Jan 2, 2023 | Non categorizzato
The theologian Piero Coda recalls Pope Benedict XVI and his extraordinary contribution to the journey of the Church in our time. Mons. Coda, in 1998 at the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements, the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Card. Joseph Ratzinger made a historic speech about the role of ecclesial movements. What, in your opinion, are the essential points of that speech? How much have those words contributed to changing the role of movements in the Church? Yes, it was indeed an historic speech! I was attending the Congress so I heard him give it. He had great theological competence and knowledge of the history of the Church, as well as the experience of the Council and then, in his role in the Vatican, he followed its implementation at the universal level. This allowed Ratzinger to clearly identify the meaning of ecclesial movements in the mission of the Church. His central point was to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit in the Movements. Throughout the centuries, in ever new ways and in subsequent waves, the Holy Spirit renews the People of God with the gift of charisms: from St. Benedict to the Mendicant Orders in the Middle Ages, from the Company of Jesus to the Missionary Orders in the last centuries, right up to the unexpected charismatic blossoming in concomitance with the Council. Hence the affirmation of John Paul II, in tune with the teaching of Vatican II, according to which the Church is built on the co-essentiality of the “hierarchical gifts”, the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders and of the “charismatic gifts”, the free bestowal of special graces of light and life among all the disciples of Jesus.
On the occasion of the death of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare, Pope Benedict XVI sent a comprehensive message of condolence. What was Lubich’s relationship with him? Chiara told me personally that she was very impressed by that speech of Cardinal Ratzinger in 1998 and was always grateful for it. He visited the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo (Rome) on 8th December, 1989 and celebrated Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. He referred to the Gospel parable and said that he could see the growth of a large tree born from a small seed, in which all the birds of the sky find rest. The first years of the pontificate of Benedict XVI coincided with the last years of Chiara’s life: she could no longer meet him in person or rejoice in the fact that, a year after her death, in the encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Ratzinger mentioned the Economy of Communion. What does the thought and life of Pope Benedict XVI say to the Church of today and tomorrow, which the current Synod is helping to define? His unique contribution was to recall, with his authority as a man of God and a great theologian, a determining truth: the work of renewal put into motion by Vatican II needs to be developed in direct contact with the living nucleus of the Gospel of Jesus and in the context of the ecclesial Tradition. He stated this clearly in his magisterial speech to the Roman Curia in December 2005, the first year of his pontificate, when he defined the decisive key to interpretation of the conciliar event as being: “continuing reform”. It is no coincidence that the best-known book by the young theologian Ratzinger, which appeared in its first edition in 1968 and was translated into the main languages, bears the title Introduction to Christianity. This signalled that the launch pad for a prophetic leap forward is the faith of always, in Jesus. Nor is it insignificant that, as Pope, he dedicated three encyclicals to the theological virtues: charity, hope and faith. He strongly stressed the primacy of the first, because it evokes the very name of the God who reveals himself in Jesus. That Jesus to whom he dedicated a passionate trilogy as an invitation to the encounter with the living principle of faith, which is not a beautiful idea, but God Himself. Faithfulness, therefore, to the patrimony of faith but so that the richness and novelty of the Gospel may be released from it. This is the secret of the strength and enduring fascination of the magisterium of Benedict XVI. And you personally, what is the most beautiful memory you have of Pope Ratzinger? I met him many times, first as Cardinal and then as Pope. I always experienced his great cordiality and exquisite attention. I also had the opportunity to converse at length with him about theology, in the context of a series of seminars with other scholars, at an international level, when he was Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith. This made me realize (with increasing gratitude to God) the extraordinary contribution of wisdom he has given to the journey of the Church in our time. In agreement with Chiara, I shared the idea of the Sophia University Institute with Pope Benedict. He exclaimed, “A wonderful thing, if you can manage it…” Finally, I remember his joyful surprise when we met him during an audience with the first group of students and Caelison, a blind student, spontaneously confided to him: “We have found the light in Sophia!”.
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 31, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Statement by Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement on the death of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI Respect, appreciation, and emotion fill my heart as I express deepest gratitude for the life and work of Pope Benedict XVI. I do so on my own behalf and on behalf of the Movement that he followed and accompanied with love and closeness . With the whole Church we gather around Pope Francis as we give him back to God, certain that he has already been received into the glory of Heaven and I will do so personally on the 5th January when I attend his funeral in St Peter’s Square. In May 2009, I had the privilege of welcoming Pope Benedict to Jerusalem, as I participated in various stages of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Two of those moments remain with me in particular: his words at the Holy Sepulchre, “Peace is possible here”. He continued, saying: “The Empty Tomb speaks to us of hope, the same hope that does not disappoint, because it is the gift of the Spirit of life.” Being able to attend a private Mass in the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem, celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI himself was very powerful for me. I sensed his fatherly tenderness and the greatness of his charity that was expressed in a gesture of gratitude for all that the Focolare Movement had done to help prepare for his visit.
In 1989, when he was still Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was invited by Chiara Lubich for a dialogue with the focolarine gathered for their annual spiritual exercises, in which I too was participating. He answered a wide variety of questions and at one point spoke words that I have never forgotten. Concerning the future of the Church and humanity, he said: “The final word in the history of the world will be communion, becoming communion, not only among ourselves but, by being incorporated in Trinitarian love, becoming universal communion, where God is all in all”[1]. Today, as our beloved Pope Benedict XVI has returned to the house of the Father, these words of his resound within me almost like a spiritual testament. They are words of extraordinary relevance, which today shed light and hope on humanity afflicted by conflicts of which we see no end. We were nourished by his enlightened thought, that of a great theologian who, while still very young, took part in the Second Vatican Council, He conveyed and presented over the years the newness of a Church as communion, formed of knowledge of the Word and charity translated into practice. Following his election as Pope, Chiara Lubich affirmed: ‘From my personal knowledge of him, and because he has special gifts with which to grasp the light of the Spirit, he will not fail to surprise us and exceed all expectations’[2]. Let us not forget the key role he played in 1998, when Pope John Paul II invited the Ecclesial Movements and New Communities to St Peter’s Square on the feast of Pentecost. On that occasion, Cardinal Ratzinger gave a very significant lecture entitled: “The Ecclesial Movements: a Theological Reflection on their Place in the Church”, in which he outlined the profile of the movements and new communities and their essential relationship with the Church. Some parts of his talk continue to be a great light for me and for the Movement, enabling us to be instruments of communion in the Church and Christ’s outreached arms towards humanity. He said: “(…) the Holy Spirit is quite plainly at work in the Church and is lavishing new gifts on her in our time too, gifts through which she relives the joy of her youth (cf. Ps 42:4 Vulgate). Gratitude for the many people, young and old, who accept God’s call and joyfully enter into the service of the Gospel without looking back. Gratitude for the bishops who open themselves up to the new movements, create room for them in their local Churches, struggle patiently with them in order to overcome their one-sidedness and guide them to the right form.”[3] Together with the whole Church, I thank God for the gift that Pope Benedict XVI has been for our time and I pray that we will know how to grasp and translate into life the depth of his theological thought, his faithfulness to the Gospel and the courage of a life of witness that can lead the Church on the paths of truth, fraternity and peace.
Margaret Karram President Focolare Movemente
[1] Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s visit to the meeting of the women focolarini, answers to questions. Castel Gandolfo, 8th December 1989. Chiara Lubich Archive, in the General Archives of the Focolare Movement. [2] Statement by Chiara Lubich in the Focolare Movement’s Press Release of 20th April 2005 [3] “Ecclesial Movements, a theological reflection on their place in the Church,” Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Proceedings of the World Congress of the Ecclesial Movements Rome, 27-29 May 1998.
Dec 29, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Two milestones to experience cultural exchanges, form paths of inclusion through art and develop musical talents. Yann Dupont is a French teacher. He teaches at the Institution Sainte Catherine in Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, France. He had always dreamt of taking some of his students to Moramanga in Madagascar for a cultural exchange with the Antsirinala School. One day, by chance Dupont met Valerio Gentile from Gen Rosso and from a lively, simple and sincere dialogue, an idea was born. Why not go to Madagascar together, Gen Rosso and five of his students for a cultural and humanitarian exchange? And that’s exactly what happened! The French young people were included in the ‘train the trainer’ formation group and a number of young people interested in the performing arts also participated. They took as their motto the words they then put into practice during the workshops in Madagascar: “call by name, put yourself in the other person’s shoes, live one for the other with joy, start again”. It was an 8-day tour – thanks to the financial support of the NGO Edugascar – in November to 4 different cities: Ambatondrazaka, Moramanga, Antsirinala, Antingandingana. They spent their time between dance, percussion and singing workshops and concerts. Over 500 young people were involved. “We believe we’ve all experienced a little piece of a more united world here in Madagascar,” said Gen Rosso. “We have discovered a people who convey hope, patience, a sense of adaptation, serenity and courage in the face of life with all its daily challenges. Nancy Judicaelle, a young girl from Madagascar remarked: “On the one hand I am sad that my time with them was so short but I am so happy and deeply moved, and am experiencing an inexplicable joy”. Angel, one of the young participants added: “The concert was terrific because we had shared about music, the education of children and respect for the environment. It was a great show where even the children were able to make their contribution for our whole community”. The five French students continued the tour with Gen Rosso, stopping first at Antsirinala where they were welcomed – in a festive and friendly atmosphere – by a school of 200 children and young people twinned with the school in Villeneuve, and then on to Ambatondrazaka. Here they met the Focolare community – a true celebration because it was the first time Gen Rosso had landed in Madagascar. “I experienced incredible moments of cultural exchange that happened in a completely natural way between Gen Rosso and the humanitarian Madagascan people,” said Dumoulin Nicolas, a French reporter who was following the tour, “including a group of French students who were here for an exchange. It has been the adventure of a lifetime”. A stop in Lebanon Another important trip for the international band was the visit to the Lebanon for the HeARTmony. project. After their experience in Bosnia, this training programme made a stop in Beirut in November for young people interested in social inclusion methodologies for migrants and refugees through art. It spurred them on to strengthen intercultural skills and reflect on the causes and effects of migration in the Mediterranean. Adelson, Michele, Ygor and Juan Francisco – all members of Gen Rosso met with young people from Caritas Egypt, Caritas Lebanon and members of Humanité Nouvelle Lebanon. As they landed in Beirut they were warmly welcomed by members of the different focolares. The main aim of the trip was to learn how to use music and art as tools for bringing people together, especially people living on the margins of society, such as migrants, to make them feel welcome in a community. “Art is a powerful medium,” Gen Rosso’s Adelson commented, “music reaches places we often can’t reach with words. A person can feel loved and respond to love in many different ways”. The method is always the same: through singing, music and percussion workshops they try to bring out the participants’ talents as they work towards putting together the final performance. One evening, the band and project participants were invited to a party organised by the Focolare community in Beirut: making music together and getting to know each other. It was an opportunity to share some life experiences and find out more about what these young Lebanese people are going through today. “I want to leave, but I feel that Lebanon will only change if I have the courage to stay, if I put into practice what I have learnt,” one young girl said during the evening. “At this time, it is difficult to tell young people to stay, but this girl’s words struck me deeply,” continued Adelson. “I think this is where we can start again: putting love into the things we do in order to become protagonists of our own reality. Perhaps we won’t see the results immediately but I am sure that soon Lebanon will be reborn, like a phoenix”!
Lorenzo Russo
Dec 28, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Recalling the emotions of an unforgettable year and the outlook for the New Year 2022 – a year that will be hard to forget. The war in Ukraine that could be compared to a virus for which there is still no vaccine, has affected all of us every day of this year that is drawing to a close. Yet, it has also been an opportunity for lots of artists to bring messages of peace and hope. And this is how the song ‘We Choose Peace‘ was born and recorded by Gen Verde, the international performing arts group, right at the start of the conflict in Ukraine. The video clip, recorded with young people from the little town of Loppiano and released during United World Week, has been particularly relevant throughout 2022, especially at various concerts around Europe. The band also recorded another song called ‘Walk On Holy Ground‘, written especially for followers of St Vincent de Paul but also for all those who feel called to follow Jesus. “To feel that I am looked at and loved by the One who has chosen me just as I am,” said Venezuelan singer Andreína Rivera from Gen Verde, “has given me the strength to go ahead with even more conviction.” This year was also marked by the concerts returning to squares and theatres, with various kinds of workshops, after a break of just over two years due to the pandemic. There have been several Gen Verde concerts in Italy and a special European tour. The strongest experience was the event held in the women’s prison in Vechta, Germany.
“For the first time I was able to not feel like I was in prison. It was so beautiful,” said one of the inmates at the end of the concert. ‘I didn’t feel any difference. They were just like us. Some of them even had tears in their eyes. They really understood us.” Another one said: “Many songs were so appropriate for our situation, especially the song ‘On the other side’ because it helps not to judge those who are different from you”. Another inmate emphasised how “time went by so quickly and we didn’t want it to end. The stories in the songs are also my past and that is why I do not feel alone with my pain. Now I know that there are other people with the same stories, with the same pain, who have managed to find happiness”. We have been talking about our return after the pandemic. For Gen Verde, it was exciting to resume the Start Now Workshop Project, which is about meeting young people in the performing arts workshops and going on stage with them.
“It’s been great to meet young people from different parts of Europe,” confided Raiveth Banfield from Panama who sings with Gen Verde. By sharing our experiences, so much light came back into their eyes. It was like a confirmation that it is worthwhile to live for universal brotherhood”. These words were echoed by two young Slovakian girls: “Before we came we didn’t really know what we were getting into. At first we didn’t even want to come out of ourselves but then in the workshops we discovered that we all had so much in common, even though we did not know each other and could not understand each other because of the different languages. We discovered that each of us has a little light inside us, despite the little obscurities. This experience is unforgettable: we will carry it with us for the rest of our lives.” Gen Verde is beginning to glimpse a 2023 that will be full of surprises and novelties. “We have been preparing for several months because it’s going to be full of trips, tours, concerts and also a few surprises,” says Alessandra Pasquali, an Italian singer and actress. “We can’t give away too much just yet because there are still things being worked out, so much work in progress”. Early on in 2023 Gen Verde will be back in Germany, then Austria and Romania, and in the summer they are going to Portugal for the World Youth Day, as well as various Italian cities including Assisi on 24 February where there will be a concert for peace.
Lorenzo Russo
Info: https://www.genverde.it/
Dec 27, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Prayer is not only the best way to seek God but, more than anything else, it is the willingness to be found by Him. It is from this experience of grace that our strength derives and it is precisely in prayer that some young people of Peru, faced with a painful situation, found the answer. How can we live prayer? This is the theme on which the communities of the Focolare Movement are invited to reflect this year and it was the focus on 13th November, 2022, of the Gen2 day, which involved the youth realities of the Focolare Movement, connected in live streaming from many parts of the world. There were many experiences on the importance of prayer. They included one from a group of gen from Arequipa (Peru), told in a video through the words of Verónica, Alejandra, Anel and Katy. “We want to share an experience of love, unity and prayer that we have had recently and that concerns in particular a gen, our great friend, Pierina. A week after her birthday something unexpected happened, that shocked everyone: Pierina was diagnosed with an illness which has very serious consequences. We immediately understood the seriousness of the situation and that it would be a long and delicate process. We were very worried and felt that our hands were tied. What could we do? Suddenly the idea of saying a rosary and a prayer to Blessed Chiara Luce Badano for Pierina’s health came from our heart. Together with the Focolare community of Arequipa, we started to meet over the web every day at 8 or 9 pm. We saw how, slowly, this moment together produced unexpected fruits, in ourselves too. Every night this rosary was our strength. Although the situation continued to be complex, we put everything in the hands of God: Pierina’s health, her healing and also strength for her family. Months have passed and it has been wonderful to see how Pierina got out of intensive care and then started a slow recovery. We felt it was a sign that this prayer should continue. We realized that this precious space that we had carved out had become a moment to experience unity between us, in which each member could entrust not only Pierina’s life to God, but also bring their own pains, efforts, share and discover the beauty of the encounter with God. It was a beautiful experience, which is still a source of strength for all of us.”
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
Dec 23, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Vinu Aram, director of the Shanti Ashram, visited the International Centre of the Focolare Movement (Rocca di Papa, Rome). It was a chance to reflect on the precious inheritance she received from meeting Chiara Lubich: to live in unity for a better world; a special occasion to wish a joyful Christmas to all those who prepare to live this feast. “I think our journey continues to have great significance. Just think of the first seeds, the work we have done together and our constant desire for a peaceful world. Where are we? Think of a family in which everyone has their own characteristic but where there is also cohesion. We trust each other, with respect and with much love”. These are words of fraternity spoken by Viru Aram, Indian and Hindu, director of the Shanti Ashram International Centre, a long-time friend and collaborator of the Focolare Movement. Her recent visit on 23rd November 2022, to see Margaret Karram, President of Focolare, at the International Centre of the Movement in Rocca di Papa (Italy), was an opportunity to strengthen this bond, reflect together on some issues that afflict this time and discuss common paths to make the world a better place. Vinu, what do you think the world really needs today? I think it needs real, honest listening. Today what is required of us is compassion and the humanization of our lived experience. We have done a lot, in some cases well, but sometimes the cost was high. We are in the middle of what has been called a confluence of crises and the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated everything. The virus did not discriminate but in an unequal world it prospered. I believe that it is necessary to act strengthened by everything we have done that is good, but also informed about what we can do better: respect for the environment, for human life and its sacredness. The way we live, the way we govern and share resources comes with a responsibility towards our children. They are our present and our tomorrow. It is necessary to do things not only differently, but with everyone’s interests in mind. Today there are many countries and regions of the world affected by violence and conflicts, some of them forgotten. As a teacher, what message do you give your children? I try to foster a mindset of peace in them, so that not only nations and communities can work for peace, but entire peoples. Peace is the fundamental foundation on which prosperity advances. But if you look at the world, the indicators of violence exceed those of peaceful life. Whether it is the social sphere, whether it is the economic sphere or something else. And every conflict in the whole world takes away the essential dignity of human life. What is needed are peace narratives. People have to believe it’s possible. We need experiences which enable young people and children to say: “Ah, if this works, we can do it too”. We need the right structures, sincere sharing and dialogue of the highest quality, that really lead to transformation. Then, as Mahatma Gandhi often said, in a gentle way, we can shake the world.
Maria Grazia Berretta
Activate English subtitles https://youtu.be/Sm3O6PbLE1A?list=PLKhiBjTNojHqtFwgi5TYI3T7zRvAuOZiD
Dec 23, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Advent is a time for recollection, a time of waiting. It is a time that wakes us from slumber and surprises us with the incarnation of a God who makes himself “small” to come and dwell among us. The mystery of Christmas brings us back to the essential, and welcoming Baby Jesus into our lives becomes an opportunity for each one of us to convert ourselves again and look at our daily lives with gratitude. A charity that is always new Ever since the conflict broke out in Ukraine, we have been involved in collecting food and clothing and welcoming refugees. A chain of prayers for peace also began in our parish. We took in a Ukrainian mother with two children. Since the Ukrainian language has Slavic roots, there were no problems there, even if English is practically our common language… but how were we going to organise life for these people who were so completely disoriented? There are already five of us in the family, so we asked relatives and friends if they would help with our guests. It was about organising places for them, something we had never done before. After the first few days which were easy in some ways because of the novelty of the situation but difficult in other ways, we noticed how our children, all teenagers, adopted a sense of responsibility that they had not demonstrated before. They began helping with the household chores, shopping, accompanying someone to the doctor, teaching a few Slovakian words, cooking, ironing. The pain our guests were feeling was the sense of suspension, the lack of horizon. We found that embracing this silent pain was not only a good way to help someone else, it also helped us to live our faith better and transform it into a charity which is ever new. (J. and K. – Slovakia) God is paying you a visit As a widower, I no longer had a reference point for the future. My two daughters, who had already moved out of home, had their whole lives ahead of them. Should I remarry? My problem was not just that I didn’t have a partner, but the bigger question on the meaning of life. I started drinking, more and more. One day a Bangladeshi boy appeared at my door selling socks. Seeing me in such a sorry state he offered to clear up the kitchen and started washing up the piles of dishes and crockery until there was some semblance of order. As I was drinking the coffee he had made for me, I asked him about himself. He told me he was looking for work in Austria in order to be able to support his elderly parents and a sick brother. In short, he moved in with me a few days later. Besides helping me with the housework, I found him other little jobs with friends. Whenever he saw me getting restless, this good and simple boy would try to distract me. I can honestly say that he saved me. Through him, I really felt that God had come towards me, had come to visit me. (F.H. – Austria)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, November-December 2022)
Dec 22, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Message from Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, on the occasion of Christmas 2022 Activate English subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGt4KlwM9N8 I wish everyone a very happy Christmas, and I’ll do so through a poem I wrote recently. Come Lord Jesus, hurry and come, The whole world can no longer cope! A dark night has come down, The Star has disappeared from the sky. Who will guide us now to Bethlehem, To meet the Prince of Peace? Who will help us rekindle in many hearts the flames of a love that burns and becomes art? It’s Christmas. Come back, come to us Lord Jesus. We want to welcome you like we have never done before. More than ever in the past, we want to recognise you in those who suffer: the poor, the lonely, those in despair, sick or abandoned. Grant that we may hear the cry of those who no longer hope, of those who no longer believe! Grant that we be people of peace. Give us strength. Give us the courage to echo the angels and like them proclaim: joy, hope, peacefulness, fraternity!
Margaret Karram
Dec 19, 2022 | Non categorizzato
In a few days it will be Christmas. It’s a celebration when we can meet up as a family and renew relationships, regardless of the lights and the gifts. God became a child and was born in the poverty of a manger. At Christmas 1986, Chiara Lubich invited the communities of the Focolare Movement to go out towards those who are suffering the most. Today too, we have many brothers and sisters who are having to live in situations of suffering and they are waiting for us to share with them and to bring them comfort. Today the warmth of the Christmas spirit makes us all feel more like a family, more united as one, more like brothers and sisters, so that we want to share everything, both joys and sorrows. Above all, we want to share the pain of those who, due to various circumstances, are suffering. … Suffering! Suffering can at times overcome our entire being, or occur suddenly and mix bitterness with the pleasant moments of our day. Suffering caused by an illness, an accident, an ordeal, a painful circumstance. … Suffering! … If we look at suffering from a human standpoint, we are tempted to look for its cause either within us or outside of us, for example, in human malice, or in nature, or in other things. … And all this might be true, but if we think only in these terms, we forget something more important. We lose sight of the fact that underlying the story of our lives is the love of God who wills or permits everything for a higher purpose, which is our own good. … And didn’t Jesus himself, after inviting us to take up our cross and follow him, then affirm, “Those who lose their life” – and this is the apex of suffering – “will find it”?[1] Suffering, therefore, brings hope of salvation. So what can we say today to our friends who are struggling with pain and suffering? … Let’s approach them with the greatest possible respect, because even though they may not think so, in this moment they are being visited by God. Then, inasmuch as we can, let’s share their crosses, which means to truly keep Jesus in the midst with them. Let’s also assure them that we are continually with them, and assure them of our prayers, so that they will be able to take directly from the hand of God whatever makes them suffer, and unite it to the passion of Jesus so that it can produce the greatest possible fruit. … And let’s remind them of that marvelous Christian principle of our spirituality, by which suffering that is loved as a countenance of Jesus crucified and forsaken can be transformed into joy. May this be our … Christmas/OR commitment – to share every suffering with our brothers and sisters who are suffering the most, and offer our own sufferings to Baby Jesus.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, Conversazioni, Città Nuova, Roma 2019, pag.265-268) [1] Mt 10:39.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEz1pZdFb50&list=PL9YsVtizqrYtnID7Mtj616OTSxpbqxvqg
Dec 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato
The Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG) has opened the inscriptions for the Training Course for Synodality, a concrete contribution to respond to the Church’s call to walk together. The Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG) which is linked to the Sophia University Institute, is offering a Synodal Training Course which will begin in 2023. It is a course which has been developed in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod and with other training centres and academic institutes in Italy and beyond. But why talk about synodality? Prof. Vincenzo di Pilato, Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pugliese Theological Faculty in Italy and coordinator of the CEG, explains:

Prof. Vincenzo di Pilato
On 16th October, Pope Francis announced his decision to hold the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in two sessions. The press release states, “This decision stems from the desire that because of the breadth and importance of the theme of the Synodal Church, it should be the subject of prolonged discernment not only by the members of the Synodal Assembly, but by the whole Church”. This is the challenge to which the course endeavours to respond: to combine walking ‘together’ with ‘all’ walking, as best as possible. We are experiencing this at the level of dioceses, parishes, movements, congregations, everywhere: synodality without life in the Spirit is reduced to outmoded and inconclusive assemblyism. We need ‘houses and schools of communion’, but also ‘gyms of synodality’ in which to learn to listen to and follow the Holy Spirit. Easier said than done! The course would like to be at the service of this other challenge: to bring spiritual experience and theological and human sciences together. This is the desire of the Pontifical Dicasteries, in particular those engaged in formation. On various occasions they have proposed courses of this kind, open to all vocations. The General Secretariat of the Synod itself was particularly involved in the initiative. In fact, we have the honour that Cardinal Secretary Mario Grech will open the Course on 17th January, 2023. Professor, how will this course take place and to whom is it addressed?
The course will take place over three years. There will be 4 sessions each year (3 academic modules and a residential meeting). They will deal with issues linked to the ongoing synodal process. You can sign up for the whole year or for a single module. The official language will be Italian, but there will be simultaneous translations into Spanish, Portuguese and English. It is a course for all members of the People of God, from bishops to pastoral workers, from priests to nuns, from seminarians to lay people. For this year, we will keep the course online. Where possible, we recommend participating in groups from the same community, parish or diocese so as to make the course a real “gym of synodality”. Two or more participants, who will be able to dialogue with each other in a synodal style, will become “multipliers” of the course, or of its main themes, in the community to which they belong. During a meeting with the various ecclesial realities linked to the Focolare Movement, the Co-President, Jesús Morán, spoke about the spirituality of communion (citing the Novo Millennium Ineunte of Saint John Paul II) and synodality as two distinct moments which are however linked to each other,. Can you elaborate on this concept? We are preparing for the next Jubilee in 2025, with a prolonged synodal journey unprecedented in the history of the Church. In the aftermath of the last Jubilee of the Year 2000, St. John Paul II recognized that “much has been done since the Second Vatican Council, also with regard to the reform of the Roman Curia, the organization of Synods, and the functioning of Episcopal Conferences. But certainly much remains to be done” (NMI, 44). What did he mean by that “much remains to be done”? I think it was not a rhetorical expression for him, but a prophetic one. In 2015, the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis said: “The path of synodality is the path that God expects from the Church of the third millennium”. This is the mutual convergence between these two Jubilees: on one hand, the “spirituality” of communion which allows us to penetrate into the highest contemplation of the mystery of God the Trinity, preserved within and among all creatures; on the other hand, synodality as a “path” on which to remain, following the example of Jesus and Mary, mingled together, participating “in this somewhat chaotic tide that can be transformed into a true experience of fraternity, into a caravan of solidarity, into a holy pilgrimage” (Evangelii Gaudium 87). It is clear, therefore, that there is no spirituality of communion without synodality and vice versa. Communion which leads to unity is the mystery of God revealed to us by Jesus Crucified-Risen and forever present in the destiny of humanity; synodality is the way that allows us to make it visible “so that the world may believe” (Jn. 17: 21). What does all this mean concretely for each of us and what are the steps to live this call? First of all we should feel that we are part of a single people, not a group of individuals standing next to each other like pins in a bowling alley or passengers in a lift. Addressing young people, Pope Francis explained it this way: “When we speak of ‘people’ we must not think of the structures of society or of the Church, but rather the group of people who do not walk as individuals, but as the fabric of a community of all and for all, who cannot allow the poorest and the weakest to be left behind: ‘The people want everyone to share in the common good and for this reason they are ready to adapt to the pace of the last one in order to arrive all together’” (Christus Vivit, 23). Here we are: walking together without leaving anyone behind, recognizing the presence of Christ in everyone who passes by us. This is the root of the equal dignity and freedom of each of us. Feeling one people is the premise, but also the purpose of synodality, just as Jesus is, at the same time, the Way and our travelling companion. The Holy Spirit dwells in every member of God’s people, as in a temple, and the only law among all must be the new commandment, to love as Jesus himself loved us (cf. Jn. 13: 34). We hope that the Course will be a stretch of road embarked on together, with our eyes fixed on the horizon of the Kingdom of God, which we meet whenever there is a neighbour to love.
Maria Grazia Berretta
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