On the 24th of January 1944, Chiara Lubich discovered what was to become a key pillar for the spirituality of unity: Jesus experiences the highest measure of love, when on the cross he was abandoned by his Father. On the 80th anniversary of that day, we want to share what Chiara said on the meaning of “Jesus Forsaken”. https://youtu.be/QGjFSA2jsN0
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.
Maria Grazia Berretta
An audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday 10 January followed by three days of reflection at the Conference on Integral Ecology at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano. Two fundamental stages on the path of dialogue between Catholics and Marxists on important issues, beginning with peace.
Foto Giulio Meazzini
Foto Paolo Lòriga (2)
A further indication of the importance attributed to the Dialop experience lies in the presence of the Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, Spanish priest Manuel Barrios Prieto, on each of the 3 days of the conference. He spoke at the concluding phase of the conference. Great attention, therefore, was paid to Dialop’s commitment to formulating a transversal social ethical programme as the fruit of dialogue between the Social Thought of the Catholic Church and Marxist Social Critique – ethics enlightened by the vision of integral ecology proposed by Pope Bergoglio. Ten years ago, neither Walter Baier, a Marxist politician and current president of the European Left, nor Franz Kronreif, an architect and member of the Focolare Movement, both from Austria, who both initiated Dialop would ever have imagined the results of this 2024 stage. ‘The meeting with Pope Francis,’ Baier remarked, ‘opens a new chapter between the Left in Europe and the Catholic Church. And what has matured at Sophia marks the development of that dialogue because it showed how rich the knowledge we are able to mobilise is’. A particular perspective has also opened up for Kronreif: ‘Based on the path we have been able to take and the experience we are gaining, we can expand to other dialogues or integrate other subjects into our dialogue to safeguard the people, nature, justice and peace’.
Paolo Lòriga
Full interview with Walter Baier and Franz Kronreif For more on Dialop: https://dev.focolare.org/en/2023/04/17/dialop-dialogo-tra-cristiani-e-sinistra-europea-in-cerca-di-un-vero-cambiamento/ https://dev.focolare.org/en/2023/08/04/la-comunicazione-in-tempo-di-guerra-un-dialogo-trasversale-per-unetica-comune/
Over 10 years ago, Walter Baier and Franz Kronreif embarked on a journey between Marxists and Catholics in Vienna with the aim – bold then and bold now – of working out a shared social ethic on the basis of a cross-party project of dialogue, called Dialop, which was launched in 2014. Baier, a politician, is currently president of the European Left, Kronreif is an architect and a member of the Focolare Movement. What were the results of the conference held in the past few days for Dialop’s journey? Baier: ‘It is difficult for me to give an answer in this moment because we still have to evaluate things between us. I have read Pope Francis’ address to us several times and each time I’ve discovered something new. This means that we have to let this speech sink in and think about it carefully. Certainly, however, the meeting with the Pope opens a new chapter between the Left in Europe and the Catholic Church. The Pope spoke about the very things that move us too, namely the preferential option for the poor, the defence of Mother Earth, the rights of migrants, the right to life’. Kronreif: “What impressed me most was that the Pope really wanted this meeting with a representation from Dialop. Right from the start we saw that he felt very comfortable with our group, half Catholic, half Marxist. He spoke very freely and also built relationships by accepting questions. He urged us to continue the dialogue, because dialogue is fundamental today. He also emphasised the fight against corruption. And then he invited us to dream of a better future, because with dreams we can manage to break the mould’. Baier: ‘What happened at the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano is also very important. I think it is a new stage in the dialogue. It shows how rich the knowledge we can mobilise is. The precondition for this is that we managed to create a space in which all participants were able to express themselves. On the Marxist side, every contribution was unorthodox. If we had said these things decades ago in our socialist or communist parties, we would have been ousted’. Can you give an example? Baier: ‘How we were able to act as Marxists with the leadership of the Catholic Church is unprecedented. And then the self-criticism we began to do about our contradictions. This is only possible with the kind of dialogue we have created at Sophia. And I stress that in this experience of dialogue, the other side is able to bring out the best part of us’. What prospects have opened up with this stage at the start of 2024? Baier: ‘For me, as a politician, it is important that we succeed in mobilising society and public opinion on topics of justice, integral ecology, and above all peace. Although we should have no illusions. It is not so much a matter of speeches as a confrontation with strong powers. This requires democratic decisions and we need majorities on these issues. I think we must develop our dialogue in this direction’. Kronreif: ‘The perspective that emerged is that we have found that in our dialogue we manage to create an experience of true encounter that can be extended to other dialogues or integrate other subjects into our dialogue. By now we have such a deep-rooted and lived method and experience that we are more open to integrating other components. And it may turn out to be a useful democratic method to deal with and address certain issues in parliaments, society and public opinion, where a very wide split and radicalisation into extreme positions now prevails’.
Paolo Lòriga
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. https://youtu.be/Ab7gLDEeL2I
From Dec. 26-30, 2023, at the International Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo, Rome, was held the congress “Giving Roots of Joy. The call to be disciples-missionaries and the spirituality of communion.” It was a moment of encounter among seminarians, deacons and young priests that focused on meditation, reflection and sharing with the international participation of some groups connected via internet from Congo, Argentina and Romania. Antonio Carozza, a seminarian from Sulmona, Italy, tells us about it. 
How can we become roots of joy? This is the question Pope Francis asked us on the eve of WYD in Portugal, and which he also posed to us in the meeting for seminarians, deacons and young priests held in Castelgandolfo (Rome) from Dec. 26-30, 2023, with the intention of deepening the contribution of the Focolare Movement’s spirituality of communion, to the Church’s synodality and missionary spirit. I am experiencing for the third year in a row this appointment of the Christmas season and for the third time I was surprised by the beauty of coming together; coming from different places we found each other, met and recognized each other. It is always an exciting experience to reconfirm the beauty of our spirituality centered on unity and fraternity among all, so that it is not just a slogan but an experience, an embodied life experience. 
A moment experienced with particular emotion was the meeting with Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, who wanted to listen to our reactions on the theme she proposed this year, “Called and Sent”; we felt welcomed and listened to in our different experiences. In particular, Margaret shared with us how she felt about the outbreak of violence in the Holy Land. Strong was her invitation to witness to God’s love by making us neighbors through true words that flow from a deep inner life and the authenticity of a life lived because only those who have experienced love can love, only those who have experienced failure and forgiveness can become credible witnesses. The same love and passion emerged from the words of Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement. We understood how we cannot be fathers if we do not first learn to be sons; Christmas reminds us precisely of this fact, our whole life is called to be Christmas. In fact, Jesús reminded us how in pastoral commitment, to which we are all called in various capacities, we need to give birth to Jesus, and to do this we must first become like Mary. Pastoral work can only be Marian. Another highlight was the talk by H.E. Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick in Ireland, who shared with us his experience of participating in the Synod, making us understand how Synod means first of all conversion. In fact, the Synod invites us to pursue a process of conversion made of mutual listening and a renewed listening to the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Church. A special moment of grace was the participation in the General Audience of Pope Francis, who urged us to be custodians of our hearts. We heard echoed Chiara Lubich’s words, “if the heart is set on God alone, everything else falls.” With many new insights and with hearts filled with joy, we returned to our parishes and seminaries where, as disciples-missionaries, we are called to make ourselves roots of joy for others every day with the spirit that Chiara herself left us: to “make unity around us, in the environment where we are” in order to be one, to be Jesus, because his love makes us enter deeply into the hearts of others.
Antonio Carozza
