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