![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/27145587767_3e6046d4c2_k.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo credit \u00a9 D. Salmaso – CSC Audiovisivi<\/p><\/div> Very early in the morning, along the roads still wrapped in the morning mist, the \u201cLoppiano people\u201d walked up towards the town, 20 km from Florence.<\/strong> The display of native costume and head-dresses of various colours reveal far-away origins. But nobody can describe himself as \u201cfar-away\u201d from this little piece of world that is about to gather and adhere to the words of the Pope. Roger, 26, comes from the Ivory Coast. He has been living in the international town for just over a year. \u201cEver since we got the news of the Pope\u2019s visit, as citizens of Loppiano we wondered how we would have welcomed him, to make him see the people of the Gospel in this place.<\/strong> We divided ourselves in small groups to share the small daily experiences of the Gospel lived. This is the gift we wanted to make. And Franco Galli, co-director of the town, together with Donatella Di Paola: \u201cThis was the occasion for us to see God\u2019s action. Photo credit \u00a9 R. Orefice – CSC Audiovisivi<\/p><\/div> Now we are waiting to hear what he will feel urged to say to us.<\/strong> Huge events are moving the world, and great changes are underway. The Pope will make us see the reality with his eyes.\u201d Also Prahama Thongratana Tavorn called \u201cArdent Light\u201d<\/strong> is here, surrounded by the group of Buddhist monks who, like him, arrived from Thailand. A \u201ctravelling monk\u201d he travels across his country, visiting schools and jails to bring a message of peace everywhere. Luce Ardent feels very much at home in Italy, and especially in Loppiano. Upon approaching him one cannot but be enthralled by the joy which transpires from his words, in a gentle and very musical language. He explained: \u201cIn Buddhism we say that we have already met in our previous lives. This is why, when we meet, we do not meet, but recognize each other since we are already brothers, there is already something we have in common.\u00bb Twenty minutes have passed since Pope Francis landed in the international town.<\/strong> But it seems like an eternity. Minutes imbued with emotions, the festive ringing of bells that express that sense of welcome which is beyond words. \u201cThe sun is back,\u201d Gen Rosso sings, and really, the sun nobody thought would come, after the beating rain of the day before, is shining. Pope Francis, after passing through the joyful crowd enters the church dedicated to the \u201cMother of God,\u201d to whom, simultaneously in the churchyard the notes of the song greets her as the \u201cSweet Mother.\u201d Four years ago, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Loppiano, Photo credit \u00a9 R. Orefice – CSC Audiovisivi<\/p><\/div> Pope Francis had sent his wishes to the town saying \u201clook ahead always, and reach for the stars with trust, courage and imagination.\u201d<\/strong> And recalling these words, Maria Voce<\/a> takes the floor. \u00abWe tried to let your words guide us. Thank you, your Holiness, on behalf of the entire Focolare Movement, which regards this visit of yours as God\u2019s gaze of love on us.\u201d After a presentation of the variegated profile of the town, some questions are posed, and upon answering, Pope Francis starts by saying: \u00abEverybody feels at home in Loppiano. I wanted to come and visit because it aims to be an illustration of the Church\u2019s mission today.\u201d The Pope called all to persevere, with tenacity, serenity, positivity and also humourism<\/strong>, \u201cthe human attitude which most leads us closer to God\u2019s grace.\u201d \u201cThe charism of unity is an aid in living the evangelical mysticism of the \u2018we,\u2019 that is, of walking together in the history of mankind. The opposite of individualism is the \u2018we.\u2019 In Loppiano – the Pope continued \u2013 you live the experience of walking together.\u201d But, he warned, \u201cthe story of Loppiano is just beginning, a small seed sown in the furrows of history. Pressing needs ask the utmost of us. We have to commit ourselves not only to the encounter between persons, cultures and peoples, but to triumph together over the historic challenges to build a shared culture of encounter and a global civilization of alliance.\u201d \u201cChange reality, fear will not stop me, I shall begin here and now<\/strong>.\u201d On the notes of the bands of Loppiano, the appeal to build a new culture of the \u2018we\u2019 has taken flight and will break all its confines. Chiara Favotti Foto Flick<\/a>r<\/a> From the international town of Loppiano, Pope Francis launched an appeal to build together a new civilisation of alliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-306146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-categorizzato"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"