2014-02-27 15:23:36

Pope addresses Bishop supporters of the Focolare Movement


Vatican City, 27 February 2014: Pope Francis addressed the Bishop supporters of the Focolare Movement on Thursday in the Vatican. They have come to Rome to attend the annual Conference of the movement. Focusing on the theme of the Conference ‘the reciprocity of love between the disciples of Christ’, the Pope said that the ‘theme echoes the new commandment given by Jesus to his disciples’. It is an ‘opportunity for a fraternal sharing of experiences from the perspective of spiritual and pastoral charism of unity’, Pope Francis observed. He asked the Bishops ‘to ensure that what you receive here is for the benefit of the whole Church’.

‘Today's society has a great need of the witness of a life style’ said the Pope adding that the testimony to the love commandment of Jesus, ‘gives rise to the desire to be involved in the great parable of communion that is the Church’. When a person feels that "the reciprocity of love between the disciples of Christ" is possible and is able to transform the quality of interpersonal relationships, one feels called to discover or rediscover Christ,… he is spurred to come out of himself to reach out to others’, observed Pope Francis.

Citing Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, the Pope said: "to make the Church the home and school of communion: that is the great challenge facing us in the millennium which is now beginning, if we want to be faithful to God's plan and respond the world's deepest yearnings.”

Pope Francis concluded his discourse expressing his hope that their ‘conference is a propitious occasion to grow in the spirit of collegiality, and to derive from mutual cause for encouragement and renewed hope’.

The Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in 1943 in Trento, Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the Focolare Movement, though primarily Roman Catholic, now has strong links to the major Christian denominations and other religions, or in some cases, with the non-religious. The Movement operates in 182 nations and has over 100,000 adherents.

The current president of the Focolare movement is Maria Voce, who was elected in 2008. Today the movement, which is now international, considers the following issues as part of its mandate: to cooperate in the consolidation of unity in the Christian world, with individuals and groups, movements and associations; to contribute to full communion with Christians of different churches; to move towards universal brotherhood with followers of various religions and people of other persuasions, including atheists.
Source: VR Sedoc








All the contents on this site are copyrighted ©.