Feb 10, 2024 | Non categorizzato
“Join the Dots Together.” This was the title of the initiative involving forty (40) organizations and the Focolare community to combat the climate crisis. Doing something together for climate justice and working collaboratively to have a greater impact on this serious and urgent issue. These were the goals of the event held in January 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, organized by the Focolare Movement community together with the Belfast Jesuit Center, the Ulster University Chaplaincy, Redemptorist Youth Ministry, and the Diocese of Down and Connor. The initiative was attended by sixty people representing forty organizations. It was held at the University of Ulster and was entitled “Join the Dots Together,” meeting to work side by side on the climate emergency. 
Dr. Lorna Gold, president of the global “Laudato Sì Movement,” – born after Pope Francis’ encyclical of the same name on caring for the Common Home-in her speech addressed thorny issues including the slow progress of the elimination of combustible fossil fuels while at the same time instilling a sense of joyful hope in all present. Reflecting on the COP28 (28th United Nations Climate Change Conference) document, she pointed out that it was important to have confirmed that the primary causes of climate change are fossil fuels. “The genie is out of the bottle now and there is no going back,” she stated. She then spoke about the importance of the Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty. The use of the term “nonproliferation,” usually linked to weapons of mass destruction, is in fact related to the risks the world faces from the continued use of fossil fuels. In addition, Lorna Gold was keen to highlight the importance of faith groups as major stakeholders in the planet with billions of dollars invested in global markets, and owners of 12% of the world’s land. “People of faith,” she reiterated, “are in a key position to change the narrative and rewrite the future.”. It is no coincidence that Lorna Gold has just been named CEO of FaithInvest, an organization that focuses on mobilizing all faiths to put their resources, particularly their financial investments, to help move the economy towards a more sustainable one. The event was a powerful testimony for civil society and religious groups in Northern Ireland, with people from the interreligious forum, the Baha’i community, the Gaelic Athletic Association foundation, the Mothers’ Union and Trocaire (Caritas in Ireland), as well as several nonreligious groups such as Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in attendance. “It is very unusual to find this sort of gathering of groups united for a common cause,” said Lorna Gold, “perhaps it is precisely the climate issue on which we all agree.”. Some testimonies from participants. Georgia Allen and Glen MacAuley, young people of Fridays for Future NI every Friday in 2023 went on strike in front of Belfast City Hall and felt it was important to attend the meeting. “It was positive and interesting, with an inspiring speaker,” said Allen. “It was a call to action, to do something concrete together. At the end they wanted to take a picture with Lorna Gold as a symbol of participation in the climate strike with her! John Barry, professor of Green Economics and Policy at Queen’s University, said, “In this time of climate and ecological emergency we must all come together recognizing that it is already late and worse than people think, but not without hope. Faith communities have an important role to play, so it was good to see such an interfaith gathering of people of faith willing to roll up their sleeves and start repairing our broken world.”. Edwin Graham of the Interreligious Forum commented, “Joining the Dots… Together-an extraordinary initiative that brought together many people from a multitude of organizations and groups that care about the environment. The diversity of those in attendance was impressive, from high-level leaders in faith communities to small organizations made up of dedicated activists.”. Nicolas Hanrahan of Trocaire noted: “It was great to see so many people doing a great job of taking care of our common home. (…) I look forward to the next one!” These sentiments were echoed by Sister Nuala of St. John’s parish: “Today was beyond all our expectations, everyone not only enjoyed it, but found it extremely helpful.”. Finally Finbarr Keavney of the Newcastle Laudato Sì group, “What an exciting and hopeful morning. It is so nice to meet many lovely people of different faiths, all bound together by a desire for climate justice.”. Lorna Gold finally reiterated that connecting the dots and formulating plans to work collaboratively on climate justice is the key: “We can plant the seeds of a new future, but the only way to do it is together.”.
Lorenzo Russo
Feb 6, 2024 | Non categorizzato
Three years on, the Association – Città per la Fraternità (City for Fraternity),is issuing a new call for entries for the Chiara Lubich Award for Fraternity, which aims to promote actions for peace and fraternity around the world. fraternità in tutto il mondo. Reaching its 11th edition this year is the Chiara Lubich Award for Fraternity, born of the inspiration of the Associazione Città per la Fraternità and dedicated to the Founder of the Focolare Movement. The Association, Città per la Fraternità, based in Castel Gandolfo (Rome) joins with all agents promoting peace and fraternity to spread in the world, today more than ever , the harmonious coexistence between people and the environment in all corners of the earth. It is meant to be an experience of dialogue, confrontation and networking among municipalities and other Local Authorities that intend to promote, as part of the larger and more complex political administrative work, a permanent laboratory of positive experiences to be disseminated, emphasizing peace, human rights, social justice to better focus on fraternity as a politcal paradigm. The contest is aimed primarily at Local Authorities (Provinces, Regions, etc.) of any part of the world and size. Submissions from Local Authorites, Organisations or individuals who would point out other territorial Administrations in all continents are also welcome. The prize, an original artistic sculpture depicting fraternity, will be awarded by evaluting the implementation of a project or initiative that, throughout its life cycle, represents the declination of one or more aspects of the principle of fraternity applied to public policy, carried out in synergy between government, local communities and organized civil society. The works in question should therefore highlight those activities capable of stimulating citizens to engage for the common good, participate in the life of the civic community, and foster the growth of a culture of active and inclusive citizenship. Participants can submit their projects no later than February 29, 2024: written, hypertext and/or multimedia or audiovisual entries. In addition to awarding the winner, the jury may give one or more special awards and/or honorable mentions to other projects that have particularly distinguished themselves as experiences of universal fraternity in the local community. To know how to proceed and get more information, you can download the notice through the following link or visit the webpage Associazione Città per la Fraternità (cittaperlafraternita.org).
Maria Grazia Berretta
Feb 5, 2024 | Non categorizzato
A webinar scheduled for Thursday 8th February, 2024, will offer insights and reflections on the Council of Nicaea and its still vibrant legacy for Christians today. In 2025, 1700 years will have passed since the first Ecumenical Council of Nicea (325 AD): a unique example of how people from different cultures were able to make shared decisions in difficult times. It was there that the foundations of Christian belief were laid: a precious heritage, to which the life and faith of the Churches have given witness over the centuries, influencing the path of human civilization. At Nicaea the method of calculating the date of Christian Easter was also decided: the Sunday following the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Later, the use of different calendars led to Easter being celebrated on different days in the East and West, so that only occasionally the date coincides (for example this year 2024 there are 15 days of difference). In 2025, all Churches will celebrate Easter on the same date. But today this anniversary assumes broader significance. We live in an age of conflict and distress. A time that needs new hope. A time that must rediscover the prophecy of a culture of Resurrection. On Thursday, 8th February, 2024, a webinar entitled: “From Nicaea walking together towards unity. The beginning of a new beginning” will take place. The webinar aims to highlight how, for the Church, the Council of Nicaea was the powerful beginning of this common witness, like a new Pentecost that illuminates all aspects of life and empowers the pursuit of universal fraternity. It implicitly calls for all the Churches, in East and West, to make a further effort to agree on a common date of Easter, which would give rise to a new beginning of shared testimony before the world. Offering a shared witness to the unity and mutual recognition of distinct and rich traditions of the one faith, would be a decisive contribution to the arduous and intense search for peace and to the challenging reconciliation between a happy global coexistence of humanity and the right to identity proper to each people. The webinar, prepared by scholars from different Churches, aims to disseminate, in a language accessible to all, the enormous legacy of the First Ecumenical Council of the Church: a legacy that, when embraced and lived out, has the strength to make a difference in the challenging times in which we live. The webinar opening will be opened by H.H. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, H.E. Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Dicastery for Christian Unity, Dr. Jerry Pillay, Secretary General of the World Council of Churches and Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance. There will then be inputs from representatives of various Churches. The webinar will take place from 13:30-16:30 CET. Simultaneous translation in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish will be available. To receive the link, complete this form Download the full programme 20240208-WEBINAR-EN
Feb 2, 2024 | Non categorizzato
On 26th January, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, went to Aachen, Germany, to receive the 2024 Klaus Hemmerle Prize. Since 2004, the Focolare Movement has presented the Klaus Hemmerle Award every two years, to people who, like the former Bishop of Aachen, have actively contributed to building bridges in the Church and in society. The 11th Award ceremony was held on Friday, 26th January, 2024, in the Cathedral of Aachen (Germany). This year, which marked the 30th anniversary of the death of Klaus Hemmerle (1929-1994), the recipient was Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. 
Prof. Dr. Johannes Wallacher, Rector of the University of Philosophy in Munich, presented the award. In his speech, he underlined Card. Czerny’s contributions to theological development and his dedication to implementing the Social Doctrine of the Church in socio-political contexts throughout various phases of his life. Wallacher also spoke of the “vision of global fraternity as a sign of the times and a central key to finding answers to the needs of our times”, a vision to which Czerny is committed and is an inspiring model. 
In its decision, the jury emphasized Card. Czerny’s tireless advocacy for human dignity and rights, his call to “accept differences and to learn from other cultures” in order to foster “a more just world”, a commitment praised by the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany, His Excellency Msgr. Nikola Eterović. Mons Helmut Dieser, the current Bishop of Aachen said, “The fraternity of all people is the guiding theme of Pope Francis” and he referred to Cardinal Czerny as, “a supporter and a pioneer of this theme”. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, sent a message to congratulate Card. Czerny in which she highlighted his significant efforts in building a culture of unity and dialogue, recognizing him as an ally in the effort to mediate conflicts and to promote mutual solidarity. In his speech of acceptance, Cardinal Czerny focused on the social magisterium of Pope Francis for a socio-ecological transformation. He referred to key texts of the Doctrine, which he considers cutting-edge today and he agreed with the Pope, who in his encyclical “All Brothers”, called for a culture of encounter to replace the “throwaway culture”. Czerny said, “We must shift our attention from profit to prosperity, from economic growth to sustainability and from materiality to human dignity” and he stressed the importance of “rethinking the concept of progress and of restoring a sense of community”, a path that leads from the “I” to the “we”. In conclusion, he thanked those present for their “crucial role in shaping new rationales that can protect our fragile environment and empower our fragmented communities.” He said that receiving this award was an encouragement for him to “continue to focus all the existing forces of good in the sense of a holistic development, for the service and benefit of the entire human family”.
Andrea Fleming Photo di Martin Felder
Jan 31, 2024 | Non categorizzato
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.
Maria Grazia Berretta
Watch the video (activate English subtitles) https://youtu.be/ul4JF7f8Zg8
Jan 25, 2024 | Non categorizzato
From Mexico City the story of a meeting between Christians of various Churches in which the local Focolare community also participated “Silence is essential in the journey of Christian unity. Indeed, it is fundamental to prayer, from which ecumenism begins and without which it is sterile.”[1] Pope Francis expressed himself in this way on September 30, 2023, in St. Peter’s Square, surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters of various denominations who had come for the ecumenical vigil that preceded the Synod. And this is the spirit that also animates the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25, 2024, celebrated around the world, invoking unity among all Churches and ecclesial communities. But unity is not to be sought only this week; it is a commitment to be lived throughout the year. 
This is well known by the friends of the Focolare Movement community in Mexico City who, a few months ago, organized a day of dialogue among Christians of various Churches linked to the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in collaboration with the Integral Ecology Commission of the Archdiocese of Mexico City. After an initial time of prayer in the beautiful chapel of the Archdiocesan Minor Seminary, participants went on an ecological walk led by some women from different indigenous communities. Indeed, these communities have a deep relationship with Creation, which they manifest with symbols, songs and prayers in their languages. Particularly, it became evident how water is an essential element for the life of all living beings without distinction. And the symbol of flowing water – an ecological, life-giving and synodal image – was echoed when, thirsty after the walk, the leaders of the Churches present – Anglican bishops of Mexico and priests of the Orthodox Church of America – took earthenware jugs to serve drinks to each of those present, also in small earthenware cups. The concluding fraternal agape was a time of exchange and closeness, sharing of dreams and possible future plans. Among those present were the Anglican Primate of Mexico, the Catholic Bishop of Mexico City, an Anglican deaconess, some members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Catholic priests from the diocesan offices for Ecumenism, Youth Ministry and Care of Creation a group from the Community of Sant’Egidio, some members of the Commission for Integral Development of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Mexico, the Mexican Institute of Social Doctrine, and the Pastoral Care of Indigenous People. It was a moment of great unity in which everyone could see that it is worthwhile to spare no effort to help generate a dialogue of life in Mexico and everywhere.
Lorenzo Russo
[1] Pope Francis, Ecumenical Vigil for Peace, St. Peter’s Square, Sept. 30, 2023. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/homilies/2023/documents/20230930-vegliaecumenica.html
