Jun 28, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
June 1967: It was precisely fifty years ago that Israel occupied the Palestinian Territories. Ever since then, there has been a succession of violent encounters and many deaths. Nevertheless, many continue to work at building a peaceful future. Among them is Margaret Karram, already a member of the Episcopal Commission for Interreligious Dialogue from the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, and collaborator in the direction of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI). Since 2014 she has been working at the Focolare International Centre in Italy. Margaret K.: “I was born in Haifa, a city in Galilee, and my land has always been under conflicts, battles, and the domination of several peoples. Our home is on Mt Carmel, in a Jewish quarter. We were the only Catholic Christian Arab family orginially from Palestine. I remember when I was small, maybe six years old, some children began to insult me heavily saying that I was Arab and couldn’t stay in that quarter. I ran to my mother in tears, asking the reason why. In response, my mother told me to invite those children over to our house. She had baked some Arab bread and gave it to them to take to their families. From such small gestures we began to make contact with our Jewish neighbours who wanted to know the woman that had performed such a gesture. This taught me that even a small act of love towards a neighbour is capable of overcoming a mountain of hatered.” Margaret’s story continues with a description of memories and events that bear witness to the difficulties she had to face. Arab, Catholic Christian, Margaret is an Israeli citizen. Like other Christians many of her relatives had to flee to Lebanon during the war years. So she never got to know much of her family, because her father decided to stay with the grandparents. She felt a growing desire to build bridges of brotherhood. “I dreamed about peace from the time I was small. I often used to go to the Arab quarters in Jerusalem, Bethlehem or in other Palistinian territories. Arab was spoken – which is my first language – the people could tell from my accent that I came from Galilee which is Israel territory. Likewise, if I spoke in Hebrew they made me notice that my accent was different from theirs. I had a sense of confusion about my identity: I was neither Palistinian nor Israeli… At age 15 I got to know the Focolare Movement, and the spirituality of Chiara Lubich gave me wings to fly. I felt that I didn’t have to change people, but change me, my heart. I went back to believing that other people were a gift for me and that I could be a gift for them. Living in Jerusalem I was often tempted to get discouraged, especially during the Palestinian uprising. We had some very bad moments in the city: many times the attacks happened in public places, even on the bus I took every day to work. I was frightened. I carried on because I had a community I could share the Focolare spirituality with. And I finally found my true self as a Christian, Catholic, witness to hope. It was an important step which freed me from the fears and uncertainties. I could love everyone, Arab and Israeli, assisting at small miracles, seeing Jews and Muslims change attitude and start to build peace.” Obviously, there are a lot of projects. Many organizations work for peace through art, education, social action… Many people like her try to enkindle the light that can illuminate the darkness with glimmers of heaven. In June 2014, Margaret was invited to be part of the Christian delegation at the prayer invocation for peace with Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew, Shimon Peres who was the president of Israel at the time and Abu Mazen, president of Palestine. “Right after that meeting there was war on the Garza Strip. The Pope’s invitation to the two Heads of State to work for peace between their people seemed in vain. But it was a historic event, an important step. I perceived the power of prayer and understood that human hearts can only be changed by God. We should continue to invoke peace from God. Like the olive trees we planted that day, that peace might take root and let us see the fruits.” Video (Italian)
Jun 27, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
Jun 24, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
We reached Dharma Drum last night at dusk, where we were welcomed with exquisite kindness by young volunteers who helped us to get settled in our rooms. Then there was dinner and greetings. The symposium began the next morning. The conference hall and the entire building that holds the College of Liberal Arts is modern, built by a Japanese architect with elevated gardens to ensure a pleasant climate even during the hot rainy season, despite the humidity seeming to dominate all year long. The food they offer us is completely vegetarian and at a high culinary level, the expression of a delicate and attentive welcome that helps us feel at home. 
The opening ceremony begins at 10am. One of the members of the teaching faculty, Guohuei Shih, presents the professors there. Father Giuseppe Silvestrini, the official representative of the Vatican, greets the group, followed by Rita Moussalem and Roberto Catalano, co-directors of the Focolare’s Center for Interreligious Dialogue. There are about 70 of us from the U.S. Europe, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Philippines, China and Taiwan – both Buddhists from different traditions and Catholics. There are Theravada monks and laypeople from Thailand, Mahayana Buddhists from Japan who represent ancient schools such as Nichiren-Shu, Tendai-Shu and more recent movements such as the Rissho Kosei-kai. There is a lot of warmth between everyone present, including those who have brought their young followers. These are relationships that have been established through the years. After the opening ceremony, there was a visit to the huge complex, which brought the various groups to different parts of Dharma Drum Mountain. Visiting the museum of Master Sheng Yen, the founder of Dharma Drum and reformer of Chan Buddhism, was particularly meaningful. In the afternoon we continued by touring the various halls, where images of the Buddha are venerated. There was an especially interesting lesson on how to venerate the Enlightened One. The Theravada monks humbly learned from the same tradition that the young monks do there at that university. 
The most beautiful moment of the day is called “blessing time”: a long moment of prayer where each person prays according to their tradition – a moment of solemnness, respect and silence. In the hall dedicated to Buddha, where Christians that morning had celebrated mass, we spend an hour-and-a-half in a string of prayers. The Theravada monks begin and the Christians follow. Following them, there are the members of the Rissho Kosei-kai and Tendai-Shu, finishing with the Fo Gu Shan monks. Time seems to stop, and we feel greatly enriched in our hearts. It feels as if we are touching humanity’s infinite yearning and need to reach the absolute, especially faced with the immense problems of suffering and war. As we leave we feel closer to each other, despite having had the part of the program where our differences surfaced the most. There is a spirit of communion and mutual respect that brings us closer during every part of the program. In the days that follow, work continues so that we continually grow to know each other better with a rapport of friendship and true fraternity. We speak about suffering, with speeches on the personal and social dimension of suffering, presented by Christians, Theravada Buddhists from Thailand, Mahayana Buddhists, the Rissho Kosei-kai, Tendai-Shu and Won Buddhism from Korea. There are also workshops in parallel where the presenters discuss religion and psychology, dialogue and social action, experiences of dialogue in a variety of contexts, and mediation and dialogue, with a particular emphasis on Vipassana mediation. Three experts conclude the program with some reflections on the content that emerged during this work. Beyond all this, what counts most is the atmosphere that was created. The head of the Dharma Institute of Liberal Arts, Rev. Huimin Bikshu, confides that this is the first meeting of its kind at the university. Besides those signed up as participants, there are also monks and nuns from the Dharma Drum Monastery and students of the college. The day is marked by a great spiritual and existential commitment. The dialogue allows us to emphasize what we have in common, despite there being great differences between the traditions. There are experiences that put up bridges of dialogue that bring hope, as Rev. Nisyoka from the Japanese Tendai-Shu affirms. The conclusion of the work happens in the afternoon, organized by Providence University, an academic institution located at Thien Chu. There we talk about economics, the environment and interreligious dialogue. The results from this week of common experience, reflection and spiritual friendship are difficult to convey. They are part of each of the participants’ souls. Perhaps what was said by a young Japanese monk, the abbot of a temple in his country, explains the depth of the experience best. “Rarely in life have I perceived the intimate presence of God-Buddha as I have in these days at our symposium in Taiwan… I have studied in Christian schools and I always thought that Christianity was a religion that happens in church (rites and religious services). During the symposium in Taiwan I understood that Christianity, instead, is the religion of the presence of God among people.” By Roberto Catalano Read Part I
Jun 22, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
Listening to one another.This was the spirit with which Gabriela Melo and Augusto Parody of the Focolare International Centre set out on their journey to visit the many communities of the Movement diffused in Latin America. They even reached Esmeraldas in Ecuador, on the Pacific Coast, populated mostly by Afro-Ecuadorians, and where the crystalline blue of the sky merges with that of the sea, making the luxuriant vegetation shine like an emerald. This enchanting landscape changes suddenly the minute you enter the town, and especially the view ends with the conglomerations of bamboo and galvanized iron huts in the poor districts like Isla Bonita, Pampon, and Puerto Limon.. The hordes of children play on the streets and on the beach from morning till night, and if they are not saved on time as adolescents and teenagers, they become drug or alcohol addicts, involved in “pandillerism” (the infamous metropolitan gangs of marauders). The spirituality of unity reached Esmeraldas over 30 years ago, and took root precisely among the Afro-Ecuadorian population of families, youths, priests and children who have made the evangelical news of mutual love the law of their lives. It is a ray of spirituality that has lighted up new hope, putting into action new ideas and forces. And this is what happened around Fr. Silvino Mina, who is also part of the community. Through the Ayudav group that formed in his parish he was able to solve many urgent cases of street children and teens, giving rise to the need of reinforcing these aid actions, also by calling the attention of the Institutions. This was how the Fundación Amiga (1992) was born, and with it, a school for kids at risk, with the aim of making their lives more dignified and helping them to face the future through suitable educational programmes. By focusing on their great sportive talents (Esmeraldas is infact known as the cradle of Ecuadorian athletes), they formed a soccer school, and also handicraft laboratories run by the former street youths themselves. «Today, the school has1,700 children and adolescents from 13 to 19 years of age – Don Silvino explained – and with global educational projects, where one tries to put into practice what one learns, the whole educational community of students, teachers and parents is involved. All the children are offered a good meal a day, which for many is the only meal they can afford, together with vaccinations, medical treatments and education on health and Aids prevention. We also study the Afro culture and traditions, and not only these.» Ecuador, in fact, is a crossroad of millenary cultures (Quito was one of the two ancient capitals of the Incas) where they spoke various Amerinde languages (Quechua, Shuar, Tsafiki and others). The government’s endeavour precisely aims to recover local communities, cultures and religious expressions, to establish a dialogue which valorises their diversities in an enriching intercultural experience. This term appears at least eleven times in the new Constitution approved in 2008.«And if we added the socio-political demands–Gabriela and Augusto observed – we could also highlight what is happening in Esmeraldas, the commitment to live the Gospel, and the building of communities where the different ethnic, linguistic and religious components trigger a daily process of integration which is spreading quickly. This is a process which benefits the big intercultural workshop which is Eduador, a country that can really offer the world a unique and sustainable model of encounter and coexistence.»
Jun 21, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
“Even if it is not officially declared, also here we are fighting the ‘third piecemeal war’. The transitional government is trying to rebuild what the recent civil war has demolished, but has to contend with the strife that often breaks out into fratricide struggles.” Martial Agouais a Catholic priest of the Central African Republic, a country where the majority are Christians and 15% are Muslims. In the absence of a national defense body, the UN sent the peacekeepers, called the “blue helmets”, of some foreign contingents, but there are many interests at stake. The perpetration of the guerilla paradoxically acts also as a cover for foreign hoarders, greedy forthe country’s precious mineral resources. Enemy hunts are always ongoing, and often are fatally found in the tribe right in front, or in the village which practices another religion. The recent news reported about a Catholic bishop, Bishop Juan José Aguirre Muñoz who opened his parish in Tokoyo to host 2,000 Muslims under the attack of the anti-Balaka, also called Christian militias, originally formed as a sort of self-defence groups of the Islamic Seleka gangs, but which lately have often become terrorist groups. This has made no difference between the violent groups who had triggered the revolt, and the civil Muslims, peace-loving people of merchants and the Peul tribe (nomadic cattlemen, also called Mbororo). “My parish,” recounted Fr Martial, “dedicated to the Holy Family, is in Sibut, the capital of the KemoInbingu region. Here in Sibut a meeting of all the authorities was held recently, from the prefect to the mayor, the tribe chiefs of the Munisca force to the district chiefs of the Burundi contingent, and the ex-Selekato the anti-Balaka. At a certain point the chief of the anti-Balakaspoke up to say in a loud voice that the pastors of the various churches, priests, religious men and women must no longer speak about social issues in the churches. All were scared and nobody dared to contradict him. Also I didn’t speak, but that threat did not stop my Christian commitment. I had learned from the spirituality of the Focolare that we have to love everyone, and be concerned about the rights of all. And I said to myself, if I have to choosewhat side to take, I will always choose to stand by the weaker people, the most defenceless.” Two days later, the Peuls were attacked by the anti-Balakain the forest where they were pasturing their cattle, at 18 km along the Bangui axis. Four men were killed and seven among the women and children were wounded. The Munisca brought the wounded to the central hospital of Sibut, but for two days they did not receive any treatment or food. Everyone was afraid to approach them to help them, including the NGOs and the humanitarian services. “When I found out about the situation,” the priest explained, “I took courage and went to the chief of the anti-Balakato ask him to accompany me to the hospital. Upon seeing those wounded Muslims left to themselves in a room with an unbearable smell and in pitiful conditions, both of us were moved to tears. I ran to some Christian families living close to the hospital to ask for water for drinking and to wash them, and also food. I then obtained from the diocesan Caritas director, a means of transport that would bring them to Bangui, 200 km away. Thank God, in three weeks all of them were healed and the Caritas was able to bring them home to their families safe and sound.” Abbé Martial Agoua – Sibut (R.C.A.)
Jun 19, 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
“That all may be one. We were born for these words of unity, to contribute to making it a reality in the world.” The words of Chiara Lubich, commented on by Bishop Felix Liam, President of the Episcopal Conference of Myanmar, on the first day of the meeting (1- 4 June 2017), well evidenced the aim of the convention held this year in Yangon, Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia, on the western side of Indochina. These conventions held every year at international, ecumenical and regional levels,began about 40 years ago on the initiative of Chiara Lubich and Klaus Hemmerle (1929-1994), then Bishop of Aachingen, (Germany).. In Yangon, with a strong presence of the episcopate of Myanmar (19 bishops), there was a warm family atmosphere. Among the 31 participants,a good number came from the Philippines, India, Malaysia and South Korea. In communicating his experience on his encounter with the spirituality of unity, Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak of Bangkok, moderator of the bishop-friends of the Focolare, invited the bishops to discover and deepen one of the fundamental points of the spirituality of unity: Jesus crucified and abandoned, and place it in the centre of their lives in order to become instruments of communion in the Church and humanity. This was also testified to by the experience of the members of the local community of the Focolare who had prepared to welcome the bishops in the best way possible. But also some bishops, like the Irish Bishop Brendan Leahy, see in the mystery of Jesus forsaken, the “countenance of mercy, key to dialogue and unity, and pathway to the sanctity of the people.” The life of Bishop Klaus Hemmerle was conveyed through a PowerPoint presentation and brief videos that showed the amazing fruitfulness of love for Jesus Forsaken even in the most “critical” situations. The themes on Evangelisation and Inculturation in the spirituality of unity were very actual and trigged particular interest in a country which is mostly Buddhist. The story of Chiara Lubich and the Movement she had given life to, along with the experiences of the members of the local community, was very moving. Cardinal Carlo Bo, archbishop of Yangon said: “I was very impressed by the story of the charismatic and prophetic life of the founder of the movement. More than ever the Church needs movements like the Focolare. While the arrogance of power divides people according to colour and race, Chiara created a global communion for worldwide peace.” Bishop Matthias (Myanmar) commented: “When one usually participates in the meeting of bishops, we listen to many things, but on an intellectual level. Instead, here we talk about life and we see happy people.»And Bishop Isaac (Myanmar):“The life of a bishop is not easy, and we ourselves often feel abandoned. Now that I have met Jesus Forsaken, I will have the strength and the light to go ahead.” From Korea, Bishop Peter added: «It is the first time for me to participate in a meeting of bishops. Here I saw people who try to love Jesus Forsaken in every difficulty; people who are behind the wings, try to serve all of us,» referring to the members of the local community of the Movement. Openness to cultural and interreligious dialogue was assumed in the golden colours of the Pagoda of Shwedagon, the most important and renowned in the capital, and in which the relics of the four Buddhas are jealously guarded. The visit to this sacred place on the hill of Singuttara, to the west of Royal Lake, was a symbol of respect for the Buddhist soul and the culture of the place. At the top of the Pagoda, a banner-like anemoscope scattered with precious stones, displays the direction of the wind. If sufficiently supported, its fluttering is accompanied by the sound of tiny bells. The Myanmar bishops are certain of which direction the wind is blowing: in the direction of unity, towards a Church which is increasingly a witness of “communion”.
