Syria: Hope in Damascus

Oct 7, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Is it possible to face suffering?

Oct 6, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Nancy O’Donnell has worked as a psychotherapist with drug addicts and was once in charge of a medical centre that helps alcoholic women and their children. The issue of the meaning of suffering is central to the lives of people especially during their illness. We would like to ask if it is possible to face the problem of illness and find hope. “Suffering is part of every human life and it would be very difficult to help those who suffer if we ourselves have not found meaning in our own suffering. The path towards hope lies in this effort. Science offers new treatments and new therapies to improve the lives of many. The danger is when we let ourselves be fooled, believing that we will find a way not to get old, sick or suffer. If we seek only the hope of healing, we run the risk of deceiving ourselves, and this may lead to desperation which is the opposite of hope.” What is the role of psychology in the experience of the sick people, and in helping them to find hope? “We could summarise it in four points: the role of the personality and the possibility to change it, the importance of healthy relationships in facing disease, the need to know and accept one’s own limits, and the human capacity to be a gift to others. Personality: being optimistic or having a positive attitude may reduce the risk of illnesses and chronic disorders. At the Davis University in California, they discovered that writing down each day the things you are grateful for helped to increase happiness. The results were more significant when compared with a group that was asked to note down instead, only the things that had provoked greater stress. The second point: relationships. From the moment we are born, we have the capacity to establish relationships. The mental health of every person depends on his capacity to “coordinate” himself and “tune in” with others. The human mind is healthy when it possesses some strategic relational skills that allow it to “open up” to a multitude of social realities, that is, with the ability to “perceive” the others and their diversity in an adequate manner. If our identity is relational, it would be logical in moments when nurturing hope becomes a challenge to find the support of people close to us and with whom we have built deep relationships which strengthen the positive energy we need to remain hopeful. Furthermore, not accepting one’s own limits is one of the most typical difficulties people have today. The limit appears through the person’s condition and his/her story, through those experiences that imply the risk of frustration. In a world that offers us a life “without limits,” the onset of illness takes on numerous expressions of that limitation which becomes a decisive transition towards achieving one’s own fulfillment. Lastly, being a gift for the others even when your physical strength is greatly reduced makes a person play an active role always. This is where you acquire a dignity that is born in the depths of our being.”

Dr Nancy O’Connell

Synod on the Family: hopes and expectations

Oct 5, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Maria Voce took part in the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, October 3^rd where she gave a short talk. The journalist began by asking her: Why is this time of prayer so important? “It is because, as Christians, we believe it is above all the Holy Spirit who should be at work. This is a very delicate time when we hear many different opinions in the media. But it is only the Holy Spirit who can satisfy the great expectations, and do so as He wants and not how people think. So the most important thing is to pray for special help from the Holy Spirit, first of all for the Pope and then for all the Synod Fathers.” It helps us broaden our horizons a bit… “The family is the most wounded part of humanity at the moment. In a certain sense, it is like a sick daughter who the Church is watching over with a mother’s love, wanting her to get well. The Church is doing this act of pastoral conversion to care to one of its members who is suffering. I think all of us should have this attitude. I think we should disregard expectations for some kind of major changes from the doctrinal point of view or in the laws that govern the institution of marriage. I think that the greatest expectation is to ask ourselves as a Church what conversion is required of us towards these suffering brothers and sisters. The family is bombarded from all sides nowadays, by politics and by business lobbies; by those who want to take advantage of family issues as opportunities to pursue their own interests. The Focolare Movement has always had special concern for the family. One of its branches is especially dedicated to them and seeks to follow all the families in the world. They help prepare young people for marriage so that they can face married life with greater awareness. As far as possible they also help them find what they need (work, home, and so on) so as to start a family. And after marriage, they accompany these young couples on their new journey so that at the first signs of possible crises, which are natural, they may find a community ready to welcome and make them feel that they are not alone, that the love of the community is always present and caring. They do courses on addressing crises, with trained specialists. They help people who are separated and also those who are divorced and remarried, so that they feel, even in these circumstances, that they are members of the community and are loved and respected in their dignity as God’s children. They are helped to discover that being part of the community does not only mean sharing in the Eucharist but is manifested in living Gospel love together, sharing joys and sufferings, experiencing the closeness of God and the Church. The Synod asks all of us to make this conversion together, and this seems to me to be very important. However, I do not think that we should only focus on the divorced and remarried. The Synod is concerned with the family in its whole lifespan: widows, parents with young people who cannot find work, refugees, children, and so on. We need to look at the family as an icon of today’s society: it is humanity today that is suffering in the family. And humanity today must take on this suffering family and make this burden its own.” So the family is an encounter with the Church “going outwards” as Pope Francis continually urges us? “Absolutely! I believe it is the family that you can bear witness to the possibility of deep personal relationships, not only those you have by phone or on the internet. It is person to person relationships, with your children’s friends, and their parents, for example. Our role as laypeople is to be alongside everyone, to leave our own safe backyard so as to journey with them every day, in schools, at work, in the daily problems. This is why laity are at the Synod, and we too are very glad that a Focolare couple from Colombia were invited as auditors, Angelica Maria and José Luis from Colombia.” Last year, there was a couple from Rwanda, am I right? “Yes. I think that these married lay people at the Synod bring all the challenges that they too live and encounter, together with the others. Naturally, the Synod Fathers come with all the experiences, statements and sufferings that they have collected around the world. But this encounter between the ministerial Church and the laity is good. The Church is just one reality in which lay people and priests are together. The Church is the people of God on the move, taking care of all her children.” Listen to the complete interview of Radio Inblu with Maria Voce, 3 October 2015 (in Italian from 11’ 15’’)

The voice of families in St Peter’s Square

Oct 4, 2015 | Non categorizzato

October 4 will open the much-awaited Synod on the family, following the extraordinary, preparatory one held last year. Also this time, the Pope wanted to prepare for the Synod with a prayer vigil “to pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the Synod Fathers in their challenging task.” So on the evening of 3 October everyone was there: married couples, children, engaged couples, grandfathers, mothers, aunts, cousins, religious, single people……. will come to gather around Pope Francis. Many of them will come from faraway places, but will all be protagonists precisely because from the start, each felt involved in the reflections prepared by the two synodal sessions. It had never occurred, in fact, that upon proclaiming a Synod, the pope would want a double, popular consultation almost as if to say that the walls of the synod assembly hall had to be widened to be able to listen to those who live family lives or those who even anonymously, make sure that the family avails of all the support rightly due to it, inasmuch as it is the legacy of creation. Each of the participants was holding a burning torch: many small fires that together will brighten the horizons of all the families, and of those which follow every day with renewed vigor, the trail of their original design, as of those immersed in darkness and no longer believe in love. Many torches will signify that the ‘till death do us part’ in Christ is possible, and that the grace of the sacrament of marriage heals every incapacity to love and gives spouses a splendid treasure: the presence of Jesus in their homes. The prayer vigil was also animated by songs – offered by various bands among which those of the Focolare – along with testimonies of families which are a different type of prayer, but likewise important and sacred. All these also highlight the beauty of the family, which often arises from a tiresome daily routine, imbued with gratuity, tenderness, and forgiveness which alone can give true joy. Testimonials to the sharing of life paths make all see that the family represents a gift to the world and a precious way of announcing the Gospel. “May the Synod acknowledge, esteem, and proclaim all that is beautiful, good and holy about that experience,” the Holy  Father prayed. “May it embrace situations of vulnerability and hardship: war, illness, grief, wounded relationships and brokenness, which create distress, resentment and separation.” The Pope continued, “Let us pray for a Synod which, more than speaking about the family, can learn from the family, readily acknowledging its dignity, its strength and its value, despite all its problems and difficulties.” He also expressed the desire that what is offered is “a Church which is a mother, ever capable of giving and nourishing life, accompanying it with devotion, tenderness, and moral strength. For unless we can unite compassion with justice, we will end up being needlessly severe and deeply unjust.” Maria Voce, who touched on the stories of those families who have decided to walk with the Resurrected Christ in their midst, affirmed that also they, like the disciples of Emmaus, “felt their hearts burn with the typical joy that the presence of Christ gives, experiencing the gifts of unity with God and among themselves, light, courage, missionary drive and furthermore”, the Focolare Presidente stated, “Jesus himself, will speak to the hearts of those they meet, and revive hope in them.” “The Pope,” continued Maria Voce, “spurs on the families to take the initiative in bringing this gift to the community. We want to accept this challenge, too, and do so in cooperation with our parishes and all the other movements and associations, especially in hosting the refugees who knock on the doors of our hearts. The Christian families have been entrusted with the task of human coexistence healed by mercy. They can show humanity the tenderness and force of God’s love and in this way, the Pope said, every day write a page of sacred history, not the one written only in books, but that which will remain forever in the heart of the Father.”

“If you want peace, prepare for peace.”

Oct 3, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Peace is the result of fraternity amongst the peoples, solidarity with the weakest, mutual respect. This is how a more just world is built, this is how war is set aside war as a barbaric undertaking that belongs to a dark period of human history. Giordani knew war: he had taken part in the first world war. He received a medal after he had been seriously wounded on the Austrian front. But it is not only the horror of blood and death that should put aside war as a means of solving international problems. War can be seen as something quite natural to those impoverished minds that imagine humankind as a machine in thirst of power, ready to launch out against any enemy to satisfy its dreams of power. Yet, there is nothing natural about inflicitng suffering, misery and death. Wars never produce wins, only defeats. As history teaches, and Giordani reminds us: the great problems that all wars leave behind are far more distressing than the ones that meant to be resolved by engaging in conflict. This is why he suggest that we put aside our arms and military sentiments, and prepare a peaceful order. Moreover, for those who believe that human beings are God’s children any offence against a neighbour should be kept far from us. How can one love God by making attempts against the life of His children? A half century has gone by since Giordani wrote these texts, which are taken from L’inutilità della guerra (“The uselessness of War)”, but they could have been written for our own times that are threatened by such dangerous conflicts. “War is large scale murder dressed up as some sort of sacred cult, like the sacrifices of the firstborn to the god, Baal.The purpose of those sacrifices was to instill terror with their rhetoric and the interests that were behind them. Once humankind makes some spiritual progress, war will also be filed away along cruel pagan rituals, superstitions, wizadry and barbarity. War is to humanity what illness is to health, sin to the soul: it is slaughter and destruction, infection of body and soul, individual and collectivity.” “History confirms Christian reasoning, since the construction of weapons produces nothing but fear, mistrust and war. Those that say ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’ are false realists. You only need to open a book of history to see what the accumulation of arms and amunition leads to. Peace is difficult, but Christians are not naive: we want peace, not illusion. Peace is never going to just fall from Heaven all ready and nice. Peace is a patient process that we must carry out together. Peace is obtained with peace.” “Only the fearful defend war. War is made because of fear. The fearful resort to insult and shooting, because of an instinct to be free. It takes courage – rational courage – to reach lasting peace.” Alberto Lo Presti L’inutilità della guerra, Città Nuova ( 2003) p. 7; 71-72; 83.

Prayer Vigil: Families Light Up the Synod

Sep 30, 2015 | Non categorizzato

From 5:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m., testimonies by the ecclesial movements, among whom Maria Voce of the Focolare Movement.

This initiative is a people’s response to the Holy Father’s multiple appeals for prayer for the family and for the work of the Synod Fathers. Among the testimonies expected, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., will be those of the representatives of ecclesial movements, among whom Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, Kiko Argüello, initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way, Julián Carrón, president of Communion and Liberation, Salvatore Martinez, president of the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Movement, and Matteo Truffelli, president of the Italian Catholic Action.

Prayer Vigil Booklet General Information

#SignUpForPeace

Sep 30, 2015 | Non categorizzato

https://www.change.org/p/sign-up-for-a-global-petition-for-peace-now Confronted with the humanitarian drama of the refugees, the Focolare’s Youth for Unity step into action on many fronts, mobilising and appealing to international organisations, while joining in the efforts of the entire Movement.

• Reduce public funding of weapons
• Work at the root level of inequality, to counter misery
• Revise current models of governance
• Adopt a model of organised legality in opposition to criminality
• Guarantee universal primary education

These are the five main points of the appeal made by the young people of the Focolare’s Youth for a United World (YUW) to national parliaments, the European Parliament, the National Commissions of UNESCO and the United Nations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7WN06PMiU

Rome – Prayer Vigil: Families Light Up the Synod

Sep 30, 2015 | Non categorizzato

From 5:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m., testimonies by the ecclesial movements, among whom Maria Voce of the Focolare Movement.

This initiative is a people’s response to the Holy Father’s multiple appeals for prayer for the family and for the work of the Synod Fathers. Among the testimonies expected, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., will be those of the representatives of ecclesial movements, among whom Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, Kiko Argüello, initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way, Julián Carrón, president of Communion and Liberation, Salvatore Martinez, president of the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Movement, and Matteo Truffelli, president of the Italian Catholic Action.

Prayer Vigil Booklet General Information

The Mighty Seeds of Generosity

Sep 28, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“Real kindness is an exchange with essentially unpredictable consequences. It is a risk precisely because it mingles our needs and desires with the needs and desires of others...” A. Phillips e B. Taylor, On Kindness “Businesses and organizations are good places for a good and fulfilling life if and until they let non-economic virtues live alongside with the economic-business ones. It is a decisive co-existence that is not easy at all, because it requires managers to give up total control over the behaviour of people, to accept an element of unpredictability in their actions and to be willing to relativize efficiency, which is becoming the real dogma of the new religion of our time. Generosity is one of these non-economic virtues that, however, are also essential to every business and institution. The root of generosity lies in the Latin word genus, generis, a term that refers to race, family, birth – this is also the first meaning of the word gender. This ancient etymology – that is lost now – tells us important things about generosity. First of all it reminds us that our generosity has much to do with the transmission of life: with our family, with the people around us, with the environment in which we grow up and where we learn how to live. We receive it as an inheritance when we come into the world. It is a gift that our parents and relatives pass on to us. Generosity is formed inside the family home. The generosity we find in ourselves is very dependent on that of our parents, how and how much love there had been amongst them before we were born, the life choices they made and the ones they make when we start looking at them. It all depends on their faithfulness, their hospitality, their attitude to the poor, their willingness to “waste” time to listen to and help their friends, the love and respect they show towards their parents. This primary generosity is not a personal virtue, but a gift that becomes part of the moral and spiritual standard of what is called character. It is a capital with which we come to the world, which was formed before our birth and is nourished by the quality of relationships in the earliest years of our life. It also depends on the generosity of our grandparents, great-grandparents, neighbours, and that of many others who may not be contributing to our DNA but are still present, in mysterious but very real ways, in our own generosity (and non-generosity). My generosity is influenced by the poets who have nourished the heart of our family. By the prayers of my people, the musicians I love and listen to, by the storytellers in village festivals, by the speeches and actions of politicians, by the sermons of preachers. By the martyrs of resistance, who gave their life yesterday for my freedom today. By the generosity of countless women of the past centuries (there is a great affinity between women and generosity), that many times placed the flourishing of the family they gave birth to before their own – and still continue to do so. Generosity generates gratitude towards those who have made us generous by their own generosity. Living with generous people makes us more generous – and the same is true for prayer, music, beauty…. The cultivation of generosity produces many more effects than the ones we can see and measure – and the same goes for our non-generosity and that of others. The stock of generosity of a family, a community or a people is something like the sum total of the generosity of each and every member of it. Every generation increases or reduces the value of this stock, and the latter is happening today in Europe where our generation, impoverished in ideals and great passions, is squandering the wealth of generosity it has inherited. A state that leaves half of its young people without work is not a generous state”. (Read more) by Luigino Bruni published in Avvenire ( (Italian newspaper) on 23/08/2015

“Welcome to New York, Holy Father”

Sep 26, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“Welcome, Holy Father” posters appeared all around the city already on Thursday. The taxi driver watching the Pope on TV was not indifferent: “So, you’re going to see the Pope tomorrow? Congratulations!” “Everyone finds the Pope appealing because he is authentic,” a non-Catholic man on the train said. He’s right: Francis does not need to attract attention or make himself appealing to all. And so he gave us a lesson before the UN’s General Assembly: on sustainable development, climate change and the issue of refugees: “We must not be appalled by the numbers… we have to look at their faces and listen to their stories,” he said in Washington. And at the UN: “Every man must be able to have concrete access to indispensible material and spiritual goods: a home, a dignified and well paid job, enough food, drinking water and religious freedom. ” He again strongly criticised drug trafficking, sexual exploitation of people, the arms rackets. In the same way as he had clearly denounced before the US Congress, he made another appeal to put aside divisions and antagonisms between political parties and to help the poor. The sacredness of each human being is a theme he strongly feels, and at the end of his speech, there were unending rounds of applause. He then left and greeted the people from his Fiat car which seemed so tiny amid the huge limousines. At Ground Zero, 500 representatives of various religions were all waiting to pray together for peace. Sue Kopp, a focolarina of New York who was able to participate in the rite, affirmed: “It was so meaningful also due to the diversity of this country. This place, which seemed so sacred to me, and marked by such immense suffering, has been transformed into a place of hope. The dream of a civilisation of love, is becoming a reality.”. Joe Klock, of New Humanity (an International NGO accredited at the UN) said; “The Pope   underlined the importance of building unity in diversity, where peace and love reign among the nations and the hearts of all. This reality demonstrates that the world needs the spirituality of unity, which seems to be precisely tailored to this country!” Also in New York, the Pope visited some charitable organisations, among which a model school in Harlem. And then, in Central Park. The 80,000 lucky people were able to get entrance tickets, waited for hours, even to get just a glimpse of him. The Mass was celebrated at Madison Square Garden, where the seats are usually occupied by basketball stars and pop singers. The people waited for hours to enter but no one complained. Then the big surprise: Pope Francis arrived 20 minutes earlier than planned! The altar, the chair and the pulpit were simply handcrafted . Cardinal Timothy Dolan had the impression that the Pope would have appreciated this more than if the items were made by a designer. And here, Francis became the pastor of the immense city, recalling the reading from the book of Isaiah 9.1: “The people walking in the darkness saw a great light.”. He spoke about the difficulties of the multicultural cities where the light is absent due to so much smog. “But Jesus walks down our streets today,” he said and continued to invite all to go out towards the others, with the heart of a “merciful father waiting for his children to come home.” The church is alive in the cities, the Pope stressed, and so Christians have to bear witness to the light of the Good News. The applause went on and on. As in all the other countries, also in the USA the Pope has touched the heart of each one of us.

Living the Gospel: Accepting diversity as a gift

Sep 26, 2015 | Non categorizzato

A missing son “My son, in the critical age of adolescence, and probably due to bad company, disappeared without giving any news of himself. In the evening I would go and look for him among the vagabonds. My desperation created misunderstandings with my husband, and I was running the risk of neglecting not only him but also my two other sons. One day, I recounted that during my search around town, I had met many young people who were alone, and who had been reduced to living on the streets due to drug addiction. My other sons offered to come with me to take food and clothing. Since then, life in the family has changed. That tragedy was really an eye opener.” (M. J. – Switzerland) The hospital “The critically ill patient next to my bed confided to me that he was an agnostic and that he hoped to die soon. I listened to him lengthily and then I felt I had to say to him: ‘I think that our task as human beings is to value life at every stage, whether we are healthy (employed or with other commitments), or sick (with our therapies, pains, in our relationships with the nurses, relatives and the other patients). Death, however, may come, but we shall be what we have done in life and valuing the life we have received.’ The other patient seems to be serene now. In the evening, he who was always brooding even welcomed his daughter with a smile. I think he will sleep better tonight.” (D.B. – Trent, Italy) Prison visit “Rosa had to go the next day to teach in a military jail that was out of the way and did not have a car. I offered to accompany her, and moved some of my various commitments. The next day, on the way I tried to reassure my friend: I would make use of my time waiting outside the jail to say a prayer for her. So I did, while she was inside. After a few hours, I saw her come out all smiles due to the relationship she had established with the new students; she had felt my support through prayers. Now she goes to the jail on her own, but still treasures the experience we lived together.” (C. D. – Campania, Italy) The soldier of the Presidential guards “Corneille is a student at Kinshasha University. Last week he was there, in front of the faculty together with his friends, when a soldier of the Presidential guards approached them and begged for help for his child who was seriously ill. The students looked at one another, their hands in their pockets. Also Corneille put his hands in his pocket, and fumbled with: in the left pocket, the leaflet with the Word of Life, and in the right, some coins. After a moment’s hesitation, he offered the money to the soldier. When they were alone again, his friends said: ‘You must be mad, giving your money to him, above all!’ So Corneille gave them the Word of Life. They read it and one of them said: ‘You are really a coherent person. I like that.’ ((C. – Democratic Republic of Congo )

Francis in Cuba, demolishing walls and building bridges

Sep 24, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“We strongly felt the dream of a “united world” during these days of grace due to the presence of Pope Francis in Cuba. His visit literally left a trail of light! Already the preparations were full of enthusiasm and novelties. In the three dioceses he would visit, the entire communities of the Church started up various initiatives: in the churches and the “mission houses,” groups of young people held meetings in parks, and around the neighbourhood to talk about the Pope – in short, it was a happy and expectant Church! And, as never before, the means of communication (of the state) offered an extensive footage to prepare the Cuban people for this important visit – also from the political point of view, due to the known role the Pope played in reestablishing relationships between Cuba and the United States. The radios, TV stations and press continually announced the visit, with small “catecheses” on the Pope and the Church documentaries on his life, and also that of the other two Popes who had visited the Island. It was surprise and joy for a Church that had for years been isolated by the lack of the means of communication for so many years!» “The Pope arrived like a “missionary of mercy,” with simple words and gestures – often gentle but impressive – he told the Cubans and the whole world that without forgiveness, without practising the culture of encounter and dialogue, it would be impossible to hope for the future. With his very first words he immediately opened new horizons: “Geographically, Cuba is an archipelago that plays an extraordinary key role between the north and south and between east and west. Its natural vocation is to be a meeting point so that all peoples can be united by friendship (…). We are testimonials of an event that has filled us with hope: the process of the normalisation of relationships between two peoples, after years of estrangement. It is a sign of the victory of the culture of encounter and dialogue.” He invited all to “continue to progress on this path and develop all its potentials, as proof of the important service in favour of peace and the wellbeing of its people and the entire America, as an example of reconciliation for the whole world.” In the Mass in Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, he also said: “…authentic life is lived through the concrete commitment toward one’s neighbour, through one’s service,” recalling above all the service of the weakest among brethren. “We are all called due to our Christian vocation to serving others and helping one another not to fall into the temptation of practicing a service that exploits others,” he warned. In his meeting with the youth, the empathy was immediate. To the wish expressed by one of them, of “not wanting to present only their dreams, but of requesting something special that could revive hope…,” Francis answered firmly, “Continue dreaming, because if you offer the best of yourself, you will help the world to be different. Don’t forget: go on dreaming! Dream and recount your dreams. Talk about them since the big endeavours have to be told!” “Many of us – they continued – had the chance to greet him personally, starting not only from the focolarine working in the Nunciature, but also the families, and the youth in the various cities he visited.” The Focolare has been in Cuba since 1998 and the service it tries to offer the Church and society is that of weaving a network of fraternity, bringing “social friendship” which the Pope presented to the youth and to favour “the culture of encounter,” to pursue as a journey of hope. “Many of us were part of the service staff, before and after the visit: some helped the media in organising the events, some gave interviews on the national and international media, or simply stayed in their places along the route the Pope would take, to greet him. In line with our vocation of unity, together with believers and agnostics, we lived and participated in these days of grace.” In the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charit, Pope Francis left us with a programme: “We want to be a Church that goes out from its homes to build bridges, demolish walls and sow reconciliation. Like Mary, we want to be a Church that is able to walk with its people in difficult situations, committing ourselves with our lives, our culture, society, and not isolating ourselves, but walking alongside our brethren. All together, all together.”

The world is tending towards unity: A socio-political view point

Sep 24, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“We can react to this situation through forms of reorganization, even if they are not perfect, but which bring together countries and people from various fields. Our problem in Europe is one of an imperfect unity, but we must keep going with it. And in the context of the migrant crisis we feel that unity is essential to our future,” states Roman Prodi, twice Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission. As an economist, academic and politician, he gave an interview during the meeting for Focolare regional delegates. He continues, “We must build up reasons for hope in ways that will be different in different parts of the world. We need energy that comes from the base. Instead, in the Middle East we need the major world powers to dialogue with each other because otherwise nothing will be resolved.” The interview took place on 21 September, at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo, during the second week of the convention. The session was entitled: The world is tending towards unity: a socio-political viewpoint. While the subject matter is complex, it’s very much in tune with, and integrated into, the theme of unity which is the focus this year for the Focolare Movement and which has been dealt with throughout the program. Together with Romano Prodi at the interview was session was Pasquale Ferrara, a diplomat, Secretary-General of the European University Institute in Florence, who is involved in academic activities and research in the field of international relations. He commented, “One point we should reflect on is that globalization has positive effects. The problem about globalisation is that it is not universal. Globalisation is about seeking to extend one economic model, liberal economics, to the whole world. On the political level it is the effort to spread liberal democracy.” He went on to invite everyone to “listen to the needs of all peoples in the world” because “peoples can’t be categorised into Series A and Series B. There can’t be members of the Security Council and then all the rest. We must take account of all the needs expressed by all peoples.” The solution he proposed: “To start from the foundations, building up civil and international society. We have too much trust in institutions, governments, organizations and authorities, which are of course important. But in many situations, especially in societies that are internally divided in their own countries, and which need to work through processes of reconciliation for example, it is vital that this work starts from interpersonal and inter-community relations. Those who do this should know that they are actually doing actually political, civil, social and institutional reconstruction.” The dialogue session, held in the presence of audience composed of representatives from the whole world, was stimulating. Each of those present had their own expectations, challenges and inner resources. The two political experts were able to give documented insights into the current global socio-political situation, which is both complex and ever-changing. It was a contribution which enriched the reflection deeply felt by those who embrace the ideals of the Focolare Movement and who wish to work towards universal brotherhood and the building peace.

Video in Italian – transcript in English https://vimeo.com/140062041

An after-school program at zero cost

Sep 22, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“I accepted this assignment in order to make concrete my choice to live the spirituality of unity, staying connected with other politicians who, like me, commit themselves to seek the common good and to make brotherhood emerge as a political category.” These are the words of Maria Elena Loschiavo, Deputy Mayor responsible for social politics and schools, in a municipality of just over 7,000 inhabitants. The past scholastic year several children and teens who exhibit learning disabilities and who, for various reasons, cannot depend on their families for support, were brought to her attention. “I wanted to invent something for them, but the friends of the Administration reminded me that there were no resources. So I discussed the matter with my husband, and then I spoke with friends and colleagues who are retired, and I called some young people I know. I immediately had at my disposition a good group of people from various cultures and religious traditions. Talking with them, we got the idea for an after-school program, every afternoon, from 3 to 5 pm. It was a bit of a gamble because starting something means carrying it through to the finish. It also means saying goodbye, for months and months, to our afternoon rest time. But we wanted to try, we wanted to enter the hearts of families who feel marginalized.” As soon as the town announcement was made public, many requests arrived, but the limit was 25 students. “For each one of them, there is a story, with troubling family situations which unfortunately do not help their inclusion in the learning process. We barely had time to organize ourselves, and then on March 9th, with great enthusiasm, we began: in a rather naïve way, without knowing exactly what we would encounter. But in the end the results were certainly visible! From the families, who strongly ask that the experiment be repeated next year, and especially from the children and teens.” “As the municipal administrator of a small town, I must admit that creating a team of people who are willing to give, is not easy to do. But neither is it impossible. It has certainly been exciting to see how each person in the group has accepted the chance to work together to love these young people, giving them a piece of his own life. We experienced together that freely giving is a difficult path to take, but it makes you feel you are building universal brotherhood, starting from the town where you live.” In October, the project begins again, this time with new developments, but still at zero cost, both for the administration and for the users. “In this second year,” explains M. Elena, “we can count on a greater number of teachers and therefore a greater number of children who can access the program. The location will be at the school, which facilitates working in synergy with the teacher of the class, who can observe each child’s difficulty, allowing us to immediately begin working to solve the problem. Thanks to the volunteer work we can avail ourselves of a medical-psycho-pedagogical laboratory. The teens will have recreational time (in our town there are many talents, great and small, in the fields of animation, painting, dance, etc…) and for the mothers there will be a yoga class each week. And with the support of the Athletic Associations in the area, there will be activities for motor development education. ” “The ideas that are being fulfilled here are many, but I am sure that many others will come, because as someone told me one day, in the field of solidarity it’s enough to take the first step. Then solidarity itself will guide the next ones.”

Religions in a global world

Sep 21, 2015 | Non categorizzato

The Summer School was held in Tonadico in the Dolomite Mountains, not only due to the marvelous scenario of the locality, but also for the bond that existed between Chiara Lubich and those mountain districts. It was there, in fact, that in 1949 with some of her young companions, Chiara lived that mystic experience that is central to the history of the Work she had started. The idea of a summer school on “Religions in a global world” sparked up last April, at the end of an interdisciplinary seminar held at the Sophia University Institute. On that occasion a group of experts had started up an interdisciplinary, interreligious reflection (the scholars were Christians, Sciites and Sunnis Muslims, one was an expert on Buddhism and another, a lay thinker) and an intercultural event since there were also scholars from North Africa, Turkey, Iran, China and the USA, besides the European countries. The School program consisted of six general sessions, four of which were reserved for those who enrolled and two were open to the public. The one-to-one lessons were held after the work group discussions. The Sophia spirit lies precisely in uniting the dichotomy between life and thought, spiritual experience and scientific research. This perspective brought out the need to clarify how one’s personal comprehension of the truth harmonizes with that of people of other religions and cultures. A Slovak student highlighted how the research for knowledge can no longer be individual or monodisciplinary, but a community commitment that unites professors and students in the research efforts which should also be ,matched with a life commitment. Slowly, the participants managed to create a setting in which cultural contents and life perspectives harmonized, and solidified not only the traditional dichotomies, but also helped to break down cultural and religious barriers. Also the recreational moments were an occasion to deepen relationships, and delve into the deep differences in the worlds of each one, thus enhancing concrete dialogue where all is possible and sustainable. On the mountain peaks at 2,500 metres, the Christians gathered to celebrate Mass while the Muslims had their prayer rituals. At the closing of the School, the students all felt that they were bound by a sense of profound fraternity. The differences were still there, but now appeared as sources of mutual enrichment. On his way back, a young Shiite student wrote: “I would like to dedicate my first post on Facebook to the extraordinary group I was lucky to pass the Sophia Summer School with. I was able to present my faith in its authentic form, an opportunity that often is not possible in the light of the false image others often transmit of my religion. Likewise, I was also able to delve deeply into their lives, and in the faith of those I consider my brothers and sisters. The experience I had within the magical setting of the Dolomites, helped me to make a new discovery of the Catholic religion: I pray that we can continue this very important work. » Istituto Universitario Sophia

Mercy is what binds civilization

Sep 20, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“I see and I find my own light in the other, the true Reality of myself, the real me in the other (perhaps buried or secretly disguised for shame), and once I have found myself, I am reunited by resurrecting myself.” Chiara Lubich, The Resurrection of Rome. “Mercy was the dough with which we kneaded our civilization in past centuries. Without knowing and loving mercy we do not understand the Bible, the Covenant, the book of Exodus, Isaiah, the Gospel of Luke, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Frances Cabrini, Don Bosco, Christian social works, the Italian Constitution, the European dream, and life together and love affairs after the concentration camps, families living and staying together until the very end. It is mercy that matures and keeps up our relationships through time, it turns falling in love into love, sympathy and emotional accordance into big and strong projects, it makes our “forever’s” pronounced in youth become a reality, it prevents maturity and old age from becoming just a nostalgic story of broken dreams. Mercy lives of three simultaneous movements: the eyes, the bowel (rachàm in the Bible) and that of the hands, the mind and the legs. Those who are merciful are first and foremost people that are able to see deeper. The first instant of mercy is a look that reconstructs the moral and spiritual figure of the one that arouses mercy in us. Before acting to “take care of him,” the merciful one looks at him and sees him in a different way. The “not yet” is glimpsed beyond the “already” and the “has already been” appears to all involved. Prior to being an ethical action, mercy is a movement of the soul, with which I can see the other in their original design, before the error and the fall, and I love them in order to recreate their truer nature. Mercy can reconstruct the broken image in the soul, it can reconstruct the interrupted storyline. It can see that there is an inter-human solidarity that is deeper and truer than any crime, it believes that fraternity is not cancelled by any fratricide. It sees Adam again, even after Cain. And while it perceives purity in impurity, beauty in ugliness, light within the darkness, it also moves the body, and touches one in the flesh. The whole insides are moved. Mercy involves the whole body, it is a totalistic experience, something like the birth of a new creature – if there was no mercy, the experience of childbirth would remain totally inaccessible to us males; and yet we can understand something of this mystery, the greatest of all, when we give life mercifully. Mercy is something that is felt, it hurts, there is labour in it. It is an embodied experience, it is corporal. For this reason those who know mercy also know disdain: if I do not suffer viscerally from all the injustice and evil around me, I cannot be merciful. The same bowels are moved today by the indignation and anger in front of the children who died locked inside a lorry or drowned in the sea, and tomorrow the betrayal of a friend in need of forgiveness”. (Read more) by Luigino Bruni Published in Avvenire (Italian newspaper) on 06/09/2015

If we are united, Jesus is among us

Sep 19, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Following the practice that Chiara Lubich began, the Focolare Movement around the world goes into depth on one point of the spirituality of unity each year. After having reflected on and lived a central point which is the Eucharist, the Movement is now focussing on its specific goal: unity. There are a great many writings by Chiara Lubich on this essential point of Focolare spirituality. They give clear reference points and remain as a precious legacy. Here is one. “If we are united, Jesus is among us. And this has value. It is worth more than any other treasure that our heart may possess; more than mother, father, brothers, sisters, children. It is worth more than our house, our work, or our property; more than the works of art in a great city like Rome; more than our business deals; more than nature which surrounds us with flowers and fields, the sea and the stars; more than our own soul. It is he who, inspiring his saints with his eternal truths, leaves his mark upon every age. This too is his hour. Not so much the hour of a saint but of him, of him among us, of him living in us as we build up – in the unity of love – his Mystical Body. But we must enlarge Christ, make him grow in other members, become like him bearers of Fire. Make one of all and in all the One. It is then that we live the life that he gives us, moment by moment, in charity. The basic commandment is brotherly love. Everything is of value if it expresses sincere fraternal charity. Nothing we do is of value, if there is not the feeling of love for our brothers and sisters in it. For God is a Father and in his heart he has always and only his children.” Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings, New City Press, New York 2007, p. 102

Gen Verde on tour in the Hungarian

Sep 18, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Gen Verde will be in the Hungarian town of Szeged, city which has become a symbol of the humanitarian challenges which Europe and the world are facing today. The message underpinning their workshops: hospitality and solidarity.

Changing the planet, caring for people

Sep 17, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Bernd Nilles (second from right) at the Focolare’s centre in Rocca di Papa, Rome.

The family, an irreplaceable resource for society

Sep 13, 2015 | Non categorizzato

The document that will guide the sessions of the Synod of the Family in the Vatican from 4 to 25 October, cites: «still today, the family remains and will always remain as the fundamental and irreplaceable pillar of social life. In fact, in the family multiple differences coexist, through which relationships are established, and grow in the confrontation and mutual acceptance between generations. This is why the family represents a founding value and a resource for the harmonic development of every human society as affirmed by the Council: “The family is a school of a richer humanity […], and the fundament of society.” ( GS,52 )». The importance of the family and the spouses are thus underlined. To this regard Igino Giordani wrote:«The spouses have an explosive mission in the reform of society, and endow marriage with its original value as a generator of life – due to the sacrament – of both body and soul: the value of the most suitable tool that can revive the soul of society, to bridge the world and the Church». At another point, Giordani explains how the family implements this role: «The family does not retreat within itself, as in a fort, but expands like a cell that lives inasmuch as it co-exists with its brethren. From this communion which implies the obligations of apostolates, charity and justice towards society, we can see the extensiveness of the spiritual and social tasks of marriage.» Giordani continues to underline how only the family in its form and constitution can generate society and the Church: «The new society is born, from the natural and sacred source of the family, the human and divine features of which are briefly delineated in the Gospel. The family, structured according to Christian concepts, gives rise to the Church and the State, the city of God and the city of man: a dual citizenship that brings about the full maturation of the life of redeemed humanity.» Thus a fundamental bond unites society and the family. «Society today needs the family for its rebirth. Otherwise, it is doomed to a catastrophic future, because the maxim of love and unity is no longer put into practice.» Edited by the Igino Giordani Centre Excerpts from: Igino Giordani, La rivoluzione cristiana/The Christian Revolution, Città Nuova Rome, 1969; Igino Giordani, Family, Society, New City Publishers, Rome, 1990; Igino Giordani, Letter, 1967; Igino Giordani, Speech for the New Families 1974.

YouTube Video

Sep 11, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Refugees in Hungary

Sep 11, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Viktoria Bakacsi and Laszlo Vizsolyi from the Focolare Movement in Hungary write: “Every day we encounter suffering under so many guises, right outside the doors of our homes. We listened to the words of Pope Francis and are now trying to put them into practice even more.” “For months,” they write, “there has been a continual influx of refugees. Some two thousand people arrive in Hungary every day: families with children, exhausted. Despite the general chaos, many people are stepping out and giving a helping hand, people belonging to civic groups and church organisations.” The Focolare Movement in Hungary has also gone to work. Viktoria and Laszlo continue: “We shared ideas and experiences and with the Apostolic Nuncio, Alberto Bottari de Castello, have become involved in gathering and coordinating efforts so that things can run more smoothly and efficiently. We are working closely with several religious orders, including the Jesuits who already have a program in place, and groups like the Community of Sant’Egidio, which not only has the infrastructure and experience, but also legal expertise. The work undertaken also aims at promoting openness and welcome through an educational program which we started during a summer camp with 230 young people. Focolare members who are active in parish life go every day to the Keleti Train Station. One of them writes: “I’ve been in the midst of refugees for two months. There are a lot of us helping. There are so many children, such desperate people… I try to see the face of Jesus in each one of them, and this gives me strength. They are so grateful for every little help they receive, and the children rejoice over even the smallest gifts.” A psychologist writes: “I try to share my professional skills by supporting the many volunteers.” A focolarino priest writes: “On Thursday we had our meeting with priests. After reading this month’s Word of Life, six of us went to the Station to help the people.” A young woman: “After the Youth for a United World Camp we went to the refugees to help care for the children. There were twenty of us. Around 70 children and families gathered around us, since we were dressed up as clowns. We played, drew pictures and found every way possible to communicate with them. Many of them don’t speak English, and many of them tried to teach us a few Arabic words. We will continue to go once a week.” “We especially noticed the difficulty in communicating and the lack of information available. A  focolarina who works in collaboration with the Association of the Order of Malta, started producing signs with useful information. She finds someone who speaks Arabic to translate them. We are also continuing to help out in Szeged where refugees are continually arriving. Besides our regular collections, we have been brought several boxes of leftover fruit. One of us, a police woman, goes to help the women and children in the camps at the end of her workday.” “We realise that what we are doing is only a drop in the ocean,” they conclude, “but we wouldn’t want that drop to be missing.”

Young religious in Rome. The joy of consecrated life

Sep 9, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Consecrated men and women from all over the world (countries such as Iran, the Philippines, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe) will be arriving in Rome to participate in the World Day of Young Religious. The event is organised by the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life within the context of the Year of Consecrated Life.

• Prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square (15 September at 20.30)
• Meeting with Pope Francis during the general audience (Wednesday 16 September)
• Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica (19 September at30)

We want peace and unity among the peoples of the world

Sep 9, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Reduce public funding of weapons; work at the root level of inequality, to counter misery; revise current models of governance; adopt a model of organised legality in opposition to criminality; guarantee universal primary education. These are the five main points of the appeal made by the young people of the Focolare’s Youth for a United World (YUW) to national parliaments, the European Parliament, the National Commissions of UNESCO and the United Nations. On March 12th of this year, 350 young people representing 39 countries presented their appeal to the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament. Their words have great resonance these days when faced by a humanitarian drama that can wait no longer for political reflections or national and international bureaucracies: “We are well aware of the global scene that is dotted by numerous conflicts, which cause migrations of people who are fleeing from violence, extreme poverty, hunger and social injustice in their own lands. These deep wounds concern all of us directly and urge us to find concrete solutions that are personally engaging.” They add: “Personal good will, will never produce universal brotherhood. We are convinced, in fact, that political action, directed at intervention into the causes of the conflicts and into the conditions that generate inequality, is required.” In their appeal the young people not only denounced these causes but presented explicitly clear requests. In these times when we are immersed in such a pressing humanitarian drama, the YUW also raises its voice to say: “We want peace and unity among the peoples of the world.” They invite everyone to spread the appeal, presenting it as soon as possible to international, national and local organisations (UN, UNESCO, Heads of State, Parliaments, mayors, religious leaders, etc.) They have chosen September 11th to “flood the social media with the Hashtag #OpenYourBorders.” They will also increase concrete activities and take part in those that are already underway through the United World Project. Photos, personal testimonies, events and videos in favour of welcome and peace can be posted on Facebook at ‘Dialogue to unlock’ or at info@unitedworldproject.org. The proceeds my be given to the local Caritas or else sent as a donation to the Youth for a United World Fund. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcAv0Lr34bw

Korean young people: A voice of peace

Sep 9, 2015 | Non categorizzato

The Book Talk Concert is an event supported by the Korean Bishops Conference. It began three years ago with the goal of spreading the faith through monthly cultural events with popular artists and writers, and also newcomers. In August the Book Concert offered a special edition for young people lifting up the message of Pope Francis to today’s Korean society: “You, me, us – wake up!” The event was held at the beginning of the month in the Cathedral of Myeungdong where the Pope had celebrated the 2014 Mass for the Peace and Reconciliation of the Country . The main guests included authors such as: Kong Ji-young, a favourite author the young; Father Jin Seul-ki, a young priest; and Cho Seung-yeon, a young expert in global culture. ”Wake up” was the heart of the Pope’s message to the Asian young people gathered in Korea last year, and this year’s message was: Wake up and rise, get moving in favour society and your neighbours, especially the suffering.” The writers talked about their personal awakenings, as they responded to the questions of the young people on how to face and overcome problems of faith and everyday life. There was a concert by Third Chair, followed by discussion and experiences. There was also a deep moment of prayer for peace, using the words of Pope Francis. Twenty flags from several Asian countries painted a scene of brotherhood and the overcoming of age-old hostilities among nations. One young man from the Focolare recounts: “I worked on two teams, scenario and art. We performed what we had prepared for last year’s Asian Youth Day, which concluded the Book Concert. There were difficulties and tension at times, but we always aimed for an atmosphere of mutual understanding, also between generations, knowing that this was the only way the event could be a gift for the young people who had been invited.” Another young volunteer commented: “Through our often hidden service, we were able to relive last year’s visit of the Pope and to convey that experience to many other young people.”

Paolo VI and Chiara Lubich

Sep 8, 2015 | Non categorizzato

The presentation of the book compiled in co-partnership between Paul VI Institute and Chiara Lubich Centre and published by Stadium Press, will be held on September 27, 2015 at the Mariapolis Centre of Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Via S.G.Battisti da La Salle,. This date has been chosen because of its proximity to the anniversary of Blessed Paul VI, which is celebrated on September 26th. There will be two sessions in the programme. Following the opening remarks by Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, and by Father Angelo Maffeis, President of the Paul VI Institute, a roundtable discussion will begin with Bishop Vincenzo Zani, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Catholic Education; Dr. Giulia Paola Di Nicola and Bishop Marcello Semeraro, bishop of Albano Laziale, Italy; and Alessandro De Carolis moderator. Meditazione in musica sulla vita del beato Paolo VI.This will be follwed by a concert featuring the piano music of Chopin, played by Father Carlo José Seno, titled Open to the World. Musical meditations on the life of Blessed Paul VI.

Gen Verde UK Tour

Sep 8, 2015 | Non categorizzato

More information:

Vincenzo’s decision to look after young cancer patients

Sep 7, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“For over 3 months now I have been doing my apprenticeship in pediatric oncology, in a ward where you never know if the children you are assisting today will still be there tomorrow. It is absolutely not easy to live in continuous contact with the suffering of the innocent, since it gets to the point of putting to the test one’s decision to study pediatric nursing. On the first day, I was ready for anything. But once I set foot in the ward, I came face to face with a beautiful little girl. She was afflicted by one of the worst types of malignant tumours, at the terminal stage. I had no idea at all of how I was to go about it. I had never ever felt so useless and incapable, and was convinced that there was nothing useful I could do for her. There are also other children in the ward, and the day seemed to pass very quickly, but every time I entered the little girl’s room I would feel the same sensation of helplessness and inadequacy. It was already 2 p.m.- time to end my shift. I felt I could not leave without doing something for her. But what? In trying to put in practice the spirituality of unity, I had experimented that what matters in love is to love. That you do not need to do sensational things, just start with a small thing, without expecting great results. I felt I had done all I could for that little girl. So why was I feeling I could do more? In the morning, upon entering the hospital, I had noted that there was a chapel. Perhaps, I thought, loving that child meant praying for her. So I sat on one of the last pews, but did not know what to ask for her. I just sat in silence, with a great, oppressing pain in my heart. Little by little I began to feel that Jesus was taking all my suffering onto himself. With a free heart I could then entrust the child to Him and then go once again to greet her and her mother, to make them feel my closeness and great support. From that moment on, I continued going to that chapel often. It was there that I found the light to face and also comprehend in some way, the mystery of the suffering of the innocent, which we so frequently encounter. And it is the Crucified and Risen Christ who gives me the strength and the right attitude with which to approach the children and their relatives. Often I do not understand what I should do for them, but then the answer never fails to come. One day a 10 year-old girl was interned. She had been tossed from one hospital to another. The suspicion was that she had a serious blood disease, which was confirmed, and all of a sudden, she and her mother collapsed as if they had been hit by the avalanche of a diagnosis that did not offer a way out. I felt the importance of standing by them and taking on their pain, helping them as I could, even if I had to stay a few hours more in the hospital. During the day I could not do much, but when I had some free time from my duties, I would go to their room, to listen to and reassure the mother and let the child play a bit. And every time I it seems like a veil of serenity returns to their eyes, a new hope in facing the trials awaiting them. I try to live this way in many other situations, taking every possibility to stay a bit with “my” kids, not only to administer their treatments but to see them smile and face with serenity their difficult paths.”

Guatemala: Elections at the doorstep

Sep 6, 2015 | Non categorizzato

In April, a huge fraud by officials of the Tax Administration Service in collusion with senior level political leaders was uncovered. The close collaboration between the Public Ministry and the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) led to dozens of people being brought to trial for corruption, including the Vice President. It raised a wave of indignation among citizens, which continues to grow. In the midst of those events, Raúl e Cecilia Di Lascio from Argentina attended a meeting with local members of the Focolare community on the weekend of August 22-23. Raúl is an architect and Economy of Commuion business owner, and Cecilia is a member of the international commission of the Political Movement for Unity. During their discussions they delved into topics concerning politics and the economy in the light of the charism of unity. Meeting during a period of such collective effervescence, transformed the moments of discussion among citizens of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to be open to a field that is generally looked upon negatively. Chiara Lubich’s vision of politics when she founded the Political Movement for Unity: the great values that political action manifests when it is seen as service in favour of the common good. Looking at politics through the lens of fraternity, which liberates courageous and socially committed attitudes, filled the hopes of the participants, supported by the exchange of experiences that are currently underway in several parts of the world. In the days that followed Guatemalan society held a mass protest demanding the resignation of the President – also requested by Catholic and other Christian church leaders – after connections to corruption were uncovered. Many businesses, schools and universities closed in order to allow people to take part in the protests, including the Mariapolis Centre and Fiore College. The large concentration of people in the Central Park of Guatemala became a solid mass: more than 100,000 people gathered in the time span of a day. Will states: “You can feel that there is a void in the heart of Guatemala that was not filled. We need to unite so that a change can come.” The fact of so many people peacefully demonstrating did not go unappreciated: “The nice thing is that even businesses closed, in order to allow people to take part in the demonstrations. As a Guatemalan I trembled as we cried ‘Guatemala, Guatemala’ or sang the national anthem.” Lina, a teacher states: “I saw a new sense of responsibility. We don’t want to allow the opportunity to change things, to pass us by, knowing that this time it’s possible.” For many it was encouraging to see entire families who were not afraid to bring along their children. “Rich families and poor families together,” Sandra remarks, “indigenous peoples, young people, children and adults – all of them together, and students prepared to resist violence in order to reach the common goal!” the goal that Alex calls: “a better country.” The latest news is that the President of the Republic lost immunity and resigned “for the good of society” and is now under arrest. On September 6 citizens will be invited to the election booths and all indications are that things will unfold in a peaceful and democratic way.

By Filippo Casabianca, Guatemala City

Londoner, Anglican and Focolarina

Sep 4, 2015 | Non categorizzato

“Aboard the bus to the hospital in Harefield, Great Britan, where I was studying nursing, I was impressed by one my colleague’s way of acting. I was very shy then, but she started to make friends with me, and I was impressed by that. She invited me to breakfast, in spite of having some of her ‘wilder’ friends nearby. She didn’t make a distinction. I was trying to be a Christian but wasn’t very happy. I would go to church on Sundays more to salve my conscience than anything else. But she spoke of joyful faith, genuine faith that she shared with other young women like herself, faith illuminated by love. One day she arrived at the hospital with a guitar to celebrate with one of the nurses who was notorious for not getting on with people. I said to myself, if this woman is able to do so much, perhaps it would be worthwhile to find out what’s behind behind it. She told me about the spirituality of unity that inspired her. I began to visit the people at the focolare and every time I found new ways to give of myself: sharing some clothing or food with those in need, offering to do something practical like the washing, etc. These small gesture, which were the fruit of the Gospel that I had also begun to put into practice, made me feel much joy inside me. Even though I still didn’t know what the Focolare Movement was, I knew it was the place I had to be. I looked at the radical choice the focolarinas and thought I would love to have the courage to be like them. But they’re Catholics, and I’m Anglican. . . I felt this voice inside me saying, ‘But you can, you know. Why don’t you just say your yes to me?’ I felt like taking a step off a cliff by saying my yes to God. It was so unlike me, but I was happy to want to follow him forever. I became a nurse specialised in midwifery, because of a deep desire to bring a change in society. I thought that with this specialization I could go abroad, and I had already put some money aside for the trip. When I entered the focolare I gave that money to the poor and began my formation to become a focolarina. My first destination was the focolare in Leeds for five years. I worked in an area of the city with deep rooted social problems. I had came from a middle class backgound and had a romanticised idea of what poverty was. When one particular girl came to the clinic, she always had the same clothes on and her tights were full of holes. It was important for me to build a relationship with her, to get to know her so that she could tell me about her situation, where she lived, and so on. One day I visited her home. Her partner was standing in the doorway, very verbally aggressive towards me. I was so shocked by the man and the state of the house, that I could hardly talk. Then I noticed a big tank of fish on the wall, so I started to talk about the fish and the tension melted. On my next visit I brought along some dresses, and the third time I found her sitting on the window sill ready to show off her new clothes. I now live in the focolare at Welwyn Garden City and continue to work for the National Health Service (NHS). In recent years there was upheaval in the NHS and it’s not so easy to bring that change that inspired me at the start of my career. But even in this upheaval I strive to do everything as an act of love towards God and my brothers and sisters. Living in community with people who have made the same choice in life is an important opportunity also for my job; but also to grow together in the unity amongst us and in our faith in God-Love, giving ourselves to others whether they are Catholic or Anglican.”

Environmental campaign by Religions for Peace

Sep 1, 2015 | Non categorizzato

Climatic change is one of the major moral challenges of our times. Several religious leaders unite in order to support a worldwide petition in favour of 100% of renewable energy by 2050. Religions for Peace  is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition-advances common action among the world’s religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety-two national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network. The President of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, who is one of the co-presidents of Religions for Peace, is aware of the moral responsibility necessary for the care of our planet. She is personally supporting the petition addressed to heads of states and invites all the interested to join the campaign. To sign the online petition visit http://faithsforearth.org and select your country.

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Aug 31, 2015 | Non categorizzato

It was a decidedly ecumenical move on the part of Pope Francis to dedicate a “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.” He not only identified the current ecological crisis as one of the most pressing urgencies of our time but also wanted to highlight the urgent need to act no longer fragmented and in isolation but “together” – not only in the field of ecology but in all the challenges facing humankind. The idea of a World Day of Prayer had been suggested to him by Orthodox Metropolitan John of Pergamom who spoke at the public presentation of the Encyclical Letter Laudato sì on June 18th. To underscore the added value of a prayer that is made by agreement (Mt. 18:19), in the letter that institutes the Day of Prayer (June 8, 2015) the Pope exhorts: “Sharing the concern of my beloved brother, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the future of creation, and at the suggestion of his representative, Metropolitan John of Pergamum . . .” As if to say that it was not important who had the idea; we can always learn from each other! And to reiterate the idea, towards the end of the document, the Pope urges Cardinal Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christians Unity, “to ensure that it is coordinated with similar initiatives undertaken by the World Council of Churches.” The World Council of Churches will dedicate “the period between September 1st (the first day of the Orthodox Liturgical Year) to October 4th (feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi on the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar) – to a Time for Creation with a variety of initiatives in favour of the environment and its connection to justice and peace. The Pope’s choice of September 1st for the yearly celebration of the World Day is quite significant, since it is the same as that of the Orthodox brothers and sisters and the day that begins the Time for Creation that was established by the World Council of Churches. Also significant is his wish that other churches and ecclesial communities join in, so that it might be a fruitful opportunity for giving witness “to our growing communion.” The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will offer individual believers and communities “the precious opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care,” and precisely because it is destined to involve Christians from various denominations speaking with one voice, it will be a further concrete and common message from Christians to the world. A passion for the protection of Creation has also characterised the Focolare’s commitment with its international network EcoOne that offers a space for anyone working in the field of the environment to share ideas and concrete projects. The Movement’s involvement in the field of ecumenism is also significant, especially in places where there is a high concentration from people of different denominations. For the Focolare the World Day of Prayer for the Protection of Creation represents a magnificent providential world event that will join its members in prayer, beseeching from God the preservation of the Home that welcomes the great human family. But it will also join together people of good will from all backgrounds and beliefs in coming up with new strategies and answers for the environment and for a more united world.