In the growing tensions in the Middle East powder keg, under the falling bombs and missiles into the ‘martyred’ Ukraine, amidst the great number of the conflicts that lacerate and starve the peoples of Africa, while ‘the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to upset entire peoples and nations’, Pope Francis calls to the ‘weapons’ of fasting and prayer – those which the Church indicates as powerful – millions of believers from all continents to implore from God the gift of peace in a world on the brink of abyss.
As he had already done for the conflicts in Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Holy Land from 2013 to 2023, Pope Francis called for a new day of prayer and abstention from food to invoke the gift of peace for Monday 7 October 2024, also announcing his visit on Sunday 6 October 2024 to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome to pray the Rosary and pray to Our Lady, asking for the participation of all members of the Synod.
‘We cannot but call once again on the rulers and those who have the grave responsibility for decisions,’ wrote Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins in a letter to his diocese adhering to the Pope’s appeal – to a commitment to justice and respect for everyone’s right to freedom, dignity and peace’. The Patriarch went on to reiterate the importance of everyone’s commitment to building peace in their own hearts and in community contexts, supporting ‘those in need, helping those who are working to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this war and promoting every action of peace, reconciliation and encounter. But we also need to pray, to bring to God our pain and our desire for peace. We need to convert, to do penance, to implore forgiveness’.
On Oct. 4, the day of St. Francis of Assisi, ends the period of the Season of Creation, a period in which it is proposed to deepen dialogue with God through prayer, associated with concrete actions for the care of the planet. The Focolare Movement has always supported the initiative by participating and organizing events in various parts of the world. Here are some initiatives from the Season of creation 2024.
In Leonessa, at the center Italy, a nature walk was held. The event, entitled Breaths of Nature: together for our planet, was attended by young and old alike. The group of participants departed from the Capuchin friars’ monastery, led by the friars themselves together with the forest police, the Italian Alpine Club and Prof. Andrea Conte, astrophysicist and Italian coordinator of EcoOne, the Focolare Movement’s Ecology network. The excursion culminated at a spring, where Prof. Conte led an evocative meditation on the journey of a carbon atom in the environment. Conte then showed how to turn ordinary waste into tools for scientific experiments, demonstrating how science can be fun and affordable for everyone.
Following this, topics such as environmental awareness, the effects of climate change and the importance of education for sustainability were discussed in depth at the town’s Auditorium. Prof. Luca Fiorani, from the EcoOne International Commission, offered an in-depth analysis of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the concept of integral ecology and relational sustainability. The large attendance and the attention shown by those in attendance is proof of a growing interest in environmental issues and a growing awareness of the importance of taking action to protect our planet.
In Oceania, this is the fourth year that the Focolare community has contributed to ecumenical prayer for the Season of Creation. “We have been praying and witnessing through various actions of caring for our common home,” they recount. ”This prayer service is our effort to give hope to our vast area that stretches 7,000 km from Perth, Western Australia, to Suva, Fiji, the largest island nation in the heart of the Pacific. This was followed by a reflection by Jacqui Remond, co-founder of the Laudato Si’ Movement and professor at the Australian Catholic University, who spoke about the need to change hearts for ecological conversion.
Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of the Archdiocese of Suva in Fiji could not join them because he was welcoming Pope Francis in Papua New Guinea. But he sent a message emphasizing in particular the importance of the word “Tagi,” which means “the cry of the peoples of Oceania.” It is the cry of the small Pacific islands in the face of climate change, which has not yet affected the world. Or rather: the world has not yet listened deeply to the voices and particularly the cry of the people of Oceania.
Various experiences followed such as the creation of an Aboriginal reconciliation garden at the Mariapolis Center in St Paul. Horticulture students and their teachers who use the center for their classes were invited here. They are all migrants and were very interested in learning about the important indigenous food plants.
Young people from Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, on the other hand, joined with an Aboriginal elder for a walk in the countryside where they learned how to relate to and care for creation.
In Mexico, a course was held on ecological conversion and spirituality, an open dialogue for the care of the Common Home. It was an initiative of the Evangelii Gaudium Mexico Center, Sophia ALC University together with the Focolare Movement. Five online sessions – one each week during the Season of Creation – by Prof. Lucas Cerviño, focolarino theologian and missiologist. 87 participated from different Latin American countries, from Mexico to Argentina. Here are some of the themes addressed: the ecological crisis and conversion; metamorphosis of the sacred and spirituality; God is love as a fabric of life in love; listening to the cry of the earth and the poor as love for Jesus forsaken and crucified; unity looked at as cosmic fraternity to care for the Common Home; Mary as Queen of Creation and the presence of Mary’s mystical body.
Finally, in Italy, in the city of Padua, the “Path of the 5Cs of Laudato Sì” was inaugurated thanks to the network Nuovi Stili di Vita made up of civil, religious, and lay associations-including the Focolare Movement-that care about promoting lifestyles that are moderate and respectful of nature, sustainable economy, and that stimulate communities with initiatives and proposals to achieve the common good together.
The 5Cs path was installed at a flowerbed where in 2011 the five Ecumenical Churches, (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist and Evangelical), celebrated the Day for the Custody of Creation by planting five beech trees together. It was preceded by a short concert by a young singer-songwriter from Vicenza who communicated to us the sensitivity and dreams of today’s youth toward a future of hope.
The 5Cs highlight five terms taken from Pope Francis’ encyclical: custody, conversion, community, care, change. The event was lived with intensity and was a spur for resolutions of concrete commitment to achieve a better, more just and equitable world, in harmony with the Earth we inhabit.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and, for the third time, he tries to prepare his disciples for the dramatic event of his passion and death but those who have followed him most closely are very ones who seem unable to understand what is about to happen.
Infact, conflict arises among the apostles themselves: James and John ask to occupy places of honour ‘in his glory’ [1] and the other ten become indignant and start to complain. In short, the group is divided..
Then Jesus patiently calls them and repeats what he has proclaimed. His words are so new that they create a sense of shock.
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
In this phrase from Mark’s gospel, the image of the servant-slave reaches a crescendo. Jesus leads us from having an attitude of simple availability within the limited and affirming groups to which we may belong to being totally dedicated to everyone, with no exception.
This is a completely alternative and countercultural proposal when compared to the usual human understanding of authority and governance which possibly fascinated the apostles themselves and impacts upon us too.
Perhaps this is the secret of Christian love?
‘One word in the Gospel that is not emphasized enough by Christians is “serve”. It may seem old-fashioned to us, unworthy of the dignity of human beings who both give and receive. Yet it is central to the Gospel which is all about love. And to love means to serve. Jesus did not come to command but to serve. To serve, to serve one another is the heart of Christianity, and whoever lives this with simplicity – and everyone can do so – has done all that is necessary. Doing so ensures that people do not remain alone because since love is the essence of Christian life, it spreads like fire.’ [2]
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
The encounter with Jesus in his Word opens our eyes, just as it did for the blind man, Bartimaeus, whose story is found immediately after this Word of Life. [3]Jesus frees us from our narrow vision and allows us to contemplate the horizons of God himself, of his plan for ‘new heavens and a new earth.’ [4]
Jesus washed the feet of others [5] and by his example overturned the often rigid practice in society, and even in religious environments, of relegating the task of practical service to a certain class of people.
Christians, therefore, should imitate Jesus’ example and learn from him a new style of life in society. This means being a ‘true neighbour’ to each person we encounter, whatever their social or cultural condition may be.
As John Anziani, a Methodist pastor of the Waldensian Church, suggests, ‘By agreeing to place our trust and our hope in the Lord, who is the servant of many, the Word of God asks us to act in our world and in the midst of all its contradictions, as people who work for peace and justice, as bridgebuilders who facilitate reconciliation among nations.’ [6]
This is also how Igino Giordani, writer, journalist, politician and family man, lived during a time marked by dictatorship. To describe his experience, he wrote: ‘Politics is – in the most dignified Christian sense – a “servant” and must not become a “master”: nor should it abuse, dominate or dictate. Its function and dignity is to be of service to society, to be charity in action, to be the highest form of love for one’s homeland.’[7]
Through the witness of his life, Jesus proposes to us a conscious and free choice. Rather than living closed in on ourselves and our own interests, we are asked to ‘live the life of the other person,’ feeling what they feel, carrying their burdens and sharing their joys.
We all have small or large responsibilities and spheres of authority. These may be in the field of politics or in other areas of society such as within our families, schools or faith communities. Let’s take advantage of our ‘places of honour’ to put ourselves at the service of the common good, creating just and compassionate human relationships with everyone.
[1] Cf. Mc 10,37. [2] C. Lubich, Servire, in «Città Nuova» 17 (1973/12), p. 13. [3] Cf. Mc 10, 46-52. [4] Cf. Is 65, 17 e 66, 22, ripreso in 2 Pt 3,13. [5] Cf. Gv 13,14 [6] https://www.chiesavaldese.org/marco-1043-44/ [7] P. Mazzola (a cura di), Perle di Igino Giordani, Effatà editrice Torino 2019, p. 112.
“Service” is a word that may seem old-fashioned in certain contexts. Servitude is certainly unworthy of human beings when it is imposed or endured because of poverty or discrimination. Instead, the “spirit of service,” especially when it is reciprocal in a community of any kind, is a witness to changing social relationships that break down old patterns of behaviour and new power structures. Indeed, service lived with humility characterizes protagonists of real progress. Nitin Nohria, former dean of Harvard Business School, says that in the future, being a good leader will require learning about humility. He believes this “future” has already begun. According to him, humility will have to become a key word in the profiles of the next generation of aspiring managers andhe does not lack experience in this field. He says this because he realizes that the current trend of being increasingly competitive is producing results completely opposite to expectations. It is creating people who are psychologically fragile, needy, narcissistic and obsessed with appearance (1). After all, great women and men are recognized through their small actions, just as ancient Eastern wisdom reminds us: “The largest tree is born from a small shoot. The tallest tower is born from a mound of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (2) Living this way requires a conscious and free choice: it demands that we do not liveclosed in on ourselves and our own interests, but that we“live the other”,and feel whatever they feel, carry their burdens and share their joys. We all have responsibilities, bothlarge or small, and areas of authority. They may be in the political or social fields or within our family, school or community. Let us take advantage of our “places of honour” to put ourselves at the service of the common good, building just and supportive human relationships. This is also how Igino Giordani, writer, journalist, politician and family man, lived during a time marked by dictatorship. To describe his experience, he wrote: ‘Politics is – in the most dignified Christian sense – a “servant” and must not become a “master”: nor should it abuse, dominate or dictate. Its function and dignity is to be of service to society, to be charity (3) in action, to be the highest form of love for one’s homeland. It was probably the personal relationship that Chiara Lubich had with this man who was rooted in his time but also saw beyond its barriers and walls that led her to remind usmore than once that true politics is “the Love of Loves,” because it is the means of the most authentic and disinterested service to humanity in fraternity.
(1) Michele Genisio “Umiltà” (in press) (2) Daodejing,64 (3) Giordani uses the word charity not in the ‘welfare’ sense, as it is usually understood, but in the Christian sense, which indicates the highest form of love.
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THE IDEA OF THE MONTH iscurrentlyproduced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of NonreligiousBeliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. https://dialogue4unity.focolare.org/en/
The Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement has launched an appeal for the Middle East, to help people in those countries suffering from conflict, through Action for a United World ETS (AMU) and Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN).
Azione per un Mondo Unito ETS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Reason for payment: Middle East Emergency
Tax benefits are available for such donations in many EU countries and in other countries around the world, according to different local regulations.Italian contributors will be able to obtain deductions and allowances from income, according to the rules for non-profit organisations
The “La Sorgente” Mariapolis Centre is located in Ain Aar, in a mountainous area, 20 kilometres north of Beirut. Just as it was in 2006, the year of the 34-day military conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, people fleeing the bombs that are devastating the South of the country are arriving here, in this predominantly Christian and asking for hospitality. “It is normal to knock on the door of the Mariapolis Centre and find it wide open,” says R. of the Lebanese community of Focolare. “How could we not welcome them? What would have become of the ideal of brotherhood that we cherish and which should be our hallmark?” A similar experience occurred in 2006. Then too, Lebanon experienced large-scale movements of families and the Focolare welcomed more than a hundred friends, entire extended families in its Mariapolis Centre. “We met in those conditions and became like brothers and sisters, sharing joys and sorrows, hopes and difficulties, needs and prayer. In a simple and sincere relationship, woven into everyday life, a true experience of brotherhood started and grew, without filters or prejudices”.
No one expected the situation to deteriorate so quickly. “The Lebanese were preparing to return to school, optimistic about this new year”, says R. “Yet an unexpected storm erupted, relentless, threatening and deadly”, with “terrible consequences for a population thirsting for peace, justice and paths of dialogue”. In a few days, or rather hours, military actions hit ordinary neighbourhoods and the people found themselves living “a real nightmare”. According to the Ministry of Public Health, as of 25th September, almost 600 people have been killed in Lebanon, including more than 50 children and 94 women, and about 1,700 others have been injured since 23rd September. Mass displacement continues, reaching around 201,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Since Sunday, the “La Sorgente” Mariapolis Centre has also been filled with guests “arrived with their fears, the trauma experienced in their targeted villages and neighbourhoods”. They drove 120 kilometres, taking between 5 to 8 hours. The roads are crowded with cars fleeing the South. They leave the villages before reaching the big cities of Tyre and Sidon. Around them, they see the destruction of the recent bombings. There are currently 128 guests at the Mariapolis Centre in Ain Aar. Some come from the South, others from the popular suburbs of Beirut hit by the latest attacks. It is not easy: “Their presence raises questions in the Christian community of the region”, say the focolarini. “One wonders: are there members of Hezbollah among them who could threaten peace in the region? But the sense of solidarity is stronger than suspicion. “R. adds: “Where could they seek shelter this time too? Where could they go and know that they would be welcomed without reservation?” For the community of the focolare, a new adventure begins. The welcome is coordinated with local, religious and civil authorities.
A “contest” of solidarity is taking place throughout the country. From the parish priest, to the faithful of the parish, to the volunteers. There are those who take care of the children by organising activities and football matches for them. Those who take care of the necessary help for the reception. “People arrive shocked, worried about their future, with the apocalyptic sight of destroyed houses, burned fields, but also news of acquaintances, relatives, neighbours, friends or students who were killed in the attacks and they will never see them again. Together we unite in living the present moment, with the faith that has allowed us to endure adversity for centuries”.
The “La Sorgente” Centre aims to be, along with many other places scattered throughout the country, true “oases of peace”. “The hope, the deepest wish is that we can soon return home. So much blood spilled must make the desert of hearts bloom. We hope that this ordeal we are experiencing will open a breach in the conscience of the powerful and of everyone, showing that war is a defeat for all, as Pope Francis repeats. But above all we believe and hope that from this crucible of pain a message of possible brotherhood for the entire Region can emerge from Lebanon “.
Maria Chiara Biagioni Source: AgenSir Photo: Focolare Lebanon
The Seminar, in its second edition after the first one held in 2017 at the Federal University of Paraiba in Joao Pessoa, presented 15 academic papers produced by researchers from six universities, around the Chiara Lubich Chair of Fraternity and Humanism at the Catholic University of Pernambuco (Unicap). The seminar comprised of two days of presentations and dialogue, introduced by a warm greeting from Vice-Rector Prof. Delmar Araújo Cardoso, and followed by live streaming to an audience of about 350 people.
The event, which was organized with the support of the Chiara Lubich Centre, was held mainly in Portuguese and was particularly appreciated for its openness to an international dimension, for the consistent and qualified contribution of the speakers, for the interdisciplinary perspective that brought together papers around the theme of language, not just in the field of linguistics, but also in the fields of law, pedagogy, communication, sociology and architecture.
What emerged, in extreme synthesis, was how a language inspired by love, of which Chiara Lubich was an effective model, can contribute to building a world of peace and fraternity.
Anna Maria Rossi
(1) The Abba School is a Centre of life and study desired and founded by Chiara Lubich in 1990. It is composed of members of the Focolare Movement, united in the name of Jesus and experts in various disciplines, whose aim is to draw out and elaborate the doctrine contained in the charism of unity.
Links to the 2nd Seminar on Linguistics, Philology and Literature:
“We are convinced that the cooperation of the Christian world is essential. The common Easter celebration in 2025 of all Christians, together with events for the anniversary of the first Council of Nicaea, can serve as a meaningful starting point to take up the challenges of humanity together and promote joint activities. We hope to organize a meeting with representatives of the Christian world, with your presence, in the place where the Nicaea council originally took place ”.
These words accompanied the ecumenical group “Pasqua Together 2025” (PT2025), that gathers groups and communities of various Christian denominations, first to Istanbul (Turkey), in audience with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, then in the Vatican with Pope Francis, on the 14th and 19th of September respectively.
The group asked the two Christian leaders for next year’s common celebration of the Resurrection not to be an exception but to become the norm for all Christian Churches: a further step towards unity, in preparation for the upcoming Second Millennium of Redemption in 2033, which will be the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection.
“Pasqua Together 2025” began precisely in view of the upcoming exceptional coincidence that, in 2025, the Easter date falls on the same day for the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Christians of the Western and Orthodox churches will, therefore, celebrate Easter on the same day. Moreover, the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicaea Ecumenical Council, which declared the Symbol of faith (the Creed) and addressed the theme of the Easter date, will be remembered.
The group is composed of representatives of various Christian churches and Christian political and social movements, like the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O.) that was the promoter; the “Together for Europe” project, the “Jesus Christ 2033” movement and the “Centro Uno” of the Focolare Movement. The group has been following a common path for two years which has led them to signing a joint declaration that brought about the commitment to work so that all Christian churches may celebrate Easter together. Besides the Patriarch of Constantinople and Pope Francis, the document had been previously sent to the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Jerry Pillay and the former General Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance, Bishop Thomas Schirrmacher. Contacts with other Christian leaders will take place soon.
Patriarch Bartholomew I announced that a joint commission made up of four Orthodox and four Roman Catholic members are already working on the programme for the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council which will take place precisely in Iznick – the Turkish name of ancient Nicaea. The commission has already gone there to examine the feasibility. The mayor of the city is in favour and ready to collaborate. The invitation was naturally extended to Pope Francis, and this would be their thirteenth meeting.
The Patriarch also highlighted that the Easter date is not a question of dogma or faith, but fruit of an astronomical calculation.
Pope Francis too, in his talk reiterated that “Easter does not take place by our own initiative or by one calendar or another. Easter occurred because God “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”. Let us not forget the primacy of God, his primerear, his having taken the first step. Let us not close ourselves within our own ideas, plans, calendars, or “our” Easter. Easter belongs to Christ!”
The Pope also invites to share, plan and “walk together” and he launches an invitation: that of beginning “from Jerusalem like the Apostles, who proclaimed the message of the Resurrection to the whole world”. The Pope encourages to “turn, today, to the Prince of Peace in order to pray that he gives us his peace.”
An invitation that echoes what the ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I had already expressed by urging the PT2025 group to promote activities defending human rights and a peaceful living together for all peoples, praying in this way: “We implore the Lord to enlighten the hearts of those in authority and to guide them on the path of justice and love, that we may heal these divisions and restore the unity that is at the heart of our faith”.
Seventy-five years have passed since the day Chiara Lubich wrote “I have only one spouse on earth”, which we have reproduced here. It’s a writing destined from the very beginning to become a true programmatic manifesto for Chiara and for those who would follow her by adopting the spirituality of unity as their own.
The handwritten manuscript, preserved in the Chiara Lubich Archive (in GAFM) and written on the front and back of a single sheet, records the date of its composition: 20-9-49. Published, in Italian, for the first time in 1957, in an incomplete version and with some modifications, in the magazine “Città Nuova”, it was then reprinted in other publications of Chiara Lubich’s writings, until it was finally included, in its entirety, and according to the original manuscript, in The Cry (New City, London 2001). This is a book that Chiara Lubich wanted to write personally “as a love song” dedicated precisely to Jesus Forsaken.
It began as a sort of diary page, written on the spur of the moment. Considering the unique lyrical tone that permeates it, it could be defined as a “sacred hymn”. This definition seems appropriate if one considers that the term “hymn” originates from the Greek hymnos. The word, although of uncertain etymology, has nevertheless a close relationship with the ancient Hymēn, the Greek god of marriage in whose honour it was sung. Moreover, the spousal aspect in this work is more than ever present, even if – and precisely because – we are within a strongly mystical context. It really is a “song” of love to Jesus Forsaken.
The context of the writing takes us back to the summer of 1949, when Chiara, with her first companions, and the first two men focolarini, was in the mountains – in the Primiero valley, in Trentino-Alto Adige – on holiday. Also, Igino Giordani (Foco) joined the group, for a few days. He had already met Chiara in Parliament a short time before, in September 1948, and he had been fascinated by her Charism.
It was a summer that Chiara herself described as “full of light”. Since then – going back over its stages – she did not hesitate to affirm that it was precisely in that period that she had a better understanding of “many truths of the faith, particularly who Jesus Forsaken was for humanity and for creation – he who recapitulated all things in Himself. Our experience was so powerful,” she noted, “it made us think life would always be like that: light and Heaven.” (The Cry, pages 60-61). But the time had come – urged precisely by Foco – to “come down from the mountains” to meet humanity that is suffering, and to embrace Jesus Forsaken in every expression of pain, in every “abandonment”. Like Him. Only out of love.
So, she wrote: “I have only one spouse on earth: Jesus Forsaken”.
Maria Caterina Atzori
20-9-49
I have only one Spouse on earth: Jesus forsaken. I have no God but him. In him is the whole of paradise with the Trinity and the whole of the earth with humanity.
Therefore, what is his is mine, and nothing else.
And his is universal suffering, and therefore mine.
I will go through the world seeking it in every instant of my life.
What hurts me is mine.
Mine the suffering that grazes me in the present. Mine the suffering of the souls beside me (that is my Jesus). Mine all that is not peace, not joy, not beautiful, not lovable, not serene, in a word, what is not paradise. Because I too have my paradise, but it is that in my Spouse’s heart. I know no other. So it will be for the years I have left: athirst for suffering, anguish, despair, sorrow, exile, forsakenness, torment— for all that is him, and he is sin, hell.
In this way I will dry up the waters of tribulation in many hearts nearby and, through communion with my almighty Spouse, in many faraway.
I shall pass as a fire that consumes all that must fall and leaves standing only the truth.
But it is necessary to be like him: to be him in the present moment of life.
Chiara Lubich The Cry (New City, London 2001, pages 61-62)
They arrived two by two by motorbike, the most common form of transport for getting to the town of Manono in Katanga province in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ninety-two priests from 8 dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Lubumbashi met together in this town for one of the Focolare Movement’s periodical retreats. The Bishop of Manono, Mgr Vincent de Paul Kwanga Njubu invited the Focolare to hold the meeting there, as he had been struck by the testimony of his priests who had participated in a similar retreat in Lubumbashi in the past.
Mgr Oscar Ngoy wa Mpanga, the Bishop of Kongolo, a diocese which is 300 km from Manono, who had also been struck by young priests who had participated in similar retreats organised for seminarians, also asked all the priests in his diocese to join this retreat. Forty-three arrived. The local press described the retreat as ‘unforgettable’. At its conclusion, the bishop offered everyone a lunch which the participants subsequently shared with the city hospital bringing great joy to the patients.
Members of the Focolare community of Lubumbashi took care of the organisational part (even transporting all the pots and pans for cooking), and the programme was entrusted to members of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre.
The city of Manono which is about 800 km from Lubumbashi is the third largest city in Congo and represents a mining resource of global importance due to the presence of lithium and other minerals. Unfortunately, however, the population does not benefit from these resources. Entire families spend their days searching for minerals, and children leave school to devote themselves to this work. There is huge exploitation, and very low prices are paid for the minerals. There is even a village where houses are collapsing because minerals are being mined underneath them. The region is in a critical situation, having been devastated in the past by a conflict that destroyed the civil and religious infrastructure and left health facilities and schools in ruins. The school attendance rate is less than 30%. Malnutrition and food insecurity are severely affecting the children, with 15% of them suffering from malnutrition. The Bishop of Manono really wanted the retreat to be held here, and it was the first time that priests came from other dioceses, which was why the presence of such a large number of prelates was greeted with such an atmosphere of celebration. During Sunday Mass, the cathedral’s priest asked all the parishioners to bring water, a rare and precious commodity here, for all those participating in the retreat as a sign of love and welcome. Then the actual meeting days began. There were spiritual themes, meditations on the evangelical counsels and in-depth discussions on synodality. With the participants divided into small groups, there were many moments of communion of life, exchange of testimonies, knowledge, sharing and fraternity.
The spirituality of communion, the discovery of God Love, a new style of ‘synodal’ pastoral work that ‘liberates us from pre-packaged schemes and opens us up to mutual love’ as one person said, were some of the points that struck everyone the most.
Back in Lubumbashi, some members of the Focolare were able to greet a number of Bishops from various dioceses who were there for a meeting of the Bishops’ Conference. The Bishops warmly thanked them for the contribution that the retreats were making to the life of their dioceses. In particular, the Bishop of Manono expressed his gratitude for “the contribution made to the spiritual life of priests and laity, and to a communion among priests that is overflowing onto the lives of the laity, giving them the opportunity to live mutual love and put the word of God into practice“. The Archbishop of Lubumbashi, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu, who has just been appointed President of the Bishops’ Conference, also expressed his heartfelt thanks for the retreats that have been held for several years, expressing the hope that this formation which is bearing so much fruit, will continue.
After the retreat, some of the members of the Focolare’s International Centre went to Goma in the north-east, where the focolarini organised two schools of formation attended by 12 young seminarians and 12 priests. The Bishop of Goma, Mgr Willy Ngumbi Ngengele was also present for a liturgical celebration. Several of the guests were unable to attend due to an intensification of clashes near the city. There are 7 million refugees in Congo, including 1.7 million in the North Kivu province where Goma is located. The meeting went into depth on the spirituality of unity and synodality. The programme included a visit to a parish surrounded by thousands of refugees where the parish priest gave a very strong testimony of how the Gospel is being lived. The visit to the “Père Quintard Centre”, run by the Movement and located in the middle of 2 large refugee camps, which offers a service of promotion, education and social development, was also a strong testimony for everyone present. Several saw it as a beacon of hope and asked for similar activities to be initiated in their parishes.
