INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF THE LAY FRATERNITY

Nº 89- - Back to the Roots June 2013

News from our Association Bread of Life « Nazareth » Meeting at with our Pope Viviers Francis Summary Editorial 3

Only God Can – Father Guy Gilbert 4

Nazareth – Claudio and Sylvana Chiaruttini 5

The God of Jesus Christ – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger 13

An inspiring new reading with a poetic approach 14

Fraternities News 15 -Africa 15 -America 28 -Asia 33 -Europe 34 -Arab World 36

Association Meeting at Viviers: April 1st-7th 42 -How CDF has read and meditated the Bible 42 - The prayer of the Christians in the land of A Testimony from 44

Practical Information 47

An inspiring new reading with a poetic approach It’s not Easy 48 Editorial Dear lay brothers and sisters throughout the whole world, We hope that you are all well. This 89th edition of the Bulletin is dedicated to our life of Nazareth, a return to the roots. Nazareth? What is that? Nazareth is a city situated in northern Israel, in Galilee. But it is also the place where Jesus Christ spent his childhood. His whole life was hidden and is not described by the evangelists. Nazareth just had to attract Brother Charles with its simplicity and it was a changing point in his life. As a consequence, the lives of many people have changed. In this 89th edition of the International Bulletin, we share with you some thoughts about Nazareth and particularly everyone`s personal Nazareth. We share the bread of life with our new who never stops inviting us to follow Jesus Christ and to be witnesses of his Love. Thank you to all of you who live Nazareth in their everyday lives, at work, in your families, with your friends and neighbors, to be the leaven in the dough of this world which is full of war and inequalities in order to be witnesses of the Gospel spreading peace and love to all of the people that we meet in our lives. Lastly, thank you to all of those who have helped us to realize this Bulletin, to those who have supplied us with information and to those who have helped with translations. We wish you to continue successfully in the paths of our loved ones, Charles de Foucauld and Jesus Christ in Nazareth. Enjoy reading and reflecting.

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Only God can…

Only God can create, but you can add your touch to his creation. Only God can give life, but you can transmit and respect it, Only God can give health, but you can give advice, guidance, care.

Only God can give Faith, but you can testify to it, Only God can give Hope, but you can restore confidence to your brother Only God can give Love, But you can teach the other how to love.

Only God can give Joy but you can smile to all. Only God can give strength, but you can comfort one who has lost courage. Only God is the Way, but you can show it to others.

Only God is Light, but you can make it shine in the eyes of others. Only God is life, but you can restore the will to live in others. Only God can cause miracles, but you can be the one who provides the five loaves and the two fishes. Only God can do what seems impossible, but you can do what is possible.

Only God is self sufficient but he prefers to count on you.

Father Guy Gilbert Adapted from a paper presented by Claudio and Sylvana Chiaruttini at the XXI International Conference of the Transfiguration Fellowship of Minor Orthodox Brotherhoods and the St Philaret’s Christian Orthodox Institute, Moscow, 28–30 Sept. 2011 Nazareth Everyday life as service in the footsteps of Blessed Charles de Foucauld The first time that Charles de Foucauld was touched by the profound meaning of Nazareth was during a pilgrimage he made to the Holy Land in 1888. This was to become also his vocation: the simple life of the Holy Family at Nazareth. In Nazareth he remained impressed by the fact that the Messiah had spent most of his existence sharing the ordinary life of his fellow villagers. He was to return to Nazareth where, as Br. Charles of Jesus, he could live in closer contact with the poor. Here he came to the conclusion that what is called the “hidden life” of Jesus, which lasted such a long time, should not be considered as a mere preparation for a few years of “public life.” Being Jesus the Saviour, His entire existence had to be consecrated to human salvation. Nazareth therefore had shown him the way: imitating Jesus in his Nazarene life, cooperating in God's plan of Salvation doing the ordinary activities of ordinary people in their daily life and giving them, by his example, an evidence of God’s love. In 1901 he moved from Nazareth deep into the , a place of drought and hostility. This is where for 15 years he chose to live at the service of the Tuaregs of the Hoggar, a Berber race of nomads, “the furthest removed, the most abandoned ” as one of them – more than that, as the least among them in imitation of the Lord Jesus. Charles de Foucauld was a man ahead of his times. Fifty years before the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council – which promoted the initiative of lay Christians in the apostolate – he was already aware of International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 5

the importance of lay people for evangelisation. He wrote the Directoire des Frères et des Sœurs du Sacré Cœur de Jésus as a rule for a lay association. In a letter to his friend Joseph Hours he wrote about what for him was the essence of being a committed lay Christian: Certainly there have to be the Priscillas and Aquilas on the side of a priest, to meet those whom he cannot meet, to enter into places where he cannot go, to reach out to those who have moved away from him, and to evangelise through friendly contact by becoming an overflowing goodness to all, a love always ready to give of itself … The laity should become apostles to all they can reach: at first their family, close relations and friends, but not only them, love cannot be restrictive, it embraces all those who are embraced by the Heart of Jesus.1 Foucauld described apostleship as “a strict obligation of love.” In living the Gospel, love is not an option it is an obligation.

The Lay Fraternity and the apostolate of friendship The lay component of the Foucauldian Family gained strength in the 1950's with the foundation of our Fraternity on the initiative of René Voillaume, founder of the and a great diffuser, together with Little Sister Magdeleine of Jesus, of the message of Br. Charles. We are lay persons, some married, others not. Amongst us there are also priests who minister to the lay members, besides being members themselves. On the example of Br. Charles, we are conscious that our primary service towards the Church and towards society is through our ordinary and everyday life within our family and at work. Our model is the Family of Jesus at Nazareth, an example that is relevant for every human condition across space and time, and our fount of inspiration is the Gospel. In fact, in its very opening, the Directoire states:

1 Charles de Foucauld, Letter to Joseph Hours of 3rd May 1912, Assekrem, Hoggar, Algeria. The members of the Fraternity will as a rule ask themselves, in every matter, what Jesus would think or do in the same circumstance – and do it. Our is not about great schemes. It does not seek to change the world through action. It only seeks to change the person silently but thoroughly from within. As a result one lives the ordinariness of life in a simple manner, only seeking to transmit what Jesus would have transmitted to those He met. In this way others do not see the servant, they see the Master – our Beloved Lord – and in doing so seek to know and love Him like we do. For the Foucauldian family everyone is a sister or brother. In this sense we take our inspiration from the Gospel of Matthew: “What you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me” (Mt 25:40). The Italian spiritual writer and Little Brother expresses in this manner the Foucauldian ideal: To me the greatest inspiration for the spirituality of the laity is in the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at Nazareth. The imitation of Nazareth is no small thing. When I think that a door, a floor, a wall, were all that divided a holy family like that of Jesus from that of a neighbour who, although going through the same rhythm of life, the same daily grind, the same routine, is at the other extremity in terms of sadness, hate, impurity, greed and at times despair, I am convinced of the immense richness of the Gospel message. The same actions, if carried out in God's light, radically transform the life a person, of a family, of a society.2 Carretto goes on to say that the watershed for these human conditions lies deep in a person’s heart. It is for this reason that the spirituality of Nazareth targets the heart of man wherein lies the power

2 Carlo Carretto: “Letters from the desert”. International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 7 to turn common everyday relationships within the family, at work and between friends into a breeding ground that is capable of producing both “saints and devils.” Time is a useful resource because as Carretto says: Every hour of the day has the capacity to be filled with divine inspiration, the will of the Father, and the prayer of contemplation – in other words holiness. What matters is to live it as Jesus taught us. And for this one does not have to shut oneself up in a monastery or fix strange and inhumane regimes for one's life. It is enough to accept the realities of life. Work is one of these realities; motherhood, the rearing of children and family life with all its obligations, are others. These realities must be sanctified; we must not think that a person is holy just because he has made vows. One with this strange outlook thinks of the hour of spiritual reading or prayer as the only time for the spiritual life and ignores the longer time dedicated to work and everyday living. The result is at best an anaemic and stunted religious personality.3 Nazareth therefore is the life of a person, of a family, fully engaged in human activity. A quotation attributed to Mohandas Gandhi provides an inspiring metaphor for Nazareth life through the sacred nature of common things: If when we plunge our hand into a bowl of water, or stir up the fire with the bellows, or tabulate interminable columns of figures on our book-keeping table, or, burnt by the sun, we are plunged in the mud of rice fields, or standing by the smelter’s furnace, we do not fulfil the same religious life as if in prayer in a monastery, the world will never be saved.4

3 Carlo Carretto: “Letters from the desert”. 4 Quoted in “Letters from the desert” by Carlo Carretto. So how do the laity evangelise by example? By which means? In the above quoted letter to Joseph Hours, Charles de Foucauld answers: By applying the best method according to whom they meet: to all without exception with whom they have any rapport whatsoever, by means of goodness, tenderness, filial affection, the example of virtue, humility and gentleness, attitudes which are always so appealing and so Christian; with some not even saying a word about God or religion, being patient as God is patient, good as God is good, being a dear sister or brother and praying; with others speaking of God in the measure they are able to understand.5 Friendship, for our Fraternity, has a specific value: it is the way in which we communicate to the other person our nearness, our attention, our availability. It is an interpersonal and unique relationship, because it takes on the characteristics of two human beings who are involved with one another. Through it, we create that special environment which transforms us into the yeast in the dough. As the Fraternity’s Little Guide specifies: The leaven is very little and unobtrusive. It cannot be identified when mixed with the flour but it has a value of its own. Through this insertion into the lives of others, transformation takes place. Even if small in number, we can truly become a sign of God’s friendship and love by a gratuitous presence not looking for success. “Success” is not among the names of God! The whole dough is raised from within and this tiny insignificant little pinch of leaven becomes a life force.6

5 Charles de Foucauld, Letter to Joseph Hours of 3rd May 1912, Assekrem, Hoggar, Algeria. 6 Lay Fraternity “Brother Charles de Foucauld”: “The Little Guide: A practical guide to fraternity living and spirituality”, §3.2 International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 9

The potential of Nazareth regarding service to society calls for witnesses to be a contemplative and loving presence in the life of others. Br. Charles drew this inspiration from two very different situations. First of all he was well acquainted with Muslims and knew that any attempt at preaching to them would result in the rejection both of the missionary and his message. Secondly there was a similar situation in the expanding secularised milieus of . He summarised his approach by writing: My apostolate should be one of goodness. When people see me they should say: “If this man is good, his religion must be good.”7 Charles himself is a witness of the effectiveness of the apostolate of friendship. He was conquered to faith by the gratuitous love of his family, particularly his cousin Marie de Bondy, who showed him care and affection without trying to challenge his unbelief by arguments. Of her he meditates: She seconded your work, my God, by her silence, her gentleness and her goodness. She was kind, but she didn’t intervene.8 This is why a way for us to discern whether we are living our vocation is when others tell us that they feel comfortable with us because we do not demand anything from them and they feel free that they can be themselves. Recently, after having spoken with a married couple from our Fraternity, a group of persons interested in our spirituality commented in the following way: “We like you. You are special because you are not special.” This is a form of service that is based on what we are rather than what we do.

Prayer and review of life Prayer has an important place in our private and fraternal life, particularly the silent adoration of the Eucharist, which was so dear to

7 Ch. de Foucauld: “Carnet de ”, pp. 188–189, 1909. 8 Ch. de Foucauld: Letter to Fr. Huvelin, 15th July 1906. Br. Charles. Reading and meditating on the Word of God, especially the Gospels, is another important moment in our personal and fraternal life of prayer. Contemplative prayer sensitizes us to the voice of others especially in their needs, and sharpens our vision to the way God works in the world. This ability to listen is refined during our fraternal encounters where in what we call, “the Review of Life” we share our life experiences with the freedom of knowing that we will be listened to without being judged. The ability to listen renders our service more effective, first of all because very often what people really want is to be heard by a compassionate heart and secondly because listening with the heart of Jesus puts us in empathy with the other person, thus giving us the opportunity to respond effectively. We can therefore say that silence becomes “active” and contemplation becomes “action.”

The preferential option for the poor Coined in 1968 by the Jesuit Pedro Arrupe in a letter to the Jesuits of South America, this phrase crystallizes the words of Jesus, “What you have done to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done to me” [Mt 25:40]. It is a calling which anyone trying to live the Gospel cannot ignore. The preferential option for the poor is a priority for us: Jesus did not condemn the rich – writes Br. Charles in the Directoire – on the contrary he had friends who were rich; however he never exalted material wealth, instead he exalted poverty. As a direct consequence of the preferential option for the poor, the Fraternity is focused on matters of social justice. Action in this respect can take many forms, because once one is a labourer in the field of God, God will use him or her whoever and wherever they are. In this way we become co-Creators with Him. The option for the poor can take forms and shades ranging from helping the woman who lives next door and International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 11 who is a victim of domestic violence, to the young immigrant who needs a livelihood and who asks to be accepted in his difference, to participating in political action such as the young Little Brother who last March joined the rebels in Tahrir Square in Cairo and lived the revolution with the masses, to mention just a few examples.

Conclusion Nazareth is relevant today and will always be, because it gives relevance to the personhood of every human being irrespective of race, colour, breed, gender, social status or faith. The poor of today are not only those lacking material wealth. They are those deprived of a parent’s embrace, those abused by their employer, those who are incapable of making friends, those who are victims of the collapse of the financial system in the Western world. In these terms even we can count ourselves as among the poor. We are however also very fortunate in that we proclaim the Good News, and as such it is our duty, indeed as Br Charles would say, our obligation, “to cry out the Gospel, not so much with words as with our lives.” We know that we are drops in an ocean but we also believe that we belong to an ocean where every drop counts, where every single member of humanity is carved in the Sacred Heart of Jesus who ransomed each of our lives with His very blood. The number of members has never been a preoccupation for us since we do not deal in proselytism and we do not organise mass activities. The brothers and sisters who join our Fraternity very often do so through the personal acquaintance of one of us – this is the style of Nazareth. We seek only to relate to the next person as Jesus would have related. If we seek to imitate Him we would not preach a difference; we would make a difference. Claudio and Sylvana Chiaruttini

“The God of Jesus Christ” by the Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1977

The Church cannot grow or prosper if we let it ignore that its roots are hidden in the atmosphere of Nazareth. At the moment when sentimentalism around Nazareth was flourishing, the true mystery of Nazareth was discovered in a new way, in its deepest sense, without his contemporaries noticing by Charles de Foucauld. There, in a living meditation on Jesus, a new way was opened thereby for the Church. It was for the Church a rediscovery of poverty. Nazareth has a permanent message for the Church. The New Alliance does not start in the Temple, nor on the Holy Mountain, but in the little home of the Virgin, in the house of the worker, in one of the forgotten places of the 'Galilee of peasants’, from where nobody expected anything good. It is only by starting out from there that the Church can have a new beginning and be healed. It can never provide a true response to the revolt of our century against the power of the wealthy, if at its own heart, Nazareth is not a reality, which is lived. Text shared by the Community of Brother Charles, Britain.

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An inspiring new reading with a poetic approach9 He reached out to those who aspired to live a life of dignity while he could have abided by the law and abstained from laying hands on the crippled and the ailing. He wore his feet down travelling up hill and down dale while nobly seated, he could have waited for the highest dignitaries to come all the way to see him. He took the time to read through people’s hearts and understand them while he could have judged and condemned them by simply relying on outward appearances. His ears were sensitive to crying, moaning and wailing while he could have contented himself with preaching holy speeches of resignation. His words were engaging, called for caution, were challenging and critical while he could have sought approval from the righteous and the poor. His heart beat for children, prostitutes, crooks, heathens while he could have ensured that the established rule and order prevailed. This man who was acclaimed by the crowds chose to ride on the back of a small donkey while he could have been crowned King of the saints. Laying face down on the ground, he entreated the Father all through an endless night while he could have used his prestige and power to sweep everything away. His worn out shoulders carried all the crosses of all humanity, while he could have been in good standing with the civil and religious authorities. His exhausted body was broken by the stripes and blows he received while he could have been covered in incense and given the honour due to Him. Can such a man be God? I wouldn’t know... But what I believe in, and what fuels my hope is that my Lord is this very man! Henri Weber

9 On the occasion of the feast of Christ the King, a poem which replaces the homily ... Fraternity News from around the world

AFRICA

MADAGASCAR : Father Jacques Berthieu

Saint Jacques Berthieu, 1838 - 1896 Madagascar (photo:Fdesouche.com)

On 21 October 2012, the churches of Madagascar and of the Indian Ocean had the joy of celebrating the of Father Jacques Berthieu, their first saint. Father Jacques Berthieu, a son of farmers from a very humble background was born on 27th November 1838 in heart of the Massif Central, near Polminhac, in Cantal. He was ordained priest on 21st May 1864. Later, he was drawn to the religious life and on 31st October 1873 he entered the of the Jesuits in Pau. After that, he became a missionary in Madagascar, where he arrived in December 1875. He had to practise his vocation under difficult circumstances. This was partly due to the fact that, from 1880, French law forbade members of unauthorized religious congregations to stay on French territory or territory that belonged to France as was the case for Madagascar. Furthermore, it was difficult because of the wars between France and Madagascar of 1881-1885 and 1894-1895. When the peace treaty was finally officially signed it did not bring about the required peace among the people and in 1896, the Menalamba, a native group of the population, rebelled against the

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arrival of the French and persecuted all the foreigners, especially the ones who imposed their religion. Following an order of the military authority, the population had to be evacuated. Father Berthieu could move on because he had a horse however he decided to bind his fate with that of the people and lent his mount to an employee of the mission who could not walk properly because of a wound on his foot. As a result he fell into the hands of a group of Menalamba in the afternoon of 8th June 1896. Because he refused to deny his religion, he was killed with several shots of rifle; his body was dragged until the Mananara river and thrown into the water. Jacques Berthieu was beatified on 17th October 1965; his took place in Rome on 21st October 2012. The Holy Father celebrated a solemn mass in the Vatican. In Madagascar, a giant screen made it possible to follow the ceremony of canonization transmitted from Rome and a mass was celebrated in Ambiatibe – Tananarive, the place of his execution.

For the blessed Catholics: “Never be sad brothers and sisters: a Christian can never be like that! Never be discouraged!”

VISIT TO MAURITIUS - JANUARY 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Africa I visited Mauritius in my capacity as the Responsible for South and East Africa and was able to spend 7 days on the Island. Nicolas was able to accompany me on the Island and was greatly blessed to visit the many historical sites and churches in Mauritius, not forgetting the beautiful beaches. My daughter Claudia and I were able to meet Nicolas’ family and we thank them for their generosity and hospitality. We were blessed to spend Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 January with Nicolas and his family. On Saturday we attended a Mass in Rose Hill at Nicolas’ home parish which was conducted in English. We were struck by the similarities of the diversity we have in South Africa and we could immediately relate to the richness of difference and identity. On Sunday we were able to attend the meeting of the Lay Fraternity and I would like to focus on the Gospel Reading and discussion for that day: John 2: 1-11 (Jesus changes water into wine). The discussion about the Gospel was really about renewal, change and transformation. Sister Florence from the Fraternity, made reference to the empty jars been compared to people (us), who are constantly filled (renewed) with new wine, a new spirit. The analogy of the empty jars been compared to our own emptiness is profound and it resonates with our constant sense of needing to start afresh. The marriage ceremony at Cana is also the ideal occasion to choose performing this miracle because marriage is a contract between two people, called Ketubah in the Jewish tradition, but God constantly creates new worlds through International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 17 marriages and the quality of the wine is also symbolic of the kind of relationship which Jesus offers to us as his people. Transformation in Africa is both an ongoing discussion and a challenge and we continue to seek and find new ways of improving the quality of life of the poorest of the poor. The gap between rich and poor seem to just grow bigger and these disparities are often the causes of social disharmony and discontent. We in our Spiritual journey are called to continue on this journey of transforming and renewing our relationships with the oppressed, alienated, homeless and unemployed. Our Lenten journey provides us with the opportunity to grow in faith and prayer using the example of Blessed Brother Charles. This occasion presented to me, was a most wonderful occasion of brotherly and sisterly love as always demonstrated by our Blessed Brother Charles, a selfless sharing of love and friendship and bringing together our respective countries of Mauritius and South Africa. I wish to express thanks and gratitude to Nicolas as we continue to pray for our respective Fraternities.

Fraternal Greetings and Much Love Claude

For a rejuvenation of the heart: “We have to always live our faith with a young heart: a young heart, even at the age of 70 or 80! A young heart! With Christ, the heart never ages!”

SUMMARY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE LAY FRATERNITY CHARLES DE FOUCAULD DR CONGO EAST (16 and 17/01/2013)

This meeting brought together all the responsibles and the responsibles in the parishes of BUKAVU and of UVIRA (particularly the pastoral area of MWENGA) at the end of a 6 year mandate of the National Representative appointed in August 2006 after the International Meeting of Arusha of July 2006, in Tanzania.

Eighteen (18) parochial representatives were present, 4 members of the diocesan committees of UVIRA and of BUKAVU, 7 members of the Deanship committees, 4 members of the exiting National Team, Father Adrien CISHUGI, Chaplain of the diocese of BUKAVU, Joseph KOSHI, African regional delegate and Jean-Chris BISIMWA, observer. It should be indicated that the dioceses of Kindu and Goma were not represented. The conferences began on 16th January 2013 at 1700hr and finished on 17th January 2013 at 13h00. They took place at the formation house of the Franciscan brothers of NYATENDE/BUKAVU. Two priests from the community of the Franciscan brothers of Nyantende led the Eucharist and the worship of the Holy sacrament. The parish vicar of NYATENDE who is also the spiritual guide of our main fraternity of Nyantende visited us during the conference.

Three important moments marked this meeting: the moral report of former Responsible Titus WENGA, a meditation on serving God in faith proposed by François CITERA, and the elections presided by Joseph KOSHI. Other meaningful moments were the sharing of experiences and perspectives of the fraternity of the pastoral zone of Mwenga and Bukavu, and the speeches for the occasion: a speech regarding the prospects of the next mandate of the elected Responsible; three speeches of good wishes and expectations for the prospective mandate by Father Adrien KALANGA, Jean-Chris BISIMWA and Joseph KOSHI KWINJA.

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At the end of the vote, which was held by secret ballot, the outcome was the following: total voters 33. Titus WENGA: 18 votes, that is 54,60%, elected Responsible of the Lay Fraternity Charles de FOUCAULD for a mandate of 6 years. The first evaluation will take place mid-term, i.e. in 2015 at a general meeting. The two days of general meeting ended in a fraternal meal and the participants returned to their respective parishes thereafter.

Bukavu, 19th January 2013 Marcellin BASHENGEZI, Reporter of the Meeting

DR. CONGO/BUKAVU

Like every year, on Saturday 23rd March 2013, the fraternity of Bukavu organized an apostolate activity at the central prison of Bukavu. This is a prison with a maximum capacity to accommodate 500 prisoners but where in fact 1512 prisoners currently live. Several foodstuffs and non- foodstuffs were collected by the members of the various parishes of Bukavu. The event began with a prayer and afterwards there was sharing. The fraternity wishes to thank Father Adrien, the spiritual guide of the fraternity and current chaplain of the central prison, for all his efforts to change the life of the Congolese prisoners. This experience has always called for the commitment of the members of the fraternity of Bukavu. This message of Blessed Charles de Foucauld: “We should not get involved in temporal government, nobody is more convinced of it than I am, but one ought to love justice and hate injustice", and when the temporal government commits grave injustice… its attention should be drawn to it, for we do not have the right to be sleepy sentinels, dumb dogs, indifferent ministers” will always remain topical to all those who chose to be his followers

KENYA:

At the international level, Africa is rising (The Economist, Time Magazine and Forbes Magazine 2012) as the next economic giant. Even the Church came up with a new program for Africa in 2011: Africa’s Commitment. Some of the statements in this document are reminiscent of article 12 of Development of Peoples (Populorum Progressio) that cites Blessed Brother Charles de Foucauld as model of missionaries.

The new lease of Catholic Faith associated with Pope Francis coincides with Kenya’s rebirth into a constitutional democracy within the context of what is unfolding in Africa. On April 24, 2013 the Pope, during his weekly audience, pronounced the best thing I have heard since I accepted the catholic faith as a young child on February 2, 1967 after three years of catechism. I was born on February 20, 1954. Around this time (1967), I was aware that the Church was undergoing some sort of transformation after a large meeting of bishops in Rome (Vatican II).

Pope Francis stated that the church is the face of God’s love, an enterprise willed by God and mediated through Jesus and his disciples. His statement reminded me of article No. 1 of Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). That is all I have been waiting to hear from our Church.

This fundamental message is what Blessed Brother Charles de Foucauld taught and lived. Gertrude and I have been aiming at living this message through PEMA Education Centre (http://www.pema.ac.ke/) since June 2006. However, faith unfolds within social and cultural International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 21

contexts. In Kenya, many people associate the Church as an institution and its leadership with affluence, power and security.

According to reports deduced by the to Ndungu Land Commission set up by former President Mwai Kibaki in 2003 to investigate illegal and irregular allocations of public assets, the Churches had reservations about the new constitution. The current constitution requires that all illegal and irregular allocations of land in the past be investigated and corrected. The Church is one of the largest land owners in Kenya. Most of this land was appropriated during the colonial/missionary period from 1885 to 1965.

On March 07, 2013, three days after voting in Kenya’s first General Elections under the new constitution, I wrote the following communication which I shared with several people:

“We are well here in Kenya during this time of our first General Elections under the New Constitution. The dark cloud of fear that the social and political upheavals that befell Kenya in 2007/2008 would recur has been dispersed. A gentle rain has washed the dust and cleaned the air, ready for a new day. You will be aware of the assessment of the European Union's elections observer-team in Kenya: That if there were a Nobel Prize for national democratic tenacity, Kenya would have won it on Monday, March 04, 2013. The Commonwealth Observer Team, African Union Observer, Intergovernmental Development Authority Observer Team, East African Community Observer Team and the Carter Center all agree that Kenya has done not only the African Region proud but the whole world as well in demonstrating audacious organizational skills to beat all the odds in focusing on the main issue whatever the means: Democratizing governance through Free and Fair Elections. One of the leading political editors called upon Kenyans to send some pessimist-journalists home without the story they had come for. Should we as a country endure until the process of manually tallying the final election results that are expected by end of today or tomorrow, the world, especially the western part of it, will have rewrite the political history of Africa.”

There were numerous challenges during the prolonged process of elections between the voting day on March 04 and March 09 when the results were declared. These challenges included a very expensive but non-functioning electronic system that cost the taxpayer billions of Kenya Shillings. The results of the General Elections showed that Kenya remains divided nearly in two political opinion halves. Faith seems to play no role whatsoever in mitigating ethnic consideration during elections. Apparently, universal human and Christian values are equally of little consideration in governance. Kenya surprised the world by electing two International Criminal Court (ICC) indictees as president and his deputy, i.e. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. Although the west had issued veiled threats that Kenya would face consequences if the two would be elected, Uhuru Kenyatta has been officially invited by the British Government to attend an international conference on Somalia. This war-torn country is said to be extremely rich in natural resources that include huge deposits of oil!

Flash back to elections: The Jubilee Coalition of parties had their way by 50.07 percent in the presidential elections. A political analyst had predicted the results citing what he called ‘tyranny of numbers’. The now minority party lodged an unsuccessful petition in the Supreme Court challenging the results. They had hoped for a ruling in favour of run-off elections between the two leading candidates: Uhuru Kenyatta for the Jubilee Coalition and Raila Odinga for the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy. Furthermore, there had been allegations of a conspiracy to favour one of the two leading presidential candidates against the other. The petition was not granted. International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 23

In the meantime, transition from centralized government to a devolved one is underway. Currently, Kenya has 47 County Governments and one national government. Teething problems are many. For example, the new members of the national government want to be paid obscenely high salaries after being elected under different terms.

Fortunately, the new government announced a list of apparently very competent technocrats as Cabinet Secretaries (non-political government ministers) who reflect the face of our cultural and social diversity as required by the new constitution. This is the context within which our faith is being called up to stand out. Gertrude and Peter

For the Christians to turn towards their neighbours: “We have to move towards our brothers and sisters, especially the ones who are farthest away, the one who are forgotten and the ones who need to be understood, who need consolation and help.”

The Central African Republic has been for a long time in an unstable political situation. Though a mostly Christian country, the population of its north- eastern territories is predominantly Muslim. A coalition of rebels from that region launched an attack against the government at the end of 2012 and took the capital Bangui at the end of March 2013. We publish here the letter of accusation written by the bishops of Central Africa before the rebels took control of the whole country. The Christian part of the population is the one most affected by the violence denounced here.

Message from Central African Bishops to the Government, to the International Community, to the people and to those of goodwill

Let us break the bondages of death and save the Central African people from suffication.

Introduction Since the last military-political crisis which has just struck our country, we Bishops of the Central African Republic have remained united and close to the people to partake in the pains and difficulties endured by this population bruised in its flesh. However, we notice that the agreements of Libreville of January 11th, 201310 , are delaying in getting fully accomplished. For this reason, we are committing ourselves to issuing a vibrant appeal to the Government of National Union, to the CEEAC 11, to the International Community, and to persons of goodwill to work insistently to end the suffering of the Central African people.

I. Present Realities: Since these last events, a major part of the Central African regions is occupied by the armed rebellion. The populations live in fear. They are

10 Agreement signed by president Bozizé, the opposition and the rebellion which was planning to form a government of national union led by the opposition and committing to organize free and transparent Elections within the three years. 11 Economic community of the Central African States. International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 25

scattered in the bush; they cannot attend to their occupations freely any longer; the rural activities are abandoned. In occupied cities, sick people find themselves without health care; hospitals are closed down or completely destroyed, school buildings have been ransacked, plundered and completely destroyed in places. Inevitably, the schooling of thousands and thousands children is compromised. The inviolable law for the physical integrity of the human person, in particular as regards girls and women, is not any more respected. A great deal of girls and women do not stop being the object of rape. Other manifestly deplorable acts are the infrastructures of the and the religious buildings which are ransacked, plundered, desecrated, and cars are taken away. Some existing production units have been vandalized, goods and properties of the citizens are not secured anymore; villages are burned-out.

II. Plan of action Do we have to continue to subject the people to such inhuman and humiliating living conditions which have yet been the object of several discussions and dialogues beforehand? We are calling to your sense of patriotism: Without further delay, free these people who only want peace to attend to their occupations. The bruised people who shout silently and whose voice is suffocated have become hopeless. They’re expressing their exasperation facing all the exactions which they have been imposed unto since December last year.

For that purpose, we recommend: To the Mediator of the CEEAC, to the International Community, to the accredited ambassadors in the Central African Republic, to the BINUCA 12, to the CEEAC to quickly assist in order for:

12 Integrated office of the United Nations Organization in the Central African Republic. - The roads to be opened to facilitate free circulation of the Central African people, for people are starving, they are oppressed, and they do not have any fuel supplies or foodstuffs or essential medicine, - The phone networks to be restored in occupied zones, for a whole population cannot be deprived of its right to communication. - The Government to take on its responsibility and ensure safety of the members of any religious order, of the and of every Central African citizen. - The people in charge of various rebel factions who are in occupied zones to immediately put an end to thefts and rapes, to acts of vandalism, to killings and to exactions on the Central African people, on members of any religious order and especially on buildings and on public and religious buildings.

III. Conclusion We appeal to your conscience and your responsibility: populations are displaced. They live in terror and anxiety. Innocent Central Africans are killed, slaughtered like animals. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WE ARE SICK AND TIRED. THE PEOPLE ARE WEARY OF ALL THESE USELESS, DESTRUCTIVE SUFFERINGS This situation has to change. The Central African people have the right to live in peace in their country and attend to their occupations without any worries. We demand respect for the word given and for the Constitution. May this beginning of fasting be for each and everyone a time of conversion of heart in order to free these people who are taken hostage as they expect total liberation from us; peace from God, peace of hearts and mind, not that of the weapons. May the God of Mercy bless our country, the Central African Republic.

Done at Bangui, on 14 February 2013

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AMERICA

REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MEETING OF THE Charles de Foucauld LAY FRATERNITIES (LF) - November 23-25-2012 At San Felix SAN BUENAVENTURA GUAYANA VENEZUELA

Theme: The spirituality of Charles de Foucauld and the ecological dimension of our reality. Our 2012 annual meeting was held in San Felix. We were 75 people: members of the various branches of Brother Charles Family, along with many engaged laity, from Caracas, Valencia, Los Teques, Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Bojo-Sanare and San Felix Ciudad Guayana, and the participation of several friends of the brotherhood of San Felix, Fr Giuliano () and Tiago (Manaus, Brazil) The meeting began at 3pm on Friday by a few words of introduction given by host Jesus Jiménez of the organizing team, and national anthem by the diocesan Bishop, followed by the presentation of the fraternities and composition of working groups for the meeting. On Saturday, we attended Morning Prayer in the parish of San Buenaventura, home to the meeting. After breakfast, we shared the testimony of each fraternity around this question:

What I bring and what I want to offer as members of LF? Strengthen initiatives, deepen spirituality of our provinces, we are open to learn, listen, accompany… support Fidelina to fulfill her role and share what we are experiencing (Bojo-Sanare). The Fraternity, source of strength for a life of faith confronted by the contradictions it presents. Each responsable is called to testify his/her entourage. A reference was made to the parable of the sower: we have to be good soil for the seed of faith to grow. Support the growth of networks of relations, international meeting, break down barriers, mutual understanding, bear witness of this meeting. Then Pastora Medina, a former Mayor of Puerto Ordaz, spoke to us on "hydro-ecology in Ciudad Guayana", noting the enormous natural wealth of the region, the importance of the right to life, the recognition of the earth, our home, and the well-being of nature. Compared to Ciudad Guayana, an industrial, urban agglomeration of more than one million inhabitants, it is reported that about a thousand tons of waste is generated and not properly disposed of or recycled due to a lack of infrastructure to accommodate and recycle this waste. As a result, this contaminates the river (Orinoco) already polluted by illegal gold mining tributaries Caura and Caron, and mercury, with serious consequences on the health of indigenous people living near the Caura River. The legal system envisages strengthening the role of schools in the creation of an ecological conscience, which considers the preservation of the environment as a human right. But the role of the family is also crucial to the biological, spiritual and educational level for the promotion of ecological culture. All this implies profound changes in our cultural values and in our understanding of the Gospel’s call to give priority to life. Feedback from participants in the meeting stressed the need for cultural change at many levels, in particular, family, institutional, and public, and participants exchanged on multiple concrete eco- initiatives: recycling waste, cultivation of medicinal plants, agro- ecology. The responsibility to demand environmental and ecological policies has been reported

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By late morning, Bruno Renaud, priest at Petare (popular area of Caracas) and friend of the Fraternity, shared on the theme «Ecology and the spirituality of the poor ": 1. Reclaim the Church of Vatican II, freed from post-conciliar fears: the Church, people of God, option for the poor, responsible globalization: multicultural reality. Accommodate differences. Four major points: - Read the gospel as it has been transmitted to the early Christians: gospel, following Jesus = proclamation and healing (Mt.4, 19). - Tradition: reception and announcement of message. Without fear of deconstruction, full of compassion towards the injured stranger (Samaritan). - The Kingdom of God: Jesus opens us to the arms of the Father ; community meal open to all (Eucharist) - Mystical reality: I live with Christ, he lives in me, everything else is secondary…. "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me," Matthew 11 (the first in heaven after Jesus, a great thief ...) For personal reflection: - Options for the Future of the Church? - Fears and hopes Remarks: - Enlightening to understand that fear of change is related to the non- evangelical tradition of power. The reality of the Church is found in the encounter of the other. - The revision of life frees us of fear: expressing feelings and support

Afternoon: -Presentation of the report of the international meeting in Bonn : themes program, strengths and weaknesses, accepted responsibilities. - Group work on the theme ECOLOGY based on the sharing of the experiences of care or destruction of life that we encounter in everyday life, illuminated by the attitudes of Jesus (facts and parables). It was emphasized that the contamination of water, soil and urban waste, either by industry, mineral exploitation, unconsciousness citizens. The experiences of community care were also reported. A bibliography has been suggested. In the late evening, music and dance groups from the region offered a very nice show.

Sunday morning - We participated in the Eucharist at the San Buenaventura parish, home and host of the meeting. The priest presented us to the community by inviting us to say a few words for each Fraternity. At the time of the evaluation, we reported the value for our ecclesial life of the spirituality of Brother Charles, the importance of meeting in our respective living environments, the need for inclusion of all our national realities, thus the relevance of the theme on ecology.

Common commitments : - Consolidation of Zulia and Barquisimeto fraternities - Update website (blog) - Copy Bonn report for each local fraternity - Reinvigorate the money savings account International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 31

- Evaluation of the quarterly newsletter. National meeting in Valencia from 1 to 8 September 2013 - Local Meetings scheduled for December 1, 2013 - Participation in the planning of the Latin American Meeting in 2015 - Promote the values of the environment and Fraternity in our daily lives - Strengthen communication at national and international level Fidelina

For the Church to worry about ecology: “We are “guardians” of creation, of God’s plan written in the nature, guardians of our neighbor and of the environment.”

ASIA

News from the lay fraternity in South Korea

Charles de Foucauld Korean lay fraternity members held the national assembly (one every three years) on 10-11, Nov. 2012 in Cheonan Francisco retreat house. The Assembly consisted of Mass, prayer, contemplation, reports of each team (Nazareth, Béni-Abbes, Sahara, Tamanrasset, El-Goléa, Assekrem, El-Abyod, Touareg, and Bethlehem), report of 2012 World assembly at Bonn, report of the accounts, new member participation ceremony, etc. At the assembly the new executive team was elected. They are: the new responsible of the Korean lay fraternity, An, namok Christina; vice responsible, Choi, bongok Susanna; general affairs, Woo, jeoungwon Zenobepha; accounts, Son, wolja Yulianna (continued from the previous team); secretary, Gwoun, soonhua Zenobepha.

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EUROPE

My visit to the Maltese fraternity

In response to the invitation of Rosita, I went to Malta from the Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th January 2013.

It is on this island, right in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, that the assembly of European delegates of the fraternity will be held next 12-16 July. It will be followed by 8 days of holidays for members of fraternities of Europe and their families from 16-24 July.

Louise, Mee-Kuon and Pam representatives of the UK had come from London, Sylvana and Claudio, representing the International Team, were also there. Together, we planned the organisation of these holidays for which the British fraternity has also committed itself.

The Maltese had already done a good part of the job, be it regarding logistics or spiritual nourishment, as well as the leisure times.

For a professing Church always moving on. “We can build many things, but if we do not profess Jesus Christ, things go wrong. We may become a charitable NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of the Lord. When we are not walking, we stop moving.” It was above all an opportunity for us to get to know one another better by: sharing our lives and living together, at the seminary of Rabat, where the European holidays will be held.

Adoration, prayer, walks and visits were harmoniously scheduled.

Unfortunately, the weather was not good: it rained and strong winds blew, as it usually does in winter, there was even hail and thunder.

We had good weather only on Sunday, this enabled us to discover the neighbourhood and the surrounding landscapes under the sun.

On that Sunday, we met for sharing in a very spontaneous and informal way. I asked these questions: ‘What joys does the fraternity bring to you? And what weaknesses would you like highlight?” Answers came out promptly we were pleased to note that positive points outnumbered the negative; even though like everywhere else, opinions differ and the level of people’s commitment varies.

Annie Bijonneau

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ARAB WORLD

ALGERIA- Nazareth week 2013

The members of the Fraternity Charles de Foucauld met from March 17th to 22nd to live together again a Nazareth week. We live that week every other year and it is open to all the members of the fraternity of Algeria, and to all the sub- Saharan students who are studying in Algeria.

It is mainly based on a teaching from the Gospel, a Gospel which is related to the spiritual life of Charles de Foucauld.

We started the Nazareth week with a hymn and a beautiful prayer as an introduction to a well-chosen text about the Gospel, a document of Antoine Chatelard, “Let us come back to the Gospel”, a text which gently draws us back to our faith and our community life.

“The Gospel showed me that the first commandment is to love God with all your heart and that we have to wrap everything in Love” and… “Everyone knows that the first result of love is imitation.”

After that introduction, our friend and Little Brother Bernard from Béni-Abbes gave us a presentation on Charles de Foucauld. He amazed us with a new approach to the Gospel and made us want to discover Jesus Christ a little more, that God who continues to surprise us with His greatness and simplicity at the same time, a God who does not judge, but loves and forgives. Through his adoration of God, Charles loved to the extreme and gave himself without measure, just like Jesus who gave himself for the whole of humanity.

“Without the Tuaregs we would not be born to that love, that love of sharing and that life of Nazareth.”

“He becomes a B’NADEM, an ordinary man among others.” We are called to become ordinary people wherever we come from and whatever our position in society.

During this Nazareth week, the Gospel was a grace and a great blessing, a teaching of the Gospel which changes with time and is relevant in our present time.

We go from Obedience (Old Testament) to Resemblance (New Testament): the language of Love, “we resemble the one we love”.

“Calling another to share, to offer them a meal, it is also makes the other responsible and involves them to stay attentive to the one that God places on their road.

“Learning how to satisfy the other wiht a warm welcome even if the meal offered is not worthy of a King, but the love that we bring can fulfill!…

During that week we were happy to welcome the Responsible for the fraternities in the Arab world, Rania, from Lebanon. She shared with us the life of the Fraternity in the different Arab countries: news from , Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.

Our brother and student in Batna also gave us news from his country, Congo Brazzaville and shared with us about his life in the fraternity, in

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the university, in a milieu where everything evolves in the love of a God who is the same for everyone.

The Nazareth experience opens us to the contemplation of God, the same God of my neighbor, my brother or my cousin, of my colleague who prays five times a day. A God who teaches me to accept the other even if he is prejudiced about my faith, a God who teaches me to be patient and tolerant. A God who teaches me to forgive and to question myself. A God who teaches me how to be humble and pushes me to “dare to meet” the one who “does not dare”.

It is in our everyday and concrete situations that we find ourselves caught up by the presence of God

It is not an emotional contemplation, but it challenges our lives.

We thanked this God who is so mysterious and so loving and we pray that He give us a long life so that we can meet again, in greater numbers at the next Nazareth week.

We thanked all the participants, hoping that the next Nazareth week will coincide with the school holidays of all the students so that they can also enjoy that week, emotionally very rich and which was a spiritual teaching.

Maria

For a Church who leaves the sacristy: “Following and accompanying Christ and staying with him means to ‘leave’. Leaving one’s self, one’s tired and accustomed way of living faith, leaving the temptation of locking oneself in one’s own schemes which end up closing the horizon of creative activity in God.”

LEBANON

I pray to the Lord Jesus that the resurrection season bring joy and give every person a chance to renew his life and live the Nazareth spirit and the values of the Gospel with faith and trust so as to fill his life with the light of the Lord. As for the Fraternity in Lebanon this stage began with the election of a new Responsible for the Fraternity "Jack Bsaibes." Later, the Fraternity went through a difficult period with the death of Father Daoud Kawkabani who accompanied the Fraternity through many stages of its life and loved its spirituality with all his heart. Father Kawkabani was a brother, a companion and a mentor.

The Fraternity set the title for this year "How can we live The Nazareth Spirituality through the new Evangelism?"

The Fraternity placed its calendar for this year’s meetings to be in harmony with this title whereby the brothers do a revision of life, share the words of the Gospel and delve into its spirituality. This calendar will be adopted through this whole year.

The Fraternity added to its regular meetings, usually held on the second Friday of the month, another meeting of adoration on the fourth Friday of the month at the home of the , Little Brothers of Jesus or the Little Sisters of Nazareth.

On 1st of December 2012, like every year, the Fraternity commemorated with the family of Brother Charles in Lebanon the anniversary of Brother Charles in the parish of Saint Maron - Dawrah (this is the parish chosen International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 39 by the Little Sisters of Jesus - Bouchrieh). The celebration included a Mass and then a meeting with the people of the parish.

On Friday December 28, 2012, The Fraternity celebrated Christmas and New Year in a meeting full of joy at one of the fraternity members’ house.

During this period the Fraternity organized its archives including the books, the recordings, and the subjects.

The Fraternity wrote a report of few pages entitled "Back to the roots in order to contribute to the new Evangelism" that aims to present the Fraternity in a clear and easy way.

Jack

SYRIA We would like to share through this message some information about what we experience in the lay fraternity of Syria. During the last months, the crisis in Syria has become more serious and incredibly complicated. This influences doubtlessly our personal life and our path of development. As a result, we had to face several challenges in order to continue living our mission as a lay fraternity. Herby, we present you the most important ones:

1- The means of transport and the difficulty of arriving at our meeting places. 2- The difficulties of the economy: price increase, unemployment… 3- The lack of security which has forced us to meet earlier and for a shorter span of time. Notwithstanding, we have already made our decision: We are continuing to meet according to the program that we had decided on. After these challenges, we would like to share with you this experience that we have already made a Damascus: One day, we met in order to visit a member of our fraternity and then a shell was dropped in front of his house. Only seven minutes separated us from this accident. We are sure that God is always with us and that he protects us. Furthermore, concerning the administrative affairs, the responsible of the fraternity in Damascus (Maha Kardouh) was forced to leave for Lebanon. In the meantime, the members of the fraternity are all collaborating, everyone according to their possibilities, whilst staying in contact with Maha via internet and without forgetting about the continuous contact and support by the little sisters and the little brothers of Jesus. Finally, we are still living the joy of the resurrection of Christ, we are living in hope and in faith in the victory of life within us and in our country Syria despite all the problems and obstacles. Always united in prayer and love Dima Al Shaer

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ASSOCIATION MEETING AT VIVIERS: APRIL 1ST-7TH How CdF has read and meditated the Bible The centrality of the Word of God in the life of Brother Charles was evident. This was nourished by reading the gospel and meditating on it throughout his life. He at the same time nourished and strengthened his relationship and intimacy with Jesus. This is a central aspect that immensely influences the various branches of the Spiritual Family. It is very much in its regulations, constitutions and directories. In fact, it appears that shared reading of the Word of God as it has been practised by Brother Charles did not give rise to a certain "method" of reading. The branches of the family agree that at this level, there is a multitude of practices from various spiritual movements in the Church. Its uniting function, however, is strong and inevitable. 1. To what is it related? Maybe have some clearly read texts and share the liturgy offered to us. In cases where there is no priest for a frequent celebration the Eucharist, it seems that sharing the Word is more frequent and enriching. The presence of a priest could actually render the sharing less frequent and less rich since this is expected from the priest. Maybe having a reading of the word of God... "." Some fraternities are keen on this "lectio" and they successfully share the word of God. 2. The centrality of the word of God is evident also in the need for better understanding and better internalization. The two axis are inseparable. - The first is the studying in the light of the Church Fathers, the experience of the rabbinic traditions, "specialists" with the potential to treat the Word of God as an "object" of knowledge that does not nourish our faith and prayer. - The second is the reading of the Word of God as a "mirror" of our lives, in the form Review of life. This reading is more enriching. But in this area there are many "methods" that vary depending on the branch of the family. 3. Another approach is to consider the variation according to two types of reading ... - A reading made “in solitude" by people living alone. Here again the approaches may vary but to these "in solitude" diligent reading of the Word of God have a great importance. Listening, sharing the Word is also practised in parish groups or others according to the methods specific to these groups. - A reading done in a fraternity, gives a different tone to the reading and sharing. We notice that few, if there are any, people are using the writings and meditations of Charles de Foucauld. 4. It is worth noting the importance of different cultures in understanding the Word of God. Thus, for example, little sister Marie- Victoire, the Word of God is transforming her way of living with her brothers and sisters, it is a school of justice and truth. Extracts from the Report.

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A TESTIMONY FROM ALGERIA

During Easter week, 1st- 7th April 2013, the Seminary of Viviers, the place where Charles de Foucauld was ordained priest, hosted the biannual meeting of the Responsibles of the Spiritual Family. There were several touching and engaging moments.

- A Little Sister from Central Africa described the suffering of the people of her country, particularly the Christians, during the rebellion which took place between December 2012 and last March and which led to the fall of the government and the installation of a new regime. - The Seminary, which has since become the Diocesan House Charles de Foucauld, is the custodian of the original writings of Brother Charles and the participants had the opportunity of seeing and leafing through some of them.

Claude Rault, bishop of the Sahara, spoke to us about the journey of the in independent Algeria and how it discovered the importance of the prayer of Christians in the land of Islam. It is specifically on this subject that I would like to focus my attention in this article.

The prayer of the Christians in the land of Islam

Following Algeria’s independence from France in 1962 after a war marked by bloodshed, the exodus of the French colonisers from that country left the Church depleted of followers but with an organisational structure too large for the new requirements. Under the guidance of the of , Cardinal Duval, the Catholics chose not to restrict their activity only to the Christian community. They opened up to the entire Algerian society and put themselves at the disposal of the Algerians’ social and economic development. Following a positive beginning, this line of action was put to the test in the mid 70’s when the State, through its programme of nationalisation of the schools, training centres, hospitals etc, deprived the Church of the major part of the instruments where it conducted its mission. Not only but in the eyes of several Algerians, especially influential ones, the West, of which the Christians were a symbol, was not a model to follow. The doubt that the real calling for its presence in Algeria was not the socio-economic development, started to weigh on the conscience of the Catholic Church. By listening to the Algerian society in which they lived immersed, the Catholics became aware, as had happened to Charles de Foucauld, of the importance of prayer in that cultural and religious context. Confronted with the prayer of their Muslim relatives and friends, with the call to prayer several times a day by the muezzin, the Christians started to question whether the real meaning of their presence wasn't rather to be "people of prayer amongst other people of prayer." The Christian communities that pray breed the respect of their neighbours, as happened to Br. Charles who even today is still remembered by the Algerians as a "marabout", a man of prayer. Prayer is a freely given testimony of the absoluteness of God, something that the Muslims are intensely aware of, and becomes an opportunity for encounter. In fact what happens is that the Muslims ask their Christian friends to pray for them and Christians can reciprocate and ask the same from the Muslims. This brings to mind what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John: the important thing is not the form of prayer, but to adore God in a spirit of truth. People of prayer like Br. Charles of Jesus, his followers in Algeria like Fr. Peyriguère, Little Sister Madeleine, Carlo Carretto, and ultimately the monks of Tibhirine are beacons light up the way of the Church in Algeria. International Bulletin - Nº89- June2013 45

Being carried along by circumstances – or rather better to say by the signs of the times – to deepen its awareness that prayer is at the core of its faith and its mission, does not distract the Church from its deeds of charity and helping others. It continues, through its modest means, with its commitment for the poor, to promote the rights of women, the handicapped and children, and to promote culture. It carries out its work however in the knowledge that it is not a non-governmental organisation, as Pope Frances has reminded us many times, and that it is not in that regard that the Muslims evaluate its witnessing.

I was very touched by the experience of this Church which, in the much beloved land of Br. Charles, gives witness to its faith in Jesus with such authenticity and simplicity. I would like to conclude with another reminder of the importance of prayer which came from another item on the agenda at Viviers. During the presentation of the activity regarding the website charlesdefoucauld.org we were informed that almost half of the visitors who access the website come across it while searching for the Prayer of Abandon. Claudio Chiaruttini

For a dialogue with Islam: “It is important to intensify the dialogue between the different religions. I am thinking of the dialogue with Islam in particular and I especially appreciated the presence of many civil and religious authorities of the Islamic world during my mass of inauguration.”

The website The site www.charlesdefoucauld.org is online in the French version, but there are a few pages in English. If you want to add information or announce your activities please do not hesitate to contact Antoinette on: [email protected] Subscriptions It is really desirable that those readers, who can afford to do so, contribute financially to the International Bulletin. The amount is € 20 every 2 years. The payment of subscription raises problems of a financial and logistical nature (such as bank charges), and consequently it is advisable to become organised accordingly. For the subscribers of the English edition: The way to proceed is to combine the subscriptions for each country so that members pay the subscription into the account of the Fraternity in their own country. Then the national secretariat will deposit the total subscriptions into the International account specifying “subscriptions for the International Bulletin.” They will then send a list of the names and addresses of the persons concerned to Claudio Chiaruttini at the email address: [email protected] Here is the account for the deposit: GEMEINSCHAFT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD IBAN: DE09 5856 4788 0002 6086 85 BIC (SWIFT): GENODED1HWM These material aspects need not however be an obstacle to the dissemination of the Bulletin, which is an important link between the fraternities around the world and which allows us to become aware of their richness and vitality. The dissemination of the Bulletin therefore remains a priority for the International Team. We would like to intensify the dispatch of brochures to Africa and Latin America and it is with the help of your contributions that we can achieve this. Send articles and news for the Lay Fraternity’s bulletin to the email: [email protected]

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It’s not easy … to feel the softness of the breeze just after being slapped in the face, …to find meaning in our life – and that of others – when a family member suffers from disability, …to believe in the power of organised solidarity when we lose our job together with the thousands of others made jobless for the sake of Finance, …to make it through the hardships of life when they convulse our intimacy and what is essential to us, …to for-give and open towards the future, when our own is bleak and uncertain, …to be non-violent in this world of brutality, …to open our heart and mind to others and to the world when their life is full of doubt, …to witness to our faith and hope when diversity and reason conspire to weave an evidence of “autistic” autonomy, …to live, grow old and die… It’s not easy. This term has become a catch-all phrase that shuts fast our doors to all living beings. Good Friday… Hitting the lowest point of all that is not easy, of all absurdity, injustice, violence and doubt. Sinking to the bottomless bottom. There is no rebound – because there is no bottom on which to sprint back, Is resurrection not rather letting someone who has been through it all help us rise upwards? Letting ourselves be pulled upwards toward a life flavoured with a stronger sense of the personal, the fraternal and the eternal? Through our relationships, believing the unbelievable without becoming impatient. By letting ourselves be revived by the first signs of this renewal in the midst of the ups and downs of life. Resurrection is neither a thesis nor a cure to all Good Fridays! It is an encounter with the one who has lived them from within and without. He is the one God has resurrected into our daily lives and nowhere else! Jesus stood up for all humankind at the cost of his own life. God stood up for Jesus, his Son, by raising Him from the dead. Each one of us is invited to participate. Let us abandon ourselves to be raised upwards in total confidence of being fully alive. Jacques Servais- Belgium