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.
“May religions not be used as weapons or walls, but rather lived as bridges and prophecy: making the dream of the common good credible, accompanying life, sustaining hope and being the yeast of unity in a fragmented world.”
These are the closing words of Pope Leo XIV in the video message for the prayer intention of October 2025, dedicated specifically to “collaboration between different religious traditions”. In the month that marks the 60th anniversary of the conciliar document, Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), on the relationship between the Church and non-Christian religions, the Pontiff, in urging us to recognize ourselves “as brothers and sisters, called to live, pray, work and dream together”, perfectly captures the central points of this declaration, a child of Vatican II, revealing its great importance and continuing relevance.
The spirit of conciliar renewal has opened unknown paths, offered new perspectives on many things and in these six decades Nostra Aetate has certainly guided and inspired steps along the path of dialogue, fostering first mutual understanding and then acceptance between the various religions.
For this reason, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has issued an open invitation to a commemorative Celebration to reflect on the legacy of “Nostra Aetate” on 28th October, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Italian time) in the Paul VI Hall (Vatican City), in the presence of the Holy Father. The event can be followed through Vatican Media channels.
The document states that, the Church “in her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to fellowship. One is the community of all peoples”.
Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, very much welcomed this revelation, to live as “one human family”. The Movement, founded on a deep spirituality centred on unity among all people, is engaged in various forms of dialogue, including interreligious dialogue. For over five decades, through its Centre for Interreligious Dialogue and local centres around the world, it has established strong and fraternal relationships with thousands of believers and with numerous institutions, associations, movements and organizations of different religions. It does so in the conviction that friendship between people of different faiths is a vital force for building universal brotherhood.
We share here a short video that presents Chiara Lubich’s intuition and the path taken to develop dialogue.
Maria Grazia Berretta Photo: Session Concilio Vaticano II
