Easter Volunteering 2023
They invite young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to participate. As the organizers explain: "We invite you to live an unforgettable experience. Don't think twice and jump into the adventure. We're waiting for you! You're so excited!" The volunteer program will take place from April 6th to 9th at the Granja de l'Ombría (Valencia). The Granja is carrying out a solidarity project focused on ecology, coexistence, and interculturality. It will be a few days to experience Holy Week together, with training, work, and reflection, discovering or learning more about the reality of immigration; an opportunity to engage in cultural exchange and share life. All within the framework of the Vallada Project. More information can be found at the email address. Registration.
Like a half-line launched into infinity
Thirty-eight years after the death of Margarita Bavosi, Luminosa, the life of the Servant of God remains relevant. This is evident through the many testimonies received by the Commission for her cause. Some of them appear in this year's Bulletin. A bulletin focuses on prayer and the interior life for growing in union with God, including the testimony of Fr. José-Damián Gaitán, OCD, doctor of theology, who knew Margarita. Access the Bulletin. As every March 7th, the anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, a Mass will be celebrated at the Luminosa Church. It will be at 7:00 p.m. and can be followed online. The Mass will be followed by a reading of some pages from Luminosa on union with God. There will also be various testimonies from those who knew her or who are inspired by her for their social actions, such as Fr. Fabio Ciardi, IMO, and the "Luminous Action" Association of Seville. Finally, the status of the current phase of the Beatification Process will be announced. You can follow it live at this link. Access code: Luminosa38. More information about Margarita Bavosi's life is available on her website and Instagram profile.
Investing in fossil fuel infrastructure
The case to be presented in this next session is: Investing in fossil fuel infrastructure in 2023-2025. It will be presented by Agustín Silva, Director of Infrastructure at the TCM Investors Group (wholesale distributor of diesel and gasoline in the Spanish market). The format remains the same: a presentation of a real business management case on which attendees can express their opinions and make concrete proposals. The next session will be on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. As in previous sessions, the session can be followed online to facilitate participation by participants from all Spanish-speaking countries. To participate in the Zoom videoconference meeting, interested parties must confirm their attendance by email. They will receive a written summary of the case to be discussed as soon as possible, allowing them to prepare their opinions and proposals, if they wish. Instructions for joining will be sent by email on the day of the meeting. To learn more about the Group, which belongs to New Humanity, you can access their presentation. You can contact them via email. The Barcelona Business Management Group is associated with the Economy of Communion as a Circle of Communion.
Working with meaning
The Association for an Economy of Communion (Spain) is organizing the Working with Meaning conference. It will take place in Madrid on March 4th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at C/ Francisco Cea, No. 9, mezzanine (Diego de León Metro station. Buses 12 and C2). The morning will begin with an informative roundtable on the current work landscape, with references to the vision provided by the Church's social doctrine and the economy of communion. The second part will focus on work for vulnerable groups and in the fields of education and healthcare. As always in the Association's conferences, dialogue and the sharing of good practices will be a cross-cutting theme of the conference. And as the organization states, inviting everyone to participate: "We are a civilization in search of meaning, also in work, perhaps especially in work. It is worth fighting for decent and meaningful work, for work that is not primarily a commodity to be exchanged in any market, but a path to humanization, fulfillment, and individual and collective growth. Therefore, we propose a day of reflection on the meaning of work on March 4th in Madrid."
Earthquake emergency
Through New Families Actions and the Igino Giordani Foundation (FIG), the Focolare in Spain are making their contribution to the Syrian and Turkish populations during this terrible time. Contributions can be deposited by bank transfer to the bank accounts indicated below. Donations: Middle East Earthquake – Igino Giordani Foundation: Caixabank – ES65 2100 5615 79 0200056937 – info@fundaciongiordani.org – New Families Actions: Caixabank – ES65 2100 1748 94 0200131988 – secretaria@familiasnuevas.org Donations are tax-deductible or corporate tax returns. A certificate can be requested at the email addresses indicated. Thanks to the small and large donations it has received, the FIG has already sent €7,500. Various local Focolare communities in Spain are already organizing various charitable activities. As in previous cases, this fundraising effort is being managed in conjunction with the International Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement, which channels it through Action for a United World and Actions for New Families. The aid is intended for basic necessities such as food, medical care, housing, heating, and shelter. In Syria, the aid is being provided in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama, and in the Turkish province of Iskenderun. The effort is also being made in collaboration with local churches. At the same time, the Political Movement for Unity has launched a campaign calling for the lifting of the financial embargo on Syria, allowing humanitarian organizations to carry out their essential work. The violent earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on February 6 caused the collapse of numerous buildings and infrastructure; the death toll continues to rise. First aid operations are complex, and the intense cold is making things extremely difficult for rescuers and evacuees, while aftershocks continue, some of them intense.
Margarita Bavosi, Luminous
On the occasion of Luminosa's 38th anniversary, a concelebrated Mass of Thanksgiving for the gift of her life and her commitment to the Holy Journey will be celebrated on March 7, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Mariápolis Luminosa Center. The testimony of Fr. José-Damián Gaitán, OCD, will be included. The Mass will be followed by a reading of some of Luminosa's works on union with God. There will also be various testimonies from those who knew her or who are inspired by her for their social actions, such as Fr. Fabio Ciardi, IMO, and the "Luminous Action" Association of Seville. Finally, the status of the current phase of the Beatification Process will be announced. It can be followed live at this link. Access code: Luminosa38. Those who receive graces or wish to contribute their testimonies can do so by writing to the Postulation of the Cause: C/ Poniente 28, 28290 Las Matas (Madrid), or by sending an email to the cause's email address. For financial contributions: CAIXABANK – Concept: Cause of Luminosa From Europe: ES65 21002614711300138297 From outside Europe: CAIXESBBXXX ES65 2100 2614 7113 0013 8297 Also as every year, the Bulletin of her cause will be published in March. More information about Luminosa and the cause is available on her website. Luminosa was Argentine, a consecrated lay person, and was co-responsible for the Focolare Movement in Spain for 14 years. She died at the age of 44 in Italy, leaving in her will: "Now it is your turn," passing on the witness of a life lived in total dedication to fulfilling Jesus' prayer: "May they all be one." Prayer
Charity Bean Festival 2023
After two years of eating beans at home and connecting online, this time the event returns to the Basilica of Begoña. The event will take place on February 18th at 2:00 p.m. You can participate and contribute by competing with prepared beans or by tasting the different recipes presented. The project supporting the Charity Bean Festival this time is located in Burundi: Water, Source of Life. It is currently on hold due to lack of funds. The celebration of the Charity Bean Festival could be a good opportunity to activate it. More information and registration can be found on the invitation, on the form provided, and by email. Those unable to participate can always contribute through the Igino Giordani Foundation: Account number: ES65 2100 5615 7902 0005 6937 – Concept: Bean Festival 2023. Organizers: Focolare Movement and Igino Giordani Foundation. Collaborators: Murillo Viteri Winery, Parish of the Basilica of Begoña and Begoña Retirees Club.
Ethical intelligence
The Barcelona Business Management Group's training sessions continue.
“The last word in the history of the world will be communion.”
Esteem, recognition, and deep emotion fill my heart now as I express my deepest gratitude for the work and life of Pope Benedict XVI, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Movement he followed and accompanied with closeness and love. With the entire Church, we unite around Pope Francis in returning him to God, certain that he has already been received into the glory of Heaven; and I will do so personally on January 5th, participating in the funeral in St. Peter's Square. I had the gift of welcoming Pope Benedict XVI in May 2009 in Jerusalem, participating in various stages of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Two moments particularly struck me: his words at the Holy Sepulchre: "Peace here is possible," and "the Empty Tomb," he continued, "speaks to us of hope, which does not disappoint, because it is a gift of the Spirit of life." Also deeply moving for me was participating in a private Mass at the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem, celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI himself. I sensed his paternal tenderness and the greatness of his charity, expressed in a gesture of recognition for all that the Focolare Movement had done to prepare for his visit. In 1989, when he was still Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was invited by Chiara Lubich to a dialogue with the Focolarines, gathered for their annual spiritual retreat, in which I was also participating. He answered a wide variety of questions and at one point spoke words that I have not forgotten. Regarding the future of the Church and of humanity, he said: “The last word of the history of the world will be communion; it will be to become communion, not only among ourselves but, incorporated into Trinitarian love, to become a universal communion, where God is all in all.”[1] Today, at the moment when the beloved Pope Benedict XVI has returned to the Father's house, this expression of his resonates in me almost like a spiritual testament. These are words of extraordinary relevance, which today shed light and hope on a humanity afflicted by conflicts whose end we see no end in sight. We have been nourished by his illuminating thought, that of a great theologian who, while still very young, participated in the Second Vatican Council, transmitting and presenting over the years the novelty of a Church-communion, made of knowledge of the Word and of charity translated into practice. The day after his election as Pontiff, Chiara Lubich expressed herself thus: “From the direct knowledge I have of him, having special gifts for grasping the light of the Spirit, he will not fail to surprise and surpass every expectation.”[2] We will not forget the key role he played in 1998, when Pope John Paul II, on the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, called the ecclesial movements and new communities to St. Peter's Square. On that occasion, Cardinal Ratzinger gave a master class entitled: Ecclesial Movements and Their Theological Positioning, in which he outlined the profile of the movements and new communities and their essential relationship with the Church. Some passages from his address remain, for me and for the Movement, a source of great insight into our ability to be instruments of communion in the Church and arms of Christ for humanity: “It is very evident that the Holy Spirit is also acting in the Church today, granting her new gifts,” he said then, “thanks to which she relives the joy of her youth (cf. Ps 42:4). My gratitude to so many people, young and old, who heed the call of the Spirit and, without looking around or back, joyfully throw themselves into the service of the Gospel. My gratitude to the bishops who are open to new paths, make room for them in their respective Churches, and patiently debate with those responsible to help them overcome any one-sidedness and lead them to a just conformation.”[3] Together with the whole Church, I thank God for the gift that Pope Benedict XVI has been for our time and I pray that we may be able to grasp and translate into life the depth of his theological thought, his fidelity to the Gospel and the courage of a witness of life capable of leading the Church along the paths of truth, fraternity and peace. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement. [1] Visit of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the meeting of the Focolarines, answers to questions. Castel Gandolfo, December 8, 1989. Chiara Lubich Archive in the General Archive of the Focolare Movement. [2] Statement by Chiara Lubich in: Press Release of the Focolare Movement, April 20, 2005. [3] The movements in the Church. Atti del Congresso mondiale dei movimenti ecclesiali, Rome, May 27-29, 1998, Coll. Laici oggi 2, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1999
GCPS Consulting Independent Research Report
Margaret Karram: "On behalf of the Focolare Movement, I commit to responding with actions, listening, welcoming, and preventive measures to the final recommendations made by the independent investigation." The Focolare Movement announces the results of the investigation conducted by an external and independent body into the cases of sexual abuse involving JMM, a former distinguished member of the Focolare Movement in France. The investigation was entrusted on December 23, 2020, by the Focolare Movement to the British firm GCPS Consulting, an independent body whose mission has always been to help institutions improve their systems for preventing and reporting abuse. To ensure the integrity, quality, and reliability of the investigation process and its results, the Focolare Movement also appointed Alain Christnacht, a former senior French civil servant, as an independent monitor, with no ties to the Movement. At the request of the victims, the Focolare Movement entrusted the investigation to an independent commission, in the same spirit as the French Episcopal Conference, which in February 2019 had entrusted the CIASE (Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse) to conduct an inquiry into the entire French Catholic Church with the sole aim of placing victims at the center of its priorities and investigative work. The independent body received testimonies covering the period 1958-2020, which clearly show that JMM was responsible for abuses at various levels involving at least 26 victims. GCPS Consulting summarizes the work carried out for the survey as follows: “Listening to the victims has been one of the main tasks, as well as a challenge of the process, for the victims and for the investigation team, but it is the most important element. The report describes the events over five decades in which JMM sexually abused or attempted to abuse his victims, mainly adolescent boys, describing his modus operandi and also the context in which the abuse took place. The inquiry heard from other victims of abuse, some sexual and other forms of abuse, from a significant number of victims and witnesses. The report also highlights the fact that the abuse was widespread and unaddressed, even when it was reported to those responsible and in positions of responsibility. The inquiry was asked to examine the level of awareness of these incidents by those responsible at the time and subsequently, and to assess how they were addressed. The report details that the allegations were not adequately addressed, the victims were not listened to, were not treated appropriately, and opportunities to respond to JMM's abuse and prevent further incidents were missed. Finally, the report describes in detail how the Focolare Movement has recently developed safeguarding measures and makes a number of recommendations aimed at strengthening the safeguarding environment, including those related to fundamental changes at the cultural and leadership levels. After examining the report, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, stated: “There are no adequate words to express the shock and pain I feel for the harm caused by JMM to children and adolescents and – I must say this with great suffering – not only by him, as is evident from the results of the investigation.” Addressing the victims, she added: “At this moment, all my thoughts and words go out to you who have suffered a very serious crime that in many cases has ruined your lives. TO EACH OF YOU, EACH AND EVERY ONE PERSONALLY, TOGETHER WITH THE CO-PRESIDENT, JESÚS MORÁN, AND ON BEHALF OF THE FOCOLARI MOVEMENT, I HUMBLY ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS. We must recognize that, despite the good the Movement has accomplished throughout its history, in this area we have failed to be vigilant, to listen, and to heed the cry for help of many: this can no longer happen and is in complete contradiction with the values that the Focolare Movement, with its Christian spirituality, is called to live. I commit, on behalf of the Focolare Movement, to respond with actions, measures of listening, welcoming, and prevention, to the final recommendations made by the independent investigation. The Focolare Movement is more determined than ever to ensure that its communities around the world are safe and mutually enriching places. As the GCPS investigation points out, in 2011 the Movement began an in-depth evaluation of measures to prevent abuse and protect people. These measures were reviewed in 2014 and 2020 and will be further updated following an in-depth study of the results of this investigation. The Focolare Movement has informed the French Episcopal Conference and the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life of the publication of the report. The Movement's primary concern is to contribute as much as possible to the victims' reconstruction process, including financial compensation if necessary and required. Therefore, at the recommendation of the Church in France, the Focolare Movement has asked the Independent Commission for Reconnaissance and Reparation (CRR), a multidisciplinary body composed of civil society experts and established by CORREF (Conférence des Religieux et Religieuses de France), to accompany victims who so wish in their reparation process. Victims can now contact this body. Email: victimes@crr.contact – Tel: 09 73 88 25 71 Website: https://www.reconnaissancereparation.org To maintain its commitment to the victims of JMM, the Movement has activated a psychological support service coordinated by Dr. Alexis Vancappel for several months. This service will continue for victims who have already used this service. The Focolare Movement reports that in the coming weeks it will announce the actions and measures it intends to implement to respond to the recommendations expressed in the report. The results of the research are fully published and accessible to all on the GCPS Consulting website and on the French and international websites of the Focolare Movement. For now, the research is available in English, French, and Italian; additional languages will be added later.
