familiar with places that are at the centre of their Christian faith. These young people have already participated in many other experiences: they took part in World Youth Day held in Poland three years ago; they visited Amatrice in the Abruzzo region, where they offered a donation of money to support the youth of this Italian city devastated by a powerful earthquake in 2016; they took part in two workshops organized by the international music groups Gen Verde and Gen Rosso; they organized ecological and non-ecological activities, promoted initiatives in favour of the Zero Hunger project and collected money to provide for hearing-aid batteries needed for deaf and dumb children in Belarus. These activities led to the desire for a deeper spiritual experience, and these young people went for it. James related: “I had a very strong experience while we were walking in the desert. The animators suggested silence to help us live a moment of personal dialogue with Jesus. I must admit that after a while that silence frightened me because in our society we are not used to it”. Life in common and sharing are typical characteristics of these experiences, where one feels comfortable to share everything, from tiredness to deep spiritual thoughts, and where the group becomes very sensitive to the difficulties of the individual. Chiara commented: “In a few days, I will forget all about the hot weather, the effort to climb Mount Tabor on foot, running a temperature on the day we had to visit the orphanage, something I was really looking foward to… but I will always remember this trip because I have lived it with my family par excellence. Yes, I travel even with my natural family, but it’s not the same. My Focolare friends are real family to me and a very special one”. 
As expected, moments of tension and fatigue were also part of the journey, yet as Joshua said: “When we listened to the experiences of the Palestinian youth, our perspective changed. We have no idea what it means to be a minority because of religious belief. We have never experienced the presence of a wall in our everyday life like the one that separates Israel and Palestine. These things became food for my thoughts”. Annamaria said: “When we met the children at the Creche, my eyes opened. I have discovered that all my life is a great gift”. The seven days in the Holy Land flew by and it was soon time for the group to return to Italy, but this experience, which summarises the great mystery of pain-love that finds fulfilment in the Resurrection, remains imprinted on the heart of each one. That empty sepulchre still cries out loudly Alleluia.
Tiziana Nicastro
Aug 16, 2019 | Non categorizzato
#intimeforpeace is the hashtag that expresses the Focolare youth’s commitment for the coming year. Programmes for campuses, workshops and courses in different parts of the world, starting from Loppiano (Italy), are already focusing on it. During the past year, until May 2019, the Focolare youth concentrated on promoting and contributing towards a more humane economy, one of communion that pledges attention to people in need. During the last couple of months they have also started to focus on various fields of justice, because Economy and Justice are the first two steps in Pathways for a United World: a global strategy proposed by Youth for a United World (Y4UW) as a commitment to address the challenges our world has to face. In this project there are six different pathways, one for each year, and as one of the organizers explained: “Each year we focus on a different challenge without neglecting our previous commitments. Our commitment ranges from economy to politics, from justice to art, from dialogue between cultures to sport, and we promote actions, collaborations and projects based on fraternity and geared towards a local impact that aims at a global change”. The motto “In time for peace” marks the commitment for the coming year, which ends at Korea during the first week of May 2020. During the coming months, the Gen and Y4UW will be offered opportunities where they can train, study in depth and exchange ideas on themes that deal with justice, peace, legality and rights. The Summer School, held in Loppiano from 7 to 22 July, proved to be a very significant opportunity. The 40 young participants came from various countries, that included Korea, Hong Kong, Malta, Scotland, Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Myanmar, Poland and Colombia. Maria Giovanna Rigatelli, a lawyer involved in “Communion and Law”, who participated as an expert, highlighted the importance of similar experiences, opportunities for young people to immerse themselves both in the cultural heritage and in the historical wounds of the different peoples they come into contact with. “The world’s situation reveals lack of knowledge about the values of human rights. The school made us become more aware of the importance of personal commitment to contribute, for example, in dramatic situations like that of the two Koreas or Hong Kong. Through our commitment, we can be a light that shines in many parts of the world”. Y, a young girl from Korea said: “Our nation is divided into two and there are many wounds that do not justify this division. To have peace we must learn to dialogue. During this school I thought: if we continue to love, to love, to love, maybe at the end we will be able to reunite the two Koreas”. D. explained: “Before I came here, so many things were happening in Hong Kong, and I started to think that, maybe, at times the use of violence is necessary and that peace might not be the only remedy to solve the problems. I felt very frustrated. But after the experience I have lived here and all that I have heard about peace, I now feel so happy. During this year, as young people, we will go deeper and live in the “pathway” dedicated to human rights, justice and peace. So I question myself: how can I say that it is good to use violence, when so many people are wounded and killed? Here, I have learned how to love others and how to focus on love among us. I know it’s difficult to walk in the path of peace, but I think we should try to achieve it without using violence. When I return home, I want to make use of what I’ve learned and experienced in Loppiano so that I can love people in Hong Kong, even the ones I hate”.
Stefania Tanesini
Aug 14, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At times, material wealth fills our ‘heart’ and creates an anxiety to always have more, a real and true dependence. Instead sharing spiritual and material goods with those who are in need allows one to experience true freedom: this style of Christian living gives witness to trust in God the Father and puts down a solid foundation for the civilisation of love. A gift from God Our fifth child David, seemed a normal child at birth. However, after some time the doctors explained to us that he had Down Syndrome. In that moment my husband and I remembered that we had accepted David, from the moment of his conception, as a gift from God. His older sister, when she learnt about him, wrote in her diary: ‘I don’t just want to be a sister to David, I want to be his mother’. Surrounded by a great love David continues to make progress. He goes to school regularly and is very affectionate. He is full of joy. His joy is contagious. He truly showed he was a real gift from God. (Jacqueline – Scotland) In prison There was a boy in my cell who had no money to eat. He took a box from another inmate who threatened him making him pay three Naira. Then he began to ask other inmates for money. I had only five Naira which I needed to buy food. But I remembered the gospel and I understood that to love God I had to love my neighbour. So, I gave him my money. Later on, someone came to my cell and brought me food. (Sylvester – Nigeria) Supper This evening when I got back from the university I sat down in front of the television as usual expecting that my mother, who was watching her favourite programme, should get up and prepare my supper. Then a thought: a few days ago, I heard three medical students talking about the gospel and they emphasised the importance of doing the will of God during the day. So, I got up and went to the kitchen and prepared supper. It was my first conscious act of love. (T.C. – Italy) The foundation of our marriage After we married, despite the fact that we loved one another, each of us remained ‘as we were’, each of us with our own particular habits. One day there was a great difference of opinion on how to cook a particular Czech meal. The difference in opinion was so great that we took a decision: we would always accept one another as we were without wanting to change the other. Perhaps that was when we laid the foundation of our marriage. Now that we are grandparents, we try to share this experience with our grandchildren grateful to God for having opened our eyes. (J. e T. – Bohemia)
Edited by Chiara Favotti
Aug 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At the European Mariapolis the story of a possible friendship that sows seeds of peace Open up and “choose an inclusive lifestyle”. Open up to reconcile with each other and discover the pearl that is inside each person. Open up like Jesus, who met everyone, and let the Holy Spirit act “who rejoices in diversity but pursues unity”. This is the way pursued by Rev Ken Newell, Presbyterian minister in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland. A land that still suffers today from the wounds left by the conflict that for 30 years, since the end of the 1960s, has seen unionists and separatists opposing each other: the first, Protestants, who support belonging to the United Kingdom; the second, Catholics, who support the reunification of Northern and Southern Ireland. A political conflict that has poisoned the social fabric, turning cities into battlefields and leading to “religious segregation”: Protestants and Catholics live in different neighbourhoods, communities do not meet, there is mistrust and prejudice. It was not easy for Reverend Ken to try to build bridges. He had to begin with himself. “ I grew up in Belfast in a Protestant and Unionist community” – he tells the European Mariapolis – “ in my early years I was shaped by the culture of my community (..); many things were healthy, good and serene; other aspects influenced me with negative attitudes towards the Catholic, Irish and Nationalist community, which took me years to overcome”. A path that helped him gradually to open up and discover the beauty of diversity. While in Holland the meeting with a priest convinced him to attend a Mass. Or again in Indonesia, where, as a teacher in a seminary in Timor, he was able to immerse himself in a different country, with its own language, food and culture. “I began to realize that, just as there are different colours in the rainbow, so too God created the human race with incredible diversity; valuing the cultures of Timor taught me to value the good within my own culture. In contact with the priest Noel Carrel, the discovery of a possible friendship: “we realized that we were in Timor to serve the one Christ, that we had the same Heavenly Father and we were brothers. I asked myself if it would be possible to have such a friend in Northern Ireland. Hence a clear awareness: “The Holy Spirit made me open up to “diversity” at the other end of the world and prompted me to seek the best in Irish Catholic culture and spirituality. Returning to Belfast in 1976, he was called to lead the Presbyterian Church of Fitzroy: his inclusive lifestyle was against the tide. In one of the toughest moments of the conflict, his invitation to build new relationships was taken up by the members of a Redemptorist monastery in Clonard: and so, began the Association of Clonard – Fitzroy. The human and spiritual friendship with Father Gerry Reynolds, leader of the Community of Clonard, “companion in the building of peace”, gave rise to many experiences of sharing: “We begin to go together to the funerals of policemen killed by terrorists and of innocent civilians killed by loyalist paramilitary groups; it is rare to see Protestant ministers and Catholic priests together at funerals to comfort the families of the deceased”. It then happens that they participate in each other’s celebrations and that Fr. Gerry and Rev. Ken participate together in marriages between people from different Churches. Another unthought of step is made possible: the priest and the minister are invited to meetings with political leaders of the opposing parties, to reach a ceasefire and adopt policies of peace. Slowly, politicians from the main parties in Northern Ireland, the pro-British DUP and the pro-Irish Sinn Fein, recognise the Clonard – Fitzroy Association as a “safe space” for discussion. The desire for reconciliation grows that will lead, in 2007, to the “miracle of Belfast”: “in Stormont, the government building of Northern Ireland” – says Rev. Newell – “Rev. Ian Paisley, Prime Minister of the shared executive power, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Martin McGuinness, former commander of the IRA, descend the marble staircase, sit side by side in front of the world press and address the people of Northern Ireland; they speak of their determination to lead the country towards a better and more reconciled future”. It is the dawn of a new day. The Clonard-Fitzroy Association, which has been operating for 38 years and has inspired thousands of similar initiatives, received the 1999 Pax Christi International Peace Prize.
Claudia di Lorenzi
Aug 12, 2019 | Non categorizzato
This country has all it takes to be a model for the world of shared life in society and among religions. Yet the longstanding political and economic crises undermine this careful balance. For 50 years the Focolare has been seeking to make its own contribution. https://vimeo.com/343239477
Aug 10, 2019 | Non categorizzato
https://vimeo.com/459315159 Read the text of the video
Aug 10, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At the end of the European Mariapolis, Maria Voce reiterated the value and relevance of the commitment to unity among peoples made 60 years ago. The Focolare President’s full text. “If one day all people, not as individuals but as peoples; if one day all peoples learned how to set themselves aside, to set aside the idea they have of their homeland and their kingdoms, and offer them like incense to the Lord … and if they were to do this for the sake of mutual love among states, which God asks for in the same way that he asks for mutual love among brothers and sisters, that day will be the beginning of a new era. On that day, just as there is the living presence of Jesus between two people who love each other in Christ, so too Jesus will be alive and present among peoples ….”* In these words, on the 30th of August 1959, Chiara Lubich, the founder of Focolare Movement, outlined her dream for unity among all peoples. It became clear that this was the task that God entrusted to the new Movement, for the sake of humanity. In the aftermath of a war laden with hatred and pain, thousands of men and women from 27 countries and representing all continents made a solemn pact. It was the 22ndof August, the day on which the Catholic Church celebrates the Virgin Mary as Queen; and the Mariapolis in the Primiero Valley was coming to an end. Sixty years later, on the 10th of August, at the end of the European Mariapolis at Tonadico, everyone there celebrated this anniversary and re-launched the value and relevance of the commitment to unity among peoples. Below is the full text by Maria Voce, Focolare President. “Sixty years ago, in this locality, parliamentarians from different countries united in prayer to consecrate to Mary their own people and all peoples on earth. Each of them bore in their hearts the hopes and aspirations of their countries, to which they had to respond with responsible and fitting political choices. They faced significant challenges, at a time when ideological conflict was dividing the world into opposing blocs that threatened world peace. After the war, cities needed to be rebuilt, communities re-established, economies developed, lawfulness guaranteed and services maintained. All these were urgent problems calling for political competence and care for society. Yet those politicians did not gather round a table, nor did they organise an international summit; instead they prayed for unity among peoples. It was an unusual choice, indeed, but it guaranteed the future. The world of politics calls for skill and responsibility, honesty and consistency, the ability to work with passion and courage. But the value that most enhances political action is farsightedness, the ability to see beyond, to see further, so as to plan the future frameworks of society and foster their growth. Yes, at times of crisis and rebuilding, interpreting change can be important; being able to envisage the future can make all the difference. And the further ahead one is able to see, the more influential and transforming is one’s action in the present. Those politicians who, sixty years ago, asked God for the gift of unity and decided to commit to its fulfilment, knew how to look very far ahead. From their involvement with Chiara Lubich’s charism they had learned an important lesson: the destiny of the universe is unity. This was not only clear to them in an intellectual manner, because unity was the lifestyle and the norm of the Mariapolis: they had actually experienced it in the smaller or greater actions and choices of daily life. Unity lived in the Movement as it developed shed a special light on relationships in society that all people were called to edify, in whatever circumstances they found themselves. Unity is seen, always and in any age, as a new and revolutionary way of conceiving life and the world. It is not simply an ideal like any other, because it arises from the prayer that Jesus himself addressed to the Father, when he raised his eyes to heaven and prayed that all may be one. It is from this prayer that human history draws meaning. It is not by chance that one of the first politicians who followed Chiara Lubich was Igino Giordani, a member of the Italian parliament. He welcomed the ideal of unity interpreting it with this most effective expression: “history is a fifth gospel”, because history shows the constant and progressive fulfilment of Jesus prayer and therefore of God’s plan for creation. Everything is marching towards unity. This means that social changes that can positively transform the present are ones that accompany citizens, associations and states towards a world that is more cohesive, where there is greater solidarity. All that contributes to cooperation, peace and greater closeness among communities and groups is in line with authentic progress and enables development. In other words, if you want to do your people some good, you need to busy yourself with the good of other peoples. That is why, strengthened by a prophetic and ever relevant message, Chiara Lubich never ceased to spread the message of unity, speaking to politicians and all those actively engaged in society with the exhortation to “love your neighbour’s party as your own”, to “love your neighbour’s country as your own”. The challenges we face today are no less urgent than those of 60 years ago. Quite the opposite. The need to work for unity among peoples is clearer today than ever. The global processes we are witnessing show the interdependence of states, nations and communities on our planet. It is ever clearer that all peoples on earth share one destiny and that the big issues of our day concern matters that are vital for all people: care for the environment, older and newer types of poverty, the invisible conflicts and the wars that make the news, migration on a global scale (which is more often than not the outcome of poverty, war and climate change), the redistribution of wealth, access to natural resources and the recognition of human rights. These issues cut across civil, cultural and political differences. Hence, they engage countries in an ongoing cycle of dialogue aiming to develop processes of political integration and convergence in decision making. Yes, the future of humankind appeals, in a loud voice, for unity. The Focolare Movement responds to this appeal by fostering dialogue among different political parties (for example through the Movement for Politics and Policies for Unity), by encouraging the communion of goods and the culture of giving (through the Economy of Sharing), by studying the doctrine of unity (for example at the Sophia University Institute); by promoting unity in places of professional and social engagement and by way of many specific projects and initiatives (through New Humanity). Today too, like 60 years ago, we can pray to God for unity among all peoples on earth. My deepest wish is that this prayer should be accompanied by a renewed commitment, taken on both personally and as communities, to live for a united world. We will spread the seeds of change that are needed to transform the present and write new pages in the history of the human family as it progresses towards unity.”
Maria Voce
(*) http://www.centrochiaralubich.org/it/documenti/scritti/4-scritto-it/183-maria-regina-del-mondo.html
Aug 8, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In her 66 years, Christine, a Ugandan focolarina, said with her life that there are no insurmountable barriers in the world. She has been able to love each person and every place with great openness: first as an artist with the international group Gen Verde, then in Italy, at the service of the focolarine; and finally, back in Africa, first in Tanzania and then Kenya. 
At the beginning of the 1970s Chiara Lubich had an almost daily relationship with the Gen, the young people of the Focolare Movement. In a world in rapid evolution, shaken by revolutions of different ideologies and colours, the founder of the Focolare prepared the gen to conquer the world through evangelical love. A life-long project that, if embraced, required leaving everything behind and knowing how to look far into the future. In 1972 in Masaka, Uganda, Christine Naluyange made her choice. At the age of twenty she left for Fontem (Cameroon) to take part in one of the most visionary experiments in social coexistence of the time: living in a small town, built less than 10 years earlier where people lived together African and European, healthy and sick, gifted or not, so to say to themselves and to the world that fraternity as a way of life is possible, productive and even exportable. Telling about Christine, an African focolarina, a few days after her death on the 21st of July due to an aggressive disease, is not only a duty , but is necessary in times like these, when in the name of sovereign claims walls of all kinds are put up or, of the African continent, one only wants to see the faces of those who flee in search of a future. In her 66 years of life, Christine never considered the many differences encountered as insurmountable walls. On the contrary, she embraced them, she made her own the richness of every person, people and culture: first as an artist, for 23 years part of the international group Gen Verde, then in Italy at the Centre of the Movement, at the service of the women focolarine; then back in Africa, first in Tanzania and then in Kenya. Hers was a varied and full life, where she tried everything. She went on stage, served her brothers and sisters and carried out roles of responsibility; and all was done with great naturalness and normality. Her life was filled with relationships; she approached people with a mother’s heart, more and more ready to listen than to speak, to take care of each one’s needs. It was not for nothing that her motto of life was a phrase from the Gospel that Chiara Lubich had chosen for her: “Go and preach the Kingdom of God” (cf. Mk 16:15). Of the many testimonies that came as a sign of gratitude and praise to God, we report two that express well the human and spiritual richness of Christine. Maricel Prieto, a Spaniard who spent 18 years with Christine in Gen Verde, writes: ” One word, above all, comes to mind when I think of her: ‘royalty’. Christine was royal on stage, but she was also royal when she approached people, when she welcomed someone, when she loaded or unloaded the equipment from our trucks, when she worked in the garden, when she prepared lunch. And this was not just an attitude, but a constant ‘sinking’ into the present moment with a firm adherence to the will of God that made her always available, close”. “Having lived more than half of her life out of the African continent – says Liliane Mugombozi – Chris, as we called her, had acquired in a certain sense a universal ‘culture’, even if – for those who knew her well – she was a Ugandan woman, an authentic daughter of her land. Next to her you felt an enormous openness; she was a ‘world – woman’. Her great faith in and living for unity with a broad vision was impressive, she knew how to go beyond the injustices she had suffered. How can we explain all this? I believe that Chris had made a choice in life: she chose to love and in all her efforts to be consistent, according to the evangelical style of the spirituality of unity her model was Jesus crucified and Forsaken.
Stefania Tanesini
Aug 6, 2019 | Non categorizzato
In the souk in Aleppo we hear form Jalal: war means destruction and loss, that is true, but crossing the threshold of the Focolare we find a home and a community, a refuge and place of comfort, hope and joy, where people support one another in getting up and starting over again. https://vimeo.com/343239935
Aug 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The ongoing Mariapolis for Europe is encouraging sparks of the idea of universal fraternity – even in politics! “Love the other country as your own”. This is the challenging invitation launched during the Mariapolis for Europe currently underway in the Dolomites, by members of the Movement of Politics and Policy for Unity (MPPU), founded by Chiara Lubich. A radical proposal to allow the ‘Fraternity Factor’ into international relations between states and peoples. We discuss this idea with the Italian parliamentarian, the Honourable Letizia De Torre, who is the current president of the MPPU’s international centre. The MPPU as a school of thought aims to promote a “culture of fraternity” in the political field. What implications could this bring to relations between states, international institutions, political parties and even individual representatives? This question implies a serious appeal for a complete 360 degree change in politics! Actually, we can see that citizens everywhere are disillusioned and angry. They’re indignant. They feel betrayed. And they’re right! Politics, apart from a few rare exceptions, has been too slow to recognize the epoch-making changes taking place in the world. This has led to a profound crisis in international relations and organizations, in our political parties and democratic systems. Citizen movements are rising up everywhere, but who can they talk to? Who can answer their appeals? Protest alone cannot bring about change. To begin to grasp the impact the ideal of unity could have on international relations, let’s just imagine what would happen if states (beginning with the major geo-political powers) would act towards the other states “as they would like other states to treat them”! Apply this to any of the current areas of crisis. Then, just immagine if this attitude, applied to political behaviour, was reciprocated between states! And I don’t think this is such a utopia at all. It could actually be a pragmatic and advantageous approach. In the field of scientific research, including space exploration, enormous progress has been made to everyone’s benefit since governments decided to work together rather than in competition. So if our states could discover the value of cooperation, if our peoples could discover the possibility of loving one another, what amazing outcomes of peace, distribution of goods and know-how could emerge, what benefits for our shared home the earth! I do think that the world is moving in this direction – albeit very slowly. And the idea of unity could really be a potent accelerator. In the 1950s countries in Europe began to form common institutions: in 1951 the European Coal and Steel Community, in 1957 the European Economic Community. This impulse seems to have gone into reverse. Can it be revived? I don’t believe that the concept of unity in Europe has been lost. What I do think is that the European Union, like the rest of the world, has been shocked by the great transformations of this century. And because of the cultural crisis in the West, it has failed to summon up the energy required to generate a new political vision, a new understanding of its role on the international stage. The motto of the EU is “unity and diversity” and yet it has not been able to recognize within this the secret for facing the huge complexities of today’s world. However, we need to keep in mind that the European Union is not constituted of institutions in Brussels, but rather by its citizens, which means, us. So the steps ahead to take in the future depend to a large extent, on all of us. Internationally, alongside situations of tension, there are also examples of collaboration and reconciliation within and among countries. We see examples of this in Africa, in US-North Korea relations, as well as inside the ‘Old Continent’ of Europe. What do you make of this period of history we are in? The world has no choice but to hope for peace, concord and collaboration. Progress will always be slow, with many contradictions and reversals along the way, and with many weights dragging on our feet, starting with corruption. But it’s the direction we want to encourage with the paradigm we mentioned before: “Treat other peoples as you would like them to treat you!” For this to happen, it’s not enough to elect leaders who are willing and able to dedicate themselves to the good of their people and to establishing good relationships of unity among peoples. This would already be really great! But we also need the citizens to agree to it. Citizens must create the pressure towards global fraternity, they – we – must be able to see beyond a limited viewpiont towards the common good of the whole world.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Aug 2, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Duma, the Russian Parliament, invited members of Parliaments and experts for a discussion on the development of parliamentary systems. Letizia De Torre, president of the MPPU, was also present. “It is important to walk together with all those who are seeking some kind of change in the world. All of us, individually and collectively, are called to unity and so every positive step should be celebrated”. This is former member of the Italian Parliament and President of the International Centre of the Movement for Unity in Politics (MPPU), Letizia De Torre’s initial impression. She was present at a Forum which took place from 30 June to 3 July entitled “The Development of Parliamentarism” on the development of parliamentary systems. It proposed an iniative called co-governance, i.e. the idea of institutions and civil society exercising co-responsibility in governing cities and international relations. This idea was the central theme of a conference held in Castelgandolfo (Rome, Italy) last January and was put forward on different levels and in different countries and will be developed further at a second high-level meeting in Brazil in 2021. How did CO-Governance arrive in Moscow? The Secretary General and the Advisor of the IAO (Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy), http://eiao.org/home_english_iao, – a network of Orthodox parliamentarians, including Russians, with whom we work together – took part in the CO-Governance event in Rome in 2019. They were really interested in the idea and made sure that the MPPU was invited to the Forum – http://duma.gov.ru/en/international/forum_english/. I must say that it was only when I arrived in Moscow that I really understood why. In fact, it may come as a surprise to learn that Russia’s institutional system is defined by expressions such as “controlled democracy”, “centralism”, “ambivalence between modernization and traditionalism”, while co-governance involves co-responsibility, widespread participation, innovative relations between politicians and citizens … In fact, and this is symptomatic of an epochal change we are currently experiencing, politicians are being asked to change. Citizens have lost confidence and the Internet has catapulted us into a world which takes us beyond the rigidity of the palaces of politics. Many parliamentarians are looking for new paths to follow and CO-Governance expresses the idea of a deep relationship between politicians and citizens, and of co-responsibility for governing at all levels, without fear of the times we are living in which are so complex. How was your proposal received? The idea of collaboration is developing in all societies and the Forum’s final declaration also reflects this sign of the times. But what has been welcomed with surprise is the underlying political logic: “Treat the other country and everyone ‘other than you’ as you would like to be treated yourself. This attitude revolutionizes politics and gives it the new role it needs today: that of facilitator and catalyst for collaboration between everyone. What does the MPPU take away from this official presence in Russia? First of all, I experienced a change on a personal level. The Russian people are wonderful and attentive; Moscow is beautiful, rich in history, efficient and remains in your heart. In this sense it is easy to feel that you are amongst brothers and sisters. But getting to know another country’s political system more deeply is a different story. I “landed” in a political culture which was completely different and I was afraid I wouldn’t understand it. At the first difficulties I found myself at a crossroads. I could either set myself apart or put into practice the “method” that had one day fascinated me. I consciously decided to love Russia as much as I love my own country. You don’t love your own country because it’s perfect. You just love it. You enjoy and suffer with and for it in good times and in hard times. That’s how I began to understand Russia today. I tried to look at the world from its point of view, even to the point of feeling regret for the negative judgments it receives which are often instrumental in the race for geopolitical supremacy. I appreciated how the Forum was intent on exercising “soft power”, with which I believe Russia is trying to gain the trust of other countries and draw closer to them with more dignity and respect. I found myself more open to accepting and welcoming, for example, the desire for unity between the two Koreas expressed by the North Korean MP; the commitment to seek “partnership” rather than dependence expressed by a Ghanaian MP; the hope expressed by the Syrian delegation and the question expressed by the Lebanese MP “But why do we kill each other?” who concluded with the strength of his Orthodox faith: “God does not want this!”.
Stefania Tanesini
Aug 1, 2019 | Non categorizzato
‘Heart’ refers to that which is our inner most being, what is hidden, what is most alive; ‘treasure’ refers to what has most value, what gives us a sense of security today and for the future. The heart is where all our values lie, where our choices are rooted, the secret place where we work out the meaning of our life: what is our priority? On the underground Train While I was travelling on the underground train I went over a topic that I considered important for the upcoming exam. At the next station a student got on whom I knew. She is sitting for the same exam and she asks me about a topic that I don’t consider very important. Seeing how agitated she is, I ‘forget’ my plan and focus on what she suggests. Later, in the oral exam, the professor asks me about that very topic which I just studied with her! (M.L. – Germany) Life awakened by God I am Turkish, a Muslim. When I told my husband Sahib that I thought I was pregnant for the fourth time he began to list all the sacrifices we would have to make. I was completely confused and I asked the gynaecologist if I was still in time to have an abortion. He told me it was just a matter of putting my name down on the waiting list. However, within me I felt that no one in the world has the right to end a life that God has begun. The months that followed were very difficult but I had made up my mind to fight on. Many friends, Christian and Muslim, supported me. Reading the Koran, I could feel the warmth of God who gave me strength. Little by little, Sahib found peace. We have never been as happy as we are with this child. With him, God has come to live under our roof. (F.O. – Germany) Terminally ill While in hospital due to an inoperable tumour, I felt very close to God. It was like a great, inexplicable happiness filled the whole of my being. I tried to befriend the other patients and we felt like brothers, not just those in the room but also with the others. Each time someone was discharged it was painful to say goodbye. It seemed like illness made us deepen our relationships. Now that I am getting weaker, I feel that the brotherhood established in the hospital is accompanying me and supporting me in the final stage of the journey. (M.J. France) Solidarity We got a request from the hospital to do something for a 19-year-old Albanian girl who had just put to bed/given birth. She, her husband and a brother were living in a car. My husband went to the hospital administrator to ask if they could keep the mother and baby for another few days and he agreed. I asked my parents if they would be ready to let them use their old flat. With the help of the two Albanian boys and other friends, my husband painted the rooms. A friend offered some furniture. A plumber did some jobs for free. When she left the hospital, L went to a cosy house. The Council Social Services arranged for a free meal a day until she could find work. (A.A. – Italy)
Edited by Chiara Favotti
Jul 31, 2019 | Non categorizzato
“What do you think?”, “What would you do if you were me?” People often ask for our help, or we realise they need it, and we are convinced that to help a friend, a brother, a person, we need to “do” something. In the book “Meditations”, a collection of Chiara Lubich’s very first spiritual writings, we find a few lines where she invites us to change our perspective and aim at the life of God in us. Thus, our love for all others would be His love and not ours. There are those who do things ‘for love’. There are those who do things trying to ‘be Love’. Someone who does things ‘for love’ may do them well, but thinking for example that they are doing a great service for their neighbour, who is sick for instance, they may annoy them with their chatter, their advice and their help. Such charity is burdensome and not to the point. Poor thing! They may gain merit, but the other person gains a burden. That is why we must ‘be Love’. Our destiny is like that of the stars: if they revolve, they are; if they do not, they are not. We are, in the sense that not our own life but the life of God lives in us, if we do not stop loving for one moment. Love places us in God and God is Love. But Love, which is God, is light and with the light we see whether our way of approaching and serving our neighbour is according to the heart of God, as our neighbour would wish to be, as they would dream of it being if they had beside them not us, but Jesus.
Chiara Lubich
Text adapted from Meditations, New City London, Dublin, 1989, p. 45
Jul 30, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Does it still make sense to work for fraternity in politics? A pact for the brotherhood of peoples, originally drawn up 60 years ago, will be renewed on August 10 at the European Mariapolis. We spoke with Marco Titli from the Focolare’s Movement for Unity in Politics. Echoes from the war could still be heard back on August 22, 1959. Yet at the end of the Mariapolis that was being held in the Primiero Valley that year, representatives of the five continents came together and established a pact of unity. Praying in nine languages, they consecrated their own peoples to Mary, affirming that fraternity was truly possible. Sixty years later, descending to the current political climate, the idea of a pact of unity for the brotherhood of peoples seems utopian – both because it comes from a low point (as it did in 1959) and because it would need to come from governments themselves. Do we need to resign ourselves – or does it even make sense – to work for political fraternity? We discussed it with Marco Titli, 33, who works in parliament and is active in the Movement for Unity in Politics, a district councillor in Turin. What message does the European Mariapolis give to a Europe that is divided between integrating and special interests? “The role of the Mariapolis is not to enter into political debate. The message that we hope to give is that the unity of Europe is a value worth safeguarding, while respecting each country’s individual identity. If Europe breaks up, we end up back to defending borders. Instead, it is bridges and roads that widen our perspectives and bring well-being. The Focolare is part of a network of other efforts in the Church, such as actions against arms exports to Yemen, or combatting against problem gambling.” There is a crisis of trust towards political parties that has exacerbated, and citizens step back from active participation. How can we rebuild trust? “Alongside the political crisis I also see another in the media, which spotlights bad news. Many mayors risk their lives fighting against organised crime and risk their reputations accomplishing brave things for their cities. At the national level as well, there are politicians who fight for the common good. If you look beyond the political apathy, there are many great people in politics today.” Holding fast to your ideals can sometimes mean making someone else unhappy. How do you decide on which actions to take in politics? “In politics, you need to be ready to compromise. We live in complex situations. But not just any compromise – when faced with illegal activities or serious incidents you need to be able to say no. That means you need to take risks. Many public servants have fallen because they said no and were not even understood by their own constituencies. Yet if you shun compromise and go into politics to defend your ideas, you bring division. It is a hard road, and there can be opposition, but a politician is called to listen to special interests and then compose a mosaic with them.” Can you tell us about collaborative efforts between parties in your city? “We were building a bridge near the Porta Susa station in Turin, which joins two parts of the city that were once divided. Together with others in my district and those on the other side of the bridge, I proposed that we name the structure after the European Union, a symbol of unity between different peoples. The project was unanimously approved, and a number of political groups attended the naming ceremony. It was a moment of hope, and my wish is that signs like this can build citizens’ trust towards politics.”
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Immagine:© Ufficio stampa Mariapoli Europea
Jul 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Young writer Andrea Cardinali shares about the fourth Harmony Among Peoples summer camp for kids, held in the Holy Land in July. This story is both his personal experience and that of a country which, perhaps more than many others, has the ability to touch the soul. There are trips that leave you relaxed because they’re holidays, others that you need to take days to rest and recover from. Then there are trips that when you come back you ask yourself, “Where was I?” 
Sometimes you live everything so intensely that there’s no time to question – that stage when people ask themselves about why things are, where things are headed, and the meaning of it all. That’s not necessarily bad – quite the contrary. This can particularly happen when you spend most of your time with children who have yet to understand that they are “prisoners” in their own birthplace, Palestine. And the fact that there is no time to question is not a symptom of a lack of reflection. Some trips, perhaps the greatest ones, work like that—you say a somewhat ignorant “yes”, take off and go all in to the full adventure. You can’t even think of what it might mean from outside looking in; you are so beyond yourself that you go through it and find meaning within.
I was in Palestine for 18 days, having been dragged there by Antonella Lombardo and the brilliant girls from the Dance Lab at Montecatini School (Italy), some of whom I had met at the unforgettable “Let’s Bridge” Genfest in 2012. “Harmony Among Peoples” began in 2005, with the idea to use art and dance as tools to unite peoples and cultures. After various editions in Italy and workshops with youth from a number of countries, some years ago the “Children Without Borders” project began, thanks to a collaboration with Father Ibrahim Faltas. This summer the fourth edition was held in Palestine, and I was the newest addition to this band of artist-educators. Together with Luca Aparo of Sportmeet, we also took a sports angle. We know that sports are just as important to learn how to enjoy while respecting all kinds of diversity. After two weeks of artistic workshops we opened with the children on July 14 at the Notre Dame Theatre in Jerusalem, and on July 16 at the John Paul II Foundation in Bethlehem. It showed the historical meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt, Malik Al-Kamil, which happened 800 years ago in 1219. To enhance the two evenings, singer Milad Fatouleh also performed with us. He is known in Italy for Una stella a Betlemme, which was voted best foreign song at the 2004 Zecchino d’Oro. There were many political and religious figures who attended the two shows, which celebrated the meeting between Christianity and Islam. It was a prophetic sign of interreligious dialogue and possible peace.
Andrea Cardinali
Jul 28, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The present and future challenges of humanity in the light of Chiara Lubich’s intuitions and experiences of summer 1949. The theologian Hubertus Blaumeiser relates about the recent Abbà School seminar held at Tonadico (Trent, Italy). Who are we? How do we achieve our fulfillment? What relationship do we have with others? What are our goals and what about our roots? Today, these questions are being asked with a new urgency, because, scientifically, man can appear to be simply the result of evolution, determined by his genes and brain activity, and because he can be empowered by new technologies, and also manipulated by them. Today, these questions present a certain emergency because masses of people are compelled to flee from their countries or forced to experience the poverty of slums, and man’s interventions may risk to compromise the planet’s state of affairs. These very complex challenges cannot be tackled in a sectoral way; they need new approaches, they need “light”. The 65 scholars, who met at Tonadico, on the Dolomites, from the 14 to 16 July, are fully convinced of this. They got together for a seminar that involved the “Abba School” (the interdisciplinary centre of studies of the Focolare Movement), the “Sophia” University Institute (Loppiano, Italy) and the “Chiara Lubich Centre”. What was the objective of these scholars engaged in about twenty academic disciplines? While putting aside ideas that might have led to the expectation of rapid conclusions, they aimed at avenues of research that could be followed together. Place and time offered the perfect setting: Chiara Lubich and the first nucleus of the Focolare Movement were in this same mountainous spot exactly 70 years ago when a period of overwhelming experiences and insights started. While being led to feel enraptured in God, Lubich and her companions discovered that they were looking at the world not from “above” or “below”, but from “within”, if one can say so. This experience left an indelible mark on them, and it was decisive for the Movement’s development. Later on, one realized that it was also a source of light for new cultural developments in the whole range of scientific disciplines. The vision of the human being that emerged from this seminar was varied yet convergent. Piero Coda, the Dean of the Sophia University Institute, spoke about the need of further development in universal, “panchosmic and pan-human” self-awareness, quoting Chiara Lubich: “my ego is humanity, with all men who were, are and will be”. While speaking about a vision of man and society that is not at all static, Anouk Grevin, the French economist who is a scholar in the dynamics of giving, said: “Giving and receiving are both based on the ability of discovering myself in the other person, of owning all that is his, in such a way that we can communicate fully and receive one another totally “. Whilst referring to environmental issues, the political scientist Pasquale Ferrara and the nature scientist Sergio Rondinara indicated that: “World politics adopt an anthropocentric view of the globe, while the socio-natural dimension of our planet’s life still remains in the shadow”. Urgent is the need to move from a “despotic” anthropocentrism and pass on to “an anthropology that is not hegemonic but oblatory”. In his comment at the end of the seminar, Fabio Ciardi, the coordinator of the Abbà School said: “As the hours went by, we delved deeper into the realities of existence. We need to move ahead: we must work in our own field and confront with the other disciplines”. Jesús Morán, co-president of the Focolare, indicated a twofold task: an adequate hermeneutics of the charism of unity and “the service to humanity, addressing at least some of the most important issues of our time”.
Hubertus Blaumeiser
Jul 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Travelling from Damascus to Aleppo, you go through Homs. We saw for ourselves what is happening there: the rebuilding and the people’s determination to go back to a normal life in a country where the war is not yet over and rubble blocks roads and hinders lives. We saw what the Focolare is doing through projects run by the Action for a United World (AMU) and the New Families Association (AFN). https://vimeo.com/343238660
Jul 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
An interview with Lucia Abignente, co-author with Giovanni Delama of ‘A Golden City’, the story of the first Mariapoli, to be published by Città Nuova in September. The first Mariapolis happened 70 years ago in the Dolomites in the Trentino province of northern Italy. It was the summer of 1949 and Chiara Lubich had a few years earlier made her definitive choice to live the Gospel, a choice already shared with a group of companions. Together they went to the mountains, to Tonadico di Primiero, to rest. It became a key moment in the history of the Focolare Movement. During this time, through a mystical experience Chiara gained a new understanding of God’s plan on the emerging presence in the Church: the Work of Mary. Since that time, similar gatherings, which came to be called Mariapolis (“City of Mary”), take place every year in summer time, in countries all around the world. In the story of Mariapoli, the years from 1949 to 1959 have particular significance. Can you explain in what way? Those years mark the origins of Mariapolis, years in which the power of the charism of unity, given by God to Chiara for the Church, was producing new fruits. A very strong sense of communion was generated among the participants who were of all ages, social backgrounds and even from different countries. (The 1959 Mariapolis was visited by 12,000 people from 27 countries!) It emerged as a profound experience of God, a way of sanctity lived together as a family. It has been described as a “people of God”, to use a term the Second Vatican Council would later promote. Why is it called “Mariapolis”? In fact, this name first appeared in 1955, and it emerged from the life of these gatherings over the years, which developed as a kind of small city, a people who identified themselves as being guided by Mary. The Gospel-inspired love lived among them generated the presence of the divine, in the sense of Jesus’ teaching, “Where two or more are united in my name, I am in their midst” (Mt 18:20). And this enlightening experience inspired the title of our book on the Mariapolis phenomenon. How would you define the key elements of these gatherings which are still taking place today? I would summarize them in one word: “communion”, or rather “communions”. Meaning, communion in the Eucharist, renewed each day; communion with the Word of the Gospel; communion with our sisters and brothers. This is what characterized the Mariapolis experience of 1949, and this is what we find in the Mariapoli which continue to this day. From this communion, people draw strength to continue to live this experience in their daily lives, to cooperate in the design of God on Creation and on the social environment around them. What is the most important thing you learnt from those who participated in the very first Mariapoli? Meeting those “witnesses”, I saw how their Mariapolis experience is not a memory for them but a vivid and vital reality to this very day. From the written testimonies I’ve gleaned the authenticity of a life lived as a “body”, in the quest for unity. Those early Mariapoli have sparked off some notable long-term effects … First of all the “Città Nuova” magazine (“New City” or “Living City”) came to life during these first Mariapoli as a way of keeping all the participants in touch with this life once they got back home. Then there are the permanent “Mariapoli” small towns which have been established in different countries – Chiara first spoke about these in 1956. The Focolare’s experience of dialogue among members of different Christian Churches was already part of the Fiera di Primiero Mariapolis in 1957. The presence of charismatic figures within the Catholic Church indicated pathways of communion which were later developed in the Second Vatican Council and by successive Church leadership. It’s also possible to identify the precursors of the Movement’s impact on social and political fields. In the permanent Mariapolis towns, people of different ages, countries, cultures and Christian traditions live together, putting the Gospel into practice. Diversity lived in a context of unity. Do you draw any message from these Mariapolis towns for today’s Europe fragmented by nationalist and populist pressures? Pope Francis made a very important point when he visited the Mariapolis town of Loppiano, Italy, last year. He spoke of the “mysticism of ‘us’” which propels us to walk together through our part of history. This is something which was very alive in the first Mariapoli. For example, in 1959, despite being so close to the end of the second world war, participants from Italy, Germany and many other countries overcame their own personal barriers, to consecrate their peoples to Mary. They wanted to do this together, as a demonstration of love for one another, forming the “one people of God”.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Jul 21, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Chiara wrote in 2006 «Throughout the Gospel Jesus invites to give. To give to the poor, to whoever asks, to whoever needs a loan. To give food to the hungry, a coat to the one who asks for a cloak, to give freely….He himself was the first to give: health to the sick, forgiveness to sinners, life to all of us. He encourages generosity to combat the selfish instinct to hoard, to focus on the other so as to overcome the focus on our own needs; to give so as to combat the culture of having”. The wedding One of my daughters was getting married and given our limited family economy it was difficult for us to cover all the expenses. With ten days to go I still did not have a suitable outfit for the day. Furthermore it was not easy to borrow from someone given my size. Just at that time a container arrived from Florence with clothes and household goods. It had been prepared and sent by some families in Italy for our community. A friend decided to look through the many things to see if she could find something for me. She was delighted to find a beautiful piece of material and even thought of the style of dress to make with it. On the wedding day whenever I was complemented on my outfit I replied that God’s providence made use of friends near and far. (M.A. – Paraguay) On Dialysis For three years now I have to have dialysis three times a week as I wait for a transplant. It’s not easy at the clinic and I try to build a relationship with each patient. If someone likes talking about food, I talk about food. If someone is interested in sport, we talk about sport. However one day I was particularly tired of fighting and my spirits were low. I hadn’t the energy to smile nor to greet people. A nurse who knew me well said “ You too, Aracelis?” Immediately the anguish and discouragement disappeared and I began to think of the others and not about myself. (Araceli J. – Brasil) Adopted I was always ashamed not to know my biological parents even though the family which adopted me did everything to fill the gaps. When I fell in love and then married K my problems, which seemed to have disappeared, surfaced again. In fact when it came to educating our children we had opposite opinions. I left her without giving any explanation. For those who have had a family it is difficult to understand someone who feels existentially alone. Now, after a long time, trying to draw out love from a dry heart is helping me to recover. (T.A.F. – Hungary) The challenge One day a colleague offers me a sheet of paper explaining that it is a phrase from the Gospel with a commentary to help live it. I read: “Love your enemies”. I reflected and the next day I am ready to take up the challenge. I found my mother in the kitchen. We haven’t spoken for two months. I sit down and have a coffee with her. “Did you sleep well?” I ask her. In the afternoon my brother comes to my room and asks me if he can borrow a jumper. “Open the cupboard and choose the one you want” I reply. These are small deeds but I already feel different. (A.F. – Italy)
by Chiara Favotti
