God has always wanted this: to dwell with us, his people. Already the first pages of the Bible show it as God comes down from heaven, walks in the garden and talks with Adam and Eve. Didn’t he create us for this? What does a lover want if not to be with the beloved? The Book of Revelation, which investigates God’s plan in history, gives us the certainty that God’s desire will be fully fulfilled. With the coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, ‘God with us’, he already started living in our midst. And now that Jesus is risen his presence is no longer limited to one place or one time, and he has spread it to the entire world. With Jesus has begun the building of a new and highly original community, a people made up of many peoples. God does not wish to dwell only in my soul, in my family, in my people, but among all peoples called to form one people. At the same time, the current experience of human mobility is changing the idea of what it is to be a people. In many nations, the people are made up of many ethnic groups. We are so different from one another in the colour of our skin, our culture, our religion. We often look at one another with distrust, suspicion or fear. We make war upon each other. And yet God is Father of all, and loves all and each of us. He does not want to live with one people (‘Ours, of course,’ would be our first thought) and leave the others behind. For him we are all his sons and daughters, a single family. Let’s make the effort, therefore, guided by the Word of Life this month, to appreciate diversity, respect the other, look at him or her as someone who belongs to me: I am the other, the other is me; the other lives in me, I live in the other. And let’s begin with those we share our life with every day. Like this we can make space for the presence of God among us. It will be he who constructs unity, who safeguards the identity of each people, who creates a new way of being society. In 1959 Chiara Lubich had already had this insight. She wrote a passage that is extremely up- to-date and an amazing prophecy: ‘If one day all people, not as individuals but as nations, would learn to put themselves aside… and if they would do this as the expression of the mutual love between states that God asks for, just as he asks for mutual love among individuals, that day would mark the beginning of a new era. For on that day…. Jesus will be alive and present among peoples … ‘Now is the time for every people to go beyond its own borders, to look farther. Now is the time to love the other countries as our own, to acquire a new purity of vision. To be Christians it is not enough to be detached from ourselves. The times we live in demand from the followers of Christ something more: the awareness of Christianity’s social dimension…. ‘And we hope that the Lord may have mercy on this divided and confused world, on peoples closed within their shells contemplating their own beauty – the only beauty that exists for them (though it is both limiting and unsatisfying). They strain to hold on to their treasures against all odds, the very treasures that could help other peoples who are dying of hunger. May the Lord cause all barriers to fall, and allow love to run uninterrupted through all lands, flooding them with spiritual and material goods. ‘Let us hope that the Lord brings about a new order in the world. Only he can make humanity a family and cultivate the unique characteristics of each people so that the splendour of each, placed at the service of others, may shine with the one light of life. This light of life in making beautiful each earthly country will make it the antechamber of the Eternal Country.’1
Fabio Cardi
1 Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings (New York and London, 2006), 231-2
I slept in company of the mice “All I cared about was money, designer clothing, women and fun. After experiencing jail for heroin trafficking, I went back to the same life as before, surrounded by violence, drugs and alcohol. Around three years ago, some drugs and money were stolen from me by a person whom I considered my friend. Fed up with God, myself and the world, I let myself go. I slept in an abandoned house amidst the refuse, in the company of the mice. One day, without even asking who I was, a stranger invited me to eat at his house and cared for me with the attention of a brother. I felt urged to follow him into the church he went to and, for the first time, I experienced a feeling of peace. Afterwards I continued to go the church alone. For hours in that deep silence I learnt how to pray. My life changed, even though there were relapses. Jesus gave me the strength to gradually take hold of myself again. Now, as a member of a rehab community I try to return the help I received, by serving the needy.” (Samuele – Italy)The seamstress “Whenever she passed by our tailor shop she would give a sad glance at the clothing in the window. One day I invited her in. Her clothing was poor but in good taste. She returned other times, and I got to know her story. She had given up her job so that she could care for her parents. She was all alone and unable to practise her profession as a seamstress. I spoke with the owner of the shop and the woman was hired. Saying that she’s the best would be an understatement. I heard from several customers that they visit the shop more willingly when she’s there, because she makes them feel so welcome.” (J.B. – Argentina) Inculturating “There are many foreign children in my elementary school. It’s not easy to socialise with them, especially with one small group of gypsies. They interrupt class. They’re aggresive, and their parents are often in jail. One day, to give a hand to a colleague who was feeling desperate because she couldn’t manage to handle the situation, I took them into my classroom. Thinking of Jesus who was the model of meekness and patience, I prepare the best places for them in class, and I presented them to the students as tutors for the younger ones. Then, to make them the protagonists, I asked them to teach me something in the Rom language and we dedicated a portion of the lesson to it. Now they behave better and incultration is making some progress.” (E. – Italy)
“Hearing you speak, two images came to my mind: the desert and the forest. I thought: these people, all of you, take the desert to transform it into a forest. You go to where the desert is, to where there is no hope, and do things that make the desert turn into a forest. The forest is full of trees, it’s full of greenery, but too disordered. . . but that’s how life is! And passing from a desert to a forest is quite a job that you do. You transform deserts into forests! Then, you see what things in the forest can be put in order. . . But there is life there [in the forest], not here: in the desert there is death. There are so many deserts in the cities, so many deserts in the lives of people who have no future, because there’s always – and I underscore a word that you spoke about here – always there is prejudice and fear. And these people must live and die in the desert, in the city. You do the miracle with your work of changing the desert into a forest: carry on with what you are doing! But what is your work plan? I don’t know. You get close and see what you can do. And this is life! You take life as it comes, like the goal keeper in football: he catches the ball from wherever it’s thrown. . . from here, from there. . . You aren’t afraid of life, afraid of conflict. Somebody once told me – I don’t know if it’s true, I haven’t verified it . . . if somebody wants to verify it they can – that the word “conflict” in Chinese is written with two signs: one sign that means ‘risk’, and another sign that means ‘opportunity’. Conflict, it’s true, is a risk but it’s also an opportunity.
Photo: Lorenzo Russo
We can take conflict as something we should stay away from: ‘No, there’s conflict there. I’ll stay away from it.’ We Christians know well what the Levite did, what the priest did, with the poor man who fell on the road. They crossed the street so they wouldn’t see, so they wouldn’t be close to him (see Lk. 10:30-37). Those who don’t risk can never get close to the reality, to know the reality. But even to know with the heart, it’s also necessary to get close. And to get close is a risk, but also an opportunity for me and for the person I get close to; for me and for the community I get close to. I’m referring to the testimonies you have given; for instance, in the prisons and with all your work. Conflict. Never, never turn away in order not to see a conflict. Conflicts have to be assumed, evils have to be assumed to resolve them. The desert is ugly, whether it is the one in the heart of all of us, or whether it is the one in the city, in the peripheries: it’s something ugly. Also the desert that is in gated communities. . . It’s ugly, the desert is also there. We mustn’t be afraid to go into the desert to transform it into a forest: there’s exuberant life there, and you can go and dry many tears so that everyone can smile. That Psalm of the People of Israel when they were in prison in Babylon makes me think so much: ‘We cannot sing our songs, because we are in a foreign land’. They had instruments there with them, but they didn’t have any joy because they were hostages in a foreign land. But when they were liberated, the Psalm says, ‘we couldn’t believe it, our mouths were filled with smiles and laughter’ (see Psalm 137). This is how it is in this passage from the desert to the forest, to life, there’s a smile. I give you a task to do ‘at home’. One day, look at people’s faces when you go along the street: they’re worried, everyone is closed in on himself. The smile isn’t there, the tenderness isn’t there. In other words, social friendships, social friendship isn’t there. Where there’s no social friendship there’s always hatred, war. Look at the geographic map of the world and you’ll see this. Instead, social friendship that most often has to be made with forgiveness – the first word – with forgiveness. Most often it is made by getting close: I’ll get close to that problem, to that conflict, to that difficulty as we have just heard these courageous teenagers do in the places where there is gambling and so many people lose everything there, everything, everything. I’ve seen elderly women in Buenos Aires going to the bank to receive their pensions and immediately to the casino! Get close to the place of conflict. And these youngsters go, they approach, they get close. And there’s another thing that has to do with play, with sport and also with art. It’s gratuitousness. Social friendship is made in gratuitousness, and this wisdom of gratuitousness is learnt: it’s learnt through play, through sport, through art, through the joy of being together, of getting close. And this word, gratuitousness, is a word that must never be forgotten in this world in which it seems that if you don’t pay you can’t live, in which it seems that the man and the woman that God created precisely to be at the centre of the world, to be also at the centre of the economy, has been thrown out and we have at the centre a lovely god, the god of money. Now the god of money is at the centre of the world, and those who can draw near to adore this god, they draw near. . . and those who can’t end in hunger, disease, exploitation. . . Just think of the exploited children and young people. Gratuitousness is the key word, gratuitousness that leads me to give my life as it is, I go with others and make this desert become a forest. Gratuitousness, this is something beautiful! And forgiveness, forgiveness also, because with forgiveness rancour, resentment goes away. And then building up, always building up and never destroying. So these are the things that come into my mind. And how are you doing this? Simply in the awareness that we all have something in common, we’re all human. And within this humanity we get close to one another, to work together. ‘But I belong to this religion, of that religion. . .’ It doesn’t matter! Everyone steps up to work together. Respect one another, respect one another! And so we’ll see this miracle: the miracle of a desert that becomes a forest. Thank you so much for all that you do! Thank you.” Earth Day 2016 Pope Francis’s words at the “Earth Village” Rome, Italy, Villa Borghese Sunday, April 24, 2016 Source: Vatican.vaPope Francis at the Mariapolis https://vimeo.com/164066584 https://vimeo.com/164233694
Encounter, Reconciliation, and Future, are three words that encompass the significance of the meeting in Munich at the Karlsplatz (Stachus),which was promoted by over 300 movements and communities of different Christian Churches. The objective is: to reflect together on the challenges that Europe faces, in the light of the testimonials of the network which is hidden at times, but very active and representing that part of society which commits itself to hospitality and solidarity for the most disadvantaged and weaker sections of society, so as to bridge the east and west, and overcome open or underlying conflicts. “What message does Europe have to give to the world?” When posed this question, the reply of the Focolare President, Maria Voce, concerned the objectives of the IPE: “The experience of these 2,000 years of Christianity brought about the maturation of ideas, culture, life, and actions that are necessary in the world today, and which unfortunately have not been evidenced. This is also because what is highlighted in Europe nowadays, are the difficulties, dramas, walls, and intolerance. Therefore, the good that exists is not manifested.“In the Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis speaks of the ‘invisible cities’ and the “connective network in which people share a common imagination, dreams about life, new human interactions that arise, and new cultures” (EG 74). «But right after this– Jesús Morán, Focolare Co-President explains – the Pope says that these invisible cities and territorial subcultures create a sort of ambivalence, and that subcultures practice segregation, violence and criminal activities. And so through fraternity inspired by love» which is the core of the message of the IPE, “We would like to show that in the good reigns in the invisible cities, and where there are virtuous practices, refugees are welcomed, and communion exists.” What are thus the expectations for this edition of the European meeting which is precisely on the eve of the 500th-year anniversary of the Reform, in a particular conjunction which sees the continent in a progressive crisis, also because of its incapacity to respond to the crisis of the migrants? We discussed it with Ilona Toth – from Hungary – and Diego Goller – an Italian, who on behalf of the Focolare Movement personally took part in the preparation for the Together for Europe event. «Recently the Orientation Committee of IEP met at the Roman headquarters of the Sant’Egidio Community, where the various movements leading this pathway converge. It was an opportunity to have another confrontation and trace an outline of our ideas. A year before the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reform (1517-2017), we would like to show that a network of united Christians already exists, and is working among various movements and Churches», Diego Goller said. «We try to move ahead of the times and to show that in this Togetherness there is unity reached, not institutionally or theologically, but in its essence and substantial reconcilement: “500 years of division ” is, in fact, the title of one of the moments of the meeting. We are also guided by what Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirilli said in their joint declaration that the Christians of Eastern and Western Europe should unite to testify to the Gospel together.» «This is political action in the most noble sense of the term,» Ilona Toth affirmed. «The aim is to show all the good there is. Together for Europe’s prophecy lies in its name. Together is the gift of fraternity among us Christians, and on a broader range, with people of other religions and cultures. Then there comes the political side where Togetherness is achieved: charisms give concrete responses also to the political issues of cities.» And she concluded: «In Munich, we would like to show this stream of goodness which is already being put into action, and is also the fruit of the values of Christianity, developed throughout the centuries and brought to light today by the various charisms.» The event of 2 July will be preceded by a Congress of the Movements (30 June/1 July) at the Circus-Krone-Bau: 17 Forums and 19 Round Tables will involve exponents of the Churches, politics and civil society, who will discuss current issues. As a preparation for the Munich event, last 21 April in Genève at the Ecumenical Council of Churches, a round table was held, entitled “What are the identity and values of Europe?” Consult www.together4europe.org for further information. https://youtu.be/0CyLm0Nrkko Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
“It was the first time a Pope came to the Mariapolis and it reminded me of what I had heard Chiara Lubich say several times when describing the effect that the visits and the words of bishops had on her when they visited Mariapolises. She acknowledged them as “an anointing” different and weightier than those of others, whether they were theologians or saints. And she perceived that with the presence of a bishop the ‘city of Mary’ fulfils itself as the ‘city-Church’. This is what happened with the surprise visit of Pope Francis to the Earth Village event at Villa Borghese where, in collaboration with Earth Day Italy, the city of Rome was holding its Mariapolis. Now every Mariapolis in the world – and there are hundreds – will feel looked upon and loved in the same way. His off the cuff remarks seemed to say: you’ve taken me by the heart and I want to respond to what you’ve said to me. His clear and luminous words weren’t only an acknowledgement of the commitment and the deeds of the many people who spoke to him on stage; they also had the flavour of a programme for the future. His words kept returning to the same powerful image of the miracle of being able to transform the desert into forestland. I was struck by the way he acknowledged that what matters is to bring life, not make programmes and remain trapped inside them, but to go out and meet life as you find it, with its disorder and conflicts, without fear, facing the risks and welcoming the opportunities. You have to get close to it if you want to know the reality with your heart. Then the miracles happen: deserts, the most diverse sorts of deserts transform into forestland. Pope Francis possesses the power of the word. The images he uses are not easily erased from the heart or the mind. The Pope repeated several times that we do it together, with different people, groups and associations. He holds us to that and it gives him joy. The human spectacle at Villa Borghese was born from a question: Why not hold the Mariapolis right in the middle of Rome? Why not try to create a graft of fraternity with the city, a small but concrete ‘fraternity graft’ right on the streets of the city? We know that the city weeps because of many wounds and suffers from many weaknesses, but she also lives because of an unbelievable richness: the great good that is being done in her. When the Pope opened the Year of Mercy we thought of the many associations that are doing good in the city. Both religious and non-religious, they perform mercy. The encounter with Earth Day was almost by chance. Earth Day Italy works for the protection of Creation and for that integral ecology that is dear to Francis. It’s a process and exciting work that’s outside the normal scheme, on unimagined roads. Not without its difficulties, certainly, because we didn’t know one another and because we’re all different. But diversity is enriching, as the encounter with more than a hundred associations was. There was cooperation and bridges were built. Sometimes they’re very small things. One new friend told us: “Well, my association goes forward with the help of my pension. We don’t have logos or anything like that.” We wanted the Mariapolis this year to give witness to the good that that friend is also doing. Thus, the many virtuous underground cities contained in Rome emerged. The good is multiplying and a network is spreading that seems to concur with an intuition that Chiara Lubich put into writing in 1949. Encountering and loving Rome ‘many eyes would be illumined with His Light: tangible sign that He reigns there (. . .) reviving Christians and making this age that is so cold because it is atheist the Age of Fire, the Age of God (. . .) He’s not only a religious fact (. . .) And this separating Him from the entire life of men – a practical heresy of our time – subjugates man to something less than himself and relegates God who is Father to somewhere far from His children.”
Isabel shares her state of mind following the earthquake that hit her country,Ecuador, on April 16. The physical structures that fell – bridges, buildings, houses – invite us to feel the earthquake in our own souls as well, and to ask ourselves whether we really are peace builders? I’ve realised that suffering helps to unite us. I’d like to challenge everyone during in these difficult days, to convert and become bearers of hope and optimism, that we help one another to keep faith alive.” There are 587 confirmed dead, and the wounded are more than 8 thousand, with 25 thousand displaced persons. The numbers continue to grow and it is estimated that reconstruction will cost the country billions of dollars. The Focolare Movement has begun a fundraiser for the Ecuador emergency, while they plan intervention on the ground.
Photo: United Nations
“I travelled by car from Fukuoka, Japan to Kumamoto in search of my mother and relatives,” Father Giovanni Kimura reports. He comes from one of the hardest hit regions of Japan. “It’s usually a short hour and a half drive, but it took half the day. The highway was inaccessible and trains were blocked.” His mother was at a refugee centre, and other relatives were at another welcome centre, both school gymnasiums where hundreds of people are sleeping. The most serious problem is the lack of drinking water. Several regions of the city are still without water, but the welcome centres are equipped with basic necessities. The poplulation fears that the Aso Volcano will errupt, which is located between Kumamoto Province and Oita Province. An ash cloud has formed over the volcano and is spreading to the cities.” There have been 41 deaths in Japan, more than 1000 displaced persons and hundreds of aftershocks that still continue. Geophysicists and volcanologists are questioning the connection between these two events, while civil leaders in both countries have mobilised to begin rebuilding and offer support to families and victims. On theirFacebook pagetheYouth for a United World (Y4UW) in Ecuador, who up to a few days ago were preparing for United World Week (UWW) in their country, are echoing the support effort that is currently underway: collecting blood, recruiting volunteers, recording needs and setting up bank accounts where donations can be made. “Sufferings, uncertainties, anguish, fear, ruins and so many questions: Eternal Father, what do you want of us? How are we building the ‘path to peace’? Does our daily life express brotherhood?” This is is experience of the moment for the young people and all the members of the Focolare Movement: “Discovering God as the greatest Love and then living the Gospel sentence: ‘Whatever you did to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to Me’. At this moment, fraternity is more evident than ever, solidarity, love that overcomes all differences: rich, poor, members of the opposition, members of government, white, indigineous, mestizo and black. Even the people who have escaped without damage feel the pain of their neighbours as if it were their own. They write messages on the boxes of food that have been collected: “Be strong, we love you!” and on the boxes containing medicines, “Be strong,” “We’ll get through this.” The young people decided to go ahead with United World Week doubling their efforts to offer some relief from the tragedy their country is going through. Estefania writes: “We have to keep moving, giving solutions to many people who feel helpless in front of this disaster. Now we realise that God had been preparing us through the year not so much for a United World Week as for facing this moment and bearing witness Gospel love, making “light shine over the ashes”, the light of the ideal of brotherhood as Focolare president Maria Voce wrote. Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
“You transform the deserts into forests”, said Pope Francis putting aside his prepared speech for the occasion, arousing enthusiasm and emotion in the thousands of people who watched the Holy Father’s car driving into the “Earth Village” for a surprise visit on the afternoon of Sunday, April 24th. The event was organised by the Focolare Movement in the heart of Rome at the green centre of the capital: the Villa Borghese Racing Track. The Pope showed up unexpectedly and was warmly greeted by families, young people and people of all ages who have been taking part in the events being held at the “Village” focusing on themes of the Earth, Legality, Interreligious Dialogue and Solidarity. Donato Falmi and Antonia Testa who are responsible for the Focolare Movement in Rome, and Pierluigi Sassi, President of Earth Day Italy, welcomed the Holy Father on stage at the “Village” and described the spirit of the event. Falmi introduced the Pope into the experience of Mariapolis 2016, which is titled “Living together in the city”, with special emphasis on three main words that are often repeated by Francis and were chosen as the inspiration for the event: “mercy”, “tenderness” and “diversity as an enrichment.” Antonia Testa described the collaboration between the Focolare Movement and Earth Day Italy and explained how the Mariapolis wished to turn its gaze on the city of Rome, on its poverty – but especially on the “great good” that is quietly but incisively being carried out every day across the social fabric.
Photo: Thomas Klann
Pierluigi Sassi then explained to Pope Francis how the path to this “Village” began from the proclamation of Laudato Si’ and by “March for the Earth” which Earth Day Italy had organised and engaged 130 organisations in view of the COP21 climate agreement. Pope Francis listened to the intense testimonies of several Mariapolis participants: some of them heart-wrenching experiences of solidarity in the criminal justice system and with immigrants; projects by young people promoting disarmament; legality and the campaign against gambling. Pierluigi concluded by stressing the significance of the football match which will be played on Monday at the “Village” between the Liberi Nantes – the football team entirely comprised by asylum seekers and political refugees – and the university students from the LUISS. “Don’t be afraid of conflict that contains within it both risk and opportunity,” Francis said. “Knowledge is a risk for me and for the person I draw near to. But never, never turn away so that you won’t have to see. Draw near to others, take their hand, go to dry their many tears… this is how a smile can be born in the desert.” “I’ll give you an assignment to do at home,” the Pope concluded. “When you go down the street, you see that tenderness is missing. Each person is enclosed in him and herself. Friendship is lacking. Money is at the centre of today’s world, but ‘gratuity’ is the keyword for this desert to become a forest. How do you do that? Always from within an awareness of our own need to be forgiven… working together, respecting each other – this is how the miracle happens in the desert that becomes a forest. Thank you for all that you do.” Before the final goodbye a young boy gave Francis the “Earth Cube”, an educational toy used for teaching children the principles for safeguarding Creation.
“We had said we wanted to see onlyJesus in our neighbour, to deal with Jesus in our neighbor, to love Jesus in our neighbor, but now we recall that a neighbor has this or that defect, has this or that imperfection. Our eye becomes complicated and our being is no longer lit up. As a consequence, erring, we break unity. Perhaps that particular neighbor, like all of us, has made mistakes, but how does God view him or her? What really is that person’s condition, the truth of his or her state? If our neighbor is reconciled with God, then God no longer remembers anything, he has wiped out everything with his blood. So, why should we go on remembering? Who is in error at that moment? I who judge or my neighbour? I am. Therefore I must make myself see things from God’s viewpoint, in the truth, and treat my neighbor accordingly, so that if, by some mishap, he or she has not yet sorted things out with the Lord, the warmth of my love, which is Christ in me, will bring my neighbor to repentance, in the same way that the sun dries and heals over many wounds. Charity is preserved by truth, and truth is pure mercy with which we ought to be clothed from head to foot in order to be able to call ourselves Christians.”
Salta: one of the more beautiful provinces of Argentina, with natural riches and ancient cultures that resisted the Spanish Conquest over 500 years ago. With the arrival of the new millennium it has been upgraded as a destination for tourists and the undisputed centre of the Northwest Region of Argentina. “The Sustainable Tourism Programme was begun in 2010 upon encouragement from the Bishops Commission for Migration and Tourism,” Paula González explains. “The Northwest of Argentina is mainly inhabited by descendants of indigenous peoples. Some live in communities and others are farmers. It demonstrates their connection to the land, both for produce and for artisanal crafts.” The important migrant waves, from Europe, the Middle East and Latin America – especially Bolivia – have created a ‘coexistence of cultures’, with a strong indigenous component that makes this a very unique region with cultural challenges.” The programme was begun in response to the lack of jobs. Only 39% of the economically active population had jobs. “We proposed working in the rural and more remote areas that were most affected,” explains the coordinator. The geography of the region contains wide valleys and rocky highlands (up to above 3000 metres). “We realized that the problem was due mainly to isolation,” continues Paula González, “which prevents them from selling their products, and in some communities there was a lack of water and energy. Those most affected were women and young people.” At that time Argentina was setting up a national tourism development plan that excluded rural communities. Then, the Catholic Church pointed to the need for more equitable and inclusive proposals. The goal was to create new tourist destinations based on agricultural and handicraft production, which are the basis of their livelihood. “The first year, we identified 30 communities and 7 key areas for development in 5 Provinces. Currently, almost 6 years later we are working in 5 areas. There are around fifty entrepreneurs linked to the ‘Network of Tourism Entrepreneurs (NOA)’. If we were to highlight anything it would be the network of organisations that have joined forces to work together in a structured way – national, provincial and local. They include universities, NGOs and businesses. They have also been closely connected to the Economy of Communion and the Movement for Unity in Politics that are key allies. Over these years,” Paula concludes, “what gave strength and effectiveness to the development of the project was the work done on the links in the chain of values and relationships that were formed between all the people involved.” We have already come a long way. There are local projects, new leaders capable of carrying things forward, and we can already foresee very satisfactory results: for example, interaction and mutual cooperation amongst different communities that are stepping out of their anonymity and becoming generators of their own history. For more information: WebsiteVideo
Promoted by theYouth for a United World, “High resolution – Rule of fire for Peace” will be a dedicated peace day. This event began in Portugal in 2002, and since then has been held on 1 May biannually. It has always involved thousands of Portuguese youths, and also those of various nationalities. In 2016, “high resolution” invites the youth to become protagonists of fraternity and builders of peace without compromises. Through music, choreographies, testimonials and Expo events, they will present the actions that have been launched, with the aim of furnishing concrete answers and giving suggestions on how to proceed in this direction. This year, the programme will also include various workshops that will discuss the theme of peace in various fields such as ecology, art, intercultural dialogue, economy, sports, communication, science and technology. This day is part of the international United World Project that targets universal brotherhood as the paradigm of human relationships, promoting the identification, preparation and dissemination of actions that have already started at global level, in favour of fraternity. Invitation for 1 May 2016
With 367 ayes and 137 nays, the Brazilian deputies approved the opening of the impeachment procedure against President Dilma Rousseff, while other 200 million greatly divided Brazilians, anxiously awaited the outcome of the voting session. It is now the Senate’s turn to confirm or not the implementation the indictment of the President. Should it be favourable, the vote of 11 May will suspend the President from her mandate for 6 months, while awaiting for the final verdict. The Brazilian constitution provides, in this case and for this length of time, that the Vice-President will assume the office. The Brazilian bishops in an official declaration dated 13 April, aired their opinions “in the face of the profound ethical, political, economic and institutional crisis” which is besetting the country with “unprecedented scandals of corruption,” involving businessmen, politicians, public officers in scheme which, besides being immoral and criminal, will be paid dearly”– the bishops said – especially by the poor. On focusing attention on the impeachment, they affirmed that they were “closely following this procedure” in the hope that everything would be done “in compliance with judicial system of the democratic rule of law. They furthermore underlined that “the good of the Nation demands that all parties overcome their personal interest, that of parties and groups” so that “the polarisation of ideological positions in a highly emotive atmosphere, would lead to the loss of the objectives and bring division and violence that menace social peace.” They asked the “Brazilian people to preserve the values of democratic co-existence, respect of one another, tolerance and healthy pluralism, and promote a peaceful political debate.” They concluded by affirming their belief “in dialogue, in the wisdom of the Brazilian people and the discernment of the authorities in seeking the strategies that can guarantee the solution to the actual crisis and the preservation of peace in our country.” The Political Movement for the unity of Brazil (MPPU) – association for political confrontation which draws inspiration from the ideals of fraternity typical of the spirituality of the Focolare – affirmed through its President, Sergio Previdi “its conviction in the force of dialogue that is free from prejudices.” Previdi moreover invited the citizens to “call up inclusive dialogue” because “in exercising democracy together we can put into practice the necessary actions for the good of all.” “A lot can still be done – they said – if we put into practice the culture of fraternity, overcoming party politics positively in the daily political life of the country.” For the MMPU of Brazil the main concern in this delicate moment is that of not “scattering our forces and allowing ideological and party differences to divide us,” but of “acknowledging our differences so as to deepen dialogue.” And above all “making the effort to gather information from various sources, in order to get closer to the truth.” The numerous members of the Focolare Movement in Brazil, in line with the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, undertakes to offer what they consider “the main contribution we can give in this difficult moment: the declaration and testimony of fraternity lived – the core of the spirituality of unity that inspires us all. ”
Without falling into the trap of ideological self-contained reminiscences, we shall be asking what has contributed to the idea of a “European identity”, whether it be conceived as an existing identity or as one still coming into existence, in what terms it can be described, and what has given rise to the ideal of European unity that can then be expressed in political form. Moving one step further, we shall attempt to draw, out of the historical experience of Europe, values and ideals that could enable us to surmount the present crisis and find a way forward into the future. Are there any examples and actual projects that are putting into action these values and ideals? Within a broad-minded vision of secularism, what could be a welcome contribution from churches and other religious communities? And, in this context, what is, or could be, the role of Switzerland?
Programme
A panel discussion, with audience participation, with:
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches
Mr Eric Ackermann, a member of the Jewish community in Geneva
Ms Gaelle Courtens, a journalist associated with the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy and the ‘nev-notizie evangeliche’ Press Agency
Mr Pasquale Ferrara, a diplomat, and professor at the LUISS University, Rome, and the Sophia University Institute, Loppiano
Mr Andreas Gross, a former Swiss parliamentarian, and a former member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
In the chair: Ms Marguerite Contat, former head of delegations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, and joint president of the Genevan Constituent Assembly, 2008-12
“Our country’s coastal region was hit by a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. It was felt throughout Ecuador, and also in several regions of Colombia and northern Peru,” write Fabian and Ardita from the Focolare community in Quito. “The situation is critical especially in several devastated cities.” “The solidarity of the people was prompt and concrete: people risking their own lives to help others; testimonies of the many people who lost loved ones; but in the midst of all the suffering there is also the strong-felt faith of the people. It’s quite moving and inspires us to believe in His love.” In response to the emergency inEcuador the Focolare Movement has launched a fundraiser while a study is underway to see what can be done locally on the ground. News has also arrived from Focolare communities in Nagasaki and Tokyo (Japan): “For two days the country has been immersed in an atmosphere of ‘suspense’ because of the earthquake on Kyushu Island, in the regions of Kumamoto and Oita. The situation has activated an immediate solidarity effort and prayer in both religious and civil sectors.” Local authorities have already made arrangements to welcome the nearly 184,000 displaced persons. How you can help: Donations sent to the accounts below will be managed jointly by the Associations Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN). In many countries of the European Union and in other countries of the world tax benefits are available for making such donations according to local regulations. How you can help: CAUSE:Ecuador Earthquake Emergency
When Giordani met the Focolare Movement in 1948 he was a Deputy of the new Italian State, and he was battling for a more religious view of public life. The latter came at a cost: marginalisation. He recoiled from the two often extreme readings of the Gospel: that of disincarnated intimism; and that of the tendency to reduce it to worldy messianism. Taken in its divine and human wholeness, the Gospel message is the seed of a revolution – the revolution – that shook history and continues its work today in favour of human freedom. The underlying idea of many of his books is the connection between the divine and human that needs to be given more attention. Humankind’s dignity and freedom originate in welcoming Christ into its life. His main points include: freedom, equality, solidarity, the social use of wealth, the dignity of work, harmony between Church and State, morality in public life and economic activity, anti-militarism and pacificism at an international level. These were his positions when he had that encounter which would give a new surge to his longing for God. His journal entries describe his distress because of the inconsistencies between his private life and his public life, the fagility of his personal “asceticism thwarted by failures in politics, literature and social life.” He notes his feelings of helplessness in responding to his personal longing to “spread holiness from a poor piece of news print when he was Director of “Il Popolo” newspaper . . . of “spreading holiness from a hallway of lost footsteps” in the halls of Montecitorio. “Who will do this miracle?” he asks in August 1946. The answer to that question is profiled in his meeting with Chiara Lubich, almost a providential “calling”. It provided him with the way to revive his already lively Christianity and give it more divine depth on one hand, and more social depth on the other. For him that meeting had been an encounter with a charism. It gave to his spirit that had nourished itself on a profound knowledge of spiritualities in the history of the Church an immediate vision of this charism’s vast dimensions and theological and historical implications. The Spirituality of Unity immediately appeared to him as an enormous usable energy not only within the Church but also in civil society for “transforming human coexistence into citizenship with the saints . . . to inject grace into politics and to make it an instrument of holiness.” Thus one of the major contributions that Giordani would have to make to the development of the Focolare Movement was that of helping that initial small starting-group to also become aware of the human implications of the charism that was manifesting itself. Now that the Focolare tree has blossomed on every continent, its lifeblood remains not only the life of Giordani, his social vision of Christianity for which he worked and fought throughout his life, but also his standing up like a prophet of the Bible against every split between faith and works and against every freedom-killing that results from it. The Focolare has been left a precious legacy, drawn from Giordani’s own thought and method. I believe the path he shows us is valid for the whole Christian world, with his penetrating attention to the historical experiences of Christian life and with its balanced Gospel vision that is far from fideistic naivete and from fundamentalism, but open to striving for “rational collaboration” between the City of God and the City of Man. Compiled by: Tommaso Sorgi, L’eredità che ci ha lasciato, (Rome: Città Nuova, May 1980) No. 9-10.
Pope Francis visits the Refugee Camp of Moria, in Mytilene, Lesbos, on April 16, 2016
Pope Francis called it living Ecumenism and sharing one another’s pain, as he spoke to journalists on the outward flight from Rome. He called the refugee crisis the worst humanitarian disaster since the Second World War. The April 16th visit to the island of Lesbos was marked by sadness. After the EU-Turkey Agreement the Moria refugee camp seems more like a prison camp surrounded by protestors and indignation from humanitarian organisations. In the arms of Francis, Bartholomew and Ieronymo, the outcasts of history, the throw-outs of political decision-makers, the refugees have become the centre of the world. “Anybody who is afraid of you has never looked into your eyes,” Bartholomew stated with emphasis. “Don’t give up hope!” was the message that the Pope wished to leave the refugees, “The most beautiful gift we can give to one another is love: a merciful gaze, an eagerness to listen to and understand one another, a word of encouragement, a prayer…”. There was nothing but gratitude for the Greek people, expressed in different ways by the three religious leaders: In a moment of great difficulty caused by the serious economic crisis, the people still find the way and the heart to embrace those who flee to a better future. They expressed equal gratitude towards the many volunteers who showed up from all parts of Europe and around the world. Originally from South Africa, Pauline, from the Focolare Movement, has been living for many years between Athens and Lesbo. She repeatedly witnessed the landings of the refugees and helped to rescue them: “The Pope has also sent a political message at the border openings. I wonder why he didn’t go to Idomeni. Perhaps it would have been too political.” Chiara, from Pope John XXIII Association: “He said what I’ve felt for some time: Just stop classifying these people as ‘refugees’, as numbers. It’s time for personal contact, for knowing their stories, their backgrounds;” Eugenio, from the Italian Ambulance Corps at the Order of Malta, said: “I was very moved when he spoke of the children that die on the sea, because I have seen such scenes myself. I managed to shake hands with him and was strengthened for my work.” Cristina is Catholic and her grandparents are refugees that fled from Turkey to Lesvos: “It was an historic event, unimagineable on this island. It seems like a dream”. Father Maurice is coordinator of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Greece. He remarked: “All of it was important: the words, the gestures, the silences. All of it spoke. The most powerful moment in the ‘jail’ was the personal contact the Pope had with each person” “A common message was sent to the refugees,” the Jesuit went on to say. They are mainly Muslims discovering a land of Christian origins. Therefore it matters that they see the unity of the Christian leaders and the closeness that these leaders wish to give a witness of.” “Moving. And very important from the ecumenical and political point of view, because of the meeting with Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras,” said Vasileios Meichanetsidis from Apostles (an NGO from the Greek Orthodox Church). “The Pope recognised how much the Greeks had done, and the Greeks gladly welcomed him.” “We’re all migrants,” the Pope went on to say during the prayer at the port of Lesbo where, as at Lampedusa in 2013, he left a wreath of flowers on the surface of the sea. What is being expected of the political world? “It would be a matter of further stronger appeals especially toward Europe to consider the matter of the migrants and of the refugees not only in terms of internal politics or emergency, but as a new front on which the future of the continent comes into play along with its credibility in terms of its claims of principles and concrete politics,” said pasquale Ferrara, author of the recent book, Il mondo di Francesco. Bergoglio e la politica internazionale. Ferrara is a member of the Abba School for the field of political science and was the Italian Consul to Athens. “The Pope didn’t go there on a humanitarian mission, but wished to underscore this profound dimension,” Ferrara continued. “And the fact that he did it in an ecumenical manner was an even more powerful sign; almost like saying the politics isn’t managing to solve this issue, so we join the game, not as substitutes, but to underscore that this must be a point of priority on the world’s political agenda. The fact that the refugees brought to the Vatican were all Muslims underscores that ISIS is not only exterminating Christians. It is not a problem of religion, but of ending a war, all wars.” Joint Statement Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
“When the conflict in Syria began, seeing that the future didn’t promise anything good, I thought it would be more prudent to leave the country. This idea was strengthened by a job offer in Lebanon. So I secured tickets and began to ready my family for the journey. But many doubts began to crop up inside me. Was it right to go and seek a better future for the family, or was it be better to remain in the country that I loved, to help my people? Talking it over with my wife, I realized that she was more inclined to stay, but she left it up to me. The only thing that mattered to her was that we keep the family together. I felt confused and upset until, one day – I was at church – I clearly felt that our place was here in Aleppo sharing the fate of our people. We are a diverse population made of many ethnic groups, different religions and confessions, but we’ve always lived together in harmony. We’re generous enough to accommodate Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis in recent decades, despite the embargo, offering them equal rights and job opportunities. We decided to stay. I worked on my own and earned good money. But after the bloody events that began to devastate the country, my shop was robbed and then destroyed. Nevertheless, there have still been many occasions give assistance through the Centre for the Deaf which my wife and I started to take care of. Later we also began collaboration with other humanitarian organisations to provide – with the help of Providence that has always reached out to us with miraculous assistance – basic necessities to more than 1,500 families. In these five years of war, due to the random bombings in our neighbourhoods, we saw so many families lose their loved ones and so many people left permanently disabled. One day, the driver at the Centre for the Deaf lost his wife and daughter when they were hit by mortar while walking down the street with the family. He was also seriously injured and taken to hospital in a state of shock. I was able to talk about his serious situation with a priest and when the bishop heard of it, he offered to take charge of the funeral for his wife and daughter. For my part, I began to look for money to pay for the Dad’s surgery. Seeing so many people taking an interest him the hospital lowered the costs and some doctors refused to accept payment for their service. So, not only were we able to cover all the expenses, but we had enough money left over to pay for the follow-up treatments that the driver would need. Another time I received a telephone call from a Muslim who works in the church we attend. He was asking me to help him find a house he could live in. He had seen armed rebels entering his district and was worried about his three daughters. After many attempts we finally managed to find a home for them. Once he moved into the new house, he realised he needed a gas cylinder, but could not find one. Then he called me: ‘I ask for this help from you,’ he remarked, ‘because you’re my brother, aren’t you?’ And I answered: “Of course, we are brothers.” Since the recent ceasefire we have experienced a period of apparent calm, although you hear rumblings from time to time that keep us awake at night. Regarding my activities, it’s impossible to even think about beginning them again until the weapons are silenced. The Focolare community is there to support us in the midst of our dangerous situation, along with God’s love that never abandons us. In front of every problem we never feel alone. We continue to experience peace in giving to others, a peace that remains a challenge because it is a gift that must be reconquered each day.”
Athens, Greece. Of the 53 thousand refugees living in the Greek islands, 4,500 are in the camp at Piraeus. It is an “informal” camp totally supported by volunteers. Twenty three year-old Elena Fanciulli is amongst the volunteers who visit the place regularly. She belongs to Pope John XXIII Association and has been living in Athens since December after she finished her studies in Sciences for Peace. The young Italian has been watching the situation as it rapidly evolves. “When I came to Piraeus for the first time my job was to wait for the boat, to welcome the refugees and give them some food. They would disembark and be rushed to the buses that would take them to Idomeni and the other border camps. Greece wasn’t their final destination. Ever since the borders were closed in March, Piraeus has been a hell on earth. There aren’t enough toilets, no showers, barefoot children in men’s clothing and trying to walk in men’s trousers . . . Food is the latest problem. It often runs out. Since Piraeus is an “informal” camp there isn’t any coordination and it’s likely that much of the food donated by Athenian citizens is lost. Everything you see in Piraeus has been donated. Despite the fact that it’s such a living hell, there are some people who are trying to bring a bit of Heaven.” What lies ahead for the 4,725 people that have been stranded in Piraeus for over a month? “The number of refugees has to be reduced to zero. We’re on the threshold of the tourist season and the refugees will be sent to other open-air camps, so that the port area can be vacated and the cruise ships can arrive. The refugees will encounter more stalling. Greece runs the risk of becoming one huge open-air refugee camp. Here, there are mainly Syrians, but also Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians and, in the prisons of Athens, there are Moroccans and Algerians who typically arrive without documents and are mostly economic migrants.” Besides John XXIII Association, there is also the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mensajeros de la Paz, Red Cross, Pampeiraiki and the Focolare who distribute aid and entertain the children. “Sometimes, all you need is a crayon and a sheet of paper, a balloon and a hula-hoop to raise their morale,” Elena explains. “But,” she reiterates, “the operation is carried out as a network, and no one is in charge. Associations and churches come to work here because it’s especially here in these informal camps that there is more need.” The associations meet every week with the UNHCR to coordinate. Updated information about arrivals and distribution of refugees can be found on their website. And whenever possible, technical and legal support is accompanied by spiritual and human support. “Once a month we meet with the other Catholic Associations at the Jesuits’ Kentro Arrupe. We plan but also pray and encourage one another. We also feel the pain and need a listening ear so that we can let it out. We let out our fears, our thoughts about the future, how we can improve things. If a volunteer gets fed up, then no one will eat, no one will be clothed . . . Volunteering has to be in place, but it shouldn’t be the only resource.” “These are depressed human beings here, shoeless and without any light in their eyes. It’s only thanks to the humanity of so many Greeks that we are able to carry on. Doctors can be found – for free – up to three o’clock in the morning. This is their outlook at the bottom of Europe where so many people are doing whatever they can to help.” What led you to do this? “After graduation I felt it was time to put into practice what I had learned. I decided to leave [Italy]. A friend recommended Pope John XXIII. I was just in time for the missions course that prepared us to stay at the camp and deal with our emotions and, after the interview, I set off. I had asked to be sent to a place that would turn my life upside down and where my studies would be affirmed. I’d been thinking about Latin America, but they recommended Greece because that was the eye of the storm. Now I’m here doing whatever I can, at times with my knees to the ground, since I’m no one politically speaking, but I can do at least something, and I do it with many tears in the evening before going to sleep. I know I’m only a drop in the ocean. And perhaps I am in need of the poor, of this encounter with another.” Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
After the two Synods on the family, Amoris Laetitia finally announces the ideas of the Pope, this Pope. He is the Pope of mercy, who gathers the approval of those who declare to have “closed” their relations with the Church, or who do not profess any faith. The recent exhortation, set out in over 100 pages, really responds to the expectations of those who hoped in change – very evident on the pastoral level. The doctrinal one has remained unchanged – also for those most bound to tradition. It is a reaching out to all, also to those who find themselves in a so-called “irregular” position. For Pope Francis “no family is a perfect reality and packaged once and for always, but requires a gradual growth of its own capacity to love” (AL 325), as if it aims to remove the tendency to distinguish between ”regulars” and “irregulars” and wants to underline that nobody is condemned and excluded beyond repair. The most significant opening of Amoris Laetitia is certainly intended for the divorced who have remarried, which provides a path of growth in the capacity for discernment, accompanied by pastors or as also cited, by “lay persons who live in the service of the Lord” (AL 312) aware that they are called to “form consciences, and not replace them” (AL 37). It is a path which in certain cases, as stated in the 351st note of the exhortation, could lead also to access to the sacraments, since, the Pope underpins that the Eucharist “is not an award for the perfect, but a generous balm and a nutriment for the weak.” But if the media’s attention is caught precisely by these ‘openings’ to the remarried, it is 4 and 5 (on the beauty of the family that draws inspiration from the Trinitarian design and nurtures on that charity St. Paul spoke about in Cor 1,13) that its merit goes beyond. The centrality of the life of the couples is presented here as never before: “It is the direct encounter face to face with a “thou” who reflects God’s love and is man’s best possession, or as the spouse of the Canticle of Canticles exclaims in a stupendous profession of love in reciprocity: ‘My beloved is mine and I am his. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” (AL 12-13). «…we often present marriage in such a way that its unitive meaning, call to grow in love and ideal of mutual assistance are overshadowed by an almost exclusive insistence on the duty of procreation.» (AL 36). We need a healthy dose of self-criticism, in our attempt to valorize the eros imbued in creatures, showing marriage in its concrete reality as a “mixture of joys and struggles, tensions and repose, suffering and liberations, satisfactions and longings, and annoyances and pleasures. » (Al 126). Every moment of daily life is highlighted, overcoming the contrast between sacred and profane, and between solemn and unimportant events, since nothing is secondary in the eyes of love and faith. The Pope also takes into account the longer life spans and the initial decision of the spouses that has to be daily renewed» (AL 163), in a continual regeneration and change as each progresses along the path of personal growth and development: «There is no guarantee that we will feel the same way all through life. Yet if a couple can come up with a shared and lasting project, they can love one another and live as one until death do them part, enjoying an enriching intimacy.» (AL 163). Thank you Pope Francis! We really needed the loving care of the Church which continues to present to spouses the high ideal and model of the Trinitarian harmony which has never been reached, and also for the fraternal hand of the Church which stands by all of us, without rejecting anyone.
“Scholars estimate that from 3000 BC, populations from the Southeast Asian continent arrived here. Among them were also the Guaranì people, composed of many ethnic groups that through the centuries spread to the Caribbean up to the southernmost tip of the continent,” explained Diana Durán, a Paraguayan sociologist and scholar of the aborigines of America. The meeting with a small community of the Avà Guaranì and Mbya ethnic groups came about two years ago, when a big flood of the Paraguay river forced the indigenous group of 33 families (115 members) to abandon the unsteady settlement on the banks of the river where they used to live by gathering wastes from the dumpsite nearby. “At the start we tried to help them with clothing, food, medicine, and healthcare, like the hospitalisation of a diabetic patient, intervening with one of them who had gunshot wounds, renting mobile toilettes when they were sent away to a desert area, or when, after a storm we collected tents and drinking water… and yet we saw that these actions were still insufficient. They needed a piece of land, that could give them shelter and security.“After a long search, a suitable lot was found: 5.5 hectares at 4.5 km from the city of Ita, with a school and medical dispensary close by. All was surrounded by greens and above all, with the possibility to cultivate a community orchard for their self-support and the space to build a facility for educational courses. The challenge now is to find the finances to buy the land. “We knocked on many doors – Diana recounts. A qualified person helped us to obtain the juridical status as an Indigenous Community, so they would be entitled ownership of the property. Furthermore, a friend of the Mennonite Community offered to advance the payment of the land, which seemed impossible for us to do. We undertook, with our Avà friends, to pay back the money by instalment.” “God has looked on us with special love», the head of the community, Bernardo Benítez, said. It was a God who they regard as the “First and Foremost God,” whose main command is mutual love. He is present in the daily acts and gave this land, a sacred place to protect and where we can build fraternal relationships. “Standing by the Yary Mirì community also means suffering – Dian affirmed – due to the discrimination they suffer because of ancestral prejudices, and the misery they live in. But it is a joy to acknowledge and share the community and solidarity values they have conserved through the centuries, besides the love and trust that has been established between us and them. Today we are not alone but have the support of many friends, two associations linked to the Focolare (Unipar and Yvy Porà) that support the development of the community orchard), two bishops, some officers from financial institutions, two Mennonite Christians and the Indigeneous Pastoral. We obtained four scholarships in Educational Sciences for their leader and three youths. They themselves chose that faculty ‘because our people need education,’ they said.” “I am now writing a book on the history of their community – Diana Durán concluded – not only as a denunciation and to give a voice to those who have no say, but as an obligation to them for what they have suffered and what we owe to them. I consider it a step towards universal brotherhood, our Ideal.”
“I come from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Erzegovina, where for centuries, Bosnian Muslims, Croatian Catholics, Orthodox Serbs, Jews, Romani ethnic groups and others have lived alongside one another. The war of the 1990s that wanted to convince us that it is impossible to live together, only wrought thousands of victims, a million refugees, and devastation of cities, religious buildings and historical monuments. In our condominium there were Croatians, Serbs, and Bosnian Muslims, but we shared everything we had with one another, up to the last cigarette, the little oil, flour, coffee and also the pain of death. My husband who was working as an amateur radio technician in the State institutions, had installed a radio station to connect the people who, for months, due to the interruption of telephone lines, knew nothing about their loved ones. When the conflict ended, I started to get involved in politics, in the Social Democratic Party and became a candidate for the post of municipal councilor. The consequences of the war were terrible. In that period, a mayor from Sarayevo received an invitation to participate in the meeting “Together for Europe” in Stuttgart, and delegated me since he couldn’t go. It was then that I was introduced to the Focolare Movement, the people who live to bring unity to humanity. You may well imagine what this meant for me, coming from a war experience. On returning home I felt a great urge to live and fight to diffuse the ideals I had just met. Now, after 20 years, in our city we are still mourning our dead, and rebuilding what was destroyed, but we are also building bridges between people. We do this together, without hatred. And precisely in these days Sarajevo is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the end of the siege of the city, which lasted 1,425 days during which 12,000 civilians were killed, out of which 1,500 were children. The city’s wounds have now healed and it has regained its long lost spirit. The bells ring and prayer arising from the minarets of the mosques echo in the squares. Since I am an agnostic, I found myself involved in the dialogue started by Chiara Lubich with people who have no religious beliefs. I try to weave this network of communion and mutual comprehension in my city, with the Muslim cities nearby, and with the Catholics – for example, during the visit of Pope Francis, and with the people of various beliefs. Today in Sarajevo there is a group of young people, also of different faiths and cultures, who are also trying to diffuse the culture of dialogue.
Zdravka Gutic sharing her testimony at the convention in April 2016.
For some years now, we have been carrying out various activities, and we thought of founding an association to transmit universal values to the young generations. In 2014 during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of WWI, the international group, Gen Rosso, held some workshops for the youth of various European countries. Last year we cooperated with five other associations of the Region with objectives similar to ours: seven days of seminars and workshops on the theme of ethnic minorities, setting out concrete projects. This year we plan to work with the unemployed youth. Our wish is that Sarajevo, after the tragedy of the last years, will become a city that is able to tell positive stories, where the people build, step by step a reconciled humanity, whether or not they profess a faith, or are of various nationalities.” Personal testimony shared at the conference entitled “OnCity: Networks of light to inhabit the planet“, Castel Gandolfo, Rome, 1-3 April 2016.
The line is long and quite boring. People of all ages from many parts of the world are patiently waiting for lunch as they share their thoughts and opinions about the morning. The first session of the OnCity – Networks of lights to inhabit the planet Conference has just concluded. The conference took place on April 1-3, 2016 and really showed the many lights that have been lit up in our cities. “Rather than dwelling on an analysis of the darkness,” says Lucia Fronza Crepaz who is the moderator, “we’ve decided to turn our attention to the dawn, to the rising sun.” OnCity is organised by the New Humanity Movement, Youth For a United World, and the United World Project which are Focolare agencies actively engaged in building a more united and fraternal world at the social level, amongst young and old and through support and development projects. Certainly the current news stories constantly cry out to us : bombings, terrorism, new forms of marginalisation and poverty, piecemeal wars. Our cities are experiencing problems and contradictions in front of our very eyes. But there are also very positive and well-established experiences which confirm that it is possible to work, to hope, to believe in a more supportive and fraternal city that would be more liveable for everyone. With this awareness the organisers set out to create a three-day event in which the nearly 900 participants would be given the opportunity to experience a new kind of city life with one another, that could be taken back to their home environments. It was an opportunity to examine the topics of solidarity and fraternity in order to be be able to interpret the changes we see taking place in the cities where we live, and to learn a lifestyle based on dialogue. OnCity played out in three plenary sessions, thematic seminars and a good 32 work groups which were useful for coming to an understanding of their ability to be active, creative and responsible citizens. Forty six presentations were squeezed into those days with the purpose of valuing and appreciating the networks that already exist and encouraging new ones where needed: starting up “cells of brotherhood” wherever we are. Source:Città Nuova online
Organised by: Psychology and Communion Topic: “Psychology’s contribution to dialogue” Participants: 50-60 young psychologists from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Europe. (Scholarships available for young students) Info: info@psy-com.orgwww.psy-com.org
Organised by: Sportmeet and the Krizevci Kinesiology Association (a local association of physical education teachers from Croatia and Serbia). Participants: 50 teachers, young students and other professionals (Scholarships available for young students) Info: info@sportmeet.orgwww.sportmeet.org
Organised by: Communion and Law The summer school dedicated mainly to law students and young professionals between the ages of 20 and 35, will provide an opportunity to be in direct contact with Sicily’s natural environment and the wave of refugees. The summer school is part of an ongoing process involving a group of young people and is meant to be a follow-up to the 2015 “Environment and Rights” conference held in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, in November 2015. Programme Info: info@comunionediritto.orgwww.comunionediritto.org
Organised by: Medicine, Dialogue, Communion Participants: bio-medical students and young professionals (Scholarships available for young students) Info: segr.med@focolare.orgwww.mdc-net.org
Organised by: VARCO Cultural Association with support from Clarté and Dialogues in Architecture Participants: 20-30 adults and 30 young people (Scholarships available for young students) Info: segr.architettura@focolare.org segr.arte@focolare.org www.clarte.orgwww.dialoghinarchitettura.org
Breakfast Dialogue with Cardinal Tagle opens 2016 World Interfaith Harmony Week. Photo: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila
“Love, Mercy and Compassion as Wellsprings of Peace and Hope” was the central theme of the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2016 (1- 7 February). The event acquired a special significance in the Philippines due to the support given by Card. Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila. In fact, it was the Cardinal who commenced the week-long celebration by hosting a breakfast dialogue with various religious leaders, key government officials and the diplomatic corps. It was an occasion for different religions to come together and know each other, and engage in dialogue. From this perspective of sharing, through forums and round table discussions, various topics were reflected on during the week, including climate change. For many of the participants in this program – of which the Focolare was tasked with coordinating the preparation of the interfaith aspect – it was getting to know the many facets and arduous challenges that this problem presents. They expressed a great interest in the proposals regarding the role that governments, but also each one of us, can play to safeguard the environment. A joint symposium on Mary in the Bible and Mariam in Quran also proved to be quite interesting. The unanimous conclusion: Mary, woman of love, mercy and compassion, is a mother for all Christians and Muslims. Another significant event saw the attendance of 80 cancer patients and survivors. The opening remarks were based on the spirituality of Chiara Lubich. At theFo Guang Shan Mabuhay Buddhist Temple the awards ceremony of a digital poster-making contest took place. It was organized with the Buddhist International Association – Manila, on the theme “Creating Peace and Hope through Acts of Goodness”.
At Sulyap ng Pag-asa Housing Project
An activity was also organized in Quezon City, Metro Manila, where, for some years now, Sulyap ng Pag-asa (Glimpse of Hope) is found. It is a housing project of the Focolare undertaken for the purpose of providing housing to homeless families. Here some 90 Christian and Muslim children spent an exciting afternoon together, with songs, dances and games which helped them understand how to build fraternity despite differences in culture and religion. The culminating activity of the week-long celebration was the Festival of Harmony held in a big shopping mall in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. It attracted an extraordinary participation indeed. Cardinal Tagle and the participants in the breakfast dialogue were joined by other institutional dignitaries, by people who had participated in the various events during the week, by ordinary people. After highlighting mutual cooperation between the government and the religious sectors in promoting religious freedom, dialogue and peace, the program continued with musical numbers from the youth and children of various faith groups. A young member of the Focolare introduced a choreography and said: “To attain love, mercy and compassion as wellsprings of peace, there is the need to overcome diversities, … and to be united for peace and harmony.” With other children of different religions, a girl was chosen to speak in the name of the Roman Catholic Church. She said: “To me, peace is harmony and love. When God created the world, everything was fine. There was balance and harmony with the plants and animals. When man came, it was okay for a while until he became greedy. He cut down trees, flattened mountains and now cement is everywhere! Animals became extinct. There is no more balance and harmony. I dream of harmony in nature. I dream of no war.” Cardinal Tagle’s concluding remarks were an emotional one. Clearly touched and grateful to the children who spoke, he cited all the various talks making the different subjects his own.
“While realizing that the foundation of the Gospel is charity… we did not immediately understand how to live it, nor with whom, nor to what degree we were to put it into practice. At the beginning, due mainly to the distressing circumstances of the war, we directed our love toward the poor. We were convinced that in those gaunt and, at times, repulsive faces, we could make out the face of the Lord. It was a real training. We were not accustomed to loving supernaturally. At most, we cared about our relatives or our friends in a spirit of warm respect or in a purely natural and healthy friendship. Now, under the impulse of grace, trusting in God and in his Providence which cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, we addressed our attention to all the poor of the city. We invited them to our houses, to eat at our table… (…) When we could not receive them in our home, we arranged to meet them somewhere, and we gave them whatever we had managed to put together. We visited them in their dismal shacks and we comforted them and offered them medicines. The poor were truly the object of our love because for them and through them we could love Jesus. They became the concern also of those who had been attracted by our common ideal. As the community grew around the initial nucleus of the focolarine, the possibilities of helping, of assisting whoever suffered grew. And it was quite a sight to see tons of food, clothing and medicine arrive; it was an unusual abundance which, considering that we were in the last years of the war, clearly made the special intervention of divine Providence obvious to anyone. (…) These are small events which happen to whoever, being a follower of Jesus, experiences ‘Ask and it will be given to you’ (Mt 7:7). Nevertheless, they never ceased to amaze us. At the same time, we were encouraged by other extraordinary events experienced by our great brothers and sisters who had preceded us and who also knew—at a time when they were not yet saints—the difficulties encountered in the ascent to God, in the process of thawing the hardened human personality by the fire of Divine Love. Hadn’t Saint Catherine, in her love for the poor, given to one her mantle and to another the cross on her rosary? And hadn’t Jesus appeared to her in a vision the following nights to thank her for the gifts she had given to him in the poor? And didn’t St. Francis give away his cloak to the poor some thirty times? Surely, then, it was no great sacrifice for us to take off our gloves in the winter and offer them to somebody who needed to beg for hours out in the cold just to survive (…) Yet, in spite of everyone’s great generosity (…) it became clear that perhaps this was not the immediate goal for which the Lord had urged us to love in a concrete way. It was only later that we seemed to understand the Lord had urged us in this direction also for an intention of his own: it is in love and through the practice of love that one can better comprehend the things of heaven, and that God can more easily enlighten our souls. It was probably because of this concrete love that later on we understood that we didn’t have to turn only towards the poor but towards everyone indiscriminately. No doubt there were people who needed to be fed, to be given drink, to be clothed, but also those who needed to be educated, advised, put up with, or who were in need of our prayers…. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy opened up before us. Furthermore, they were the precise questions that the Judge of our lives would ask in order to decide our eternity. This thought immersed us in adoration considering the infinite love of Jesus who had revealed them to us when he came on earth so as to make it easier for us to get into heaven. (…) God was not asking us only to love the poor, but each and every neighbour, whoever they were, as we love ourselves. So if we came across someone who was weeping, we tried to weep with him and their cross was lightened. If someone rejoiced we rejoiced with them, and the joy was all the greater. ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’ (Rom 12:15).” Chiara Lubich, May they all be one, New City Press, NY, 1984, pp.44-48.
The centre of the 2016 United World Week will be Ecuador where interculturalism, peace and unity in diversity will be celebrated. Events will include opportunities to know and be enriched by the diversity of ethnic cultures in the country. The title of the event is: “LINK CULTURES – Un Camino para la Paz (A Path For Peace), and the overriding theme will be interculturalism that translates into dialogue with different ethnic cultures and recognises their dignity which makes us equals. The event will involve young people from many South American and European countries. Ecuador is strategically situated in the middle of the world. It has a population of some 15 million people and is divided into four main regions: the coastal lowlands, La Sierra, the East and the Galapagos Islands. The country is internationally known for the huge biodiversity, as well as for the multiculturalism of the population. Since 2008 the Ecuadoran Constitution has included interculturalism and multi-nationality and the defence of these characteristic features of the country, as well as the defence and promotion of “Sumak kawsay” (in the indigenous kichwa language, ‘good living’ in harmony with nature) and the rights of nature. UWW 2016 will have two parts. It will begin with a “traveling school” (May 1 – May 6) during which young people will visit several regions of Ecuador to have a living experience of interculturalism in the midst of different communities of the country. They will live and work amongst the local people, becoming more deeply acquainted with life in the South American land. The young people will choose between: Costa-La Sierra and Oriente-La Sierra. The former includes the provinces of Esmeraldas and Imbabura where the young people will have direct contact with the Gualapuro, Agato and Peguche communities. The latter includes the provinces of Pastaza, Tungurahua and Bolicar where they will meet the Shiwacocha, Kisapincha, Salasaka and Bolivar communities. Each stop is meant to be an opportunity to build relationships at different levels: with nature, with others and with themselves. Thus, the young people and the local people will be protagonists of real, true laboratories of community living in which they will be able to share, to learn, to experience and to become living witnesses to an exchange of gifts amongst different cultures. The second part (May 7) will be a Festival For Peace in the tourist region known as The Middle of the World, an Ecuadoran icon that is internationally famous. It will be a large event that will engage young people from many cultures, faiths and walks of life. The goal is to highlight fraternity in an intercultural context and to commit to living peace and unity in respect for differences, through the practice of the Golden Rule that invites us to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The Young For Unity in Ecuador is also promoting two contests, one for music and another for photography. They have high dreams of beginning a permanent Peace School. Simultaneous events will take place in other cities of the world during United World Week 2016, which will be led by the young peacemakers. Information:info@mundounido2016.comOfficial website:www.mundounido2016.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmnzghp0ghg&feature=youtu.be This year, the annual event promoted by the youth of the Focolare, which aims to involve the greatest number of people and institutions in the journey towards peace, will be centered in Quito, Ecuador. Intercultural dialogue will be the theme of the youth meeting to be held at the so-called “Other end of the world,” where one foot can be set on the aurora borealis hemisphere and the other on the austral hemisphere. Days of dialogue will ensue among youth of different cultures, along with working and sharing groups, and community tourism surrounded by verdant nature. All the information on the Ecuador programme can be found on www.mundounido2016.com.“Link Cultures – un camino para la paz” is the title that all the fraternal initiatives will have in common, to be held simultaneously throughout the world, uniting generations and cultures in a sole workshop, and can be traced through the hashtag #4peace.Some historical data. May ’95, the Genfest – a big world event of the Youth for a United World – ended with the launching of the United World Week (UWW): to contribute to the building of peaceful relationships of coexistence among different cultures and peoples, while respecting the identity of each community. A proposal to the public or private, national and international institutions, to highlight and uphold the initiatives that promote unity at every level, the UWW is an integral part of the United World Project.Twenty years after that historic event: a multitude of initiatives of the youth, adolescents and adults, were launched in these editions of the UWW that progressively became known to the general public, the mass media, and institutions worldwide. At all points of the planet, people were strongly attracted to the aim of convincing the world that “this is the time for brotherhood.” In 2010, a global link-up from Hungary paved the way to the UWW. In the 2011 edition the global streaming instead started from the small town of Sassello (Italy), hometown of Chiara Luce Badano, a young member of the Focolare who died in 1990 and was beatified in 2010. The UWW of 2012 preceded the Genfest held in Budapest (12,000 youth in the Sports Arena and 500,000 in a live streaming through the social networks). In 2013 the event was broadcasted from Jerusalem: 120 youth of 25 countries, Muslims, Christians and Jews, lived a strong experience of fraternity, which became a lifelong action plan for the country’s future. The “focus” of the United World Week 2014 was Nairobi, with the reciprocity construction site, “Sharing with Africa,” and the UWW 2015 entitled “Fabric, Flavour, Festival – discovering fraternity” that developed the theme of dialogue at all latitudes. The central event was enlivened by the Youth for a United World of Mumbay, India with the youth of the Hindu Shanti Ashram movement, an ulterior sign of how these events unite different peoples and religions. Run4Unity – Another novelty for this year is the involvement of the children: the world sports event Run4Unity, a relay race for peace which in the previous editions saw the participation of thousands of adolescents, from now on will be held annually as part of the United World Week. Run4Unity 2016 will take place on 8 May. The Youth for a United World hope that this international and travelling expo, now on its 20th year, will be recognised by the UN. The initiatives to be carried out throughout the year, and on which the United World Week will spotlight, are contained in the United World Project platform.
Nasri studied in Milan (Italy), to then specialise in Urban Sciences in Venice. Upon returning to his homeland 20 years ago, he was introduced to the Focolare Movement. According to him, this meeting changed his life. He now has three daughters who are 17, 15 and 13 years old. We met him on the occasion of the international OnCity, on public heritage assets (Castel Gandolfo 1-3 April).What challenges do you have to face daily in your homeland? “I work in the constructions sector. For political reasons we have a hard time renewing the 1970 town planning schemes. To open a new road or modify a route, we need permits, but the Israeli military authorities refuse to issue them.”Is it really possible to “love your enemy?” “It is not easy to be a real Christian in Palestine. In this sector the real enemy is the Israeli military authority, not the Jews! I respect the Jewish religion because we are all brothers, sons of God. But how can I love an Israeli soldier who kills me? And destroys our cities? Who occupies our territory? How can I live Christianity? I tried to discuss this with other Christians. I understood that if we are unable to love, we can at least try not to hate, and slowly, love will come. I stuck the words “do not hate” in my mind and heart and started to live them in my world. They have often been of help, for example, in smiling at a soldier, especially at the check point, since unfortunately, we Palestinians cannot move around freely. We are surrounded, like in a prison. Once, a captain asked me why I had smiled at him, though I was a Palestinian Arab. I answered: Jesus said “we have to love everyone,” and I love you. He was impressed, and did not know what to say. He let me pass without checking me too much! Love exists, also in the heart of the Israeli occupiers as in the heart of every human being on earth. I do not blame them, because they are soldiers and have to obey orders. We leave the conflicts to the governments, and we as peoples can live together. But the youth find this difficult to accept, especially today where through the internet they see how the world is outside Palestine.” How do you manage with the Focolare Movement in the Holy Land? “I am a volunteer and active in the New Families. We promote activities in the various churches with the Christian Community in Bethlehem. I am a Greek-Orthodox and my wife is Catholic. We go to those in need: the elderly, abandoned children or the mentally ill who need to be loved. We try to do our best…” Are there Jews among those who are in contact with the Movement? “Many Jewish families are friends of ours. We hold meetings together. One of my daughters plays soccer. Through the Peres Center for Peace her team, along with the Israeli team, was invited by the Real Madrid. This was her first contact with Jewish peers, and it was a new experience. When she returned she said: «All the Jewish players are my friends.» We keep in touch also with many Muslim families: in Palestine, 99% are Muslim, and 1% is Christian. As members of the Focolare Movement, we have a very good relationship with the Muslims and also the Jews. This proves that it is possible to live together.” If you could give a m”ssage to the world, what do you desire most for your land? «Please remember us. There are Christian Palestinians who are suffering. We once formed 10% of the population, but the emigration of Christian Families has increased a lot. I fear that one day, there will not even be a Christian. Help us to solve this Palestinian problem. If peace is created in the Middle East, there will be peace for the whole world. We know what God’s will is, but we also need the will of human beings. It is a strategic point, rich in spirituality. We only need unity. If unity exists among these three religions, the Middle East would be in peace and be a model. This is the only message I want to give: let us live the words of Jesus to create peace and love, because we really need it.” Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
It will begin with a “Traveling school” (May 1 – May 6) during which young people will visit several regions of Ecuador to have a living experience of interculturalism in the midst of different communities of the country. They will live and work amongst the local people, becoming more deeply acquainted with life in the South American land. The young people will choose between: Costa-La Sierra and Oriente-La Sierra. The former includes the provinces of Esmeraldas and Imbabura where the young people will have direct contact with the Gualapuro, Agato and Peguche communities. The latter includes the provinces of Pastaza, Tungurahua and Bolicar where they will meet the Shiwacocha, Kisapincha, Salasaka and Bolivar communities. Each stop is meant to be an opportunity to build relationships at different levels: with nature, with others and with themselves. Thus, the young people and the local people will be protagonists of real, true laboratories of community living in which they will be able to share, to learn, to experience and to become living witnesses to an exchange of gifts amongst different cultures. The second part (May 7) will be a Festival For Peace in the tourist region known as The Middle of the World, an Ecuadoran icon that is internationally famous. It will be a large event that will engage young people from many cultures, faiths and walks of life. The goal is to highlight fraternity in an intercultural context and to commit to living peace and unity in respect for differences, through the practice of the Golden Rule that invites us to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The Young For Unity in Ecuador is also promoting two contests, one for music and another for photography. They have high dreams of beginning a permanent Peace School. Information:info@mundounido2016.comOfficial website:www.mundounido2016.com
“The violence has also touched my life. In such a difficult context, the desire to rebuild my country has turned into a real passion that grows more and more each day. It was that desire which led me to attend Sophia University Institute (IUS) in Italy. I had heard of the school when I was back in my own country. The manner in which they approach diversity at Sophia helps me to deal with the diversity of Burundi, and here I realised that I shouldn’t wait until I finish my studies to contribute something.” That was how the young man began his work for peace. “I am able to meet a lot of my fellow countrymen and women, and every time I try to express my belief in the spirit of brotherhood, using the skills I acquired from my studies which allow me to dialogue value the positive I find in other people. This attitude of mine drew the attention of several people with differing opinions on the situation in Burundi. They included members of the opposition, members of the party that’s in power and also members of civil society. When it’s my turn to say something, I never talk about my political affiliation but express what I feel in my heart, referring to what the Pope has also said: ‘volence is never a pathway of peace.’ Once, for example, I highlighted the fact that there were representatives from the government amongst us and that the plan that time was to end our discussion drinking a beer together as a sign of reconciliation, which is the custom in our culture. I added that here, far from the conflict, we sit side by side and even though we are having a heated argument, we greet one another as friends both when we arrive and when we say goodbye. But in Bujumbura they are killing one anothe . . . So, I suggested: Why not share our testimony with everyone? Why not tell our countrymen back home that dialogue and argument are possible without killing anyone? We’ve shown that dialogue is possible, I added.” “After that comment I thought that I hadn’t been understood and that they would have thought I was a dreamer living in nowhere land.” But instead to his great surpprise, they had taken him very seriously. “We met again with twenty experts on the situation in Burundi. There were representatives from the different interest groups, and the goal was to discuss possible models for an inclusive dialogue amongst government, opposition, civil society, armed groups, and so on, in view of bringing peace to the country. It turned out to be an important opportunity for listening, useful for expressing together with serenity several proposals that could be made to the government.” “I could see that the experience at Sophia produces fruits that go beyond us,” he concluded. I’m convinced more than ever that we can bring the light of the Gospel to the many difficult situations that our countries are going through. I hope to continue making my small contribution to building peace, not only in Burundi, but in the whole world.”.
“March 22cnd will be forever marked by the cowardly attacks in the airport and in the metro in Brussels. They were actions of people who were not able to see love of neighbour as a priority in life, precisely during the days of Easter, a feast that proclaims: Love conquers all. It’s been a week in which feelings of deep hatred and a sense that God is requiring us to love every neighbour. That’s certainly not easy in moments like these. It’s in our nature to find perptrator. That’s what’s happening here in Belgium. We wonder where we went wrong and who was responsible for the radicalisation of that human being. It was also a week filled with novel questions for me. It’s been like constantly writing little letters to God and running every day to the mailbox to see if He’s answered them yet. It’s even worse when my own friends wonder why I still defend Muslims: ‘It’s all because of them,’ they say. ‘We should send them home. Why give to the refugees, and then they do away with us?’ I came to realize that I had to keep on doing the same exercise over and over again: to put myself in the skin of my friends who perhaps have not had the good fortune of experiencing God so near to them. Perhaps they haven’t realised that He is the only one that can give the answer: an answer of Love. They feel the fear that pushes them to prefer security and their own future. My effort was to show them the other side of the story: ‘Those people (the terrorists) aren’t Muslims. Islam embodies values that spread love. But when you try to do that, you are always met with resisitence. The wound is still fresh. I was hoping that I’d be able to bring enough healing to the wounds, but a complete cure will take time. This Good Friday I returned to my house weary and fed up with caring for “the wounds”. I can well imagine that it must have been a very hard week for the people who were on the front lines, caring for the wounded in body and in spirit. It is said that the young people of today don’t dare to express their faith. We no longer dare to talk about the things we believe in for fear of being cast from society. We no longer dare to do what we believe should be done. Perhaps it’s not fear of expressing ourselves, but tiredness because believing in Christian ideals is a tiring venture. The faith of Belgium is so exceptional and should muster up the strength to uphold its values. The young people choose to stop believing in order to avoid criticism. And this made me understand once more the strength of the ideal of peace and unity that Chiara Lubich taught us. It’s a sort of “cafe” for our weariness. It helps us to smile when we’re presented with cynical questions from our friends. These become opportunities for sharing our message . . . that’s the reason I follow Jesus! I’d like to ask God for more fire than I had before, a fire that lights candles in the hearts of young people. Candles that will enable us to look at one another in a positive light instead of criticising each other, so that the downward spiral will become an upward spiral and the faith will become a celebration rather than a preoccupation. A place where each of us can find the key to build a world in which attacks like those of March 22nd never happen again.”
During the last visit to Taungoo, one of the regions where the Long Distance Support Project in Myanmar was launched, “we came to realise how many kids on Long Distance Support are now walking on their own,” writes the representative of AfnOnlus in Myanmar, Myanmar Vivienne Arpon. The visit by the local staff of Long Distance Support to the families of the children being supported was an opportunity to bring some concrete love and to better understand the difficulties they were facing. Marta had been abandoned by her husband when the children, Justin and Joseph, were small. Through the project she found the strength she needed to raise her family. When he finished school Justin won a scholarship in culinary arts at an Institute in Yangon, and Joseph became personnel assistant at a fabrics company. Philip and Anna’s family had been living in a slum in poor hygienic conditions. Long Distance Support has enabled them to live in a decent house and have a more dignified life. Although Philip is still studying, his parents have generously committed to support those who are worse off than they. “What gives us joy,” says Vienne, “is to notice how the improvement in the physical living conditions of these families has led to human and spiritual growth.” Since 2006 the project has expanded in response to requests for help from Eric, the Burmese coordinator. Thanks to the intervention of other NGOs it was possible to build a new school in Yenanchaung, the Magway region and find teachers and qualified personnel. The school children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS or abandonment. Many of these teenagers have been able to find good jobs now, so that in addition to being financially independent they can even contribute something to their families. “We’re pretty confident,” Vivienne writes speaking to supporters, “that the future of these children is assured, not only because they can study, but because they felt the love from your side, which assures them. For all this, thank you very much for the sacrifices you have made. In fact, it is not always easy to live solidarity, but when you take into consideration those who are living in worse conditions than yours it can redimension your own needs and wants and can lead to a more sober lifestyle, perhaps even a freer life for yourself. One family from Messina, Italy writes of how their experience with long distance support with AFNonlus is enrichment for them that has opened them to the whole world. The boy they were supporting has grown up and, thanks to the support he received through the programme, is now working. Nevertheless, there are many other children living in conditions of need and the Sicilian family, in spite of the financial problems that everyone is going through, didn’t turn their backs on them. They decided to continue contributing their support: “With four children it isn’t easy to make ends meet. In spite of the uncertainty, we believe in this project and are very happy to offer some concrete help to people who are worse off than we are . . . in this case, little Vincenzo from Myanmar.” The Myanmar project extends through a territory which, due to environmental conditions and historic reasons was never developed adequately. Many families and children are victims of malnutrition and illness, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. With the support from contributors, the project is giving hope to people, offering a different future to the new generations and contributing to the human development of the population. For more information: The Focolare has been in the Asian world since 1966. Recent cultural and interreligious events have remembered those years: 50 anni di storia.
“When the family suffers, society suffers,” said one of the participants going straight to the heart of the main message of the event: “The Family And Peace. Tools For Peace In The Family: 5 Secrets.” Similar events were held in 8 cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Congo, Brazaville, with a massive attendance on March 13th. The organisers report 1000 people in Kinshasa, 500 in Goma, 600 in Lubumbashi and 1,500 in Kikwit. There were another 110 in Bukuvu, 83 in Uvira not counting the Masses celebrated in other locations, inlcuding 14 in Congo Brazzaville. In Lolo 170 adults with 40 children “celebrated” – because thoughought Congo as in other African countries it is the feast of “Mamma Chiara,” as she is affectionately known on that continent. “With its spirituality of unity the Focolare Movement hoped to create synergy by providing opportunities for sharing and exchange with structures of the local Church that serve the family,” writes Martine from Kinshasa. “Friends from the Church of Christ in Congo and from the Muslim community also participated. The event raised enthusiasm and joy, and we met several times to prepare it together: some sharing their testimonies, some singing and dancing – very group wished to contribute something to the day.” The event was also covered in the media, on television and in the newspapers: L’Observatuer, Le Phare, Le Potentiel, Le Congolais, to mention a few. In Kikwit the Muslim radio also covered the event! The “5 Secrets” are actually elements from the charism of unity applied to family life: the pact of mercy (forgiveness between family members); communion of the experiences of living the Word of God; communion of souls; and fraternal correction. Finally, conversations with people who can assist the family along its way if their are problems. “These secrets,” they write, “barely revealed, are already helping several families to rediscover their peace and harmony.” During his thank you address, Abdourahamane Diallo from UNESCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated: “I would like to offer my congratulations to the organisers of this day in favour of peace in the family. We at UNESCO also think that we need to lift up the defense of peace through education, dialogue, tolerance and culture. I render homage to the family because that is where education begins. I thank you for this work you are doing.” “At this meeting I discovered a reality of God to which we are called to live together, doing all we can so that it continues,” declared Imam of Kikwit. “We all have one only God, the One who sent the Angel to Mary to announce the glad tidings.” The person in charge of Comunità Vie Nouvelle: “I’m glad to have discovered the 5 secrets for building peace in the family. This evening I telephoned my son who is having family problems, to share all of this with him. I needed this theme!” “This experience with the local Church,” Martine concludes, “and with our Protestant and Muslim friends with whom we continue to grow the relationship, has been a step forward towards Mamma Chiara’s and our dream of unity.”
A conference for mathematicians “A couple of my colleagues also attended a conference with their small son. After supper they took turns putting him to sleep and were never able to spend an evening together. I sensed that things weren’t going well between them and wondered what I could do to help. I suggested that one evening I could stay up with the boy, since he knew me quite well. The following day my colleague thanked me: Ever since the little one was born, he told me, they’d never had a moment just for them, and that evening was very important.” M.Z. – PolandMy neighbour is another me “I study art at university. Shocked by the suffering of so many Syrian families, I thought of organising an art exhibit with some friends. We could use the money we earned from selling our artwork to help those families. We called the exhibit: ‘My neighbour is another me. Break down the walls of indifference’.” One of the main pieces was a wall made of tiles. Each visitor could take one tile home as a reminder that we’re all connected and invited in our daily lives to do something for people who are suffering. There were a lot of problems involved in organising the exhibit. At one point I was really tired, but thinking about the suffering of the Syrians I found new energy to carry on. The art sale brought in 4000 dollars that will be donated in full to several Syrian families.” J.T. – USAThe goodnight kiss “Once again, that night Papa had dumped all the day’s stress on Mamma. Without a reply, she went to iron in the kitchen as he read in the living room. A wall had been built between them. Feeling the atmosphere growing heavier and heavier, my brothers and I went to our rooms. But I couldn’t fall asleep. A sentence kept coming to my mind: “Where there is no love, put love and you’ll draw out love.” Overcoming my human pride, I got up and went into the kitchen. “Good night, Papa,” and I gave him a kiss. Then, “Good night, Mamma” and gave her a kiss. They looked at each other and the wall between them collapsed. I went back to bed happy.” G.M. – SwitzerlandOne small act of love “I’m a Franciscan. After giving the last hoe I had to a poor person I said to Jesus: “Okay, now you take care of it!” I heard on the radio that a whole party of hoes were arriving. I asked an NGO to make me one of the beneficiaries: I received 200 hoes along with machetes and sacks of seed that I distributed. Many people from the place ask me for help: Members of a Protestant sect from Kimbangisti and even a witch doctor. He invited me to his home and, offering me 5 litres of palm wine, he thanked me for all that I do for his people. All because of one small act of love. . .” G.B. – Angola
Paray-le-Monial, a city in the Burgundy region is not far from other places with a rich spiritual heritage, like Cluny and Taizé, and embodies the artistic heritage of the places of worship it boasts of (this is where Cluny and Cistercian architecture originated), set along the “roads of Romanic culture,” leading to Santiago di Compostela. Furthermore, Jesus appeared here to Saint Margherita Maria Alacoque and this gave rise to the spirituality of the Sacred Heart. The participation of 14 Movements and new Communities, with over 70 members of various ages and experiences, was driven by a fraternal friendship and the desire to broaden their knowledge. Thus a meeting entitled, “Communion and mercy – Experiences and challenges,” was set for 3 – 6 March. Also the bishop of Le Mans, Bishop Yves Le Saux was present. The choice of the place was triggered by the invitation of the Community of Emmanuele since it was here where an important historical phase of the community began in 1975, and which then diffused worldwide. Some of the participants had already attendedlast year’s event held near Florence, in Loppiano, while some were there for the first time. “Unity is lived like a polyhedron “– Pope Francis had said to the Catholic Fraternity in 2014. It invites us to marvel at what we are. In his welcoming speech, Laurent Landete, head of the Emmanuele Comunity, stressed that “Through a spirit of wonder, we contemplate the profiles of your communities.” Mercy is the name of God, the Pope affirmed when he opened the Jubilee Year, and this was the framework which each of the 14 communities placed as the setting of their projects and testimonials. For the Arche group, the aim is to heal the wounds of disability. The Community has to become a place of forgiveness: and though fragile and vulnerable, we can experience the Father’s mercy. The Pope John XXIII Association targeted sharing with the poor and learning forgiveness. For the Speranza, New Horizons families and the Cenacle Community, it means going into the depths of addiction and existential fragility to bring the resurrection, mercy and reconciliation with oneself and the world. All this may appear to be mere social actions, but upon listening to their experiences, a profound spirituality ensued, and they became striking examples of the pedagogy of the Gospel. For the Canção Nova Community, mercy means using the means of communication to be able to bring the good news to all of humanity. Unity for the Focolare is the renewal of its choice to stand in every moment, side by side with each person we meet, with the inevitable alternation of light and shadows. Love for our brother and the “pact of mercy” are the practices that help reach this goal. The Catholic Shalom Community instead targeted mercy as a mission, in unforeseen situations such as that of the Carnival of Rio. The Community of the Beatitudes chose to share the path in identifying and expressing its ecclesiastic features in its Statutes, and the Regnum Christi Community focused on sharing the Church’s goals and fraternal friendship in Christ as referral points of light. The current events gave a strong imprint on the relationships that ensued during the meeting. The Emmanuele Community shared its interreligious dialogue initiatives, especially with the Muslims. This was an important fact, considering the serious attacks that came about in the country. Also the Sant’Egidio Community stressed the importance of peace, the acquisition of a vision of a world that discovers brotherhood as its innermost being. The Chemin Neuf Community stressed that sharing strengthens communion, and makes us experience the extraordinary mercy of the Father who is unity: the source of their mission. “Diverse charisms in the kaleidoscope of the testimonials, appeared like God’s Love reaching out to humanity today”, declared Lina Ciampi who participated on behalf of the Focolare. There was a strong desire in everyone to meet again, and the determination to keep in touch and pray for one another. A pact of benevolence among us, concluded the meeting.
“Dialogue is a true sign of the times, but it also represents something that we need to deepen in all senses. In the wake of John Paul II and of other contemporary thinkers, Chiara Lubich had described out times, at least in the West, with the image of a “cultural night”, not a permanent night, but a night which, according to Lubich, hid a light, a hope. We could therefore say that within the cultural night, which is also a “night of dialogue,” a light is hidden, namely the possibility of all of us together elaborating a new culture of dialogue. To do this – in my opinion – the first step is to rediscover that it is so rooted in human nature that in every culture we can find what I would call the “ sources of dialogue.” These sources are contained in the great Scriptures and are basically two: the source that rises from the religious experience and the source that rises from the philosophical research of humanity. In this line we should have to talk about Biblical, Koranic, Vedic, Buddhist sources, and so on. Last century in the West a real dialogical thinking developed from Jewish and Chrisitan roots. I draw particularly on the latter to offer you several principles of an anthropolgy of dialogue. First. Dialogue “is written in human nature” to the point that you could say that it is the very definition of man. Second. Through dialogue “every person is completed by the gift of the other;” that is, we need one another in order to be ourselves. In dialogue I give to the other my otherness, my diversity. Third. Each dialogue “is always a personal encounter.” Therefore, it is not a matter of words or of thoughts, but of giving our being. Dialogue is not mere conversation or discussion, but something that touches the interlocutors more deeply. Fourth. Dialogue requires “silence and listening.” This is decisive, because silence is important not only for right speech, but also for right thinking. As one proverb says: “When you talk, let your words be better than your silence” (Dionysius the Areopagite). Fifth. True dialogue “constitutes something existential” because we risk our selves, our vision of things, our identity. At times we feel that we lose our cultural identity, but it’s only a passage because, in reality, our identity is immensely enriched in its opening. We should have an “open identity.” (Fabris). This means knowing who we are: but also being convinced that “when I understand with someone else . . . I know even better “who I am”. Some further principles. Authentic dialogue “has to do with the truth” and is a deepening of the truth. For the ancient Greeks dialogue was the method for reaching the truth. This means that truth is always in need of being completed; no one posesses the truth, only she [the truth] posesses it. So we are not dealing with relativity of truth, but of “relationality of the truth” (Baccarini). “Relative truth” means to say that each one has his truth that is true only for himself. “Relational truth” means that each one takes part and puts in common with the others his sharing in the [one] truth, which is true for everyone. Our way of reaching the truth and how we share in the truth is different. This is why dialogue is important: to enrich us with the different perspectives. Through relationship each one discovers new aspects of the truth as if they were his own. As Raimond Panikkar says: From a window you see the whole landscape, but not totally. It is what we said earlier: We need to understand diversity as a gift and not as a danger. One of the great paradoxes of today is that in this globalised world we are fearful of diversity, of the other. Dialogue also “requires strong will.” Love for the truth leads me to seek her and desire her, and therefore I put myself in dialogue. Two final principles. “Diaolgue is only possible among true people,” and only love makes us true. In other words, love prepares people for dialogue by making them true [persons]. What makes the talk fertile is the holiness of the one that speaks and the holiness of the one that listens. This then is the full scope of the dialogue’s responsibility: it requires true persons and makes the persons more true. In conclusion: the culture of dialogue “knows only one law, which is reciprocity.” This dynamic of going and returning is essential for there to be true dialogue. Finally, today there is much talk about interculturalism. I think that true interculturalism is possible if we begin to live this culture of dialogue. No one ever said that dialogue would be easy. It requires something that today is difficult to pronounce: sacrifice. It requires men and women “mature for death” (Maria Zambrano), that is dying to oneself to live in the other.” Jesús Morán , University of Mumbai, February 5, 2016.
Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan, in the north east Punjab Province. “For some time schools and universities have been protected like fortresses, as well as churches and mosques that have armed guards. A public park could never have been guarded in such a way. It is shocking that most of the victims are children and families, many of them celebrating the feast of Easter,” they write from the Focolare community in Lahore. It was 19:00 local time, March 27th, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park. Pope Francis called it a “cowardly and senseless” crime as he recalled Easter in Pakisatn that was “bloodied by a detestable attack that slaughtered so many innocents” including 29 children and many women. “Along with everyone else,” they continue from Lahore, “we want to once again embrace this face of Jesus Forsaken so that he might transform this great suffering into new momentum to love, new light to illuminate minds and strengthen all people of good will. We’re praying for all the victims, the wounded and the families, that hatred will not beget hatred.” “I was on my way to the park with my grandkids, and at one point I felt like I had to go home again,” says one friend who was saved from the massacre. “Our relatives were there at the moment of the explosion, but none of them were harmed. One of them was an 18 year old boy who tried to help a child who later died in his arms.” “I invite us all to pray to the Lord for the many victims and their loved ones,” the Pope went on to say, appealing to “civil authorities and all members of society” in Pakistan “that they would make every effort to return peace and serenity to the population and, in particular, to the religious minorities that are most vulnerable.” “The sacred dignity with which they suffer the pain is striking,” the people of Lahore testify, “and how much solidarity has been shown. The wounded were driven in private cars, without fear or hesitation, to nearby hospitals. The hospital staff worked without stopping. The appeal for blood donations was immediately answered by long queues at hospitals. The suffering that people have been going through for some time now and seemed to have reached its limit, has produced a new attitude, new hope that is expressed in small gestures that demonstrate a common wish: Peace.” “In many places people are out on the streets with lit candles. The protests were carried out peacefully. In many newspapers around the world there is talk about attacks on Christians and perhaps that’s true, but here it seems to us like an attack against humanity which is the same thing. The victims are Christians and Muslims. The gestures of solidarity from abroad have been very well received, such as the offing of the lights on the Eiffel Tower. They did help Pakistan to feel that it wasn’t all alone in suffering this very painful and absurd tragedy.” Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
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Protecting minors is a civic obligation which is also finds it fulfilment in the utmost respect for human rights. It is an obligation, therefore, but one that is loaded with foresight, precisely because of the inestimable value it represents for the new generations. Upon reviewing the various articles of the El Salvador law which entered into force in 2011, the novelty stands out, with respect to the previous law which only highlighted the cases where this is missing, such as situations regarding survival, disability and abandonment. This new norm which refers to the guidelines of international laws provides for the protection of all children from their conception up to the age of 18, ensuring adequate opportunities for integral development and a life that reflects the standards of human dignity. As in many countries, also in El Salvador social phenomena that endanger these principles abound, precisely due to the typical vulnerability to which infants and adolescents are exposed. And as in any other place on the planet, also here the population is called to collaborate actively with the institutions to safeguard every human right, but especially those rights every child in the world is entitled to. In 2014, a Document drawn up by the Focolare “for the promotion of the wellbeing and protection of minors” had aroused in the Movement worldwide, a renewed awareness of this responsibility. Also due to this initiative, the El Salvadorean community of the Focolare is now giving its valid contribution to a widespread knowledge of children’s rights and of how we must act to promote their integral development and the psycho-physical-spiritual wellbeing of minors, while also denouncing certain hidden and subtle practices with which parents and educators involuntarily damage their harmonious growth. This action of the Focolare found support in the local Catholic Church which in turn encourages the associations to adopt all the means possible to help forestall any action that may infringe these rights. The Focolare’s training programme provides for a reading of the law in the light of evangelical love, in the perspective of concurring to form new generations that are increasingly aware and free to make their independent choices for values in life. This programme also includes the recent “ Up2meProject” created by the Focolare and adjusted to the various development phases. It is enthusiastic work carried out by adults, youth, adolescents and children, to open a dialogue on various themes that are ever more actual today.
Why are these words of Jesus so dear to us and why do they come back time and again in the Words of Life we choose each month? Perhaps it’s because they are the heart of the Gospel. They are what the Lord will ask us when in the end we find ourselves in front of him. On these words will hinge the most important exam of our lives; and we can get ready for it every single day. The Lord will ask whether we have given food and drink to whoever was hungry and thirsty, whether we have welcomed the stranger, whether we have clothed the naked, visited the sick and the prisoner… It is a question of little acts, which yet have the value of eternity. Nothing is small if done for love, if done for him. Jesus indeed did not just come close to the poor and marginalized; he healed the sick and comforted the suffering. But he loved them with a preferential love, to the point of calling them members of his family, of identifying himself with them in a mysterious solidarity. Today too Jesus is still present in whoever suffers injustice and violence, in whoever is looking for work or living in a risky situation, in whoever is forced to leave his or her homeland because of war. How many people are in pain around us for all sorts of other reasons and call out, even without words, for our help! They are Jesus who asks for concrete love, a love capable of inventing new ‘works of mercy’ in keeping with new needs. No one is excluded. If a person who is old or sick is Jesus, how can we not seek what could give the necessary relief? If I teach my language to an immigrant child, I teach Jesus. If I help my mother clean the house, I help Jesus. If I bring hope to a prisoner or consolation to someone who is afflicted or forgiveness to someone who has hurt me, I build a relationship with Jesus. And every time the fruit will be not only giving joy to the other person, but I too will feel a great joy. By giving we receive, we sense an inner fullness, we feel happy because, even though we do not know it, we have met Jesus. The other person, as Chiara Lubich wrote, is the archway we pass under to reach God. This is how she recalls the impact of this Word of Life from the first moments of her experience: The whole of our old way of thinking about our neighbours and loving them collapsed. If Christ was in some way in everyone, we could not discriminate, we could not have preferences. Our human notions that classified others were thrown up into the air: compatriot or foreigner, old or young, good-looking or ugly, nice or nasty, rich or poor, Christ was behind each one, Christ was in each one. And in reality each brother or sister was ‘another Christ’…. Living like this we realized that our neighbour was for us the path to God. Or rather, our brother or sister was like an archway that we had to go under to meet God. We experienced this from the earliest days. What union with God in the evening, when we prayed, or when we recollected ourselves after having loved him all day in our brothers and sisters! Who gave us that consolation, that inner union that was so new, so heavenly, if not Christ who lived the ‘give, and it will be given to you’ (Lk 6:38)of his Gospel? We had loved him all day in our brothers and sisters and here he was now loving us.’1 Fabio Ciardi 1 Chiara Lubich Scritti spirituali, vol. 4, (Rom3, 1995), 204-5.
“At the age of 19 I left my home in Abruzzi, Italy, to study aerospace engineering in Pisa. It was an exhausting but satisfying journey. In 5 years I finished the specialisation with honours and an internship in Germany that enriched my skill set even more. All of it thanks to the sacrifice and support of my family. After graduation I was anxious to find my place in the work world. But I had to deal with youth unemployment, which is 40% in our country, and with companies that at best offer only fixed-term contracts or consulting positions with quarterly or even semi-annual salaries. After a few months spent sending my resume in vain, I started thinking that maybe I had to apply to other areas of the industry. Or emigrate. But quite unexpectedly I received an offer from a company that represents Italy in the major European Consortium manufacturer of missiles and defence technologies. The idea of a real job in a major company like that was very tempting. After a successful telephone call I was invited to an interview with the technical staff. The environment was youthful and stimulating, serious and quite professional. Designing missiles didn’t really reflect my principles, but inside me I cradled the hope that I would be offered a job that wouldn’t involve me in the manufacturing of weapons. The interview went well. Just a week later, I was asked to sign a contract, it being understood that this was a job directly related to the production of missiles. I felt like my back was against the wall. On one side was a steady job with a permanent contract, a very good salary and possibility of a career. On the other side was my belief as a citizen, but first of all as a man committed to building a non-violent society based on respect for human rights, social justice, a correct balance amongst human needs, the natural environment and the use of resources. I’ve always believed in a society where the ambitions of a few don’t trample on the dignity and economic success of others, that they don’t make me forget that I am a human being. Things were further complicated by my colleagues from school who were pushing me to accept regardless of my moralizing, reaffirming their indisputable thesis that a 25 year old graduate cannot afford these days to refuse such a job with so many benefits. With a thousand arguments they were trying to put me in front of reality telling me how lucky I was and … irresponsible! Not least of all with this work I could relieve my family of their commitment and be able to support myself. Something else besides my conscience played a decisive role: the people who are closest to me, the family, my girlfriend and the Youth For A United World that I grew up with. They helped to mature in me the idea – which became clearer and clearer – that in order to build a supportive and non-violent society, you need to act concretely, paying personally and giving witness. This was my opportunity to do that. I told the company that I couldn’t accept their offer, clearly explaining my reasons. Naturally, it wasn’t an easy decision, especially since I didn’t have any other offers. But I didn’t let that stop me. I continued with my job search and in a few weeks I received other offers that led me to where I am now happily satisfied with my job as a civil aerospace engineer.” Source:Città NuovaSee also: Arms? No, thank you.
“Last March 13, the Ivory Coast and the entire world learned to their surprise that the seaside city of Grand-Bassam had been hard struck by unknown assailants and that it was difficult to know the number of victims,” write Jeanne Kabanga and Damase Djato from the Focolare in Abidjan. “One can imagine the slaughter with all the people that go there every week to rest on the shore in front of the hotel they call the star of the south. It is a place visited mostly by tourists of every provenance. Grand-Bassam had been the first capital of the Ivory Coasts and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.”
Msgr Joseph Spiteri
On the same day, 180 people were together in Abidjan to underscore the timeliness of the message of Chiara Lubich who had been awarded the UNESCO Peace Education Prize in 196, and had died on March 18, 2008. Amongst the guests were the Apostolic Nunzio in the Ivory Coast, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri and Imam Diaria. Every year, at his invitation, the Focolare community takes part in the celebration of the Maouloud ( birthday of the Prophet). “From their words – and proceeding from the Chiara’s invitation to the political deciders to live the art of loving as a true therapy for out times – we rediscovered our common duty to exert ourselves with fidelity to love without distinction, to not get lost in fundamentalism, but to cultivate hope and mercy.” “Our tendency, instead,” the Nunzio pointed out, “is to put judgement before mercy,” whereas “if Muslim and Christians love one another,” the Imam insisted, “the world would be saved.” Young people at the event told of their efforts to collect signatures for peace: After they had carefully prepared quotes from Ghandi, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Chiara Lubich and the Dalai Lama, they distributed them on the streets. “It wasn’t easy to approach the adults and present our project,” What moved everyone the most, were the testimonies of the little children because they were so concrete and showed their commitment in being “messengers of peace” in their own environments. “One day, at home,” Marie Lucie recounted, “my youngest sister hadn’t washed the dishes. So, at lunchtime we couldn’t eat. I had told her to do them, but she didn’t want to. I said to myself, if I washed them I would be doing an action of peace. That’s what I did, and we ate.” “At school,” Prince reported, “some of my friends were making fun of another boy who seemed weaker, insulting and beating. Another boy and I decided to intervene, speaking to them, telling them about the ideals of peace that we believe in and asking them to let him be.” They stopped and are now friends.” Within such a context, the presentation of the Economy of Communion which, in the Ivory Coast has already made some moves and turned out to be a possible antidote to the poverty and misery: small actions like Firmin’s teaching activity a quarter of Abidjan. And the signature campaign for peace brought out the personal commitment of each person. “It was only when we got home,” Jeanne and Damase continue, “that we learned from the television news about the attack in Grand-Bassam. After a day of listening to talk about peace and experiencing peace, we feel a clear call to be workers of peace, putting into practice what we learned and, above all, living peace within and amongst ourselves in order to give it to the people around us. It seems to us that this is the only way we will be able to give our contribution to defuse terrorism and every sort of hatred.”
Salta: one of the more beautiful provinces of 
With 367 ayes and 137 nays, the Brazilian deputies approved the opening of the impeachment procedure against President Dilma Rousseff, while other 200 million greatly divided Brazilians, anxiously awaited the outcome of the voting session. It is now the Senate’s turn to confirm or not the implementation the indictment of the President. Should it be favourable, the vote of 11 May will suspend the President from her mandate for 6 months, while awaiting for the final verdict. The Brazilian constitution provides, in this case and for this length of time, that the Vice-President will assume the office. The Brazilian bishops in an 
“While realizing that the foundation of the Gospel is charity… we did not immediately understand how to live it, nor with whom, nor to what degree we were to put it into practice. At the beginning, due mainly to the distressing circumstances of the war, we directed our love toward the poor. We were convinced that in those gaunt and, at times, repulsive faces, we could make out the face of the Lord. It was a real training. We were not accustomed to loving supernaturally. At most, we cared about our relatives or our friends in a spirit of warm respect or in a purely natural and healthy friendship. Now, under the impulse of grace, trusting in God and in his Providence which cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, we addressed our attention to all the poor of the city. We invited them to our houses, to eat at our table… (…) When we could not receive them in our home, we arranged to meet them somewhere, and we gave them whatever we had managed to put together. We visited them in their dismal shacks and we comforted them and offered them medicines. The poor were truly the object of our love because for them and through them we could love Jesus. They became the concern also of those who had been attracted by our common ideal. As the community grew around the initial nucleus of the focolarine, the possibilities of helping, of assisting whoever suffered grew. And it was quite a sight to see tons of food, clothing and medicine arrive; it was an unusual abundance which, considering that we were in the last years of the war, clearly made the special intervention of divine Providence obvious to anyone. (…) These are small events which happen to whoever, being a follower of Jesus, experiences ‘Ask and it will be given to you’ (Mt 7:7). Nevertheless, they never ceased to amaze us. At the same time, we were encouraged by other extraordinary events experienced by our great brothers and sisters who had preceded us and who also knew—at a time when they were not yet saints—the difficulties encountered in the ascent to God, in the process of thawing the hardened human personality by the fire of Divine Love. Hadn’t Saint Catherine, in her love for the poor, given to one her mantle and to another the cross on her rosary? And hadn’t Jesus appeared to her in a vision the following nights to thank her for the gifts she had given to him in the poor? And didn’t St. Francis give away his cloak to the poor some thirty times? Surely, then, it was no great sacrifice for us to take off our gloves in the winter and offer them to somebody who needed to beg for hours out in the cold just to survive (…) Yet, in spite of everyone’s great generosity (…) it became clear that perhaps this was not the immediate goal for which the Lord had urged us to love in a concrete way. It was only later that we seemed to understand the Lord had urged us in this direction also for an intention of his own: it is in love and through the practice of love that one can better comprehend the things of heaven, and that God can more easily enlighten our souls. It was probably because of this concrete love that later on we understood that we didn’t have to turn only towards the poor but towards everyone indiscriminately. No doubt there were people who needed to be fed, to be given drink, to be clothed, but also those who needed to be educated, advised, put up with, or who were in need of our prayers…. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy opened up before us. Furthermore, they were the precise questions that the Judge of our lives would ask in order to decide our eternity. This thought immersed us in adoration considering the infinite love of Jesus who had revealed them to us when he came on earth so as to make it easier for us to get into heaven. (…) God was not asking us only to love the poor, but each and every neighbour, whoever they were, as we love ourselves. So if we came across someone who was weeping, we tried to weep with him and their cross was lightened. If someone rejoiced we rejoiced with them, and the joy was all the greater. ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’ (Rom 12:15).” 
