Thanks to the donations of many people, it has been possible to implement interventions to alleviate the suffering of populations affected by natural disasters or wars.
The Focolare Emergency Committee has provided an update on the fundraising efforts for places affected by conflicts, epidemics and environmental disasters such as floods or earthquakes that may severely affect entire populations with immediate and long-term effects. To address these serious situations, the Emergency Committee was established to launch fundraising initiatives to assist the affected populations through programs supported by members of the Focolare or Focolare-affiliated organizations worldwide, operating independently or in partnership with others.
Recently, the Emergency Committee presented its 2023 Report, revealing that, from 2016 to the end of 2023, a total of €5,361,505 has been raised for emergencies in Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Italy, Pakistan and the Philippines.
In Syria, the “Seeds of Hope” project, which began in September 2018, provided socio-medical assistance to families, access to essential medicines, healthcare services and basic surgery for patients with chronic diseases as well as educational support for children and adolescents. So far, 23,170 people have benefited from the program.
6,273 people were assisted in various ways following the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, which took place in February 2023. This included financial assistance to 405 families, distribution of detergents to 490 families and of food and clothing to 712 families, along with psychological support for the elderly, adults and young people and medical assistance. In addition, Work Empowerment initiatives (enhancing individual employment efforts with microcredit incentives) were provided to 16 families and 32 people along with housing interventions for 138 families. A community livestock project was also set up to supply milk and generate income for families in a Turkish village inhabited by Afghan refugees.
In Ukraine, the emergency situation continues to evolve as the conflict persists and the multiple needs of the population increase. Since the beginning of the war, basic health care has been provided for about 12,000 people and extraordinary economic support has been extended to over 2,000 families. Several projects to welcome and accommodate displaced families and children from Ukraine have taken place in Italy. Furthermore, a school-camp was established in Austria for 30 children from a primary school in Kiev and a protected day centre for children and mothers was inaugurated.
Another emergency this year was the flooding that affected various regions of the world. During the floods in Pakistan, construction materials were provided for the restoration of 20 destroyed homes and support was given to 1,150 people. During the 2023 floods in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, assistance was provided to 16 families for the purchase or repair of damaged material possessions and renovations were carried out in the homes of 7 families. In addition, a work camp and the renovation of an educational farm were realized.
The Emergency Committee of the Focolare Movement manages these projects through AMU (Action for a United World) and AFN (Action for New Families), two NGOs born in the Focolare Movement that operate in the social sphere.
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.
On February 20, 2024, the presentation of the Focolare Movement’s ” Communion in Action Report,” an overview of the activities and initiatives promoted around the world in the year 2022, was held in Rome. Central theme: dialogue.
“By continually living the ‘spirituality of unity’ or ‘of communion,’ I can effectively contribute to making my Church ‘a home and a school of communion’; to advancing, with the faithful of other Churches or Ecclesial Communities, the unity of the Church; by making, with people of other religions and cultures, ever wider spaces of universal fraternity.”[1]
With these words, Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, reflected on the importance of acting every day as “apostles of dialogue,” thus generating new forms of relating to the other, listening and welcoming the reality of others in their specific character. A dimension to which each of us seems to be called and which is capable of becoming concrete and living experience, not only to be able to “quantify” in numerical terms, but which, in order to bear fruit, must be put in common. This is the focus of the Focolare Movement’s second “Communion in Action Report,” the mission statement presented on the 20th of February 2024 at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome. The document, translated into five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese), is an overview of the activities and initiatives promoted by the Focolare in the year 2022, a narrative not only of the spontaneous sharing of goods, but of experiences and initiatives lived worldwide, which are inspired by and for the dialogues, and which are being specifically illustrated in this publication: the dialogue between Ecclesial Movements and New Communities in the Catholic Church; the one between the various Christian Churches; the dialogue between different religions, with different cultures, with Institutions, and in engagement with the many global challenges.
Among the speakers at the presentation press conference, in the presence of Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, were Monsignor Juan Fernando Usma Gómez, Head of the Western Section of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Dr. Giuseppe Notarstefano, National President of Italian Catholic Action, Dr. Rita Moussallem, head of the Focolare’s Center for Interreligious Dialogue, and Giancarlo Crisanti, Focolare’s general administrator. Participating via internet were Monsignor Athenagoras Fasiolo, Bishop of Terme and auxiliary of the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy, and Prof. Stefano Zamagni, economist and professor of Political Economy at the University of Bologna.
The session, which was moderated by journalist Alessandro de Carolis, was a true exchange of reflections and emphasized how terms such as budget and communion which seem to be poles apart, accounting not only for numbers but also for life.
“The social budget has been a great opportunity for us,” said Dr. Notarstefano, national president of Catholic Action, among the first ecclesial realities to draw up a mission statement, “and has encouraged us in this urgent pastoral conversion to which we are called by the Pope. It was also a way to begin to reflect on how to communicate this associative life better, (…) to look at ourselves, with transparency, to give an account to the outside, but to communicate it better, to put it in common.”.
According to Msgr. Usma Gómez, in light of the current scenario that seems increasingly fragmented, in talking about the path of unity among the Churches, taking stock as Christians “means looking at God’s plans, our plans, and the plans of the world. (…) God’s plans would be to preserve the unity of the spirit by the bond of peace,” he continued, “but we see that in the world, war is the plan that is taking hold. It is possible to develop communion in differences, (…) but this reconciled diversity calls us to make peace, the heart of Ecumenism is the heart of peace.”.
An encouragement, then, to promote paths of fraternity in a network, in a synodal style and specifically, in light of the chosen theme, to do so through a “method” that can bring closer especially those who are mostly unbelievers. “Taking stock of the communion of a Movement that is so open, so able to bring others to understand that dialogue does not take away, but adds, enriches, is very important,” , said Monsignor Athenagoras Fasiolo bishop of Terme and auxiliary of the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy, who, in addition to emphasizing the Focolare’s great commitment to the path of unity among the various Churches, reflected on the prophetic role that different faiths can play in the world, without falling into the trap of ideologies: “if as faiths we manage to be prophecy then we manage to awaken what is best in the human heart.”.
And it is precisely “life and prophecy” that are the two tracks on which the Focolare Movement has proceeded in these 80 years of history also on the path of interreligious dialogue, as Dr. Rita Mussallem stated in the hall; a path that has led the reality founded by Lubich, to come into contact, in so many countries, with people of various religions, creating in the appreciation of diversity and reciprocity, a common ground where they can relate with the spirituality of unity, get to know each other and “give,” said Moussalem, “the willingness to learn from each other, the sharing of sorrows, challenges, hopes and also the shared commitment to work for peace, for good, for fraternity. In a world torn apart by polarizations where religions are too often instrumentalized, in talking about the concept of peace, “authentic dialogue,” she continued, “is a very helpful remedy (…) because it makes you discover and see the humanity of the other, it disarms you.
The “person” is thus the beating heart of a circular path that has given rise, over time, to the many activities to which this text bears witness. “When we speak of a ‘budget,'” said Giancarlo Crisanti, “one expects a lot of numbers, but in the Communion in Action Report ‘ there is much more narrative and the the numbers don’t include the people who make these activities possible .” “The Budget,” said Crisanti, “highlights how this communion of goods is able to realize initiatives, projects, works that go in the direction of dialogue (…), that help the world to dialogue a little more.”.
Referring to the intuition of the Economy of Communion, Professor Stefano Zamagni stated that it is also “a method for attacking the root causes of war situations” and, insisting on the ‘application, to the concept of justice, of the concept of equity, he affirmed how it is evident that the publication of this “Communion in Action” today, cannot be only a way of accounting, but the opportunity to be grasped in order to be truly “apostles,” messengers of good news. In this time “evil attracts more than good, whereas the beautiful attracts more than the ugly, and knowledge attracts more than ignorance,” asserted Zamagni, inviting each one to “to say what is good and say it well”: “we must make sure that we make known, obviously with humility, the gratuitousness with which good is done. (…) this notion of a Communion in Action Report,’ means that one tells what has been done, but with a view to the future”.
On Jan. 18, 2024, some young people from various countries from the International Center of the Focolare Movement, accompanied by their leaders, visited the Youth Office of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life to present the upcoming Genfest.
A very enriching meeting was held on January 18 by some young people of various nationalities from the International Center of the Focolare Movement at the Youth Office of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. They were welcomed by Father João Chagas, head of the Office, Gleison De Paula Souza, secretary of the Dicastery, and the whole team.
The objective of this meeting was to present the upcoming Genfest, the world event promoted by the youth of the Focolare Movement, which will be held in July 2024 in Brazil and will also involve other Latin American countries in the first phase.
“During this meeting we had the opportunity to share our most important personal experiences in view of Genfest 2024,” Mariane (Brazil) tells us. Moreover,” she continues, “I perceived that we were in a welcoming environment that reflected the diversity and interculturality that also characterizes us at the International Focolare Center.
“It was my first time attending a meeting at the Vatican,” says Sole, representing the youths of Asia. “Previously I thought the Church was serious and authoritative. Instead, I was struck by this desire to listen to the voices of young people.”
The young people, after introductions and initial moments of exchange, were able to discuss various topics with those present.
“The members of the Office, together with Fr. Chagas, told us about the work done for World Youth Day (WYD) held in 2023 in Lisbon (Portugal),” says Maria José (Venezuela), “and invited us to tell what the experience was like for those of us who were able to participate. Finally, we talked about our work for Genfest in its different phases. What struck me most was feeling the family atmosphere. They expressed their great confidence in the project we are pursuing. We are aware that there are challenges, but this is also a richness that invites us to move forward.”
“Juntos para cuidar” (Together to care) is the theme chosen for the upcoming Genfest, and it was precisely the concept of “togetherness,” of “synodality,” that became a point of great reflection during this meeting. “During this dialogue,” David (Venezuela) recounts, “Secretary Gleison De Paula Souza mentioned the Gospel of Mark (cf. Mk. 10:46-52), in which the blind Bartimaeus is mentioned. He used this biblical passage to talk about synodality, about going to those who are rejected to welcome them and make them feel loved. I had the feeling that God was saying, ‘This is the path we must follow. Moreover, I think that, every day, we can meet people who are inspired by the Holy Spirit and, as a Church, we have to be open to listen to everything that comes from outside as well. This is synodality for me.”
In her experience, however, Masha (Russia) who belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church, synodality is walking together in diversity without fear: “It is going out to meet the other, finding a common language, the one that comes directly from each person’s heart; it is going out to meet a brother or sister of a different denomination, a non-believer, but without effort. Only with the desire to witness and go. There will be no future if we do not make this journey together.”
At the conclusion of this moment, Father João Chagas, head of the Office expressed his joy for this moment of such a participatory and lively exchange, a moment that enriched him personally. We share in the following video some impressions about it and his best wishes for the upcoming Genfest.
The Focolare Movement has just published its second “Communion in Action Report” or “Mission Report”. It focuses on the theme of Dialogue. To learn more about it, we interviewed Ruperto Battiston and Geneviève Sanze, Counsellors for the Economy and Work aspect of the Movement.
A year ago, in January 2023, at the “Focolare Meeting Point” in Rome, the first “Communion in Action Report” or “Mission Report” of the Focolare Movement was presented. It gave an overview of the worldwide activities and initiatives carried out by the Movement in the biennium 2020-2021. This year, the Movement is presenting a new Report for the year 2022, this time centred on the theme of dialogue.
The document has emerged as a fascinating account, not only of the spontaneous sharing of goods but also of experiences and needs, inspired by a lifestyle based on evangelical love. Ruperto Battiston and Geneviève Sanze, Counsellors at the International Centre of the Movement for the aspect of Economy and Work, shared their thoughts with us.
Ruperto, what are the objectives of this document? Is there continuity with the previous one?
These mission reports exist to involve everyone and share information about the concrete achievements resulting from the communion of goods among all the members of the Focolare Movement and the contributions that we receive from individuals or institutions. It is primarily addressed to all the members of the Movement, with gratitude for the fruits that the life and work of many people around the world continue to generate; and with gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do. It is also addressed to those who would like to know more about us and actively collaborate for a more fraternal and peaceful world. This is why we chose the standard, and in this case perhaps somewhat unusual, name of ‘Communion in Action Report’ because we feel it best expresses our experience of walking together towards a united world. This is our second Mission Report’. It refers to the activities supported by the part of the communion of goods which is shared internationally and to the financial data of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre for the year 2022.
This Report follows that of 2021, which highlighted the various activities that the communities of the Focolare Movement carry out worldwide in all fields and aspects. For 2022, we focused on a more thematic document, taking the specific perspective of Dialogue and trying to offer a glimpse of what we seek to bring to society on the path towards fraternity, towards that unity in which diversities can be enriched and give rise to harmonious collaborations.
Therefore, this Report serves as an open and hands-on tool of communion to which everyone can add a page, a story or a suggestion, “In Dialogue” with humanity and with our planet.
Geneviève, how does the theme of dialogue, the heart of this text, fit into this informative tool?
It is interesting to reiterate what it says in the introduction: “Being in dialogue is the characteristic of every person and every project which is under the auspices of the Focolare Movement and which is inspired by its spirituality of communion. Not just doing, therefore, but a lifestyle which is supported and substantiated by listening, welcoming, compassion, charity and mercy, as summarized in the cardinal principle of every culture and religion: the so-called Golden Rule ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'” This Mission Report aims to show how, together with many others throughout the world, we have contributed to healing the wounds of divisions and polarizations and to progressing along the path of evangelical fraternity.
We express dialogue in five major areas: in the Catholic Church, among Christian Churches, in the field of interreligious dialogue, with people without a religious reference and in different cultural contexts. For us, these areas are the main ways to reach fraternity. Chiara Lubich defined dialogues as ‘highways to a united world’. It was not easy to gather and choose from the numerous initiatives, small and large but all important because they are seeds of the future and bearers of a concrete change in relationships between people, improving the atmosphere of the world. We were amazed by the quantity of initiatives and the widespread flourishing of this life, which may not make noise but which supports the world and builds new relationships between people. Being “In Dialogue” with others values diversity, highlights the characteristics of each one, requires deep mutual listening, and builds peace. Dialogue is more relevant than ever.
To read the Mission Report in English, click here.
From January 18-25, 2024, all churches in the northern hemisphere will celebrate, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In the southern hemisphere it will take place on the Feast of Pentecost. This year the motto chosen is from the Gospel of Luke: “You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Locally, in each country, city, diocese, and church community, moments of prayer, conferences, round tables, and ecumenical meetings have been organized. In Rome, Pope Francis will conclude the week on Thursday, Jan. 25, together with representatives of various Christian churches with the recitation of Vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
On this occasion we offer a short video documentary on the meeting of people from the Focolare Movement belonging to various Churches held on October 13 and 14, 2023. It was attended by 150 people belonging to the Movement from 15 Christian Churches: Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican Church, Lutheran and Reformed Churches, Pentecostal Church and Catholic Church. It was a meeting among people who have been living the spirituality of unity for years and have responded to God’s call in the various vocations of the Movement. It was a moment of deep communion in an exchange of testimonies of life in their own Church and in the Movement, each with different forms and expressions bringing into play talents, culture, knowledge, within the horizon of a constant commitment to unity at all levels.
A meeting marked by a great joy of coming together with strong bonds of unity, as in a family in which differences are valued as richness that can be known and shared to become a gift for all.
Recently, the Emergency Committee presented its 2023 Report, revealing that, from 2016 to the end of 2023, a total of €5,361,505 has been raised for emergencies in Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Italy, Pakistan and the Philippines.
In Ukraine, the emergency situation continues to evolve as the conflict persists and the multiple needs of the population increase. Since the beginning of the war, basic health care has been provided for about 12,000 people and extraordinary economic support has been extended to over 2,000 families. Several projects to welcome and accommodate displaced families and children from Ukraine have taken place in Italy. Furthermore, a school-camp was established in Austria for 30 children from a primary school in Kiev and a protected day centre for children and mothers was inaugurated.
Another emergency this year was the flooding that affected various regions of the world. During the floods in Pakistan, construction materials were provided for the restoration of 20 destroyed homes and support was given to 1,150 people. During the 2023 floods in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, assistance was provided to 16 families for the purchase or repair of damaged material possessions and renovations were carried out in the homes of 7 families. In addition, a work camp and the renovation of an educational farm were realized.
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.
the 20th of February 2024 at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome. The document, translated into five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese), is an overview of the activities and initiatives promoted by the Focolare in the year 2022, a narrative not only of the spontaneous sharing of goods, but of experiences and initiatives lived worldwide, which are inspired by and for the dialogues, and which are being specifically illustrated in this publication: the dialogue between Ecclesial Movements and New Communities in the Catholic Church; the one between the various Christian Churches; the dialogue between different religions, with different cultures, with Institutions, and in engagement with the many global challenges.
“The social budget has been a great opportunity for us,” said Dr. Notarstefano, national president of Catholic Action, among the first ecclesial realities to draw up a mission statement, “and has encouraged us in this urgent pastoral conversion to which we are called by the Pope. It was also a way to begin to reflect on how to communicate this associative life better, (…) to look at ourselves, with transparency, to give an account to the outside, but to communicate it better, to put it in common.”.
According to Msgr. Usma Gómez, in light of the current scenario that seems increasingly fragmented, in talking about the path of unity among the Churches, taking stock as Christians “means looking at God’s plans, our plans, and the plans of the world. (…) God’s plans would be to preserve the unity of the spirit by the bond of peace,” he continued, “but we see that in the world, war is the plan that is taking hold. It is possible to develop communion in differences, (…) but this reconciled diversity calls us to make peace, the heart of Ecumenism is the heart of peace.”.
An encouragement, then, to promote paths of fraternity in a network, in a synodal style and specifically, in light of the chosen theme, to do so through a “method” that can bring closer especially those who are mostly unbelievers. “Taking stock of the communion of a Movement that is so open, so able to bring others to understand that dialogue does not take away, but adds, enriches, is very important,” , said Monsignor Athenagoras Fasiolo bishop of Terme and auxiliary of the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy, who, in addition to emphasizing the Focolare’s great commitment to the path of unity among the various Churches, reflected on the prophetic role that different faiths can play in the world, without falling into the trap of ideologies: “if as faiths we manage to be prophecy then we manage to awaken what is best in the human heart.”.
And it is precisely “life and prophecy” that are the two tracks on which the Focolare Movement has proceeded in these 80 years of history also on the path of interreligious dialogue, as Dr. Rita Mussallem stated in the hall; a path that has led the reality founded by Lubich, to come into contact, in so many countries, with people of various religions, creating in the appreciation of diversity and reciprocity, a common ground where they can relate with the spirituality of unity, get to know each other and “give,” said Moussalem, “the willingness to learn from each other, the sharing of sorrows, challenges, hopes and also the shared commitment to work for peace, for good, for fraternity. In a world torn apart by polarizations where religions are too often instrumentalized, in talking about the concept of peace, “authentic dialogue,” she continued, “is a very helpful remedy (…) because it makes you discover and see the humanity of the other, it disarms you.
The “person” is thus the beating heart of a circular path that has given rise, over time, to the many activities to which this text bears witness. “When we speak of a ‘budget,'” said Giancarlo Crisanti, “one expects a lot of numbers, but in the Communion in Action Report ‘ there is much more narrative and the the numbers don’t include the people who make these activities possible .” “The Budget,” said Crisanti, “highlights how this communion of goods is able to realize initiatives, projects, works that go in the direction of dialogue (…), that help the world to dialogue a little more.”.
Referring to the intuition of the Economy of Communion, Professor Stefano Zamagni stated that it is also “a method for attacking the root causes of war situations” and, insisting on the ‘application, to the concept of justice, of the concept of equity, he affirmed how it is evident that the publication of this “Communion in Action” today, cannot be only a way of accounting, but the opportunity to be grasped in order to be truly “apostles,” messengers of good news. In this time “evil attracts more than good, whereas the beautiful attracts more than the ugly, and knowledge attracts more than ignorance,” asserted Zamagni, inviting each one to “to say what is good and say it well”: “we must make sure that we make known, obviously with humility, the gratuitousness with which good is done. (…) this notion of a Communion in Action Report,’ means that one tells what has been done, but with a view to the future”.
“During this meeting we had the opportunity to share our most important personal experiences in view of Genfest 2024,” Mariane (Brazil) tells us. Moreover,” she continues, “I perceived that we were in a welcoming environment that reflected the diversity and interculturality that also characterizes us at the International Focolare Center.
all the members of the Movement, with gratitude for the fruits that the life and work of many people around the world continue to generate; and with gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do. It is also addressed to those who would like to know more about us and actively collaborate for a more fraternal and peaceful world. This is why we chose the standard, and in this case perhaps somewhat unusual, name of ‘Communion in Action Report’ because we feel it best expresses our experience of walking together towards a united world. This is our second Mission Report’. It refers to the activities supported by the part of the communion of goods which is shared internationally and to the financial data of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre for the year 2022.