The Story of Chiara and the Focolare (1951 - 1954)

“And the night came. Terrible, as only those who live through it know ... It took away my physical and spiritual life. I lost my health (in the most dreadful and brutal way), and I had no peace — and peace is God.” Chiara Lubich wrote this on March 18, 1952, expressing the cruel reality that engulfed her whole being.

Back in the spring of 1948, various accusations began to surface, and the archbishop of Trent, Carlo de Ferrari, conducted a diocesan investigation. It concluded positively for the new movement. 

Nevertheless, some people had also informed the “Holy Office” (today called Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) in Rome. Thus began a long period of scrutiny (until 1964) by this eminent Vatican office. 

Chiara was questioned repeatedly. Obliged to keep the proceedings secret, she lived this trial in solitude and in full obedience. She accepted the possibility that she would be removed from the movement.

“It’s true — the cross was heavy and is still heavy. These past days, I understood Jesus when he collapsed under the weight of the cross; but I am happy, your Excellency,” Chiara wrote to Archbishop de Ferrari in a letter dated January 5, 1951. “I have received the grace from Jesus to be ready for any decision the Church might make ... I am happy to be able to give back to God all that he has done spiritually through me. And I assure you that whatever happens, you can always be certain that I will remain faithful to my forsaken Jesus and fully obedient to the Church.”

In the first months of 1951, several priests from religious orders were told to distance themselves from the movement. The same injunction was given to Igino Giordani, a member of Parliament who had become closely involved with the new movement. 

However, the attention of the Holy Office was primarily focused on the person and role of Chiara Lubich, a young woman who was leading a movement that involved a wide variety of people. The decision that had been expected for months came on February 8, 1952, stating, “the movement should no longer be directed by Lubich.”

Fr. Enrico Corrà wrote confidentially to Archbishop de Ferrari, telling him of the decision made by the Holy Office. The next day Chiara wrote a letter in which she formally resigned from her leadership position, while “simply remaining a focolarina.” 

She confided to Fr. Corrà: “I am very happy, father, to offer this small contribution for the fulfillment of the priestly prayer of Jesus, ‘that they all may be one’ (Jn 17:21).” She ended the letter with the salutation, “In Jesus crucified.” 

One of her first companions, Giosi Guella, was assigned to take her place.

Chiara described what was asked of her as “a death out of love.” She lived through it by taking her inspiration from Mary, who stood firmly at the foot of the cross. It is the logic of the grain of wheat that, by dying, bears fruit (Jn 12:24). In fact, during that period, the “fire” spread all over Italy and beyond. A variety of vocations emerged.

In November 1953, Giordani, who they called “Foco,” was present when a group of men and women focolarini consecrated their lives to God. He spoke so magnificently and with such admiration about the vocation to virginity that Chiara had an intuition that the seed was sown for married people to be part of the Focolare.

“Perhaps it was due to his humility — since humility always attracts God’s attention — but I remember that I said: ‘But, Foco, in reality what do you lack? ... If Jesus forsaken is everything for you, you are empty of yourself and full of God. And if you are full of God, your life is charity. And if your life is charity, God lives in you! And so, who is more virgin than you?’” 

Chiara made him a proposal as follows: “Why don’t you too place on the altar your consecration to Jesus forsaken, a consecration to ‘be’ love? Why don’t you too offer yourself to our ideal in this way?” Thus Giordani consecrated himself as the first married focolarino.

It was a moment of joy and light, blessed by Fr. Giovanni Battista Tomasi, the highly qualified Stigmatine priest, who, since 1949 had been asked by Archbishop de Ferrari to accompany Chiara along the difficult path to obtain approval of the movement by the Church in Rome. 

Fr. Tomasi supported and encouraged Chiara, helping her to see her uncertain and painful situation in light of the night lived by St. John of the Cross. However, very soon afterwards, the health of this wise priest deteriorated, and it was Chiara herself who told him that his encounter with God was imminent. He passed away on January 2, 1954. 

A few months later, on April 4, 1954, Archbishop de Ferrari ordained Pasquale Foresi as the first focolarino priest in Trent. 

Meanwhile, the Church continued scrutinizing the Focolare. Fr. Corrà, who had become convinced of the ecclesiastic authenticity of this new Work of God, was replaced by another priest, Fr. Alfonso Orlini. The same thing happened to him in that he too became convinced that this movement was authentic. He concluded his assignment three years later.

Later Chiara would say that this was the time “when Jesus crucified and forsaken took up his dwelling in our souls. It was so powerful that now all of us are utterly convinced that without him, the Focolare Movement would not have existed, does not exist now, nor will ever exist. Unity cannot exist without him.”

In that same year — 1954 — Chiara had the intuition that love unfolds into seven aspects of life, like when a ray of light passes through a drop of water and refracts into the seven colors of the rainbow. 

Thus love, the life of Jesus in us, leads to communion of spiritual and material goods (red). 

Love is not closed in on itself, but rather spreads to others (orange). 

Love raises our hearts to God (yellow). 

Love heals body and soul (green). 

Love gathers people in assembly (blue). 

Love is a source of wisdom (indigo). 

Love composes the many into one; love is unity (violet).