It was a gathering of some representatives of the ecclesial movements and new communities present in Jerusalem. Here where the Universal Story had a new beginning, and also the small “sacred story” of each group concerning its place and its individual way.

Some hundred people were present in a hall of the Curia in the Custody of the Holy Land, just behind the New Gate.

Chemin Neuf, the Community of the Beatitudes and the Emmanuel Community of France; Cançao nova, the Sons of Mary, the Obra de Maria and Shalom Communityfrom Brazil; Regnum Christi from Mexico; John XXIII Association, Communion and Liberation and the Focolare from Italy (with international dimensions) told of their adventure with simplicity, each of them very original and yet quite similar to one another. Almost all of them shared common approaches: providing hospitality; meeting pilgrims; working to making the treasures of the Holy Land known (also at an ecumenical and interreligious level), and promoting tourism to the holy sites. Numerous movements and communities specialize in the field of evangelization through the media. There were also many examples of communities who worked together.

Like everything in Christianity, this meeting in Jerusalem  was not noteworthy for its numerical dimensions, but but for its qualitative dimensions. It was the quality of relationships which was the highlight. “Perhaps one task of the movements and new communities is to bring to the Catholic Church and more generally to all of Christianity, the only primacy found in the Gospel, the primacy of love,” explained a young woman from the Chemin Neuf Community.

Some movements have been present on location in the Holy Land for years, others for just a few months. The joy and fellowship was what made everyone take note at this meeting that was begun by Maria Voce with the simple sharing of her activities.

In the course of a frank dialogue with those present, Maria Voce explained the meaning of the dialogue between movements and new communities: “I find myself before people and groups who desire to witness that mutual love which constructs the Church.”

In particular, responding to a question from a representative from Communion and Liberation, she said: “Certainly, following the Vigil of Pentecost 1998,” in Saint Peter’s Square, in answer to the call of John Paul II, “we felt linked, united to the Pope’s appeal as he invoked the Holy Spirit. From that time on, Chiara Lubich noticed in the Pope a desire that the movements be in communion among themselves.” To favor “that charismatic, marian presence which is “coessential” to the petrine dimension.” And so, since then,  “wherever you find the Focolare Movement, you meet this desire for unity between movements and new communities.” Each with its own charism, “which complements the charism of the others. Communion isn’t uniformity. . .  If (each of) our charisms is the most beautiful one, then, in the end, the Church is more beautiful, because the charisms are gifts that are to be submitted to reciprocity.”

“How can you live ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land?” asked one young Brazilian woman. “Dialogue is a lifestyle,” Maria Voce responded, “more than a thing that you “do”. It means placing yourself before another person out of love.” Loving without interests, always, being the first, both with other Christians and with the faithful of other religions. “For us, dialogue has always meant a dialogue between people, not between ideologies or religions. . . Because there is love in every person on earth.” Besides, “Unity comes from God, who only asks people to love each other.”

By Michele Zanzucchi