At the beginning of 2021, following the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement, the Abba School (the Study Centre of the Movement) started off again with a new organization. To find out more, we interviewed its Coordinator, Mgr. Piero Coda, first Dean of the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (Italy) and recently appointed by Pope Francis as Secretary General of the International Theological Commission. You were in the first group that Chiara Lubich invited to form the “Abba School”. What are the objectives of this Study Centre? What was your intellectual and spiritual experience in contact with her thought and life? It was most certainly a special gift from God to find myself at the beginning of this experience with Bishop Klaus Hemmerle, as early as 1989, before the Abba School officially began in 1990. From the beginning, the purpose that Chiara entrusted to this unique Study Centre was to study and explore the theological, cultural and social implications of the charism of unity. But first of all share the experience of living the Gospel of Jesus in the light that springs from the charism. This is so important, that one of the last things that Chiara said to the Abba School in 2004 was this: “Be a cenacle of holiness!” This is the gift and aim of the Abba School: to learn to live our life, including the way we  think, in that space to which we come through the presence of the Risen Jesus alive among his people, that place which is the life of God, the bosom of the Father. In accordance with the Gospel and the faith of the Church, Chiara teaches us that this life is the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, not only in Heaven, but among us: “on earth as in Heaven”. For me it was and continues to be a unique experience. I could describe it with the words of the first letter of John: “my eyes have seen, my hands have touched, my ears have heard … the Word of life”. The senses of your soul are turned on and experience the light of Jesus Forsaken and Risen, through which to look at reality in a new way. In this way, more than before, theology has become dynamic and fascinating for me. At the same time, since there are experts in all disciplines in the Abba School, who strive to live unity even when they share their thinking, the horizon of “inter & trans-disciplines” has opened up. What I mean by this is the discovery of the root and the common goal of all forms of knowledge which are called to dialogue with each other in a very practical way. The theology in which I engage has been extraordinarily enriched in this dialogue, conducted not only at an interpersonal level, but also at the level of relationship between the disciplines. The Abba School has recently undergone further development. You became its Coordinator in March 2021. Can you tell us in what this development consists? The Abba School has existed for over thirty years and during this time it has developed in a very rich way. Over time, almost 50 people have been part of it and until 2004, Chiara was always present with a fundamental role. Then, groups related to the various disciplines grew up around the various members: psychology, sociology, politics, economics, natural sciences, art, dialogue … at the moment these groups involve over 300 people around the world. In conjunction with the General Assembly of the Focolare and as the fruit of a whole journey of community discernment, we realized that in recent years, the “flower” of the Abba School has blossomed in “four petals” and so we tried to give these a homogeneous and at the same time distinct, configuration, which recognizes and promotes this development at the service of the mission of the Movement. One “petal”, (about fifteen people), is made up of those who are called to continue the specific study of the charismatic and cultural significance of the event of ‘49 as a special expression of the charism of unity in the experience lived by Chiara, Foco (Igino Giordani), the first focolarini and then gradually by all those who participate in the charism.  We conserve a precious testimony of this event of grace, written by Chiara herself. A second “petal” is the one engaged in the transmission of this patrimony of light and doctrine to the new generations: a group of 27 young scholars, with different disciplinary skills, from all over the world. A third “petal” is made up of those who have been members of the Abba School and continue to be part of it (29 people), with a view to carrying out research projects inspired by the charism and at the service of the Movement, based on their respective skills and experience. Finally, the fourth “petal” is that of international groups according to different disciplines. What projects do you have in mind for the future? We have some projects in mind and are discerning together which ones to undertake and in what way. There are already some interesting things on the horizon. The first is that of giving shape to a “lexicon” of the life of unity: a kind of “guidebook” in which the main ideas emerging from the charism of unity are presented in a universal way, enriched by the light of the experience so far. A second thing is to offer a contribution, starting from the uniqueness of the charism, to the synodal journey of the Church that Pope Francis has recently launched. We believe that there is something important here: in 1949, Chiara said that the “Soul”, this new subject, both personal and communitarian, which is born from the Pact of Unity, is “presented as Church” and is welcomed into the bosom of the Trinity. The Synod, in fact, is the expression of the Church that walks side by side with everyone, starting with the poorest and most rejected and all those in whom we recognize the face and cry of Jesus Forsaken. Then there is the great anthropological theme that challenges our time: in particular, the relationship between people and especially between male and female and between different cultures. And finally, the relationship between religions: a sign of the times and a specific purpose of the charism of unity. A member of the Focolare might ask, how can I participate in the Abba School? The whole Movement is Abba School! Chiara once said, the Movement was born as a school. In the Abba School, and therefore in the Movement, it is a question of placing oneself in the particular school into which God led Chiara, Foco and the first focolarini, in particular in ‘49. The commitment, therefore, is that the Abba School is not a house with closed doors: it is full of open windows and doors, so that everyone can participate. For example, we are having an experience in Loppiano in offering some insights regarding how to participate in this light for everyone. It is extremely positive: also because this light, when it reaches people in different situations, with different skills and different sensitivities, arouses joy and creativity. The Abba School is not a one-way reality: in the sense that it starts only from the light that is offered. No! The light goes out and returns enriched by the experience, by the questions, by the solutions that the life of Chiara’s people acquires and contributes. So, it is a virtuous circle, which must be effectively activated and promoted more and more.

Carlos Mana