On July 16th, 1949, Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani made a “Pact of Unity.” It was a spiritual experience that heralded in a period of light and special union with God.
It had an effect on the life of the first Focolare community back then, but also impacted the history of the Movement together with its commitment to working toward a more fraternal and united world.
Seventy-five years after that day, here is a brief look at what that Pact meant then, and what it can mean today as we continue to live by it.
The international interreligious conference “One Human Family”, promoted by the Focolare Movement, has just concluded with a pilgrimage of fraternity to Assisi. There were 480 people present from 40 countries, speaking 12 languages.
In the city of peace, the prayer for fraternity, justice and reconciliation for all peoples in conflict resounded as a solemn pact, welcomed and pronounced by the participants, each according to their own faith
Among them were rabbis, imams, Catholic priests, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist monks, as well as Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Baha’i lay people, and believers of traditional African religions, of all generations.
The conference was organised by an interreligious team that centred its programme on the supreme good of peace, which is extremely threatened today.
Meeting, listening, steps of reconciliation, sharing the pain of peoples were the characteristic of this conference that alternated between panel discussions led by experts and dialogue groups among the participants. Politics and international diplomatic action, economics, artificial intelligence and the environment were the topics discussed, all in the perspective of peace. Numerous academics and experts from many cultures, religions and backgrounds addressed the conference. We will name but a few: Ambassador Pasquale Ferrara, Director General for Political and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Chief Rabbi Marc Raphaël Guedj, Muslim theologian Shahrzad Houshmand Zadeh, Dr. Kezevino Aram, President of the Indian organisation ‘Shanti Ashram’, Rev. Kosho Niwano, President-designate of the Japanese Buddhist movement Risho Kossei Kai, Mr. Fadi Shehadé, founder of the RosettaNet Project, former CEO of ICANN, the economist Luigino Bruni, Indian philosopher Prof. Priya Vaidya, Islamic theologian Adnane Mokrani, Indonesian Prof. Dicky Sofjan of the International Centre for Law and Religious Studies, Prof. Fabio Petito, Professor of Religion and International Affairs at Sussex University (UK) and many others.
Ambassador Ferrara emphasized, “Religions have a fundamental role to play today. Contrary to what the realists of international relations say, war is not the normal condition of humanity. Religions can perform the role of the ‘critical conscience’ of humanity and can address politics, pointing out what the priorities are. There is a need for political imagination; to imagine the future of this planet in a constructive, new, creative way. We need to cultivate something that is currently missing in international relations, which is trust.”
There were also many rich sessions dedicated to personal testimonies, projects, actions focused on collaboration between people and communities belonging to different religious faiths, for peace and in support of the needs of their respective peoples.
An Audience with Pope Francis
On the 3rd of June, a delegation of 200 participants was received in audience by Pope Francis, who in his speech defined the journey started by Chiara Lubich with people of different religions as: “A revolutionary journey that did much good for the Church”.“The foundation of this experience,”the Holy Father further affirmed, “is the love of God expressed through mutual love, listening, trust, hospitality and getting to know one another, all the while fully respecting each other’s identities.”
“Se da un lato queste parole ci danno profonda gioia – ha commentato “While these words give us deep joy,” commented Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, “we also feel the responsibilityto do much more for peace. This is why we want to work to strengthen and spread the culture of dialogue and of “care” for people and for creation. The Pope confirmed this to us when he said that dialogue between religions is a necessary condition for world peace. In such terribly dark times like these, humanity needs a common space to make hope tangible.”
The Awards Ceremony for the National Competition for Schools “One city is not enough. Chiara Lubich, citizen of the world”, took place on Friday 17th May, 2024, in the Auditorium of the International Centre of the Focolare Movement (Rocca di Papa – Rome). It was organized by the , Chiara Lubich Centre, New Humanity, Foundation Museo Storico del Trentino, and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit.
The Competition took place for the 4th time. It was open to all Italian schools, nationally and abroad and once again provided an opportunity for many primary and secondary school students to reflect on pressing themes such as peace and the sustainability of humanity and the environment. These themes were aligned with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and inspired by the thoughts and testimony of Chiara Lubich, Founder of the Focolare Movement and advocate for a culture of unity and fraternity among peoples.
About 330 students from 14 schools across Italy including the major islands, participated. They presented 21 diverse projects, which the students carefully planned and executed processes with the support of their teachers.
The award ceremony, included both in-person and online participation from the winning schools and those receiving commendations, was a moment of sharing and exchange. It highlighted not only the creativity of the students but also their strong focus on the contest’s themes The new generations, often overlooked, demonstrated their ability to observe, reflect and envision a better future and world, proposing viable paths to achieve it.
The VIPS who attended and those who presented the prizes to the winning schools, included Dr. Luca Tucci, Director of Office III (Area of Bio-Psycho-Social Well-being, Transversal Education and Legality) of the General Directorate Student Affairs, Inclusion and School Orientation at the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM); Dr. Fabrizio Bagnarini, Director of Office III (Area of Bio-Psycho-Social Well-being, Transversal Education and Legality) of the General Directorate Student Affairs, Inclusion and School Orientation at the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM); Dr. Giuseppe Ferrandi, Director of the Historical Museum Foundation of Trent; Prof. Maurizio Gentilini, historian and researcher at the NRC (National Research Centre); and Dr. Marco Desalvo, President of New Humanity.
In his online greeting before the awards ceremony began, Dr. Tucci reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for this initiative, stating: “Promoting certain values through raising awareness among young people and students is fundamental not only for their growth but for our society as a whole.”
In the Primary School category, first place was awarded to Class 4^ C of the I.C. 2nd Circle “Garibaldi” A. Moro School in Altamura (Bari) for their poetic work “The country of Fraternity”, which creatively expressed key concepts of Chiara Lubich’s philosophy and offered a hopeful vision for the future of the world.
In the Lower Secondary School category, second place went to Class 1^ C of the I.C. “San Nilo” I. Croce School in Grottaferrata (Rome) for their innovative news program “Let’s Build Peace! Peace TV News” a project that showcased the class’s concrete experience and daily commitment to peace. First place was awarded to Class 3^ D of the I.C. “Filippo Mazzei” in Poggio a Caiano (Prato) for their project which was a game, “Origami for the environment”, an activity that transcended play to become a tool for reflection and concrete action in favour of the environment.
In the Upper Secondary School category, second place was a tie between Classes 2^ and 3^ C of the A. Doria Classical High School in Genoa for their digital project “The common home”, which proposed a reflection-based educational path on the aforementioned themes and Estelle Le Dauphin from Class 5^ I of the I.I.S. A. Bafile High School in L’Aquila for her textual work “Love that enlarges heart and arms” a reflection on Chiara Lubich’s philosophy focused on the concept of gift, also inspired by French anthropologist and sociologist Marcel Mauss.
First prize in this category went to the photographic project “Horizons” , ” by Giulia Bilardello, Sara Marino and Chiara Parrinello from Class 3^ G of the P. Ruggeri Scientific High School in Marsala (Trapani). Their work conveyed a message of peace and the hope for a horizon where sea and sky unite, symbolizing collaboration to build a more fraternal world.
The heavy rains that have been lashing the south of Brazil since early May 2024 have caused heavy flooding and landslides in 425 municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, directly affecting 1.5 million people and, so far, causing 108 deaths and almost 130 missing.According to the latest official report, 232,675 people are still displaced from their homes, of whom 65,573 are taken in shelters.The most worrying situation is in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, where entire cities and neighbourhoods have been under water since Friday 2 May, with water supply problems and power outages. According to weather forecasts, heavy rains are expected in the coming days, which will further worsen the situation of this natural disaster.
The Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement has launched an extraordinary fundraising campaign in support of the population of the State of Rio Grande del Sud, Brazil, through Action for a United World ETS (AMU) and Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN). The contributions transferred will be jointly managed by AMU and AFN in coordination with the Focolare Movement in Brazil in order to provide the people affected by the heavy flooding with basic necessities for food, medical care, and housing. In Brazil you can donate to the following account: Banco do Brasil Agência: 2665-4 Conta Corrente: 39.322-3 Pix: acaoemergencial@anpecom.com.br Associação Nacional por uma Economia de Comunhão CNPJ: 07.638.735/0001-94 From other countries you can donate online AMU: https://www.amu-it.eu/campagne/emergenza-inondazioni-in-brasile/ AFN: https://afnonlus.org/#donaora
or by bank transfer to the following accounts: Action for a United World ETS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX Reason for payment: Flooding emergency in Brazil
Tax benefits are available for such donations in many EU countries and in other countries around the world, according to different local regulations.Italian contributors will be able to obtain deductions and allowances from income, according to the rules for non-profit organisations(more…)
Message of Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, to all those who are preparing for the next Genfest 2024, the event of the Movement’s young people that will take place in Aparecida, Brazil, and in different parts of the world with various local Genfests.
The Focolare Movement is publishing the report on its activities on safeguarding and on its data concerning abuse cases in 2023. An interview with Catherine Belzung, professor of Neuroscience and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Childhood Maltreatment. On 1st March, the second annual report of the Focolare Movement concerning its activities and data relating to cases of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults as well as abuse of conscience, spiritual abuse and abuse of authority was published. We asked Catherine Belzung to give an evaluation of the document. Catherine is a university professor of Neuroscience in France, she is a senior member of the University Institute of France (2014) and president of the multidisciplinary research centre iBrain. Since 2022, she has been coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Childhood Maltreatment, made up of a partnership of universities and institutions from 16 countries. She is also co-chair of the International Centre for Dialogue with Contemporary Culture of the Focolare Movement. Q: Since 2023, the Focolare Movement has decided to publish an annual report on child sexual abuse and also on abuse of conscience, spiritual abuse and abuse of authority. From your international perspective, what do you think of this decision? How do you consider this second report?A: I believe this report represents a real step forward. In fact, the last report was criticised, mainly because the places and dates of sexual abuse were not mentioned. The new report covers cases disclosed in the last 10 years and adds these clarifications: it is stated that sexual abuses were carried out on all continents (about 20 countries), with a peak of cases between 1990 and 1999, as well as during the decade before 90 and after 2000. The offences sometimes are repeated over several decades, suggesting that these are multiple repeat offenders whose abuses have continued. Some offences happened and were dealt with around 2020, indicating that people abused were able to report abuse almost in real time, which is progress. All communicated sexual abuses were carried out by men. The opposite is true for abuses of authority, which in 77% of cases were committed by women, which is in proportion with the higher number of women among those belonging to this Movement. The report also contains a detailed and clear section on the measures implemented during the year, particularly regarding formation. It remains to be understood what the root causes of these abuses are. Beyond preventive measures and sanctions, further work should be done to identify the systemic causes that could explain these figures, in order to put in place a strategy that would prevent them. Q: In this second report, the people who abuse are identified according to precise criteria set out in the Communication Policy recently published by the Focolare Movement. What do you think of this decision? A: This is an ethical conflict. On the one hand, it is a matter of believing the experience of the people abused and taking the complaints they make seriously, as well as quickly putting measures in place so as to protect them. On the other hand, it is a question of respecting the presumed innocence of the alleged abusers, of not defaming them when no final criminal conviction has been pronounced. The issue is complex and finding a satisfactory solution will no doubt require a lot of listening and dialogue. Q: The UNESCO Chair on child abuse that you coordinate came about because you came into contact personally with a case of child abuse of which you knew both one of the people abused and the person who abused. It was a case that happened in the Catholic Church in France. In this case, the social or religious community is defined as a ‘secondary victim’. What does this mean? What are the wounds that people carry, how can they be healed at a social and community level? A: Yes, in fact, this chair was set up as a result of being in contact with a person who had been abused. A contact that left a deep mark on me: I was profoundly affected by this suffering, and my desire to do something came from this. First and foremost, abuse affects the person who has been abused, who often suffers lasting psychological consequences. Sometimes, the opening up about the facts can bring out a great vulnerability in this person, which requires specific accompaniment. In turn, this also affects the person’s relatives, such as their spouse, their children, but also their parents who feel responsible for having entrusted their child to an institution that did not protect them. The devastating effects also have an impact on the entire community, as members are often unaware that within it a repeat offender was concealed, a person with whom they may have had a bond of closeness, of friendship. We may ask ourselves: why didn’t I notice anything? Another aspect concerns the bond with the institution that may have protected the abuser, sometimes in good faith, producing in people a sense of betrayal and distrust. Finally, the community may also become divided, depending on their divergent analyses, between those who take refuge in denial, and those who want to fight to prevent these things from happening again. Rectifying all of this requires a wide range of measures: it is essential to take on the responsibility of accompanying the people who have been abused and their families, but it is also necessary to restore trust in the institution that has shown its weaknesses and where there is a sincere willingness to learn from its past mistakes. It’s the actions that matter in making this happen: the institution must promote transparency by communicating very precise information, put in place clear procedures, create places for listening, establish reparation procedures and, for communities, spaces for dialogue where even opposing opinions can be exchanged. Q: The Focolare Movement is a worldwide organisation, including people from different cultures and religions who are subject to different legal systems and adopt different lifestyles. How is it possible to implement anti-abuse practices in such a multicultural and diverse environment? A: The consequences of child sexual abuse exist in all cultures, they are universal. In addition to the ongoing psychological and social impact, those who have been abused may have biological ongoing effects, such as increased stress hormones, altering the expression of certain genes and brain morphology and brain functioning. These dysfunctions continue to be present throughout the survivor’s life and may be passed on to the next generation. So it cannot be said that there are cultural variations in the severity of the consequences on those who have been abused or that there are cultures where these people suffer less: always and everywhere, it’s devastating. It is therefore necessary to put in place measures for prevention, but also for reparation all over the world. One can see that awareness of the seriousness of these situations is increasing: for example, in the Catholic Church, national enquiry commissions have been set up in many countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, but also in Australia, India and South Africa. Although suffering does not vary, what may vary is that people resist in denouncing the facts and their ability to put in place protective and remedial measures. This may be related to the fact that in some cultures talking about sexuality is taboo. The first step is to make people aware of the consequences of abuse: there are already programmes promoted by various associations that take into account the way sexuality is considered in different cultures. For example, proposing that those who listen to the suffering of people who have been abused and belong to the same culture can understand them better. This can make people want to do something about it. Prevention can also be targeted directly at children, through education about their rights: again, there are programmes, for example, based on songs. Another thing that varies is the ability of countries and institutions to take measures of protection and reparation. A respectful and non-stigmatising dialogue with those who commit abuse is the way forward: this will enable everyone to understand the seriousness of the abuse, but also to find culturally specific ways to enable people to speak up, to implement processes of reparation and to educate members of the community. Q: Both within the Focolare Movement and also in other contexts there are those who express the conviction that the time has come to move forward; that is, that it is not necessary to continue talking only about abuses, but to focus on the ‘mission’ of the Movement and on what beautiful and positive things are being generated in the world by the living out of this charism today. What is your opinion on this? A: What do we mean by ‘mission’? Is it not to advance towards universal fraternity, towards a culture that puts the suffering of the weakest first, a culture of dialogue, openness, humility? It seems to me that the fight against all kinds of abuses is precisely a way of implementing this desire, putting those who suffer in the first place. Helping to heal the wounds of those who have been abused is a way of going towards universal fraternity. This also implies accompanying the people who have abused in order to prevent reoffending. Acknowledging one’s mistakes, one’s vulnerability, in order to create solutions, taking into account the opinions of experts in this field is precisely a way to build a culture of dialogue. Fighting with determination against abuse and accompanying those who have been abused are right at the heart of this ‘mission’. Therefore we don’t need to choose between the fight against abuse and ‘mission’, because this fight is a central element of ‘mission’. In today’s context, this is a priority which is painful but necessary.
A: I believe this report represents a real step forward. In fact, the last report was criticised, mainly because the places and dates of sexual abuse were not mentioned. The new report covers cases disclosed in the last 10 years and adds these clarifications: it is stated that sexual abuses were carried out on all continents (about 20 countries), with a peak of cases between 1990 and 1999, as well as during the decade before 90 and after 2000. The offences sometimes are repeated over several decades, suggesting that these are multiple repeat offenders whose abuses have continued. Some offences happened and were dealt with around 2020, indicating that people abused were able to report abuse almost in real time, which is progress. All communicated sexual abuses were carried out by men. The opposite is true for abuses of authority, which in 77% of cases were committed by women, which is in proportion with the higher number of women among those belonging to this Movement. The report also contains a detailed and clear section on the measures implemented during the year, particularly regarding formation. It remains to be understood what the root causes of these abuses are. Beyond preventive measures and sanctions, further work should be done to identify the systemic causes that could explain these figures, in order to put in place a strategy that would prevent them. Q: In this second report, the people who abuse are identified according to precise criteria set out in the Communication Policy recently published by the Focolare Movement. What do you think of this decision? A: This is an ethical conflict. On the one hand, it is a matter of believing the experience of the people abused and taking the complaints they make seriously, as well as quickly putting measures in place so as to protect them. On the other hand, it is a question of respecting the presumed innocence of the alleged abusers, of not defaming them when no final criminal conviction has been pronounced. The issue is complex and finding a satisfactory solution will no doubt require a lot of listening and dialogue. Q: The UNESCO Chair on child abuse that you coordinate came about because you came into contact personally with a case of child abuse of which you knew both one of the people abused and the person who abused. It was a case that happened in the Catholic Church in France. In this case, the social or religious community is defined as a ‘secondary victim’. What does this mean? What are the wounds that people carry, how can they be healed at a social and community level? A: Yes, in fact, this chair was set up as a result of being in contact with a person who had been abused. A contact that left a deep mark on me: I was profoundly affected by this suffering, and my desire to do something came from this. First and foremost, abuse affects the person who has been abused, who often suffers lasting psychological consequences. Sometimes, the opening up about the facts can bring out a great vulnerability in this person, which requires specific accompaniment. In turn, this also affects the person’s relatives, such as their spouse, their children, but also their parents who feel responsible for having entrusted their child to an institution that did not protect them. The devastating effects also have an impact on the entire community, as members are often unaware that within it a repeat offender was concealed, a person with whom they may have had a bond of closeness, of friendship. We may ask ourselves: why didn’t I notice anything? Another aspect concerns the bond with the institution that may have protected the abuser, sometimes in good faith, producing in people a sense of betrayal and distrust. Finally, the community may also become divided, depending on their divergent analyses, between those who take refuge in denial, and those who want to fight to prevent these things from happening again. Rectifying all of this requires a wide range of measures: it is essential to take on the responsibility of accompanying the people who have been abused and their families, but it is also necessary to restore trust in the institution that has shown its weaknesses and where there is a sincere willingness to learn from its past mistakes. It’s the actions that matter in making this happen: the institution must promote transparency by communicating very precise information, put in place clear procedures, create places for listening, establish reparation procedures and, for communities, spaces for dialogue where even opposing opinions can be exchanged. Q: The Focolare Movement is a worldwide organisation, including people from different cultures and religions who are subject to different legal systems and adopt different lifestyles. How is it possible to implement anti-abuse practices in such a multicultural and diverse environment? A: The consequences of child sexual abuse exist in all cultures, they are universal. In addition to the ongoing psychological and social impact, those who have been abused may have biological ongoing effects, such as increased stress hormones, altering the expression of certain genes and brain morphology and brain functioning. These dysfunctions continue to be present throughout the survivor’s life and may be passed on to the next generation. So it cannot be said that there are cultural variations in the severity of the consequences on those who have been abused or that there are cultures where these people suffer less: always and everywhere, it’s devastating. It is therefore necessary to put in place measures for prevention, but also for reparation all over the world. One can see that awareness of the seriousness of these situations is increasing: for example, in the Catholic Church, national enquiry commissions have been set up in many countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, but also in Australia, India and South Africa. Although suffering does not vary, what may vary is that people resist in denouncing the facts and their ability to put in place protective and remedial measures. This may be related to the fact that in some cultures talking about sexuality is taboo. The first step is to make people aware of the consequences of abuse: there are already programmes promoted by various associations that take into account the way sexuality is considered in different cultures. For example, proposing that those who listen to the suffering of people who have been abused and belong to the same culture can understand them better. This can make people want to do something about it. Prevention can also be targeted directly at children, through education about their rights: again, there are programmes, for example, based on songs. Another thing that varies is the ability of countries and institutions to take measures of protection and reparation. A respectful and non-stigmatising dialogue with those who commit abuse is the way forward: this will enable everyone to understand the seriousness of the abuse, but also to find culturally specific ways to enable people to speak up, to implement processes of reparation and to educate members of the community. Q: Both within the Focolare Movement and also in other contexts there are those who express the conviction that the time has come to move forward; that is, that it is not necessary to continue talking only about abuses, but to focus on the ‘mission’ of the Movement and on what beautiful and positive things are being generated in the world by the living out of this charism today. What is your opinion on this? A: What do we mean by ‘mission’? Is it not to advance towards universal fraternity, towards a culture that puts the suffering of the weakest first, a culture of dialogue, openness, humility? It seems to me that the fight against all kinds of abuses is precisely a way of implementing this desire, putting those who suffer in the first place. Helping to heal the wounds of those who have been abused is a way of going towards universal fraternity. This also implies accompanying the people who have abused in order to prevent reoffending. Acknowledging one’s mistakes, one’s vulnerability, in order to create solutions, taking into account the opinions of experts in this field is precisely a way to build a culture of dialogue. Fighting with determination against abuse and accompanying those who have been abused are right at the heart of this ‘mission’. Therefore we don’t need to choose between the fight against abuse and ‘mission’, because this fight is a central element of ‘mission’. In today’s context, this is a priority which is painful but necessary.