On 28 October 2025, a commemorative event entitled “Walking Together in Hope” was held in the Vatican, in the Paul VI Hall, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate on the Church’s relationships with all the other religions.
A moment to celebrate six decades of friendship and collaboration between followers of various world religions through testimonies of faith, dialogue and cultural events, and to gather the fruits of this journey. Here are some reflections that were shared immediately after the event.
In the early hours of the 10th of November, the Thai Buddhist monk Phra Maha Thongrattana Thavorn passed away, and the news quickly reached the Focolare communities around the world. His death makes us think of a path of dialogue between religions committed to working for a united world, mutual understanding and peace.
His story intertwines with that of the Focolare Movement in 1995, when, accompanying his disciple Somjit to Italy, he visited Loppiano, the Movement’s international little town, for the first time. It was there that he met Chiara Lubich. The spiritual closeness that the monk felt with the foundress of the Focolare Movement was so strong that he began to refer to her as “Mamma Chiara” from that moment on. In turn, Chiara recognised in him a soul of extraordinary depth, capable of illuminating the path of interreligious dialogue with authenticity and respect, hence the name ‘Luce ardente’ (Burning Light) by which he is known to many. From that moment on, the Thai monk became a faithful friend of the Movement, participating in numerous events in both Asia and Europe. His presence was discreet but intense, and his message always clear: religions must not compete with one another but collaborate for the good of humanity.
“Luce Ardente” con Chiara Lubich a Bangkok , Thailandia (1997)
Margaret Karram, president of the Focolare Movement, wrote to the communities around the world:
“He completely lived up to the name Chiara had given him. Everywhere he went, he was an instrument of light, consolation and hope. Until the very end, he loved and lived to build fraternity. Throughout his life, he spoke about unity in a unique way, with wisdom and passion, through books, magazines, radio programmes, meetings with Buddhist monks and lay people, even in the face of difficulties. One day, a monk asked him, perplexed, “Master, are you following a Christian woman?” And he replied, “I do not follow a woman, but her ideal of universal fraternity. She does not belong only to Christians, she is also ours.”
In his last message, he wrote to me: “Margaret, I am suffering, but I am hanging on, hanging on, hanging on, because my suffering is nothing compared to that of Jesus on the Cross. I am hanging on because I am the son of Mamma Chiara. Remember: we will not see each other again, but one day we will meet again. I will be with Chiara soon.”
Personally, I cherish every word he wrote to me and every piece of advice he gave me. He taught me what it means to “hang on out of love”, and his unity with me was a precious gift that I will never forget.”
Luce Ardente asked to be buried in Loppiano, where he met Chiara and discovered the spirituality of unity. In an interview given in 2021, he strongly emphasised his vision: “I would like everyone, in their own religion, to seek the profound meaning of their own doctrine. Only in this way can we live together in peace and harmony.” It is a call to live in depth, in sincerity and in sharing. An invitation that today sounds like a spiritual testament.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, we would like to share a short excerpt from the interview with a Theravada Buddhist monk from Thailand, Prha Pittaya, during the conference entitled “One Human Family” promoted by the Centre for Interreligious Dialogue of the Focolare Movement, which took place from 31 May to 4 June 2024 in Castel Gandolfo and in Assisi (Italy).
Turn on English subtitles – The original is in Thai.
60 years after Nostra Aetate, we share the story of a unique friendship: Silvina, Nancy and Cecilia. Three women. Silvina is a rabbi in a Jewish community in Buenos Aires, Nancy is a Muslim who runs a center for interfaith dialogue, and Cecilia is a Christian and member of the Focolare Movement. A relationship that is built upon concrete actions and a desire to go beyond any possible barrier.
Sixty years after Nostra Aetate, we share a clip from the Link-Up of June 13th, 2020. It’s taken from an interview with Vinu Aram, Director of the Shanti Ashram International Centre, an international Gandhian development organization that works in the poorest and most disadvantaged areas of Tamil Nadu in India. Founded in 1986 by her parents, Dr. M. Aram and Mrs. Minoti Aram, Vino carries out important work alongside people and communities in the fight against poverty and inequality, with a particular focus on children. She has a long-standing friendship with the Focolare Movement and a shared journey in interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding.
