Communication and Evangelization Today – a seminar promoted on 1 October in Rome by the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome and its Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, the Chiara Lubich Centre of the Focolare Movement and the Editorial Group Città Nuova. Speakers: Mauro Mantovani, Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome; Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Holy See Dicastery for Communications; Fabio Pasqualetti, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication; Giulia Paola Di Nicola, Sociologist, Leonardo da Vinci University, Chieti; Cesare Borin, IT manager – Focolare Movement; Michel Vandeleene, editor of the book “Conversazioni. In collegamento telefonico”; Cristiana Freni, professor of the philosophy of language at the Salesian University; Marco Aleotti, RAI television director. Moderator: Alessandro De Carolis, Vatican Radio. Throughout its history, the Church has always felt the urgent need to spread the message of faith and the Word of God, and this commitment led to the use of its oral and written tradition, various expressions of art, the liturgy, and also the modern means of mass media. How does this commitment change when the modern means of communication are constantly changing? This question will be dealt with during the Seminar; and the “world-wide” experience and spiritual doctrine in the book Conversazioni. In collegamento telefonico by Chiara Lubich, published by Città Nuova, in 2019, will provide some source of inspiration. In this book, one finds the text of telephone conference calls made by Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, who availed herself of this advanced technology in communication to dialogue, share, encourage and inspire thousands of people to do good. It was clear to her that a concrete and positive response to the urgent questions of our times can only be given by people who come “together” and have a strong relationship between them, and whose commitment to change the world starts with “changing themselves”, and not “for themselves”. On the occasion of the publication of this book Works by Chiara Lubich “CONVERSAZIONI in collegamento telefonico” (Conversations during telephone conference calls) Vol. 8.1 – by Michel Vandeleene (Città Nuova, 2019) Chiara Lubich made use of the modern means of communication, and since the early eighties, she started a monthly or bimonthly telephone conference call. The most important centres of the Focolare Movement in the five continents were connected for the conference call through a service provider in Switzerland, hence the name Collegamento CH. During the conference call she shared a spiritual thought, fruit of her life and her charism. Thus, a very original experience of Christian community life on a global level was born. It helped people walk together and support one another on the road to holiness. The book contains 300 spiritual thoughts that Chiara Lubich shared between 1981 and 2004 and some other unpublished ones.

Focolare Communication Office