The city of Goma, capital of the North Kivu region (Democratic Republic of Congo), was attacked and is now controlled by the armed rebel group M23. Conflicts between Congolese government forces and the M23 militia intensified after the killing of General Peter Cirimwami, governor of North Kivu province on the 25th of January 2025.
The Focolare Movement has been present in Goma since 1982 with a very active community which provides aid to people in need and has numerous initiatives serving the poor and refugees. A women’s focolare opened in 2019. Since 2020, a Social Centre has been built to provide basic necessities and shelter, thanks to the help of various organisations and people of goodwill. At the same time, career guidance and training courses have been set up to offer dignity and the means of survival to refugees, with particular attention to single women with children. Many people have thus been helped and, among them, are those who have recently arrived at a refugee camp near the “Louis Quintard Centre / Focolare”. Since 2023, thanks to the support of AMU, a micro-credit support project has been set up and, since the riots intensified last February, AMU has also supported the local community of the Movement to carry out emergency actions there, in particular by providing drinking water and hygiene kits to the many displaced people in the city’s refugee camps.
Tension in the region is very high and there is a growing apprehension about what may happen in the coming days with the possibility of an escalation of the conflict. This could have tragic consequences for a city and a population that are already living in difficult situations due to conflicts that have been ongoing for more than thirty years.
That is why we want to invite everyone to strengthen their prayers by joining in the “Time out”, a minute’s silence and prayer for peace that we offer every day at 12 noon local time, as well as to support all actions for peace and to encourage diplomatic actions that seek an end to all conflicts that are still taking place in the world.
Azione per un Mondo Unito ETS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Causale: Emergenza Goma
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In November 2018, during a gathering of Bishops from various Churches who are friends of the Focolare Movement, which took place near Stockholm, Sweden, Bishop Krause was interviewed by Irish journalist Susan Gately. She asked him what “ecumenism” truly meant to him. As we conclude the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the northern hemisphere, we are publishing an excerpt of Bishop Krause’s response that highlights his character, openness and passion for the ecumenical journey.
“Called to Hope – Protagonists of Dialogue” is the title of the Ecumenical Conference that will take place from March 26–29, 2025, in Castel Gandolfo (Rome, Italy). To register or learn more, download the flyer.
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On the 24th of January 1944, Chiara Lubich discovered what would become a key point in the spirituality of unity: Jesus who experienced the abandonment of the Father on the cross, the utmost expression of suffering, the greatest expression of love.
Jesus Forsaken was precisely the focus of an artistic moment during Genfest 2024, the international appointment of the young people of the Focolare Movement. Here, we offer you a few extracts of it.
For several days, dramatic images of wildfires devastating an immense area and destroying everything from animals to vegetation have circulated around the world,. Thousands of buildings have been reduced to ashes and so far, 25 people have lost their lives. Many families have lost everything and 26 people remain missing. It is heart breaking to see these images of suffering still today. And the emergency is not over yet. We contacted the Focolare community there to find out how they are coping with this situation.
Carlos Santos, from the Focolare community in Los Angeles, told us, “The wildfires in various parts of our region are causing great anxiety because due to strong winds it’s impossible to fully extinguish the flames. The forecast is that they will continue for several more days. Many people have been evacuated and many have lost everything. However, we are also witnessing an enormous response from people who have brought food, clothing, money and other donations to those affected by the wildfires. The response has been so overwhelming that in some places TV stations have been used to ask people to stop donating because there is no more space for the items being delivered. Indeed, Providence has arrived in abundance and beyond what is needed.
The fires have not reached the homes of any members of the local Focolare community. However, some have had to move because they live in areas at risk of wildfires.
The Women’s Focolare, hosted a family for three days until authorities confirmed it was safe for them to return home. Our Men’s Focolare is also available to welcome anyone in need of shelter. This has brought more peace of mind to the community, as several areas in Los Angeles County could face evacuation orders if the winds change direction and move the fires toward them. Through their work, some focolarini have directly witnessed the suffering of many people and families who have lost everything. We want to accompany these people, offer comfort, and help them find stable solutions.” Carlos concluded thanking everyone for the many messages of solidarity and prayers during this time of great suffering.
You can read about the “miracle of the tabernacle” at Corpus Christi Church in the Pacific Palisades community of California on this link from the Focolare Media website, the communication platform for the Focolare Movement in North America,.
“Let’s start from the least, from those who are rejected and abandoned by society.” This is how the “Chiara Lubich” Hogar Centre for the elderly began in the Peruvian Amazon. A place where, thanks to the generosity of a family, together with the Focolare community, they welcome elderly people who are abandoned, who need help, who need to be cared for, who need a hot meal or simply who need the warmth of a family.
When people of different cultures and religious beliefs are in dialogue, a question that often comes to the fore is: “Can we always hope? And in what?” It’s a question that resonates most intensely not only in times of difficulty and painful suffering or defeat but also when we feel disappointed and deluded by the ideals and values we have held dear and which have fascinated us in the past. It is precisely during these times of doubt that we are prompted to reconsider the values and beliefs that lie at the very basis of our hopes. These values give us the strength to face our doubts and reveal the greatness of human nature: men and women are capable of falling down and rising up again, they can acknowledge that they all have their weaknesses but without succumbing to uselessly dreaming of finding miraculous solutions. Believing is much more than hoping for a solution to our problems; rather, it is the drive within that allows us to keep going. It is in those difficult moments that life mysteriously can become a real gift. Believing is like a commitment that gives meaning to life always. Unlike accepting a contract that you sign once and then never look at again, believing transforms and permeates every daily choice. One method that may help us to do so is to avoid thinking about dramatic and extreme situations which can only make us afraid and block us, but to face the small difficulties of each day, sharing them with our friends. In this way, if we do not lose heart, we will discover many new opportunities to believe and to give hope to those around us. The strength of friendship seeks the good of the other. It is easier to feel strong and courageous when everything is going well but it is when we are aware of our vulnerabilities that we can build something that will remain after us. We become aware of this through the conviction we gain when we have shared life with someone who believed beyond everything, who struggled and suffered, and whose love brought them close to everyone. When these people conclude their lives on this earth, they leave such an imprint and their memory is so vivid that -mysteriously- whether we are religious or non religious, their example makes us say, “I believe, I believe. Let us continue together!”
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
Martha, Lazarus’ sister, heard that Jesus was on his way, she was filled with hope and ran to meet him. John’s gospel indicates that Jesus loved her, Lazarus and their sister, Mary, very much[1]. Although Martha was sorrowful, she showed her great trust in the Lord and was convinced that had he been present, her brother would not have died but, nevertheless, any request she made to God would be granted. Jesus affirmed, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ (Jn 11:23)
“Do you believe this?”
After clarifying that he was referring to Lazarus’ return to physical life there and then and not to the life that awaits the believer after death, Jesus asked Martha if she had complete faith. Not only was he about to perform one of his miracles – which the evangelist John calls ‘signs’ – but he wanted to give resurrection and new life to her and all believers. Jesus proclaimed, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (Jn 11:25) and the faith he asked of Martha lay in a personal relationship with him and active and dynamic adherence. Believing is not like accepting a contract that you sign once and then never look at again, but it is something that transforms and permeates your daily life.
“Do you believe this?”
Jesus invites us to live a new life here and now. He invites us to experience it every day, knowing that, just as we rediscovered at Christmas, he himself brought this life to us by first seeking for us and coming to dwell among us.
How do we answer his question? Let us look to Lazarus’ sister, Martha.
In dialogue with Jesus, she made a full profession of faith. The original text in Greek expresses this with great force. The ‘I believe’ that she pronounced means ‘I have come to believe’, ‘I firmly believe’ that ‘you are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world’ [2], with all the consequences that this brings. It is a conviction that has matured over time and has been tested by the different events she faced during her life.
The Lord also addresses this question to us. He asks us to trust firmly in him and adhere to his way of life, founded on generous and practical love for all. Our faith will mature through perseverance, and it will grow stronger, as each day we see the truth of Jesus’ words when put into practice. Furthermore, this will make a positive impact upon our daily actions towards others. In the meantime, we can make our own the prayer that the apostles made to Jesus: ‘Increase our faith’ (Lk 17:6).
“Do you believe this?”
Patricia, from South America said, ‘One of my daughters had lost her job because the government had closed the public agency where she worked. The same thing had happened to her colleagues. As a form of protest, they had set up an encampment in front of the office. I tried to help them by participating in some of their activities, bringing them food or simply stopping to talk to them.
On Maundy Thursday, a group of priests who were supporting them in their plight decided to hold a ceremony during which there was space to listen, a reading from the Gospel and the act of washing feet was performed, in memory of what Jesus did before his crucifixion. The majority of those present were not religious people. Nevertheless, it was a moment of deep union, fraternity and hope. They felt warmly welcomed and were moved, as they thanked those priests who accompanied them in their uncertainty and suffering.’
This word of Jesus has been chosen as the guide for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025. Let us pray and work so that our common belief may be the driving force in the search for fraternity with all: this is God’s proposal and desire for all humanity, but it requires us to play our part too. Prayer and action will be effective if they arise from this trust in God and we live accordingly.
Edited by Silvano Malini and the Word of Life Team.
Peace, welcome, courage, justice, dialogue, hope, solidarity, togetherness, fraternity, unity: words that express our planetary, strong, concrete commitment that begins with small daily gestures, so that there may be an end to weapons and an end to all conflicts, in every corner of the world.
“Please, first of all, sow the seeds of the Gospel which is the Good News, so as to be credible in a time torn apart by discord and conflict, where peace now seems an unattainable dream.” A strong invitation that Pope Francis addressed to some family focolares in a long letter. On the 27th of October 2024 at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo (Italy), Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, while meeting with the young focolare families, read to them the message received from the Pope. It was a beautiful surprise which was written specifically for them. The family focolares are characterised by both spouses being married focolarini. In the world today there are 130 young focolare families in addition to the many families who are living the spirituality of unity that is a typical feature of the Focolare Movement.
The meeting in October at Castel Gandolfo was the last part of a formation course in six stages carried out in different regions of the world: Poland, the Philippines, Lebanon, Guatemala, Portugal. The last one was attended by 55 families coming from different countries.
In his long letter, the Pope explains that he has been informed of “the important work within the Movement in favour of families who have embarked on a unique path of formation”. And he thanks the President “for letting me be part of this exciting experience of faith that is being lived by many couples of various nationalities and religious expressions. I am particularly pleased to know that you are joyfully carrying out your apostolate in various human and social contexts, and with great passion you are striving to create harmony and understanding”.
Pope Francis then asked Margaret Karram to bring his spiritual closeness to the families, encouraging each one to become an instrument of love, demonstrating the richness of sincere and loving fraternity. He thus turned his thoughts to families in crisis “who have lost the courage to cherish the beauty of the Sacrament they have received”, and to help young people” not to be afraid of marriage and its vulnerability”.
Also significant is the date on which the Pope wanted to write the letter: 26 July 2024, the commemoration of Saints Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin Mary. A gesture that didn’t happen by chance for those to whom the letter is addressed: the families.
“Dear families, as you return to your homes,” the Pope continues, “revive the domestic hearth with constant prayer, lend your ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit who guides, enlightens and sustains the journey of life, open to those who knock at your door so as to be heard and comforted, always offer the wine of joy and share the good bread of communion. May the Holy Family of Nazareth be a source of inspiration and hope in times of trial, so that you may be builders of unity everywhere in the service of the Church and humanity.”
Margaret Karram, as she finished reading the letter, said: “I have read it many times and truly, like you, I was moved. I said: this shows an immense love of the Pope for you, especially for you.”
A precious gift extended to all the families in the world, as a guiding star for each one’s journey.
