Jul 1, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
«It is paradoxical that the new Europe, which arose out of the demolition of the Berlin Wall, should be tempted, through fear, to shut itself behind new fences, building new walls and fences, in the illusion of being able to stop history that is once again knocking at its doors. The single currency project was supposed to be a big new step towards political union, a great new identifying moment in which solidarity and the sharing of sovereignty, in order to achieve common objectives, were to represent the fundamental pillars. Actually two examples show us how little this has been achieved. On the one hand, the serious delays and heated debates that followed the Greek debt crisis, which greatly undermined the foundations of solidarity among the member states, even leading to speculation on Greece leaving the Euro. On the other hand there is the Brexit issue and other separatist tendencies which also test solidarity severely. Because going out of the Union is not like leaving a club, but is equivalent to, and much more like, abandoning partners with whom we no longer share the same reason for being together: the founding pact. Europe is going through the dark night of its own principles, the dark night of its dreams. In reality, a great sense of disorientation reigns in our continent because of the presence of three simultaneous crises: an unprecedented migratory crisis, together with a deep economic crisis, against the backdrop of a demographic crisis. While leaving it to others to analyse the reasons for these crises, I believe that the deeper causes of Europe’s weakness today can be found in the denial of God and of the transcendent. This is a result of the gradual emergence and spread of secular culture which wants to do away with any link with the supernatural. In the search for total freedom, Europe no longer recognizes that its culture was formed through 2,000 years of Christian tradition. Denying this means cutting its own roots and finding itself like a lifeless tree. So is everything collapsing then? Is the continent’s dream of unity being shattered? No. We are here together, as Christian movements and communities in Europe, because we believe there is something that does not collapse. It is love; God who is Love. Our movements are bearers of charisms which are certainly very different from each other and yet all are the work of the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is precisely the one who creates fraternity (so to speak) among the Persons of the Trinity and who unites all Christians. So the idea of fraternity originates in Heaven and is the purpose of life on earth. All of us can bear witness that we met Christ one day and let ourselves be fascinated and drawn into his Gospel. Living his words led us to change ourselves and reach out to others, building relationships of gospel love and thereby creating communities that become leaven wherever they are. We have discovered a new willingness to be open to all, crossing the boundaries between Churches, between religions, between ethnicities and cultures, in a 360-degree dialogue, until we rediscover everyone as our brothers and sisters. In this way we have found the root of our European culture once more and, on this foundation, we have tried to interpret our present times, which concern the entire planet and all humankind as never before, from the perspective of moving towards a united world. In fact, applying the ideals of peace, justice, freedom and equality today means having a universal dimension, which fraternity makes possible (read the full text)».
Jul 1, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Martin Wagner, CVJM München and Gabriele Deutschmann, CVJM Esslingen interview evangelical-lutheran bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, and Card.Reinhard Marx (C) T4E, Foto: Haaf
Press Conferenze, June, 30
Jun 28, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
Gulu in northern Uganda is now the second largest city of the country. Many immigrants and Ugandans have moved there to school and find work. Among them is Gloria Mukambonera who works in the computer field. When she arrived in 2013, she contacted the local Focolare community so that she could share her Gospel ideal of peace and unity with others. “I found a real family here” she recounts, “in which I could share my joys and sorrows. We also practice a communion of goods, following the example of the first Chrisitan communities, each person in their own way. The proceeds are used to help people in need and to care for the sick members of the community.” It is an experience that helps you to see the needs of those around you, which are many because of the war. “One day,” says Gloria, “a priest had asked us to visit the people in a parish that was 4 hours away, because – he told us – there was a conflict between tribes and we might be able to help them reconcile. He had suggested that we tell them about how we try to live the Gospel and of our experiences of peace and unity that flow from that. In particular we shared our experiences of forgiveness, of how we were helped to overcome the divisions among us by living the ‘art of loving’ that is found in the Gospel. There was quite a special meeting with all the young people of the place. We read the Word of Life and shared with them our experiences of trying to live it, and then we invited them to share. There was singing, games and mini theatrical performances. . . The dialogue that followed uncovered their desire to begin living in reconciliation with one another.” It was an opportunity to be “peacebuilders” as the bishop had invited us to be. For us it was a matter of “choosing the Gospel’s way of love for the reconstruction of the country, following the destruction caused by years of war.” Ibanda lives in Uganda’s Western Region. There is also a Focolare group there, and they strive to transform the environment around them by transforming themselves, beginning from a jail. “Our outlook and behaviour have changed radically, especially the negative view we had of the inmates,” says Sara Matziko. “The Gospel sentence: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you” (Mt 7:12) has encouraged us to visit them and pray with them. We discovered that many of them had not received the sacraments for years. The priest from our community went with us to offer this service.” The inmates’ relatives gradually overcame their indifference, we became friends and they went with us to visit the inmates. During one of those visits I met a young man named Ambrose who, after his jail time, wanted to continue his studies. “We helped him to finish high school,” Sara recounts. “Living the Word of Life with one another improved the relationship among us and within the community. The pastor has also joined us in this process that we try to share with other parish communities. Several people from our group attended the international Economy of Communion (EoC) meeting that was held in Kenya, at Mariapolis Piero, May 2015. That helped us to carry ahead our current project.”
Jun 27, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide
The outcome of the recent British referendum is one of the many symptoms of a fragmented Europe. It confirms that functional measures are not enough to convince about a common membership. This crisis calls for reflection and bold proposals. It is the right time for the Together for Europe edition, a clear, public manifestation of efforts for the renewal of the continent. It will take place in Munich from June 30 to July 2, 2016 Those familiar with Together for Europe know that this is not an event but a process towards unity in diversity that started in 1999. It involves a growing number of Movements and Communities – to date more than 300 – a confident minority, that comes from various Churches in different European countries. Through encounter and reconciliation, this process has produced its effects: communities and movements experience encounter and discover complementary; mutual trust brings change. Programme. On June 30 and July 1, 1500 leaders and collaborators will take part in a congress held at the Circus-Krone-Bau. Apart from plenary sessions, the programme consists of 36 forums and round tables. Cardinal Peter Turkson is expected to be one of the main participants. An outdoor rally, open to the public, will take place on July 2 at the central Karlsplatz (Stachus) in Munich. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Catholic Cardinals Kurt Koch and Reinhard Marx, the Evangelical Bishops Frank Otfried July and Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, the Orthodox Metropolitan Serafim Joanta are among the main speakers representing the different Churches, while Maria Voce (Focolare Movement), Gerhard Pross (YMCA Esslingen), Andrea Riccardi (Sant’Egidio), Michelle Moran (ICCRS), Walter Heidenreich (FCJG Lüdenscheid) and P. Heinrich Walter (Schoenstatt Movement) will be the speakers that come from the Movements and Communities. Youth have been offering their active, convinced and creative contribution towards this programme. Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will be present through their video messages. The programme can be followed in 7 languages through a streaming broadcast (www.together4europe.org). Topics on the agenda include integration and reconciliation, solidarity with the weakest, sustainability and environment protection, Christians and Muslims in dialogue, marriage and family and economy. These are meant to stimulate a responsibility that goes beyond Europe, because the continent “has an experience of two thousand years of Christianity with ideas, culture, life and actions that can be offer as a service to today’s world, but unfortunately this has not been recognized yet” – Maria Voce says. Munich’s edition of Together for Europe is backed up by solid moments of reflection, discussions, sharing of views and experiences. Of significant importance is the conference entitled “Europe, what identity, what values”, organized by the World Council of Churches and the Focolare Movement. During this conference, held in Geneva on April 21 of this year, Pasquale Ferrara, a diplomat and a university professor claimed that today Europe needs to generate “fruits of Christianity”, rather than speak about its Christian roots. He also said that we need to present “the ‘golden rule’, which invites us to do to others what we would like others to do unto us” because such a rule “is not only of ethical value, but it also assumes a political dimension, as it makes one reflect about the nature and character of the political community”. Together for Europe seems capable to interpret this dimension while it inspires and motivates people of different generations and communities from countries across Europe to incarnate the values of justice, encounter, reconciliation and peace in their everyday life. Thus it contributes towards building “a Europe of leadership”, as described by Pope Francis when he visited the European Parliament in November 2014 and spoke of “a Europe which contemplates the heavens and pursues lofty ideals, which cares for, defends and protects every man and woman, which bestrides the earth surely and securely; a precious point of reference for all humanity”. The Munich event is under the patronage of UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Source: Press Release – June 27, 2016
