Pope Francis’ latest trip to Asia and Oceania has so far been the farthest, longest and probably the most physically demanding the Pope has ever undertaken. What does this visit mean for the local communities? We asked Paul Segarra, focolarino of the Indonesian community.
Paul, what was the significance of the Pope’s visit to your country?
“This heroic gesture of the Pope is for me an image of God’s love that knows no limits and reaches out to his most distant children, who are certainly not the least-valued in his eyes. The Holy Father took the time to look at them with love, marvel at their giftedness, share their sufferings and longings for justice and peace, then encouraged them to face their challenges together and transcend their limits. But he did not only utter words that inspired and encouraged. He also demonstrated, by example, the strength in faith, the openness to fraternity and the nearness in compassion that he invites his listeners to acquire. He did this through his planned choices and spontaneous gestures, he acted and lived from the heart”.
“As news of his arrival spread quickly – Paul Segarra recounts -, there were also many comments on various social platforms about his chosen means of transport: a sober white sedan, in which he preferred to sit beside his driver, instead of taking the usual presidential back-seat, I imagined because he wanted to converse with his driver face-to-face. Seeing this gesture of his, I realised with regret that I could have done the same with the driver who brought me to my accommodations in Jakarta that same evening. But thereafter, my rides became undeniably more enjoyable, as I took to the habit of getting to know my hired drivers through friendly conversation”.
Paul, how did the local Focolare community experience this event?
“Some members of our Focolare communities in Jakarta and Yogyakarta had the privelege of participating in some of the events that were graced by the pope’s presence. At the Jakarta Cathedral (dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption) the Holy Father acknowledged the work of catechists, describing them as “bridges of the heart that unites all the islands”. We were moved as he drew our attention to a statue of the Virgin Mary, and gave her as a model of faith that welcomes everyone, even as she keeps watch over and protects the people of God as the Mother of Compassion”.
Pope Francis and Imam Umar signed the Joint Declaration. What future do you see for Christians and Muslims together after this signing?
“Tomy, one of our photographers who covered the pope’s visit to the Istiqal Mosque and endured long hours of waiting under the city-heat, was visibly touched as the Holy Father finally arrived and greeted them from his car. Assuming a discreet position just outside the entrance to the underground, pedestrian tunnel that physically connects the Great Mosque to the Cathedral across the street, he managed to capture the moment Pope Francis and High Imam Umar signed the Declaration of Fraternity in front of a small crowd of bishops, imams and other religious figures, and said he had high hopes that this visit would create true harmony between all people of faith. And what is faith, if not seeing, acting and living from the heart?
Chiara Lubich Chiara Lubich had an intuition of this in 1977 when she received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in London. Since then, the worldwide expansion of the Focolare spirit has contributed to opening a dialogue with all the major religions of the world. A path that even Chiara had not imagined at the beginning, but that God had revealed to her over time, through events and circumstances; it was a path to pursue towards unity. In this short excerpt, Chiara, in answering a question on the relationship with other religions, reveals the secret to building true universal fraternity: seeking what unites us in diversity. The question put to Chiara is read by Giuseppe Maria Zanghì, one of the first focolarini. (From a reply by Chiara Lubich to a meeting of Muslim friends, Castel Gandolfo, 3 November 2002)
Giuseppe Maria Zanghì: This is the question: “We’d like to ask you, Chiara, how do you feel about the relationship with other religions. What does it make you feel within your heart?”
Chiara Lubich: I’ve always felt very comfortable in my contacts with the faithful of other religions! Even though we are different from one another, we have a lot in common, a lot in common, and this unites us. Instead, diversity attracts us; it arouses our curiosity. So, I like these contacts for two reasons: because I get to know new things, I enter into the culture of others, and also because I find brothers and sisters who are like me because we have many beliefs in common. The most important of all – as I told you the last time I was here – is that famous Golden Rule, which says “Do not do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you.” This sentence can be found in all the most important religions, in their scriptures, in their sacred books. It’s also in the Gospel for Christians. This phrase – “Do not do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you” – means “treat your brothers and sisters well, have great respect for them, love them.” And so, when they discover this phrase in their scriptures and I discover the same phrase in my scriptures, I love, they love, and so we love one another, and this is the basis, the first step towards universal fraternity So the first thing is to live the “Golden Rule.” The second part of the question is about what I feel in my heart when I meet a brother or sister of another religion. I immediately feel a great desire to become friends, to build unity, to have this relationship as brothers and sisters. …
We have probably experienced how, at times, even though there are ideas and beliefs that lie deeply in our hearts and consciences, it is difficult to put them into action. It may help us to live an inspirational thought each day and know that other people all over the world are doing the same. We will not feel alone but part of a worldwide network. This was the intention that led to the development of the Idea of the Month: it was initiated by a few people in Uruguay who were passionate about dialogue and the ideal of unity.
This practice led to groups developing all over the world for people who want to reflect upon the Idea of the Month and share experiences of living it. Infact, in many places, these monthly meetings have become the norm. Could this become just a habit? Could the Idea become simply an all-encompassing good precept that is disseminated online like so many others on virtual groups? Certainly this is the biggest risk for initiatives of this kind. However, it is important that we do not settle for empty words and repeated platitudes. The English have the proverb: ‘Actions speak louder than words’. In the Netherlands, there is the saying: ‘Talk does not fill holes’. These expressions do not come about simply by chance. We can,however remember there is a word that guards against the risk of this happening and that word is ‘consistency’.
In the book entitled The Book Of Joy, the dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu [1] highlights some points that can help us to live with consistency. First of all, we can listen to our consciences. Each person can assess what is their heart’s desire because this will almost certainly be linked to those human values that give a sense of happiness. We can also ask ourselves if what we want is just for ourselves or will it benefit others too? Will it serve a small number or many people? Now or in the future? When we have thought about these matters, we can formulate an intention for the day, with practical commitments even if they are small. For example, “Today I want to greet everyone; today I will be less judgmental; today I will be more patient…”
But how do you find the courage to follow your conscience? You need to speak to wise people about your ideas and try them out whilst remaining open to the possibility of being wrong. When you finally reach a mature decision, you can begin to put it into practice together but then regularly take time to reassess, renew and strengthen goals. You should not let setbacks, lack of cooperation or established but unhelpful habits put you off track and lose sight of what you hope to achieve.
This was seen in the actions of Piero Taiti when he began to know the Focolare Movement. He was truly a man of dialogue. This was seen in the many journeys he made to the little town of Fontem in Africa and in the personal relationship he built with the ‘focolarini’ for whom he held great respect. He saw that they were people whose actions came before their words and who worked with open minds alongside people, like him, who did not share their faith. He later found that his friendship with Chiara Lubich was a point of deep encounter and sharing of profoundly human values. Until the end of his life, Piero’s actions demonstrated and transmitted the power of this encounter in all areas of his life – as a family man, husband, doctor, politician and trusted friend of so many who recognised his moral calibre.
Not words, but actions. This gives energy to a person and makes them happy within. Living this way, we serve our neighbours.
[1]The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abram published in 2016 by Cornerstone Publishers
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH,THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s ‘Centre for Dialogue with People of Non-religious Beliefs’. It is an initiative born 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 to different cultural sensitivities. www. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
The author of this month’s verse insists upon the fundamental importance of both listening and practice. The letter, in fact, continues: ‘But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.’ (James 1:25) It is precisely this commitment to know God’s Word and to live it that sets us free and gives us joy.
One could say that this month’s Bible verse is the very reason why the practice of the Word of Life has spread throughout the world. Once a week, and then once a month, Chiara Lubich used to choose a sentence from Scripture and comment on it and then groups of people met and shared the fruits that living the Word had brought about in their everyday lives. This created a united community and, in a small way, revealed the social impact that living the Word can have upon society.
‘Despite its simplicity, the initiative made a notable contribution to the rediscovery of the Word of God in the Christian world of the 20th century’ [1] by transmitting a ‘method’ for living the Gospel and sharing its effects.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
The letter of James takes up Jesus’ message that refers to experiencing the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven among us: Jesus declares blessed are those who listen to his Word and keep it; he recognises as his mother and brothers those who listen to it and put it into practice; iii he compares it to the seed that, if it falls on good soil – that is, on those who listen to it with a good and noble heart and keep it – they produce fruit through their perseverance.
‘In each of his words Jesus expresses all his love for us,’ writes Chiara Lubich. ‘Let us make the Word incarnate and make it our own. If we do so, we will experience the powerful life it unleashes in us and around us. Let us fall in love with the Gospel to the point of allowing ourselves to be transformed by it and enable it to overflow onto others… We will be free from ourselves and our limitations.
Furthermore, we will see a revolution of love explode everywhere because Jesus, freed to live in us, will bring about a change in society wherever we live.’[2]
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
How can we put the Word into practice? Let us look around us and do everything we can, to serve others in need, through both small and not so small actions. Such gestures transform injustice in society, combat violence, foster peace and reconciliation and increase sensitivity towards respect for our planet.
This can initiate a real revolution in our lives, in our work environments and in the communities in which we live.
Love manifests itself in social and political actions that seek to build a better world. The commitment of a small Focolare community towards the most vulnerable people in society led to the opening of the Chiara Lubich Centre for the Elderly in Lamud, Peru in the Amazon area, 2,330 metres above sea level.
‘The Centre was opened in the midst of the pandemic crisis and houses 50 elderly and lonely people. The building, furniture, crockery and even food came as a gift from the neighbouring community. It was a risk, not without difficulties and obstacles, but in March 2022 the Centre celebrated its first anniversary. It hosted a party and opened its doors to the city; even political representatives took part. The two days of celebrations enlisted new volunteers, adults and children, who want to enlarge their own families by taking care of lonely grandparents.’ [3]
Edited by Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life Team.
[1] C. Lubich, Parole di Vita, Introduzione, a cura di Fabio Ciardi, (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5), Città Nuova, Roma 2017, p. 9
[2] Lubich, Parole di Vita, Introduzione, a cura di Fabio Ciardi, (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5), Città Nuova, Roma 2017, p. 790
IDEA OF THE MONTH,based on the Word of Life of the Focolare Movement, was born in Uruguay as part of the dialogue between people of different convictions, whose motto is “building dialogue”. The purpose of this publication is to help promote the ideal of universal fraternity. The IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries
The ecumenical family from around the world comes together to listen and care for our common home. As usual, September 1 begins the Time of Creation, a period of prayer and reflection associated with concrete actions for the care of Planet Earth. This event will conclude on Oct. 4 with the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations. The Focolare Movement participates in the initiative. From the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this January leading up to today, we have experienced the phase of “Preparation” for the Time of Creation, which is essential for creating bonds and relationships, renewing the joy of meeting and cultivating the gifts of communion and peace as the People of God together with our common home.
Theme of 2024
The theme of this year is Hope and act with Creation. Where does this theme originate? In the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans, the biblical image depicts the Earth as a Mother, groaning as during childbirth (Rom 8:22). St. Francis of Assisi understood this when he referred to the Earth as our sister and mother in his Canticle of Creatures.
Unfortunately, the times in which we live show that we do not relate to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, rather as a resource to be used.
Can there still be hope?
Certainly, there must be, along with an expectation for a better future. Hoping in the biblical context does not mean standing still and remaining silent, but rather groaning, crying and actively striving for new life in the midst of difficulties. Just as during childbirth-taking up the apostle Paul’s depiction-we go through a period of intense pain but a new life is being born.
Hope is a gift from God. Only through hope can we fully realize the gift of freedom, which together with responsibility enable us to make the world a better place. Only when we cooperate with Creation can the first fruits of hope be born.
Hope and act
Hoping is trusting that our action is meaningful, even if the results of this action are not immediately seen. We know how urgent it is to take bold action to contain the climate and ecological crisis, and we also know that ecological conversion is a slow process as human beings are headstrong on changing their minds, hearts and way of life. Sometimes we do not know how our actions should be. There is much we can learn from other cultures and countries about how to hope and act together with Creation.
This year the 1st of September is a Sunday, we are all invited to celebrate the beginning of the Time of Creation in our respective countries and communities.
This is a continuous tension because our nature loves itself.
Often we hear news of disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes which claim victims and leave people injured and homeless. But it’s one thing to be one of those affected and another thing to be an onlooker.
Even if we are able to offer some aid to help the others, we are not them.
Tomorrow it could be the other way round: I on my deathbed (if I am given a bed!) and the others out in the sun enjoying life.
All that Christ has commanded us goes beyond our nature as it is now.
But also the gift he gave us, the one mentioned to the Samaritan woman, is not human in nature. So it is possible to share in our brother’s pain, joy or worries because we have in us charity which s of a divine nature.
With this love, that is with Christian love, our brother can be truly comforted and tomorrow I might be comforted by him.
And in this way it is possible to live, because otherwise human life would be very hard and difficult, indeed sometimes it would appear to be impossible.
In early August in Trent, Italy, the Foco School, a Focolare Movement congress for the Gen3 boys and girls, the adolescent generation of the Movement, was held.
A total of 350 participants attended – ages 14 to 17 along with assistants ages 18 and older – from 19 nations with 12 different languages. A little over a week to deepen adolescent themes, experience in depth the relationship with God, discover how the Ideal of unity and universal fraternity is possible to live it and build it day by day despite the threat of wars in various parts of the world. There was also a Festival of peoples where each nation could represent itself through songs, dances, outfits, photos, and local food. A way to learn about each other’s culture and build a piece of a world that is more united and fraternal.
Here are some testimonies.
Sofia, Italy: “I decided to attend the Foco school to have a more intimate relationship with Jesus. From this school I learned the way to always love the people around me. I can better cope with moments of difficulty and pain by feeling closer to Jesus.”.
Veronika, Croatia: “I experienced a united spirit that flows from the desire for peace and community, which is based on prayer and dialogue with God. After listening to the testimonies about the violation of peace, about the struggle to keep peace in oneself, in one’s family, in one’s country, the desire to do everything to keep peace in these places was awakened in me.”.
Naomi, India: “I attended the Foco School to improve my relationship with God. At the end what I took home was how I can take comfort during times of difficulty or pain by thinking of Jesus forsaken on the Cross. But I also discovered the power of reconciliation through confession. I will always try to use my whole self to propagate the Gospel and make my city a place of love.”.
Tomás Portugal: “During the Festival of Peoples, I was proud to show our country and at the same time learn about the cultures of other countries. After this school, I miss everything I experienced there, but I also want to live what I learned there every day.”.
Emanuel, Croatia: “At Foco School, I enjoyed the Festival of Peoples. We were able to learn about different cultures and traditional dishes. I met many friends there and tried various specialties. I would gladly relive this experience 100 more times.”.
Gloria, Brazil: “I have felt changes in my relationship with God. At first I could not connect with Him and feel Him in people, but I know that after all the experiences I have heard and reflections I have experienced, I can easily feel Him in every situation. Also, I have learned to help people I don’t like, to help people with problems and to identify God in everyone.”.
Sarahi, Mexico: “I realized that even though we live in different countries and even on very distant continents, the Ideal of unity can always be lived. It was a very good experience especially to learn about other countries’ culture, food, their clothes, some words and traditions. What I took away from the school is that first of all I stopped being afraid of confession and this made my faith in God grow. Daily Mass has helped me a lot, I hope to continue going every Sunday of my own free will.”.
Sebastian, Croatia: “I liked it when we represented our countries at the Festival of Peoples: everyone showed some tradition of their country. It was a lot of fun when we played soccer in the evening and got to know each other like that. My favorite moment was the final party where we sang and had fun. My life changed after the school, now I try to live the gospel by loving the people around me.”.
Silvia, Italy: “After the school my life turned around and I began to see the world with different eyes. It was the most meaningful experience of my life and made me want to be able to resemble what Chiara Lubich always wanted from the Gen.”.
Anna, Italy: “I highly recommend Gen who have not yet attended a Foco School to do so! You will have a lot of fun, I can guarantee.”.
Jakov, Croatia: “At Foco School, I understood the importance of unity. When I arrived, everyone was welcoming, it felt like one family. Rarely have I experienced this feeling before, maybe never. Also, I understood how to love and want everyone, regardless of who they are and their background. I would like to experience more such encounters, it was an unforgettable experience.”!
Julia, Brazil: “I take home the immeasurable love of Jesus for me and for everyone, as well as the hope and the feeling of wanting a united world to become a reality. Seeing that Jesus loves each one of us and being able to feel his love at Foco School was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had and I will definitely take it with me. I found hope and faith again. Now the challenge will be to bring the love and unity I felt at school into the “real world,” at home, at school, with my friends. But it is the memories and the love of what I learned in that experience that will push me to not give up and to fight for a united world.”!
Maria Teresa, Italy: “I participated in the Foco School as I felt a desire to know more about the origins of the Focolare movement. From this School I take home the hope for a better future for our generation. My life has improved because I have realized that I have to look at it from a different perspective, make every obstacle a launching pad! Being very insecure, I am always afraid to play the violin in public. In fact, when I was proposed to play at the school I was a little unsettled. Then one day there was a talk about how each of us can give to others our own talent or quality, which Chiara Lubich calls a “pearl.” So I decided to give my pearl to others, and while I was playing with another Gen, a group of boys and girls came up to accompany us with singing, giving us support. I lived Luke’s Gospel passage (Luke 6:38) “Give and it will be given to you.”.
Elena, Italy: “At the end of this school, I take home what I understood during a day dedicated to Jesus in his pain, abandoned on the Cross. It also affected me deeply because, thanks to the testimonies of the Gen, I was able to understand how to overcome pain through love.”.
Tomás, Portugal: “I brought home the discovery of Jesus forsaken, the power of prayer, as well as confession. I will carry God’s love wherever I go, I have strengthened my faith, I have learned a lot from this school.”.
Trieste is a city located in north-eastern Italy, on the border with Slovenia. Historically, it represents a crossroads of cultures, languages and religions. Today it is one of the main entry points to Europe for migrants following the Balkan route. They come with a burden of suffering, wars and persecutions.
In Trieste, the Focolare Movement community collaborates with other institutions to welcome migrants.
Claudia, from the local community told us, “The biggest problem is the perception of the problem itself. It is not an emergency, an unmanageable invasion as it is often portrayed but it is a structural phenomenon that is the reality of our historical present. A continuous flow of incoming people who, if properly welcomed, can enrich our city and our country. If the migratory phenomenon is not understood and addressed in appropriate ways, it will inevitably generate distrust, fear, impatience, rejection”.
Last autumn, in anticipation of the cold weather, the Bishop of Trieste, Archbishop Enrico Trevisi, expressed a wish to open a shelter as a concrete response to the reception of migrants. Together with other Catholic associations and individual citizens, some Focolare members responded to the Bishop’s appeal by volunteering. Claudia said, “For us it is not just a charitable service but an opportunity to meet a brother or a sister who needs to be loved in many details: by giving a smile, offering a meal or exchanging a few words. Often these brothers and sisters tell us pieces of their story, their sorrows and their hopes. They show us photos of their children but we also have a laugh and simply spend time together. Some of us have also looked after some migrants more closely for example by accompanying them to a hospital appointment or helping them prepare a CV for a job application”.
Sandra from the Focolare community added: “We try to get to know the migrants, their stories and their needs. This gives rise to experiences that have seen us involved in helping beyond our shift at the shelter and these experiences encourage us to continue. The shifts allow us to work with the other volunteers and to discover that even though many of them are not part of any associations or involved in parish life, they were happy to respond to the Bishop’s appeal”.
Claudia said, “Relationships grow slowly and are a sign of unity for the local Church. This experience, combined with the recent Italian Catholics’ Social Week[1], which took place in Trieste and was attended by Pope Francis, will bring great life to this border city of ours”.
A guest of the diocesan shelter said, “In Trieste I met the best volunteers, people who do not stop at distributing food. Satisfying the hunger of the needy and treating the wounds of the sick are noble tasks because they are the most urgent and essential. However, human beings have other extremely important needs, for example their emotional and spiritual health, which are symptoms of the state of their soul. This is not an individual or minor issue, it is what makes the difference between actions that have a momentary impact and those that persist and permeate the entire society. The best volunteers are so because they are aware that the needy are not just recipients of charity, we are people with stories worth listening to. They know every migrant mourns their lost roots, while also harbouring a hope that crashes against the walls of the system and an incessant struggle for survival. The best volunteers are moved by this suffering humanity and are encouraged to listen to our stories, despite the language barrier. They teach Italian or learn Spanish, use technology, give up their personal time, invest their energy in the common good and dream of a community in which we can all offer the best of ourselves”.
The Pedrinhas (SP, Brazil) headquarters of the Fazenda da Esperança welcomes young people and adults who are going through different stages of recovery from drug addiction and various forms of addiction and social distress. There could not have been a better place to host the conference of UNIRedes, the platform of NGOs, social and humanitarian projects and cultural agencies inspired by Chiara Lubich’s spirituality of unity in Latin America. In attendance were 140 people from 37 of the 74 partner organisations of UNIRedes, active in 12 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The aim of the conference was to present the work of these years to Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, who were present at the meeting; to define the next steps common to all the partner organisations and to strengthen the link with the Focolare Movement in order to share the experience gained beyond the Latin American continent.
UNIRedes: a network of networks
Maria Celeste Mancuso, Argentinian, international co-responsible of the New Humanity Movement, explains that UNIRedes is not only a solidarity super-project: “It is also a space that generates a cultural reflection to identify the anthropological and epistemological categories necessary to generate a new culture of care for the person and societies in Latin America”. This is why cultural agencies inspired by the charism of unity such as the Sophia University Institute (Loppiano, Italy), its local branch, Sophia Latin America and the Caribbean (ALC), and the ASCES UNITA University Centre in Caruaru (PE) are also fully part of it.
Virginia Osorio, Uruguayan, one of the initiators of the project, explains its origins: “The constant political and economic changes in our countries made our organisations increasingly fragile and isolated. With UNIRedes we found a place where we could strengthen each other and share our sufferings and hopes. Our most recent project was for Genfest: hundreds of young people volunteered with many of our organisations, experiencing first-hand fraternity and closeness to the poorest”.
The common root: “dying for one’s people”
The first root of UNIRedes is not based on geopolitical or economic analyses: we need to go back to the early 1970s when the Gen, the young people of the Focolare, like many of their peers in many countries, wanted to change the world and bring equality, justice, and dignity.
Chiara Lubich, who met with them frequently, supported and confirmed the need to make a peaceful social revolution, especially in Latin America, a continent she saw as having this special vocation. She told the young people of the Focolare that: “Each one must feel that we must die, yes, for humanity, but we must find our local Jesus Forsaken to die for our own people”[1].
“That’s how many people went to the peripheries of the cities, to the slums, wherever poverty took away people’s dignity,” says Gilvan David, a Brazilian from the Latin American articulation group of UNIRedes. “The first NGOs were established, and in the meantime we were trying to structure ourselves, but it was not enough: ‘You come to us,’ the poor told us, ‘but then go away and leave us alone’. To respond to this cry, we started to network with local public policies and at the same time, several priests who lived the spirituality of unity also founded social projects: Frei Hans with the Fazenda da Esperança, Father Renato Chiera with the Casa do Menor and others”.
One “single” Latin America
“Then the first groups of organisations were created,” continues Gilvan David, ‘Sumá Fraternidad’, which brought together projects from a number of Spanish-speaking countries; the civil association ‘Promocion Integral de la Persona’ (PIP) in Mexico; and the Brazilian social organisations continued to grow, finding their own identity and space for service. These were not easy years, but we started various paths in different territories in Latin America to support their social commitment, which then merged into UNIRedes. We met several times, but the founding meeting was in 2014, also attended by Emmaus Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, then President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement. Emmaus on that occasion said: ‘You give the Movement a new visibilitỳ, a new meaning to its action, you are a testimony for those who look at you from the outside; you give complete visibility to the Charism through concrete actions’. I would say that it was then that we recognised ourselves as a unique reality for the whole of Latin America: we found ourselves embraced by the Charism of unity”.
There were many substantial contributions that built this conference, along with the presentation of the different partner organisations.
Juan Esteban Belderrain: from inequality to hope
The Argentinean political scientist Juan Esteban Balderrain analysed the wound of inequality of which Latin America holds the world record. “It is a matter of building a vision of this continent that starts from hope and this is possible because if we look at the deepest root of the problem of inequality, we find that we have lost the reference to that God who is love and who helps us understand that we are brothers and sisters of one another and with nature, which is also an expression of his Love. Referring to the 20th century, Paul VI said that it was a blessed time because it demanded holiness from everyone. I think these words also apply to ours.”
Padre Vilson Groh: the “open-eye mysticism”
For over 40 years, Father Vilson has lived in the “morro”, a slum in Florianopolis (Santa Catarina, Brazil), carrying out social projects especially for young people. He spoke of the “open-eye mysticism”: “We must take our organisations to the dark cellars of our peripheries; be a hope there. Genfest brought the perspective of “togetherness”, which Pope Francis promotes. This requires a patient, resilient journey; it demands being steadfast in the pursuit of the common good. Unity is superior to conflict, the Pope always says, and unity is plurality. Let us bring diversity into our organisations: the charism of unity is a door for the wounded Christ to open spaces”.
Vera Araujo: Latin America builder of fraternity
The Brazilian sociologist’s talk focused on a positive vision that recognises the Latin American cultural and human heritage and offers it as a gift to the world.
“UNIRedes originates in Chiara Lubich’s charism and can be transformed into an incredible opportunity for the rest of the world: unity seen not only as a religious value, but also as a force capable of effectively composing the human family, realising an interaction between the multiplicity of people, preserving distinctions in the context of social realities. Here the charism of unity offers a solution that is not easy, but rather a sense, a meaning, a Person: Christ Forsaken on the cross.
‘To love well‘, says Chiara, ‘we must not see in the difficulties and injustices of the world only social evils to be remedied, but discover in them the face of Christ who does not disdain to hide beneath every human misery’[2].
Susana Nuin Núñez: the path of peoples and social movements
The Uruguayan sociologist described the journey and the social, political, economic richness of the continent’s peoples and certain social movements. “These networks with their most varied physiognomies, with their developments in social practices or in the academic world, act in a complementary manner, generating an unquestionable socio-cultural fabric with a multifaceted community character that Latin America is the bearer of”. She then underlines the peculiarity of UNIRedes, which for over ten years has been a social subject that heals, revolutionises, transforms and influences from the Gospel and the word of unity.
Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán: UNIRedes is part of the Focolare Movement
“Those who want to live the Gospel in this region are always in crisis because they see inequalities constantly,” Jesús points out. “Unity cannot fail to take on this reality. How do we achieve unity on this continent, without taking into account those discarded by society? What you do as UNIRedes should inform the whole Movement in this region; its work for unity is not credible if it is not also done through social works. Of course, we will not solve social problems. The only thing we can do is to make people convert to love. If we touch hearts, someone will grasp the spirit and in freedom will understand how to live the Gospel”.
Margaret encouraged UNIRedes to move forward: “Now you have to figure out how to make your life and example reach everyone in the world. Quoting a conversation of Chiara Lubich from 1956, she reiterated that in its social commitment the Movement must not forget that the key to solving the problems that the Charism of Unity offers lies in the novelty of reciprocity rather than in justice. It promotes sharing, the putting in common among everyone the little or the much that is available to create a greater Common Good which, in addition to solving social problems, produces the human and spiritual fulfilment that only happens in fellowship among all. Finally Margaret launches a proposal: “Add a new article in your Charter of Principles and Commitments: a solemn pact of fraternity to be proposed to those who want to be part of UNIRedes: we are here to witness to mutual love and only if we have this love will the world believe”.
“UNIRedes speaks to us of hope,” concludes M. Celeste Mancuso. “It is a transversal and synodal proposal of an organisational network that can inspire similar models for those existential peripheries in other parts of our vast world. In this way we can think of building global networks of fraternity that promote the common good”.
Stefania Tanesini
[1] Chiara Lubich at the “Gen School”, Rocca di Papa (Rome, Italy), 15 May 1977
[2] Chiara Lubich, Towards a civilisation of unity. Keynote address at the Congress “A culture of peace for the unity of peoples”, Castelgandolfo, (Rome) 11-12 June 1988.
Genfest 2024: Together to care
Amazon, land of caring and the future 
Genfest 2024 concludes second phase: a yes to peace
Let us not be at peace until we bring about peace!
Phase 3 of Genfest 2024 has come to an end, but it is only the beginning…
‘Start Here and Now’ the new single by Gen Verde
An original condominium
Genfest: the road comes into existence 
Mariapolis Ginetta and Polo Spartacus: the courage to change
From the “tri-national” community – a future of fraternity for Latin America
CEU: different flowers in the same garden
UNIRedes: hope for Latin America and the world
