Focolare Movement

The Focolare Movement (official German name: Werk Mariens ) is a Catholic spiritual community founded in 1943 by the then 23-year-old Chiara Lubich in Trento (Italy) . The Focolare Movement has around 140,000 official members in 182 countries worldwide; around two million people are in casual contact with her or support individual projects. The name (Italian “focolare”, in German actually “home”, focoli = stove, designates the fireplace of the former farmhouses in the Italian mountain villages as a meeting place for the family) is intended to indicate the warmth and security of a family.

Origin and development

The Focolare Movement is one of the newer spiritual communities and movements of Christian origin. In 1960, near Rome , the international meeting center in Rocca di Papa was established , where Chiara Lubich lived until her death. The former audience hall in Castel Gandolfo was rebuilt in the 1980s as a new international meeting center. In 1962 the movement was supported by the Catholic Church under Pope John XXIII. approved . Since 1987 the Focolare Movement with its socio-political organization “New Humanity” has been accredited as a non-governmental organization by the United Nations (UN). In 1991, the Economy in Community Initiative came into being , to which around 700 small and medium-sized companies worldwide have now joined. The Politics and Brotherhood Forum gives politicians and those interested in politics the opportunity to talk about common values and goals and to put the spirit of brotherhood into practice on a political level.

The oldest of today's 35 settlements worldwide is Loppiano (since 1964) south of Florence . The movement also runs various businesses and a meeting place there. In Loppiano various training courses are offered for young people, families, priests and religious and for those who want to join the Focolare Congregations the two-year basic training. The movement maintains 63 conference centers worldwide. It publishes its own magazine Neue Stadt in 37 national editions worldwide and maintains 25 publishers (all data: as of 2009).

Technical terms

The annual summer meetings are called "Mariapoli", the educational houses "Mariapolizentrum".

The various youth groups are summarized under “Gen”. The name is an abbreviation of the Italian name generazione nuova (new generation).

A key phrase is "Jesus in the middle" (or "Jesus among us"). It refers to the promise in the Gospel of Matthew ( Mt 18.20 EU ) and means the presence of Jesus among people who are in his name, i.e. H. in love according to his measure, together.

“Spirituality of unity” means the Fokolar-specific spirituality, which has a communal component and is based on the presence of “Jesus in the middle”.

spirituality

Her spirituality emphasizes in a special way the importance of love for one's neighbor and for God. A key word of their spiritual basic lines is the term “unity”, taken from Jesus' prayer before his death All should be one ( Jn 17.20 EU ). This also explains the special commitment to ecumenism and dialogue between religions and with non-religious worldviews. Characteristic of the Focolare is their commitment as Christians in society, politics and economy.

The press spokeswoman for the Focolare Movement in Germany, Andrea Fleming, quotes an incident from the life of Chiara Lubich on the tension between ecumenical awareness and the veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church:

“Maria has a very important place in the spirituality of the Focolare Movement, and therefore belongs to the core points, i.e. the core pillars of spirituality ... Chiara Lubich always told of a very special incident where she felt the question within herself at a certain point: 'God , Why did you find through the Eucharist the opportunity to be present at all points on earth ... and did not find the chance to leave us your mother, who would have been a help to us ... ', and then very clearly in felt himself ...: 'I didn't let it go ... because I want to find it in you again. You can be Mary by giving me to the world '. And this awareness ... is our specific kind of relationship with Mary ... giving Jesus to the world and thereby [doing] our part. "

structure

Over the years the Focolare Movement has taken on a very diverse face with a differentiated structure. You could also call it a movement of movements and groups. The strongest element of their cohesion lies in spirituality.

construction

The Focolare Movement consists of 18 groups, which are divided into sections, branches and movements and in which children, young people, adults, families, priests, religious and also bishops find their specific home and task. There are very different forms of commitment. It ranges from a bond in the form of vows to sharing individual principles or goals of the movement and supporting projects.

The territorial divisions are called “zones”. Since a structural reform after the 2014 General Assembly, a zone comprises several countries (e.g. Western Europe, Eastern Europe, DACH , North America),

membership

According to the amendments to the statutes approved by the Vatican in 2007, people from different denominations, religions and non-religious worldviews can belong to the Focolare Movement - and this also in the inner circle. In fact, there are Orthodox, Evangelical and Anglican Christians in those communities who commit themselves to a life according to the "evangelical counsels". Meanwhile, there are also the first Buddhists and Muslims who also live in such communities, even if there may still be a certain search movement in the specific form. In Algeria, for example, over 90% of the Focolare Movement is Muslim.

Governing bodies

The highest authority is the General Assembly, which normally meets every six years. It elects the central management bodies and discusses or resolves any amendments to the statutes, which are then submitted to the Vatican for approval. In the context of the General Assembly, elections are also held in individual subdivisions.

At the top is a president, so always a woman. This fact is particularly remarkable in a movement that also includes priests and bishops. The president is supported by a co-president and a council in management tasks.

The management of the territorial units (zones) is entrusted to two zone officers (a woman and a man) and a so-called zone council. Every year the zone officials from all over the world meet in Rome for a four-week meeting. A worldwide annual review and exchange is held there, or the main global lines for the next year crystallize out. This is intended to promote a “think global and act local”.

After the death of the founder Chiara Lubich, Maria Voce, born in 1937, was elected president of the Focolare Movement on July 11, 2008 . Giancarlo Faletti (* 1940) was elected Co-President. The Spaniard Jésus Moràn has been Co-President since the General Assembly in September 2014.

Focolare Movement Germany

The Focolare Movement eV Germany has its seat in Eppelheim . The Focolare Movement eV Ottmaring is responsible for the largest living community in Germany . In 1968 the Ecumenical Life Center Ottmaring was created in the Friedberg district by the Focolare Movement and the Evangelical Brotherhood of Common Life ; the ecumenical settlement has 120 permanent residents (as of 2016).

Social Commitment

New Humanity

The social activities of the Focolare Movement are concentrated in New Humanity . As a non-governmental organization with consultative status, New Humanity is accredited to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and has liaison offices at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna. She educates u. a. also a roof for partner organizations inside and outside the Focolare Movement.

Forum on Politics and Brotherhood

The Politics and Fraternity Forum is an initiative of the Focolare Movement, which was founded in 1996 in Naples (Italy). Since 1996, politicians of different party affiliations have been meeting in different countries to discuss common goals and projects. They are inspired by the spirituality of the Focolare Movement, especially by the idea of brotherhood , which they want to put into practice in everyday political life. The common basis is the desire to see politics as a service to people and to shape it accordingly, and to include voters in the engagement.

Economy in community

Under the motto “Eliminate poverty through business”, a network of around 750 companies of different sizes has grown since 1992, in which a model of a humane economy is attempted. The guiding principle is - on a voluntary basis - the community of property of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. The fair and sustainable profit is used in almost equal parts for three objectives: the elimination of hardship through direct donations or the creation of jobs, the spread of a "culture of giving" on which the model experiment is based and of course for the further development of the company.

university

In October 2008 the University of the Focolare Movement called “Sophia” started teaching in Loppiano , at the gates of Florence. A bachelor's degree in any subject is a prerequisite for a master’s and doctoral degree. The course is interdisciplinary and initially consists of two branches: philosophy / theology and economics / political science. Piero Coda, previously professor of theology at the Pontifical Lateran University , is the rector. Vice-rector is the American mathematician and theologian Judy Povilus. The college of professors includes the political scientist Antonio M. Baggio (previously professor at the Gregoriana), the Milanese economist Luigino Bruni and the French biblical scholar Gerard Rossè. As a Center of Excellence, the university wants to break new ground and limit the number of years to 35 to a maximum of 50 students. Among other things, this should ensure personal collaboration between lecturers and students, which should also shape studying. In the medium term, branches in Africa (Cameroon), South America (Brazil) and Asia are planned.

Known members

Well-known focolarini include the late Italian parliamentarian and writer Igino Giordani and the late Aachen bishop Klaus Hemmerle , both of whom are considered to be co-founders of the focolare movement. In memory of Hemmerle, the Focolare Movement awards the undoped Klaus Hemmerle Prize every two years. Other well-known focolarini are the Austrian Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl from the Diocese of Graz-Seckau , the Vietnamese Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan , the Archbishop Emeritus of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk and the Bishops of Dresden-Meißen , Joachim Reinelt (retired) and Heinrich Timmereversely . Chiara Luce Badano (1971–1990) was beatified on September 25, 2010 . Chiara Lubich is also in a process of beatification, which has now passed from the Diocese of Frascati to the Vatican.

literature

Dietlinde Assmus (Ed.): Where two or three ... The Focolare Movement. Origin - Spirituality - Initiatives . Neue Stadt (self-published by the Focolare Movement), Munich et al. 1992, ISBN 3-87996-239-1
Arnaldo Diana: The Movement of the Focolare . Neue Stadt, Munich et al. 1992, ISBN 3-87996-070-4
Bernhard Pree: Membership in church associations. The Focolare Movement . Trauner, Linz 2000, ISBN 3-85320-940-8
Focolare Movement eV: The Focolare Movement - A Brief Information New City, Munich u. a. 2003, ISBN 3-87996-603-6
Gordon Urquhart: In the name of the Pope - the secretive troops of the Vatican , Droemer Knaur, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-426-26712-8
Petra Steinmair-Pösel, In the gravitational field of mysticism and politics: Christian social ethics in conversation with Maria Skobtsova, Dorothee Sölle and Chiara Lubich , Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2019, ISBN 978-3-506-79229-7
Stefan Ulz, Dreifaltigkeit Leben: Trinitarian Anthropology by Chiara Lubich, Echter Verlag, Würzburg 2019, ISBN 978-3-429-05401-4 .

Web links

Official website of the Focolare Movement (multilingual)
Focolare Movement Germany
Focolare Austria
Focolare Movement Switzerland
Focolare Movement in the GDR, Day of the Lord 12/2002
Introductory article with critical appreciation of the focolare movement by the ev. Information center Relinfo.ch (as of 1998)

Individual evidence

↑ Use of alternative names on the pages of the Focolare Movement: Founded 75 years ago and by EWTN

↑ Dates and facts ( memento of October 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) on the website of the Focolare Movement in Germany

↑ TV show Bibel TV - the conversation (episode 227) ( Memento from August 1, 2010 in the Internet Archive ); Wolfgang Severin (Bible TV) in conversation with Andrea Fleming, press spokeswoman for the German Focolare Movement, on a question about the content of spirituality in the Focolare Movement (14'17 ")