In his regular addresses to the Focolare Movement, Pope Francis was a pastor, a fellow disciple, and a friend. We share here a few selections of what he said.
Pope Francis with a representation of Focolare young members ©CSCAudiovisivi
In September 2014…
The Work of Mary—well known to everyone as the Focolare Movement—was born in the bosom of the Catholic Church from a small seed, which over the course of years has become a tree which now extends its branches in all the expressions of the Christian family and also among the members of various religions and among the many who cultivate justice and solidarity together with the search for truth. This Work sprang from a gift of the Holy Spirit—without a doubt!—the charism of unity which the Father wishes to give to the Church and to the world to help bring about Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (Jn. 17:21).
Our thoughts turn with great affection and gratitude to Chiara Lubich, an extraordinary witness to this gift, whose fruitful life brought the fragrance of Jesus to so many human realities and to so many parts of the world. Faithful to the charism from which it was born and which nourishes it, the Focolare Movement today faces the same task expected of the entire Church: to offer, with creativity and responsibility, its unique contribution to this new season of evangelization. Creativity is important, it is impossible to go forward without it. It is important! And in this context, I would like to consign three words to you who belong to the Focolare Movement and to those who, in various ways, share its spirit and ideals: contemplate, go forth, teach.
First and foremost, contemplate. Today more than ever we need to contemplate God and the wonders of his love, to abide in Him, who in Jesus, came to place his tent in our midst (cf. Jn. 1:14). To contemplate also means to live in the company of brothers and sisters and to break the Bread of communion and of fraternity with them, to cross the threshold together (cf. Jn 10:9) which leads us to the bosom of the Father (cf. Jn. 1:18), because contemplation which has no place for others is a deception (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, n. 281). Otherwise, it is narcissism.
Inspired by God in response to the signs of the times, Chiara Lubich wrote, “The great attraction of modern times: to penetrate to the highest contemplation while mingling with everyone, one person alongside others” (Spiritual Writings 1, 27). In order to fulfil this, it is necessary to broaden one’s interiority regarding the measure of Jesus and the gift of his Spirit, to make contemplation the indispensable basis for a supportive presence and for effective, truly free and pure action.
I encourage you to be faithful to this ideal of contemplation, to persevere in the search for union with God and in mutual love with brothers and sisters. Draw on the treasures of the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church, on this yearning for communion and the unity which the Holy Spirit has evoked for our time. And give the gift of this treasure to everyone!
Pope Francis greeting in his visit to Loppiano ©R.Orefice CSC Audiovisivi
In May 2018…
I am very happy to be here among you today in Loppiano, this “citadel,” known in the world because it was born from the Gospel and seeks to be nourished by the Gospel. And for this reason, it is recognized as a proper city of choice and of inspiration by those who are disciples of Jesus, even by brothers and sisters of other religions and convictions. In Loppiano everyone feels at home!
I wished to visit it also because, as emphasized by the woman who inspired it, the Servant of God Chiara Lubich, it seeks to be an illustration of the mission of the Church today, as outlined by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. And I am happy to dialogue with you in order to focus ever more closely on listening to God’s design, the plan of Loppiano at the service of the new stage of witnessing to and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to which the Holy Spirit calls us today.
The Pope was then asked, How should we live and renew each day this prophetic consignment left by Chiara Lubich?
[This] question comes from you “pioneers” of Loppiano who, over 50 years ago and then gradually in the subsequent decades, were the first to leave your lands, your homes and your jobs to come here and spend your life fulfilling this dream. First of all, thank you. Thank you for what you have done. Thank you for your faith in Jesus. He is the one who has performed this miracle, and you [have placed in him] your faith. And faith allows Jesus to do his work. For this reason, faith makes miracles, because it leaves room for Jesus, and he performs miracles, one after another. Such is life!
To you “pioneers,” and to all the residents of Loppiano, it comes to me spontaneously to say the words that the Letter to the Hebrews addresses to a Christian community that was living a phase of its journey similar to yours. The Letter to the Hebrews states: “recall the former days when, after you received the light of Christ, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.... Indeed, you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence”—your parrhesia, it says—“which has a great reward. For you only have need of endurance”—hypomone is the word it uses, that is bearing on the shoulders the daily burden—“so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised” (cf. 10:32-36).
Here are two key words of the journey of the Christian community in this text: parrhesia and hypomone. Courage, candour, and to endure, to persevere, to bear the daily burden on the shoulders. In the New Testament, parrhesia describes the style of life of Jesus’ disciples: courage and sincerity in bearing witness to the truth along with trust in God and in his mercy. Prayer, too, must also be done with parrhesia. Saying things to God “to his face,” with courage.
Pope Francis with participants of One Human Family: the revolutionary path towards peace ©vatican media
And in June 2024…in an audience of participants at an interreligious conference organized by the Focolare…
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I greet the President of the Focolare Movement [Margaret Karram], to whom I say that I am praying very much for your country which is suffering at this time. I also warmly welcome all the participants in this Interreligious Conference. I express my gratitude for the perseverance with which the Work of Mary continues the journey begun by Chiara Lubich, fostering unity with people of non-Christian religions who share the spirituality of unity. This was a revolutionary journey that did much good for the Church. It is an experience animated by the Holy Spirit, rooted, we can say, in the heart of Christ, in his thirst for love, communion and fraternity.
Indeed, it is the Spirit who opens paths of dialogue and encounter, at times surprising ones. This happened more than fifty years ago in Algeria, when an all-Muslim community adhering to the Movement was born. It also happened with Chiara Lubich’s meetings with leaders of various religions: Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and others. This dialogue has flourished over time, as evidenced by your presence today.
The foundation of this experience is the love of God expressed through mutual love, listening, trust, hospitality and getting to know one another, all the while fully respecting each other’s identities. Over time, friendship and cooperation have grown in seeking to respond together to the cry of the poor, in caring for creation and in working for peace. Through this journey, some non-Christian brothers and sisters have shared in the spirituality of the Work of Mary, or in some of its characteristic traits, and live according to them amongst their own people. With these men and women, we transcend dialogue, we feel like brothers and sisters, sharing the dream of a more united world, in the harmony of diversity.
Dear friends, your witness is a source of joy and a source of consolation, especially in this time of conflict, when religion is often misused in order to fuel division. Indeed, interreligious dialogue “is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities” (Evangelii Gaudium, 250). I encourage you, then, to move forward and always be open.
May the Lord bless all of you. May he grant his blessing to each one of you, for the Lord is close to us all. May the Lord bless you. Amen.
Here is a list of some of Pope Francis’ addresses to the Movement:
- Address to Participants in the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement– September 2014
- Meeting with the Community of the Focolare Movement in Loppiano (Pastoral Visit)– May 2018
- Message to Bishops Participating in the International Conference for the Centenary of Chiara Lubich's Birth– January 2020
- To participants in the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement- February 2021
- Audience with Members of the Focolare Movement on the 80th Anniversary of the Founding– December 2023
- Audience with participants in the Interreligious Conference organized by the Focolare Movement - June 2024
