Catholics, Jews and Muslims in dialogue at the WYD

On the World Youth Day’s eve a seminar was held at PUC in which young people belonging to the three great monotheistic religions build bridges in Rio de Janeiro.

For the first time in the World Youth Day history, there was an encounter between young people of the three great monotheistic religions. Sunday, 21^st, 150 young Catholics, Jews and Muslims met at the auditorium in the PUC University for a seminar sponsored by the Interreligious Youth of Rio de Janeiro (JIRJ, in Portuguese) in order to celebrate “unity in diversity” and put into practice dialogue, going down to the smallest details. For example, the organizers decided not to offer any refreshments during the interval in order to respect the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.

Inside the auditorium, there were many young people wearing T-shirts belonging to various parishes or Catholic movements, Jewish boys with kipa and girls with the hijab, the typical Muslim headscarf. Some came from other countries, such as Nicaragua, Bolivia and Algeria. On the panel, there were young people like Fernando Celino, from the Muslim Beneficent Society of Rio de Janeiro, who reported their experience in the pursuit of interreligious dialogue: “I started going to the Commission for Combating Religious Intolerance, which met at a umbanda (an African religion)”, he recalled. “Although I never felt any prejudices against other religions, this meeting helped overcome certain stereotypes I had in my mind and especially, I made great friends.”

Rio 2013: Inizio della settimana con un incontro di Dialogo Interreligioso

Ciao! Benvenuti a RIO!!

Chiara Luce: an excellent model for young people

Fonte: www.catholicnewsagency.com

A friend of Blessed Chiara Badano, a patroness of World Youth Day 2013 who united her suffering from cancer to Christ's passion, called her an excellent model for young people to follow.

“I think that the Brazilian bishops' conference chose her because she is a model of sainthood that is simple, and not someone spectacular,” Franz Coriasco, an Italian journalist, told CNA July 16. “She proved that you can pass from the ordinary to extraordinary in simplicity of faith.”

Bl. Chiara ‘Luce’ was a member of the Focolare Movement who contracted cancer at age 16. Her life was one of devotion to Christ and abandonment to his will.

She died in 1990 when she was 18, having accepted her illness out of a desire to be united to Christ on the cross, saying, “It’s for you, Jesus. If you want it, I want it, too.”

Coriasco met Bl. Chiara because he was among the best friends of her youngest sister. In 2010 he wrote a biography of her titled “Dai tetti in giù,” or “From the Roof Down.”

“I don’t think she was named Blessed because of her tumor, although this made the process faster,” Coriasco said. “She just followed the will of God.” “She was feminine,” Coriasco said, as well as “determined and energized.” “She had the capacity of having great dreams and ideals, but was, at the same time, down to earth and realistic,” he stressed.

Bl. Chiara is among the 18 saints and blesseds whom Benedict XVI chose as patrons of World Youth Day 2013, which will be held from 23^rd to 28^th July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Coriasco said that Bl. Chiara’s parents, who participated in Madrid’s World Youth Day in 2011, will be attending this year’s celebration as well. “Chiara also experienced a World Youth Day, the one held in Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 1989,” he reflected. Coriasco said the youth making pilgrimage to World Youth Day can learn an important lesson from her. “She said, ‘we only have one life and it is worth living it well.’ She did this with great responsibility.”

Bl. Chiara was beatified in 2010 just outside of Rome. During the Mass, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, remembered her as having “a crystalline heart, like water from the source.”

At World Youth Day, Coriasco is also helping organize an event which will be broadcast on the Italian channel Rai Uno. “Since Italians are one of the largest groups to attend it, there is an event called ‘the Feast of the Italians’ that will take place on June 24.”

In past World Youth Days, the event has been an opportunity for Italian pilgrims to meet each other, as well as international pilgrims of Italian origin.

By Estefania Aguirre

Agenda do Movimento dos Focolares na JMJ

L’attrattiva del tempo moderno

Ecco la grande attrattiva

del tempo moderno:

penetrare nella più alta contemplazione

e rimanere mescolati fra tutti,

uomo accanto a uomo.

Vorrei dire di più: perdersi nella folla,

per informarla del divino,

come s’inzuppa

un frusto di pane nel vino.

Vorrei dire di più:

fatti partecipi dei disegni di Dio

sull’umanità,

segnare sulla folla ricami di luce

e, nel contempo, dividere col prossimo

l’onta, la fame, le percosse, le brevi gioie.

Perchè l’attrattiva

gel nostro, come di tutti i tempi,

è ciò che di più umano e di più divino

SI possa pensare,

Gesù e Maria:

il Verbo di Dio, figlio d’un falegname;

la Sede della Sapienza, madre di casa.

Chiara Lubich

GEN ROSSO - Tournée in Brazil and WYD 2013

From May 16 to July 27, 2013, the Gen Rosso Group is in Brazil on a very special tournée presenting  its  “Strong without violence” project.  In Europe,  about 500,000 young people have already participated in this initiative, whose  goal,  recognized and funded by the European Union, is to contribute towards strengthening against violence, isolation, drugs, bullying, and many other various kinds of  subtle but painful experiences of oppression.

 The focal point of this project is the musical “Streetlight”  which narrates a true story, that of Charles Moats (1951 - 1969), who grew up in the ghettos of Chicago and remained faithful to his gospel-related ideals, despite the difficulties and the hatred he encountered.  He decided  against violence and  he sticked to his choice in a very coherent way, even at the cost of his own life.

In Brazil, young people recovering from various addictions in therapeutic communities are involved in “Streetlight.”  They come from the communities of “Fazenda da Esperanca”  and also  from other ecclesial or social realties  such as the Association for the  Protection and Assistance to Prisoners ( APAC),  the Mundo Novo Sem Drogas Movement,  the Casa do Menor de Nova Iguaçu (RJ), Canção Nova and the Shalom Community.

Who are the Y4UW?

We are the “Youth for a United World (Y4UW) Movement” founded by Chiara Lubich in 1985. It is part of the wide ranging Focolare Movement. Our ages vary from 17 to 30 and we come from different walks of life. In fact, our main characteristic is universality. We are youth from all over the world and we belong to different ethnic groups, nationalities and cultures. Many of us profess different creeds, whilst some of us do not have a religious belief; however we are all passionate protagonists striving for universal brotherhood.

This trend is slowly penetrating the youth milieu, which is called to face the numerous challenges brought about by a culture that exalts provisional values, relativism and individualism, especially in the West.

It is a void in the hearts of many young people that longs for fullness, prompts the search; in order to seek an ideal in life which is worth living for: to contribute towards building a united world.

It is exactly in this daily challenge that young Christians have the opportunity to consolidate the choice of Jesus as a model and the Gospel as a code of life.

In accepting the united world project, young people belonging to different religions are continuously prompted to faithfully measure up to the doctrines of their Religion, like for example in living by the Golden Rule: “do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Mt. 7:12)

Young people of other convictions share with enthusiasm every concrete initiative in favour of the neighbour, thus expressing the highest human values.

The strong spirit that animates the Y4UW brings about numerous actions both on the local level as well the international level. Very briefly, these actions consist of:

Quick interventions in order to assist victims of earthquakes, floods, famines, wars... In recent months, for example, we are committed to helping malnourished children in Ivory Coast and Uganda, flood victims in Nigeria, Thailand, the Philippines, Italy, and assisting families in Syria.

On the local level, the Y4UW carry out all kinds of micro-projects, all aimed at building fraternity in their city, neighbourhood, school, university... There is a growing enthusiasm in fulfilling actions of fraternity in all the five continents: works in favour of street children, homeless, abandoned elderly people, handicapped persons, prisoners, immigrants... in each place of course, according to the most urgent needs of the area.

 Since 1996, the Y4UW celebrate the “United World Week – UWW” on annual basis. The UWW is the Y4UW proposal to cities, to institutions, to all in order to promote unity and peace at every level. Many activities are concentrated during these UWW days in order to influence the public opinion and witness together that building a united world is possible. An internet link-up provides for simultaneous connection of around 4.000 points on the globe.

Genfest 2012: Last September, about 12,000 young people from 104 countries gathered in Budapest, Hungary to celebrate the 10^th Genfest in history. Through the social networks, we were linked-up to around half a million people. The title of the event: “Let’s Bridge”, that is, let’s build bridges with all and the result was clear: we all left Budapest with steadfast conviction that a united world is possible!

Fully aware it is not possible to build a united world on their own, the Y4UW work together with all men and women of good will, collaborating with all those committed for the same goal.

GMG 2013: festa dei giovani a Rio de Janeiro

Uno sguardo sulla Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù e il contributo dei giovani del Movimento dei Focolari

Rio de Janeiro si prepara ad accogliere 2 milioni di giovani per la XXVIII Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù. Ma non solo. Accoglierà anche Papa Francesco che, nel suo primo viaggio apostolico, incontrerà i giovani a Copacabana per la Via Crucis e nel Campus Fidei per la Veglia e la Santa Messa conclusiva.

Francesco visiterà alcune “periferie” brasiliane, come la comunità della favela di Varginha, alcuni giovani detenuti di Rio e inaugurerà un nuovo complesso per tossicodipendenti nell’Ospedale San Francesco di Assisi, una delle eredità sociali della GMG.

Non poteva mancare una visita al Santuario di Aparecida – dove nel 2007 si è svolta la V Conferenza Generale dell’Episcopato Latinoamericano e dei Caraibi (CELAM) – che ha prodotto l’importante e significativo Documento di Aparecida, regalato dal Papa ai Capi di Stato latinoamericani che gli hanno fatto visita nelle ultime settimane.

Il 21 luglio, presso la Pontificia Università Cattolica di Rio de Janeiro, avrà luogo un incontro interreligioso con 200 giovani ebrei, cattolici e musulmani provenienti da tutto il Brasile. Sebbene preceda l’inizio ufficiale del programma, ne è considerato parte integrante. L’arcivescovo di Rio, mons. Tempesta, aprirà l’incontro. Lo scopo è arrivare a proposte di azioni concrete per superare pregiudizi e dare visibilità a quanto già si fa in Brasile in questo ambito. A Rio, un gruppo interreligioso di giovani si trova mensilmente percorrendo un cammino di arricchimento e conoscenza reciproca.

We Need to Talk!

Written by Luigino Bruni

Good relationships at work are based on mutual respect and understanding. Why don’t we dedicate time to listen to one another? Long standing institutions prove it is beneficial.

Employed workers suffer from general anxiety due to the high rates of unemployment. In Southern Europe employees are increasingly unsatisfied (Ipsos, TNS-sofres). 68% of French workers state that the quality of their working life decreased between 2008 to 2012; among those who are 35 to 49 years old, 75% express their discontent. Middle-aged workers, usually half way through their career, suffer from chronic dissatisfaction.

The motivations to work vary through time. During the first years of a new career people are excited and enthusiastic. After twenty years in the same office of an organization, the enthusiasm dies out. Without new and more compelling motivations, workers become weary and cynical. The above mentioned survey indicates that average public sector employees are the least enthusiastic about their work.

Workplaces are filled with discontent middle age workers. Much of the research done in this area reveals a U-shaped graph correlating happiness and age. The point of minimum happiness hits around 45 years of age. From this age, workers’ happiness increases if they have good health and social relationships.

Vanity Fair nomina il Papa “uomo dell’anno”

Per Elton John: “Francesco è un miracolo di umiltà nell'era della vanità”

Di Antonio Gaspari

ROMA, 15 Luglio 2013 (Zenit.org) - Il settimanale Vanity Fair ha dedicato la copertina del numero di luglio (n° 28, 17 luglio 2013) a Papa Francesco. Con la foto intitolata “Francesco Papa Coraggio”, la rivista ha nominato in anticipo il Pontefice “uomo dell’anno”. Secondo Vanity Fair, infatti, i primi cento giorni di Papa Francesco lo hanno messo in testa "ai leader mondiali che fanno la storia”.

Molto interessanti i commenti, soprattutto tra coloro che non sono cattolici e che hanno espresso nel passato critiche alla chiesa. Elton John, ad esempio, ha scritto che “Papa Francesco è per la Chiesa cattolica la migliore notizia da diversi secoli a questa parte. Quest’uomo da solo, è riuscito a riavvicinare la gente agli insegnamenti di Cristo”. “I non cattolici come me – ha aggiunto il cantante – si alzano in piedi ad applaudire l’umiltà di ogni suo gesto” perché “Francesco è un miracolo di umiltà nell’era della vanità”.

Andrea Bocelli, il cantante che a causa di un incidente è diventato cieco a dodici anni, ha raccontato che quando ha sentito le prime parole di Papa Francesco gli si sono riempiti gli occhi di lacrime. “Papa Francesco – ha raccontato – è entrato così nel mio cuore, lo ha conquistato con la sua autentica umiltà, con la forza disarmante della sua fede, con tutto quel vissuto che illumina le sue parole e addolcisce il timbro della sua voce.”

This is the great attraction

This is the great attraction
of modern times;
to penetrate to the highest contemplation
while mingling with everyone,
one person alongside others.

I would say even more:

to lose oneself in the crowd
in order to fill it with the divine,
like a piece of bread
dipped in wine.

I would say even more:

made sharers of God’s plans
for humanity,
to embroider patterns of light on the crowd,

and at the same time to share with our neighbour
shame, hunger, troubles, brief joys. 

Because the attraction

of our times, as of all times,
is the highest conceivable expression
of the human and the divine,
Jesus and Mary:
the Word of God, a carpenter’s son;
the Seat of Wisdom, a mother at home."

Chiara Lubich (Meditations)

Meeting Caserta 2013: Medaglia del Presidente della Repubblica

Vanno avanti i preparativi del meeting a Caserta, presso il Villaggio Meeting PalaVignola, dal 29 luglio al 2 agosto!

“LEGALITA’ – Protagonisti della nostra terra” – è il titolo del meeting promosso da noi giovani del Movimento dei Focolari di tutta Italia che vedrà convergere da tutto il territorio nazionale. Tutte le informazioni principali sono già presenti sul sito web www.cantierelegalita.org.

Il 18 giugno abbiamo ricevuto una lettera dal Presidente della Repubblica, Giorgio Napolitano, il quale ha voluto omaggiarci della medaglia presidenziale come suo premio di rappresentanza, donandoci i suoi migliori auguri per il successo della manifestazione.

Programma del Meeting:

Le mattine saranno dedicate tutte al campi di lavoro e all’impegno sul territorio di Napoli e Caserta, attraverso attività ecologiche di risanamento ambientale e restauro urbanistico, agricole nelle terre confiscate alle mafie, animazione in quartieri con marcato disagio sociale, visite presso realtà aziendali e del non profit per conoscere esperienze di buone pratiche;

La santità veste jeans - Sanctity wearing jeans

WORLD YOUTH DAY RIO 2013 – EXPECTED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Date	Time	Activity
Sunday 21st July	08:00 – 13:00	Interreligious Event at the Catholic Pontifical University – PUC – Gávea Rio area – Some Youth for a United World (Y4UW) from Rio are preparing for this event. Go down at Siqueira Campos Metro Station and proceed by bus.
Tuesday 23rd July	08:00 – 20:00	Vocational Fair at Quinta da Boa Vista in the São Cristovão area – A stand prepared by São Paulo Y4UW. (Close to Maracanã Metro Station). From 14:15 – 16:15: there will be an on-stage presentation of the Focolare Movement; the life story of Chiara Luce (book and show); of Sophia University Institute; of “Escola Civitas” and workshops on: “Possible relationships between science and religion – from a Mathematical perspective.”
	08:00 – 20:00	Focolare Movement exhibition stand with the distribution of Chiara Luce’s book by “Cidade Nova” at “Largo da Carioca” Metro Station. “Cidade Nova” exhibition stand & book sale at Rio Centro:
	19:30	Openning Ceremonies: Official Holy Mass celebrated by Msgr. Tempesta and Msgr. Rylko at Copacabana Seafront.
Wednesday 24th July	08:00 – 20:00	Vocational Fair at Quinta da Boa Vista in the São Cristovão area – A stand prepared by São Paulo Y4UW (Youth for a United World). The location is close to Maracanã Metro Station.
	08:00 – 20:00	Focolare Movement exhibition stand with the distribution of Chiara Luce’s book by “Cidade Nova” at “Largo da Carioca” Metro Station. “Cidade Nova” exhibition stand & book sale at Rio Centro:
	09:30 – 13:00	Catechetical session: animated in Portuguese by the Y4UW from Mariapoli Ginetta, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. Locality still unknown.
	15:00	A meeting with Chiara Luce: at the “Grande Sala da Cidade das Artes” in Bairro de Barra da Tijuca. Go down at Siqueira Campos Metro Station and proceed by bus to Alvorada Station.
	18:00	A meeting with Chiara Luce: at the “Grande Sala da Cidade das Artes” in Bairro de Barra da Tijuca. Go down at Siqueira Campos Metro Station and proceed by bus to Alvorada Station.
	20:00	Gen Rosso Concert – “Indelible Dimension” at the Convention Centre  – Rio Centro – at the Catholic Expo. Go down at Siqueira Campos Metro Station and proceed to Alvorada Station and take secondo bus.

Summer School Internazionale 2013

Dal 25 al 29 agosto 2013 a Tonadico di Primiero (Trento): “Per una cultura del dialogo tra le civiltà. Le risorse delle scienze umane davanti ai conflitti”

Parlare di “civiltà” al plurale significa accettare in maniera convinta e profonda la presenza dell’altro e conferirgli la stessa dignità che si attribuisce a noi stessi. Pensare e praticare il dialogo significa considerare questa pluralità come una ricchezza e stimare la diversità come la possibilità di aprire l’uno all’altro aspetti sconosciuti del bene e della verità. Il mutuo riconoscimento e rispetto, il dialogo, l’arricchimento reciproco, sono dunque la norma. In questa prospettiva, invece, i conflitti vanno considerati come ostacolo da superare, o come eccezione o patologia. Ma le scienze umane si costituiscono secondo questa prospettiva? Oppure hanno scambiato i ruoli della norma e della sua violazione, così che è il conflitto ad apparire come “normale” mentre la pace viene resa secondaria? E con quali conseguenze sulla capacità delle scienze stesse di comprendere i conflitti, di gestirli attraverso regole, di sanarli? Forse un profondo ripensamento delle scienze umane, nelle loro fondamenta e metodologie, nei loro obiettivi, si rende oggi necessario.

The GOLDEN RULE in action

Source: Focolare

By living the Golden Rule (“Do to others what you would like them to do to you; do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you”in the Focolare community of Acquaviva delle Fonti in southern Italy, people share the family spirit with others who are living far from their homes and loved ones.

They come from the most varied backgrounds, lands and cultures: Albania, Ukraine, Georgia, Morocco, Senegal, Romania, Nigeria and Belarus. Like many of their fellow countrymen and women they are leaving behind dramatic situations, as well as their loved ones in the hope of finding work and a better future for their lives.

They have landed in Acquaviva delle Fonti, a town of the Bari province which, like other southern Italian towns, has become the destination or crossing point for many who are dreaming of a better life. The Focolare community here has for some time felt summoned by their presence: “We had it in our hearts,” they write, “to see to it that these many foreigners/immigrants would feel welcomed in our city.” Personal relationships were established, bonds of friendship that overcame barriers and mistrust. “Three years ago,” they say, “we decided to organize a festival that we could all share during the Christmas season, so they could breathe in a bit of family atmosphere instead of the loneliness and marginalization that many unfortunately experience.” Our friendship became deeper and deeper. And now the Christmas festival has become an annual tradition. In what we call the ‘the people’s festival’ our friends now feel free enough to extend the invitation to other foreign friends, and we are more than happy to welcome them.”

Programma GMG a Rio de Janeiro dal 21 al 28 luglio

Data	Ora	Attività
Domenica 21 luglio	08:00 – 13:00	Evento Interreligioso nella Pontificia Università Cattolica – PUC - Rio quartiere di Gávea – Alcuni/e Giovani per un Mondo Unito (GMU) di Rio stanno nella preparazione. Stazione Metro Siqueira Campos e poi collegamento con pullman.
Martedì 23 luglio	08:00 – 20:00	Fiera delle Vocazioni nella Quinta da Boa Vista nel quartiere di São Cristovão - Stand preparato dai GMU. Stazione Metro Maracanã. Dalle 14:15 – 16:15: presentazione dal palco della Fiera: cos’è il Mov. Dei Focolari, chi è Chiara Luce (vita, libro, spettacolo), presentazione dello United World Project, Istituto Sophia, “Escola Civitas” e workshop: “Possibile relazioni fra scienza e religione - uno sguardo della Matematica”.
	08:00 – 20:00	Tenda del Movimento nel “Largo da Carioca”: distribuzione del libro di Chiara Luce da “Cidade Nova”. Stazione Metro Carioca. Anche nel Rio Centro: Tenda “Cidade Nova”
	19:30	Ceremonia di Accoglienza con Mons. Tempesta e Mons. Rylko a Copacabana.
Mercoledì 24 luglio	08:00 – 20:00	Fiera delle Vocazioni nella Quinta da Boa Vista nel quartiere di São Cristovão - Stand preparato dai GMU - Giovani per un Mondo Unito di São Paulo. Stazione Metro Maracanã.
	08:00 – 20:00	Tenda del Movimento nel “Largo da Carioca”: distribuzione del libro di Chiara Luce da “Cidade Nova”. Stazione Metro Carioca. Anche nel Rio Centro: Tenda “Cidade Nova”
	09:30 – 13:00	Catechesi: animazione di una catechesi in portoghese fatta dai GMU della Mariapoli Ginetta, Brasília e Belo Horizonte. Non sappiamo ancora il locale.
	15:00	Spettacolo di Chiara Luce al “Grande Sala da Cidade das Artes” in Bairro de Barra da Tijuca. Stazione Metro Siqueira Campos e poi collegamento con pullman fino alla Stazione Alvorada.
	18:00	Spettacolo di Chiara Luce al “Grande Sala da Cidade das Artes” in Bairro de Barra da Tijuca. Stazione Metro Siqueira Campos e poi collegamento con pullman fino alla Stazione Alvorada.
	20:00	Concerto Gen Rosso – “Dimensione Indelebile” nel centro di Convegni – Rio Centro – nell’Expo Cattolica. Stazione Metro Siqueira Campos e poi collegamento con pullman fino alla Stazione Alvorada e poi ancora un’altro pullman.