#Focolare movement

[portraitsofsaints]

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano

1971 - 1990

Feast day: October 29

Blessed Chiara Badano was born on October 29, 1971, to Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano in Sassello, Italy. The couple waited and prayed eleven years to have Chiara. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname "Luce" by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16 she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Chiara succumbed to cancer on October 7, 1990, after a two-year battle with the disease.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[synderesis08]

Chiara Lubich was an extraordinary woman, but she was more than that; she inspired and led an extraordinary religious movement, but she was more than that as well. Chiara Lubich was the embodiment of the values of Love and Unity that she espoused; which live on after her not only in the remarkable Focolare movement itself, but in the hearts and souls of people of faiths and cultures worldwide, touched by her spirit. --Rabbi David Rosen, CBE, KSG, International Director of Interreligious Affairs, AJC

[eternal-echoes]

“You must be Ambassadors of hope! Brazil’s statistics concerning drug abuse and other forms of chemical dependency are very high. The same is true of Latin America in general. I therefore urge the drug-dealers to reflect on the grave harm they are inflicting on countless young people and on adults from every level of society: God will call you to account for your deeds. Human dignity cannot be trampled upon in this way. The harm done will receive the same censure that Jesus reserved for those who gave scandal to the "little ones", the favourites of God (cf. Mt18:7-10).

4. Through treatment, which includes medical, psychological and educational assistance, and through much prayer, manual work and discipline, many people— especially young people—have already succeeded in freeing themselves from alcohol and drug dependency, thereby recovering meaning in their lives.

I wish to express my appreciation for this work, which has the charism of Saint Francis and the spirituality of the Focolare Movement as its spiritual foundation.

Reintegration in society undoubtedly demonstrates the effectiveness of your initiative. Yet it is the conversions, the rediscovery of God and active participation in the life of the Church which attract even greater attention and which confirm the importance of your work. It is not enough to care for the body, we must adorn the soul with the most precious divine gifts acquired through Baptism.

Let us thank God for all those who have set out along the path of renewed hope, with the help of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of the Eucharist.”

-Pope Benedict XVI, APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO BRAZIL ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIFTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOPS OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY LIVING IN THE FAZENDA, Fazenda da Esperança, Guaratinguetá, 12 May 2007

[follows-pfps-with-trans-flags]

Full text for the curious

By Salvatore Cernuzio

People who are poor, unemployed, homeless, immigrants, or exploited, as well as all those killed by past dictatorships and turned into rubbish by the "throwaway culture" of the present: the level of a society's civilisation is measured by the way they are treated, the Pope said.

Pope Francis reiterated the centrality of the vulnerable as well as the urgency of countering the triple "scourge" of corruption, abuse of power, and lawlessness—both in politics and in society—in his address on Wednesday with representatives of the DIALOP transversal dialogue project.

This is a dialogue project between socialists/Marxists, communists, and Christians aimed at formulating a common social ethic that can be proposed as a new narrative for a Europe in search of its identity, with an integral ecology between the Social Doctrine of the Church and Marxist social critique at its core.

The initiative was born in 2014 after a meeting between Pope Francis, Alexis Tsipras, then president of the Syriza party and later Greek prime minister after 2015, Walter Baier, president of the Party of the European Left, and Franz Kronreif of the Focolare Movement (both present at the audience).

"Do not stop dreaming"

Pope Francis received this morning, in the Paul VI Hall, before the General Audience, 15 members—7 from the left and 8 Catholics from different European countries—of this association.

He shared with them his pain for a world that today appears "divided by wars and polarizations" and, on the other hand, his encouragement to look to the future and try to imagine a "better world."

"We Argentinians say: don't wrinkle, don't go backwards. And this is the invitation I extend to you too: don't back down, don't give up, don't stop dreaming of a better world."

Freedom, equality, dignity, fraternity

"It is in the imagination, in fact, that intelligence, intuition, experience, and historical memory meet to create, venture, and risk," the Pope stressed.

He recalled how, over the centuries, "it has been the great dreams of freedom and equality, of dignity and fraternity, a reflection of God's dream, that have produced progress and advances."

In this sense, the Pope indicated three attitudes for DIALOP to carry out its commitment: the courage to break the mould, attention to the weak, and promotion of a culture based on the rule-of-law.

Turning the tide

Having the courage to break the mould means "opening up, in dialogue, to new ways."

"In an era marked at various levels by conflicts and disagreements, let us not lose sight of what can still be done to reverse the course," he said.

"Against rigid approaches that divide, let us cultivate confrontation and listening with an open heart, without excluding anyone, at the political, social, and religious levels, so that the contribution of each one can, in his or her concrete peculiarity, be positively accepted in the processes of change to which our future is committed," Pope Francis exhorted.

Criticism of finance and market mechanisms

The Pope then called for constant attention to be paid to the weak because the measure of a civilisation is evident in how it treats those on the margins of society.

In off-the-cuff remarks, the Pope recalled the history of the recent past. "Let us not forget that the great dictatorships—think of Nazism—discarded the vulnerable and killed them," he said.

He urged world leaders to put in place policies that are "truly at the service of humanity," saying society "cannot allow itself to be dictated by finance and market mechanisms."

"Solidarity, besides being a moral virtue, is a requirement of justice, which requires correcting distortions and purifying the intentions of unjust systems, as well as radical changes of perspective in the sharing of challenges and resources among men and among peoples," the Pope said.

And he defined "social poets" those who dedicate themselves to this field, because "poetry is creativity," and here it is a question of "putting creativity at the service of society, so that it becomes more human and fraternal."

Fighting corruption and illegality

Finally, Pope Francis encouraged a culture based on the rule-of-law.

"Fight the scourge of corruption, abuses of power, and illegality," he said, because "only in honesty, in deeds, can healthy relationships be established and we can cooperate with trust and efficiency in the construction of a better future."

Hence he expressed his gratitude for the "courage" to work "for a more just and peaceful world" and the recommendation that "the Gospel of Jesus Christ may always inspire and illuminate your research and actions."

During the audience, the DIALOP group presented to the Pope the results of the work of the last ten years, carried out also with the support of the Dicastery for Catholic Culture and Education.

"Beyond religious and ideological boundaries, Christians and Marxists, as well as people of good will," the association explained in a note, "recognise today that they are united in their commitment to the end of armed conflicts in the world and the security of the most basic human rights, in order to guarantee social equilibrium and peace for humanity."

Rabid Joe Biden about to bomb the Vatican

[daughterofmaryam]

My desire of joining the Focolare Movement is getting stronger day by day. I'll 0ray that I will get the courage to contact them, ignoring my huge social anxiety!

[traumacatholic]

Blessed Chiara Badano

Chiara Badano (October 29, 1971 – October 7, 1990)[aged 18] was a young Italian teenager who is currently in the process of being pronounced a saint by the Catholic Church. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname "Luce" by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16 she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Badano succumbed to the cancer on October 7, 1990, after a two-year battle with the disease. She was beatified on September 25, 2010, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome. Her feast day is celebrated on October 29.

During the summer of 1988, when she was 16 years old, Badano had a life-changing experience in Rome with the Focolare Movement. She wrote to her parents, "This is a very important moment for me: it is an encounter with Jesus Forsaken. It hasn't been easy to embrace this suffering, but this morning Chiara Lubich explained to the children that they have to be the spouse of Jesus Forsaken." After this trip she started to correspond regularly with Lubich. She then asked for her new name as this was going to be the start of a new life for her. Lubich gave her the name Chiara Luce. This was a kind of a play on words since in Italian "Chiara" is a common girl's name, taken for example from the name of Clare of Assisi, but it is also an everyday word meaning "clear." "Luce" is occasionally found as a girl's name in Italy, though it is mostly secular rather than religious, and it, too, is also an everyday word meaning "light." So "Chiara Luce" means "clear light." Lubich wrote to Badano that "your luminous face shows your love for Jesus," which is why she gave her the name Luce.

In the summer of 1988, Badano felt a sting of pain in her shoulder, while playing tennis. At first she thought nothing of it, but when the pain continued to be present, she underwent a series of tests. The doctors then discovered she had a rare and painful form of bone cancer, osteogenic sarcoma. In response, Badano simply declared, "It's for you, Jesus; if you want it, I want it, too."

Throughout the treatment process, Badano refused to take any morphine so she could stay aware. She felt it was important to know her illness and pain so she could offer up her sufferings. She said, "It reduces my lucidity and there's only one thing I can do now: to offer my suffering to Jesus because I want to share as much as possible in his sufferings on the cross." During her stays in the hospital, she would take the time to go on walks with another patient who was struggling with depression. These walks were beneficial to the other patient but caused Badano great pain. Her parents often encouraged her to stay and rest but she would simply reply, "I'll be able to sleep later on."

One of her doctors, Antonio Delogu, said, "Through her smile, and through her eyes full of light, she showed us that death doesn't exist; only life exists." A friend from the Focolare Movement said, "At first we thought we'd visit her to keep her spirits up, but very soon we understood that, in fact, we were the ones who needed her. Her life was like a magnet drawing us to her."

Badano kept her spirits up, even when the harsh chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out. When a lock of her hair would fall, Badano would simply offer it to God saying, "For you, Jesus." She also donated all her savings to a friend who was performing mission work in Africa. She wrote to him, "I don't need this money any more. I have everything."

Before she died, she told her mother, "Oh Mama, young people…young people…they are the future. You see, I can't run anymore, but how I would like to pass on to them the torch, like in the Olympics! Young people have only one life and it's worthwhile to spend it well."

When Badano realized she was not going to get better, she started to plan for her "wedding" (her funeral) with her mother. She chose the music, songs, flowers, and the readings for mass. She wanted to be buried in her "wedding dress" a white dress with a pink waist, because her death would allow her to become the bride of Christ. She told her mother, "When you're getting me ready, Mum, you have to keep saying to yourself, 'Chiara Luce is now seeing Jesus.'"

During her final hours, Badano made her final confession and received the Eucharist. She had her family and friends pray with her, "Come Holy Spirit." Chiara Badano died at 4AM on October 7, 1990, with her parents at her bedside. Her final words were, "Bye, Mum, be happy, because I am." Two thousand people attended her funeral; the mayor of Sassello shut down the town so people would be able to attend

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day - 29 October - Blessed Chiara "Luce" Badano (1971 –1990)

Saint of the Day – 29 October – Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971 –1990)

Saint of the Day – 29 October – Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971 –1990) Laywoman – born on 29 October 1971 in Sassello, Italy and died on 7 October 1990 (aged 18) at the place of her birth. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname “Luce” by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16 she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Chiara succumbed…

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Chiara Lubich

Chiara Lubich was born in 1920 in Trento, Italy. Lubich was the founder of the Focolare Movement, a lay group in the Catholic Church that promoted charity work and interfaith dialogue. The organization began as a group of women praying together in air raid shelters during World War II. Its efforts initially focused on Western Europe in the aftermath of the War, then growing to the Soviet Bloc and other parts of the world. It grew to a presence in 182 countries, with over a hundred thousand core members and more than two million followers. Lubich won the Templeton Prize in 1977 and the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in 1996. 

Chiara Lubich died in 2008 at the age of 88. 

(image source)

[pope-francis-quotes]

2nd September >> (@ZenitEnglish) #Pope Francis #PopeFrancis today received Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, with the co-President, Reverend Jesús Morán.

[pammusni]

Breaking borders

Once again, it’s up to the youth to change the world. 

(Source: Young STAR | Photo: Focolare Movement)

[portraitsofsaints]

Happy Feast Day

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano

1971 - 1990

Feast day: October 29

Blessed Chiara Badano was born on October 29, 1971, to Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano in Sassello, Italy. The couple waited and prayed eleven years to have Chiara. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname "Luce" by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16 she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Chiara succumbed to cancer on October 7, 1990, after a two-year battle with the disease.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase. (website)

[savedfromsalvation]

SO YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN?  WHAT FLAVOR?

AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF MODERN CHRISTIAN SECTS AND CULTS:

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Latin Church

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima

Legion of Mary (active and auxiliary)

International Catholic Conference of Scouting

Cursillo

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Marian Movement of Priests

Militia Immaculatae

International Alliance of Catholic Knights

Knights of Columbus

Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement

Nocturnal Adoration Societies

Neocatechumenal Way

Couples for Christ

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Secular Franciscan Order

Young Christian Workers (JOC)

School of the Cross

Focolare Movement

Christian Life Community

Opus Dei

Pax Romana

Community of Sant'Egidio

Communion and Liberation

Salesian Cooperators Association

Christian Life Movement

Regnum Christi

Our Lady's Rosary Makers

Personal Ordinariate for former Anglicans

Eastern Catholic Churches

Alexandrian Rite

Ethiopian Catholic Church

Coptic Catholic Church

Eritrean Catholic Church

Antiochene Rite

Maronite Catholic Church

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Syriac Catholic Church

Armenian Rite

Armenian Catholic Church

Byzantine Rite

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Melkite Greek Catholic Church

Romanian Greek Catholic Church

Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church

Hungarian Greek Catholic Church

Slovak Greek Catholic Church

Italo-Albanian Catholic Church

Belarusian Greek Catholic Church

Byzantine Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia

Georgian Byzantine Catholic Church

Albanian Greek Catholic Church

Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church

Greek Byzantine Catholic Church

Macedonian Greek Catholic Church

Russian Greek Catholic Church

Chaldean Rite

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Chaldean Catholic Church

Canonically irregular groups

Society of Saint Pius X

 PROTESTANTISM

Baptist churches

Southern Baptist Convention

National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc

Nigerian Baptist Convention

National Missionary Baptist Convention of America

National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.

Baptist Union of Uganda

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Baptist Bible Fellowship International

American Baptist Churches USA

Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention

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Myanmar Baptist Convention

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Baptist Convention of Kenya

Nagaland Baptist Church Council

Korea Baptist Convention

Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches

Orissa Evangelical Baptist Crusade

National Baptist Convention (Brazil)

Church of Christ in Congo–Baptist Community of Congo

Baptist Convention of Malawi

Garo Baptist Convention

Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches

Ghana Baptist Convention – 0.3[21]

Union of Baptist Churches in Rwanda

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Convention of Visayas and Mindanao of Southern Baptist Churches

Manipur Baptist Convention

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Lutheranism

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Lutherans

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The Protestant Christian Church

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Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia

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Methodism

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Calvinism

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Presbyterian Church of Cameroon]

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Congregationalism

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Local churches or Church Assembly Hall

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Church in the Province of the West Indies

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Church of Christ in Congo–Anglican Community of Congo

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Autocephalous Churches

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Church of Cyprus

Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem

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Autonomous churches

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Finnish Orthodox Church

Chinese Orthodox Church

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Non-universally recognized churches

Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate)

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Macedonian Orthodox Church

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Orthodox Church in Italy

Montenegrin Orthodox Church

Other separated Orthodox groups

Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

Old Believers

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True Orthodox Church

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Autocephalous Churches

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

Armenian Apostolic Church

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Holy See of Cilicia

Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople

Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Syriac Orthodox Church

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church

Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

Autonomous Churches

French Coptic Orthodox Church

Churches not in communion

Mar Thoma Syrian Church

Malabar Independent Syrian Church

British Orthodox Church

Restorationism and Nontrinitarianism

Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]

Community of Christ

Jehovah's Witnesses

Oneness Pentecostalism

United Pentecostal Church International

Pentecostal Assemblies of the World

Minor Denominations

Iglesia ni Cristo

La Luz del Mundo

Unitarian Universalism

Unitarian Universalist Association

(Unitarian Universalism developed out of Christian traditions but no longer identifies as a Christian denomination.)

Church of Christ, Scientist

Friends of Man

Christadelphians

Family International

Independent Catholicism

Philippine Independent Church

Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association

Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church

Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church

Old Catholic Church

Polish National Catholic Church

Apostolic Catholic Church

Palmarian Catholic Church

Minor Branches

Church of the East (Nestorianism)

Assyrian Church of the East

Ancient Church of the East

Messianic Judaism

 And tell me again why yours is “THE ONE TRUE FAITH!”  Laz

[italianartsociety]

By Costanza Beltrami

Antonio Maria Nardi was born on 14 May 1897 in Ostellato, near Ferrara. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where he soon started working as an illustrator for local publishing houses. He dedicated most of his life to creating attractive and whimsical illustrations for children’s books, drawings whose style reveals his knowledge of such turn-of-the-century artistic styles as the pre-Raphaelite movement and Liberty. In the 1920s he started designing billboards and other advertising materials. Alongside these commercial activities, Nardi was a devout painter of religious scenes, as in the fresco cycle for the church of Santo Stefano in Stienta, Rovigo (1931). His works achieved international success: following an exhibition of his work sponsored by the Brasilian Minstry of Culture in Rio de Janeiro, Nardi moved to Latin America for seventeen years. After returning to Italy in 1965, he lived in Milan and Bologna, working incessantly until his death in 1973.

Reference: Francesca Franco, ‘NARDI, Antonio Maria,’ in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, volume 77 (2012).

Antonio Maria Nardi painting as a young boy. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

Illustrations for Camelia Fravolini, Novelette del Focolare (Bologna, 1923)

Illustrations for Etre Maria Valori, Le fiabe della povera Rosina (Torino, 1923)

Cover illustration for Luigia Maria Bagnoli, Fancicca (Firenze, 1945)

Antonio Maria Nardi on the scaffolding of the church of Santo Stefano in Stienta, Rovigo in 1931. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

Antonio Maria Nardi frescoing the church of Santo Stefano in Stienta, Rovigo in 1931. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

St Agate and God the Father, stained glass windows in the church of the Holy Heart, 1934–1935. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

Cartoni for the Allegories of Science andKnowledge, for the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Bologna, 1936–1939. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

Antonio Maria Nardi in front of stained glass of his design in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Souls, Niteroi, Brazil, in 1956. Source: www.antoniomarianardi.it

An advertisement for the seaside town of Cattolica

[cissypc]

Is globalization exclusively a matter of politics and economics?

There used to be the idea of a division of labor: economics should be concerned about increasing wealth, and politics should be concerned about distributing it justly. In the age of globalization, however, profits are obtained globally, while politics to a great extent is still limited within national boundaries. Therefore, what is needed today is not just the strengthening of transnational political institutions, but also the initiatives of individuals and social groups that are active economically in the poorer regions of the world, not primarily for the sake of profit, but rather out of a spirit of solidarity and love. The market and the State are necessary, but so is a strong civil society.

In a market, products and services are exchanged for goods having the same value. In many regions of this world, however, the people are so poor that they cannot offer anything in exchange and therefore continue to be left behind. So there is a need for economic initiatives that are defined, not by the "logic of exchange", but rather by the "logic of the unconditional gift" (Pope Benedict XVI, CiV). This means, not merely giving alms to the poor, but rather helping them to help themselves by opening up paths to economic freedom. There are Christian initiatives, for instance the "Economy of Communion" project of the Focolare Movement, which today involves more than 750 businesses worldwide. There are also non-Christian social entrepreneurs who, though profit-oriented, nevertheless work in the spirit of a "culture of giving" with the goal of alleviating poverty and marginalization.

https://www.youcat.org/daily

[cathnews]

Focolare elects Israeli-born Arab Catholic as new leader

Focolare elects Israeli-born Arab Catholic as new leader

The Focolare Movement has elected Margaret Karram, an Arab Catholic who was born in Israel, to a six-year term as its new president. The election of the 58-year-old consecrated lay woman was announced on February 1 during an online general assembly spanning from January 24 to February 7. Some 359 representatives cast their ballots on January 31 and, in accordance with Focolare’s statutes, sent…