DOCSLIB.ORG

The Church in Mission and the Movements

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Church in Mission and the Movements n Unforeseen Phenomenon: The Ecclesial Movements Many have defined ecclesial movements as “fruits of the ACouncil.”1 The reason lies in the fact that they were founded and began to develop in the years following the great conciliar assembly of Vatican II. We are dealing with the “renewal move- The Church in Mission and ments” within the Catholic Church, a new constellation in the ecclesial firmament that appeared in the course of just a few de- the Movements cades.2 The phenomenon of movements with which this presenta- Roberto Catalano tion deals was characterized by an unpredictability that suggests Sophia University Institute the Spirit’s intervention, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger emphasized in 1998.3 The German theologian who would become Pope Bene- dict XVI put the movements’ unexpected appearance in the con- text of the ecclesial panorama during a difficult phase, one almost Abstract: The blossoming of new ecclesial movements before and after of darkness.4 Ratzinger’s theological analysis of the movements Vatican II was unplanned and unforeseen. While each is unique, al- most all were inspired by one person who was able to communicate 1. See Massimo Faggioli, Sorting Out Catholicism: A Brief History of the New Ecclesial Movements (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical, 2014), 6. their charism to thousands of others. While these communities include 2. With regard to the link between these realities and the Council, it should be all the Church’s vocations, they are characterized by active laity who borne in mind that the bishops meeting in Rome between 1962 and 1965 dedicated can enter milieus which had seemed impenetrable to the Church in the rather little attention to Catholic associationism. The work concerning the laity, and the movementism to which they were connected, refers particularly, and almost ex- past. These communities’ personal and collective witness of life builds clusively, to the Catholic Action. The reason for this interest can be found in the ef- friendships, leading to very fruitful relationships across all boundar- fort to revive the traditional elite of Catholic laypeople. Some indications, especially ies— ecumenical, interreligious and secular; others feel drawn to col- those coming from the Catholic Church in France, seemed to offer encouragement in this respect, having come together in the so- called theology of the laity. laborate for the good of the human family. Many of these movements 3. In fact, Cardinal Ratzinger had affirmed the following on the occasion of the first are now dealing with the challenge of being creatively faithful to the convention for reflection on the movements within the Catholic Church. “But sud- original inspiration after their founder’s death. denly here was something that no one had planned. Here the Holy Spirit himself had, so to speak, taken the floor. The faith was reawakening precisely among the young, who embraced it without ifs, ands, or buts, without escape hatches and loopholes, and who experienced it in its totality as a precious, life- giving gift.” (Josef Ratzinger, “The Theological Locus of Ecclesial Movements,” www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media /articles/theological- locus- of- ecclesial- movements- joseph- cardinal- ratzinger/). Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture, Vol. 8, No. 2 (2019) 4. In fact, Benedict referred to Karl Rahner’s analysis. “In those times, Karl Rahner 28–40 © 2019 and others used to talk about a ‘wintertime’ in the Church; in reality it appeared CLARITAS | Journal of Dialogue & Culture | Vol. 8, No. 2 (2019) 28 was also enriched by personal experience, a precious element that the ecclesial realities coming to life during World War II with often informed the different spiritualities that took form during the birth of Opus Dei, Cursillos de Christianidad, and the Foco- the second half of the twentieth century.5 lare Movement. These were the movements opening up the new The laity assumed an increasingly active and visible role season, with the newness of their gospel experience and their within the Catholic ecclesial structure during the years of the worldwide reach. Council and after. This Roman- universal event in itself was a fruit of Catholic movements in a certain sense, even if they had a Diversity and common elements different nature and origin. The experience and reflection stem- These new movements within the Catholic Church possess a vari- ming from the so- called reform movements—biblical, liturgi- ety of distinguishing characteristics. In contrast with the Catholic cal, ecumenical, and patristic—had a central role in the remote Action, they are not one single phenomenon. They vary quite a preparation and long process leading up to Vatican II.6 They left bit. In fact, the Catholic movement disappears with these commu- an important mark on European Christian life until the middle nities, making room for a picture of movements which are quite of the twentieth century. In spite of this, none of these manifes- different from one another.7 At the same time, all of these new tations of Christian movements ever had a direct influence on ecclesial realities bear marks that can be considered common de- nominators. The vast majority are composed of laity, and they fol- low a charismatic leader who proposes a radical commitment to that a deep freeze had replaced the springtime after the flowering during the Coun- live the gospel message in its entirety. cil; fatigue had taken the place of the new dynamism. Rahner’s expression was The movements are born because a charism is given to one of completely understandable; it depicted the experience of all of us.” (Ratzinger, “The the faithful personally and it becomes the principle that educates Theological Locus”). 5. “It was a wonderful event for me personally when I came into closer contact with and gathers the others, giving life to a community of believers movements such as the Neocatechumenate, Communion and Liberation, and Focolare who continue to reveal how persuasive the Christian event is.8 At and experienced the energy and enthusiasm with which they lived the faith and were the same time, they identify their charism with a specific aspect impelled by their joy in it to share with others the gift they had received” (Ratzinger, “The Theological Locus”). of the gospel message and are sure to offer their members a formal 6. The phenomenon of Catholic associationism during the nineteenth century was characterized more by the social and political dimensions rather than by the spiri- tual (See Massimo Faggioli, “Between Documents and Spirit: The Case of the New 7. See Michael Hochschild, “Laboratori del futuro: Aspetti sociologici delle nuove Catholic Movements,” in After Vatican II. Trajectories and Hermeneutics ed. J. L. Heft comunità spirituali,” in La Chiesa fiorisce. I movimenti e le nuove comunità, ed. Chri- and J. O’Malley, 1–22, 6 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2012), and Andrea Ric- stoph Hegge, 11–36, 17 (Rome: Città Nuova, 2006). cardi, “La nascita dei Movimenti Ecclesiali nella Chiesa italiana del Novecento: Un 8. See Angelo Scola, “Movimenti ecclesiali e nuove comunità nella missione della quadro storico,” in Paolo VI e Chiara Lubich. La profezia di una Chiesa che si fa dialogo, Chiesa: Priorità e prospettive,” in, La Bellezza di essere cristiani oggi. I movimenti nella ed. P. Siniscalco e X. Toscani, 12–23 (Brescia: Istituto Paolo VI, Edizioni Studium, Chiesa, Prontificium Consilium Pro Laicis, 57- 80, 65 (Vatican City: Libreria Edi- and Rocca di Papa (Rome): Centro Chiara Lubich, Pafom). trice Vaticana, 2007). CLARITAS | Journal of Dialogue & Culture | Vol. 8, No. 2 (2019) 29 structure for studying the spirituality born from their respective In fact, the spirituality of these new movements and ecclesial charismatic leader. communities is shared by priests and members of religious orders They also show a remarkable variety of forms for association, and congregations. The spiritual life of some communities of con- and this aspect makes them a real galaxy within the Catholic secrated men or women has been renewed and animated by the Church.9 I would emphasize an aspect that constitutes something spirituality of these laypersons. This is why someone hazarded to significantly new, however. In the past, the laity was accustomed to call it the “Pentecost of the laity.”10 In general, the phenomenon receiving spirituality from monasteries or from consecrated com- has enriched the Catholic Church’s modernity, taking some of munities. Today, the reverse is true, through this new phenomenon. the great social and ecclesiological issues as priorities for being Christian. Then, with regard to their respective beginnings, these communities arose in different geographic and cultural contexts— 9. This is what justifies the manifold definitions and categories into which they have been divided by those studying the phenomenon starting from the second half of the initially in Europe, but subsequently in Asia, South America, Af- 1980s. They have been differentiated as “reform” movements, “mobilization” move- rica, and North America as well.11 ments, and “church” movements (Alberto Melloni, ed., Movements in the Church [Norwich, UK: SCM Press, 2003,13–35]); and as “lay” movements, “spiritual” For a New Evangelization: movements, and “ecclesial” movements (Jean Beyer, Il diritto della vita consacrata [Milan: Ancora, 1989, 437–52]). Vanzan offers an interesting description, proposing Personal and Communitarian Witness a twofold distinction among the new movements in the Catholic Church: “move- Besides the capacity to penetrate quite diverse social environments, ments with an intra- ecclesial and apostolic commitment” and “movements with a Christian animation with respect to realities in the world” (P. Vanzan, “Elementi a good number of these ecclesial realities have demonstrated and comuni e identificativi dell’attuale fenomeno movimentista intraecclesiale con cenni continue to demonstrate great mobility and a remarkable ability a rischi e speranze” in Fedeli Associazioni Movimenti, ed. Gruppo Italiano di Docenti to spread into different geographic and ecclesial contexts, where di Diritto Canonico [Milan: Glossa, 2002, 187–260]).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • “Spiritual Thoughts of Collegamento CH” Pedagogia Chiary Lubich W
    PAEDAGOGIA CHRISTIANA 1/43 (2019) – ISSN 1505-6872 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/PCh.2019.013 Maria José Dantas* ORCID: 0000-0003-1776-4501 São Cristóvão, Brasil Chiara Lubich’s Pedagogy in the “Spiritual Thoughts of Collegamento CH” Pedagogia Chiary Lubich w „Myślach duchowych konferencji telefonicznych Collegamento CH” Summary: The current study addresses the writings by Chiara Lubich, who founded the Focolare Movement in the 1940s. Lubich adopted the “Spiritual Thoughts” as an education resource capable of reaching people and places that she could not physically reach. In addition, throughout her life, she developed an educa- tional approach seen as a different Catholic pedagogy perspective due to its notoriety in the religious and social spheres. The aim of the current study is to investigate, through the analysis of one of the “Spiritual Thoughts” by Chiara Lubich, how she configured her educational practice through messages and, more specifically, to as- sess the pedagogical approach in her writings. The reflection presents the concepts of charisma, religious field and symbolic relations based on the historical and social perspective as theoretical reference. Keywords: Collegamento; Chiara Lubich; catholic pedagogy; spiritual thought. * Maria José Dantas PhD is professor in Department of Education, Federal University of Sergipe; member of the Brazilian Society of History of Education; member of the Brazilian (Auto)Biographical Research Association; member of the Group for Studies and Research in History of Education: memories, subjects, knowledge and educational practices. Address: 262 Maria José Dantas Streszczenie: Niniejsze studium odnosi się do pism Chiary Lubich, która zało- żyła Ruch Focolari w latach 40. XX wieku.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theology of the Lay Apostolate
    THE THEOLOGY OF THE LAY APOSTOLATE When Monsignor Murphy requested me to prepare this paper on the theology of the lay apostolate for the 19S9 convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America he indicated that the Com- mittee on Current Problems was interested in the topic in order that a course on the subject could be worked into the seminary frame- work. This seminar, therefore, has a twofold purpose: an inquiry into the theological problems of the lay apostolate and the more practical issue of the relationship of those questions to the seminary curriculum. In order that the second objective might be at least par- tially realized a letter was mailed to the major seminaries of the United States to determine the present status of the theology of the lay apostolate in the seminary course. Forty-five replies were re- ceived and the information can be summarized rather briefly. Nine- teen of the forty-five seminaries said that nothing or practically nothing was done. The remaining twenty-six all treated the topic in one way or another, either in elective seminars, special classes or lectures, in extra-curricular activities or in other classes. The most common method was to consider the lay apostolate in courses already in the curriculum, for example in Dogma (de Ecclesia, de Baptismo, de Confirmatione, de Verbo Incarnato), in Missiology, Pastoral Theology and Catechetics. In the last three cases the treatment tended to be more practical. Whether or not a special course should be introduced into the seminary is questionable. Those who expressed themselves on this point thought that the cur- riculum is already overcrowded and that seminarians have too little opportunity for individual study and reflection.
    [Show full text]
  • Opus Dei and Franco
    documentation INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE OPUS DEI PRELATURE IN BRITAIN 6 Orme Court, London W2 4RL - Tel: 020-7221 9176 - Fax: 020-7243 9400 - E-mail: [email protected] October 2001 OPUS DEI AND FRANCO Arguments and facts about a chapter in the history of Opus Dei about which a confused image has sometimes been presented Press cutting: Profile of Sr Antonio Fontán (from IPI Report, Columbia, MO, Second Quarter 2000) History texts: Brian Crozier (from Franco. A biographical history, London, 1967) Paul Preston (from Franco. A Biography, London, 1993) Background: Bishop Alvaro del Portillo on relations with the Franco regime (from Immersed in God, Princeton, NJ, 1994) Giuseppe Romano, Opus Dei and Franco (translation of Chapter 17 of: Vittorio Messori, Opus Dei: Un’indagine, Milan, 1994) Press cutting: Obituary of Sr Rafael Calvo Serer (from The Times, London, 21st April 1988) This Dossier has been prepared by the Information Office of Opus Dei in Britain. For more information visit the internet site http://www.opusdei.org.uk FOREWORD This special issue of Documentation aims to tackle the misconception that Opus Dei supported the regime of General Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975. It is arguable that this prejudice is becoming less topical by the year, for various reasons; among others, Franco died over a quarter of a century ago. Furthermore, Opus Dei is a world-wide institution. However, the theme occasionally comes to the fore. One can still find articles in works of reference affirming that Opus Dei had political influence in Franco’s government, through the important posts occupied by its members.
    [Show full text]
  • Chiara Lubich and Gender Sociology
    woman founder, diarchy, sisterhood, and the rule of a woman presi- dent. The author also discusses six cultural aspects, including love at the center, the dignity of lay vocations, the conversion of masculinity, the conversion of femininity, going against the current, and wise igno- rance. The author presents issues of concern and emphasizes that we are Chiara Lubich still far from solving the issues in our culture, society, and the church. 1 But the Focolare Movement makes an important contribution, gener- and Gender Sociology ating in its communities new relationships between men and women Giulia Paola Di Nicola and new models of masculinity and femininity. University of Chieti remise “Every time the church shakes on her columns, we see that I would like to begin by establishing a few relevant points a woman rises up to support her as the church stands on the in order to qualify Chiara Lubich’s impact on society with verge of the precipice.”2 Prespect to the relationships between men and women in light of sociology and the women’s movements. I will briefly illustrate four structural aspects (Part A) and six cultural aspects (Part B). This article sets out those points that define the societal influence of Chiara Lubich on relationships between men and women from the Part A: Structural aspects perspectives of sociology and the women’s movements. Di Nicola high- lights four structural aspects, including Chiara’s status as a young A Young Woman as Founder Even though contemporary historiography tries hard, it is not 1. This article is based on a talk Di Nicola gave at the University of Trent, Italy, spon- sored by the Sophia University Institute, December 16-17, 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • YVES CONGAR's THEOLOGY of LAITY and MINISTRIES and ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION in the UNITED STATES Dissertation Submitted to Th
    YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Dissertation Submitted to The College of Arts and Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology By Alan D. Mostrom UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio December 2018 YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Name: Mostrom, Alan D. APPROVED BY: ___________________________________________ William L. Portier, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor ___________________________________________ Sandra A. Yocum, Ph.D. Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ Timothy R. Gabrielli, Ph.D. Outside Faculty Reader, Seton Hill University ___________________________________________ Dennis M. Doyle, Ph.D. Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ William H. Johnston, Ph.D. Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ Daniel S. Thompson, Ph.D. Chairperson ii © Copyright by Alan D. Mostrom All rights reserved 2018 iii ABSTRACT YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Name: Mostrom, Alan D. University of Dayton Advisor: William L. Portier, Ph.D. Yves Congar’s theology of the laity and ministries is unified on the basis of his adaptation of Christ’s triplex munera to the laity and his specification of ministry as one aspect of the laity’s participation in Christ’s triplex munera. The seminal insight of Congar’s adaptation of the triplex munera is illumined by situating his work within his historical and ecclesiological context. The U.S. reception of Congar’s work on the laity and ministries, however, evinces that Congar’s principle insight has received a mixed reception by Catholic theologians in the United States due to their own historical context as well as their specific constructive theological concerns over the laity’s secularity, or the priority given to lay ministry over the notion of a laity.
    [Show full text]
  • A Faithful Echo Report
    A Faithful Echo Report Catholic Action for Faith and Family Successfully Launch ‘A Faithful Echo Movement’ Uniting Clergy and Laity Contents Introduction 3 A Faithful Echo Priest Conference 4 - 12 The Future of the Church: Seminarians 13 - 14 Pilgrimage 15 Faithful Echo Dinner 16 Operation Storm Heaven and All Saints Day 17 2 A Faithful Echo Report Catholic Action for Faith and Family Launches ‘A Faithful Echo Movement’ Uniting Clergy and Laity Set against the snow-covered backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado, a clarion call was sounded when Catholic clergy and laity came together from across the country for a ground-breaking summit Oct. 28-Nov. 1 to unleash the power of Catholic hope by launching a movement termed ‘A Faithful Echo’. A Faithful Echo summit was scheduled possibly at a time for the Church of generational importance. As we stand at the brink of 2020, everyone knows the Church has been plagued throughout this year with the abuse scandal reignited the previous year along with an onslaught of controversy; mean- while in this time of perceived vulnerability, those with competing worldviews continue to put forth concerted efforts to attempt to deconstruct truths that touch on the foundations of our faith. Insisting Bishops, priests and deacons, and the lay faithful work together as living members of the Body of Christ to safeguard and defend our Catholic Faith, His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke underlined the significance of A Faithful Echo Movement saying “its mission is directed to drawing the clergy and the
    [Show full text]
  • Of the International Schoenstatt Movement Rome, 2 June 2006 An
    english of the International Schoenstatt Movement Rome, 2 June 2006 An Hour in the Cenacle at Andrea della Valle Admission at 7.30 p.m. Candles can be bought at the entrance of the church. A short sing- ing practice will take place before the vigil. The Church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle where we meet for our Cenacle Hour “Sant’ Andrea della Valle” (St Andrew in the Valley) has been named after the lower ground on the left bank of the Tiber and a Roman family that had prop- erty there. The early Baroque interior of the church is one of the largest of the inner city of Rome and is crowned with the largest dome after that of St Pe- ter’s. The church contains a number of religious, historical and artistic items of particular interest. For centuries it has been the site where the head of the Apostle St Andrew, the first of the apostles to be called, was venerated until Paul VI finally returned it to the Greek Orthodox Church. It also contains a number of grave monuments (among others that of Pope Pius II) and impor- tant frescos of Raphael’s student Dominichino. For us, the Schoenstatt Movement, Sant’ Andrea della Valle is particularly important because it was here and in the surrounding area that St Vincent Pallotti worked. In particular, the so-called “Epiphany Octave” took place here. It was a sort of religious week in which the members of various religious communities, laypeople, and representatives of various rites and liturgical traditions met for prayer and celebration, in order to place themselves as the service of the Church’s universal apostolic mission (“Catholic Apostolate”).
    [Show full text]
  • Vocation Campers Learn About Virtues, Gain Discipline and Have
    Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 5 Editorial . 4 Question Corner . 11 Sunday and Daily Readings . 11 Serving the ChurchCriterion in Central and Souther n Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com August 12, 2005 Vol. XXXXIV, No. 44 75¢ Pope urges young people to make God most important part of life CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS)— World Youth Day. Adoring God means recognizing his pres- The theme of the Aug. 16-21 celebra- coverage of World Youth Day ence as creator and lord of the universe tion in Cologne, Germany, is “We Have Criterion and ensuring that God is the most impor- Come to Worship Him.” During the Archdiocese of Indian- take part in the pilgrimage to Cologne, tant part of one’s life, Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict said an attitude of wor- apolis’ pilgrimage to World Youth Day Germany, along with Pope Benedict XVI said. ship and adoration is the attitude that has from Aug. 10-22, Criterion reporter and hundreds of thousands of youth With about 2,000 people packed into marked the lives of saints throughout Brandon A. Evans will be posting the from all over the world. the courtyard of his summer villa south Christian history. It involves recognizing latest news, pictures and videos from the The pilgrims also will spend time in of Rome and several thousand more peo- the greatness of God and the gift of salva- trip at www.CriterionOnline.com. Italy in Rome and Assisi. ple gathered in the square outside the tion in Jesus with gratitude that “arises About 170 youth and adults, led by Check the Criterion’s website often to villa on Aug.
    [Show full text]
  • Caritas in Veritate and Chiara Lubich: Human Development from the Vantage Point of Unity
    Theological Studies 71 (2010) CARITAS IN VERITATE AND CHIARA LUBICH: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF UNITY AMELIA J. UELMEN Within the vibrant life of the Catholic Church today, many currents of spirituality and specific projects can shed light on the encyclical’s themes and provide examples of what its principles might look like in practice. This note focuses on how Chiara Lubich’s spirituality of unity might offer a helpful way for people to understand how to live these principles in their everyday lives. It also discusses how the “Economy of Communion” and other concrete projects and prac- tices of Focolare, the movement Lubich founded, foster economic justice and human development. T A CERTAIN POINT in his marvelous and still timely essay on love, AJosef Pieper struggled with whether the idea of universal love might make any practical difference in the world. He wrote: On the one hand, universal human love cannot accomplish anything practical in the world; man’s historical predicaments cannot be solved by love. But on the other hand . universal love is not simply an unrealistic fantasy. Rather it is an innate potentiality reminiscent, as it were, of paradise, which is revealed for a moment solely in the exceptional figures of great lovers [such as Francis of Assisi].1 One might trace a similar skepticism in some of the initial commentary on Caritas in veritate. For example, for George Weigel it was not immedi- ately clear how poverty might be defeated through “increasing openness, in a world context, to forms of economic activity marked by quotas of AMELIA J.
    [Show full text]
  • DOWNLOAD: GO to YOUR SMART PHONE’S Secretary: Susan Erwin APP STORE and SEARCH for [email protected]
    July 25 2021 Pastor Fr. Mark Heuberger Parochial Vicar Fr. Anthonio Jean Parochial Vicar Fr. Phillip Schweda Weekend Masses Saturday Vigil: 4:30pm Sunday: 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Daily Masses Mon, Wed, Fri: 11am Tue, Thur, Sat: 8am Holy Days Holy Day Vigil: 4:30pm Complete schedules are listed in the bulletin prior to the Holy Day Confessions Saturdays 3:30pm - 4:20pm Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays 6:30-7pm preceding the Chaplet of Divine Mercy “First Friday” of every month, 11:30am-3pm “Do we not have in the Eucharist the living, true and real Jesus present before us?” —St. Teresa of Avila 2 Sunday, July 25, 2021 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time GO DEEPER into today’s Gospel St. Oscar Romero said, “We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of ✞ Deceased ♥ Living liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it very Monday, July 26 well. It may be incomplete, but it is the beginning, a step along the way, an Ss. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.” Ex 32:15-24, 30-34 • Mt 13:31-35 There were a group of ladies many years ago who made quilts. They were ✞ 11am Lenny Mongiello beautiful creations reflecting inspirational designs artfully composed from the simple scraps of fabric each woman would bring to their individual pieces. Tuesday, July 27 Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 There was no plan for the finished project as each finished work became the Mt 13:36-43 combined creation of what each woman contributed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Core of a Sustainable City
    The human being: the core of a sustainable city “The human being: the core of a sustainable city” Rio+20, 19 June 2012, 19:30-21:00 P3-E, Riocentro Convention Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil THE HUMAN BEING: THE CORE OF A SUSTAINABLE CITY 1. FOREWORD The case dealt with in this paper is a development project that took place at Salvador Bahia, Brazil, between 2001 and 2006. The “protagonist” is AVSI1, an Italian NGO of Catholic inspiration linked 2 with the Communion and Liberation movement. This project is defined as “urban upgrading” in the terminology of cooperation for development and consists of the integration in the city of informal areas or “favelas”. It is part of a process that began in the early 1990s, when Card. Moreira Neves, The Archbishop of Salvador Bahia, struck by the inhuman living conditions of the inhabitants of the favela of Novos Alagados, requested the help of AVSI who had been collaborating with pastoral initiatives to improve and legalize the living conditions of the favela population in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. That was the beginning of AVSI’s charitable presence in Novos Alagados, with educational activities, in a favela inhabited by 15,000 people, 30% of whom lived in houses built on pile- dwellings (palafittes) along the bay shoreline. The advantage of such shanties was that nobody owned them or the area, so it was possible to occupy them. Through a series of steps, this charitable activity developed into such a sizeable project that it now affects the living conditions of 500,000 inhabitants of the Bahia favelas.
    [Show full text]
  • Atti Bujumbura INGL:Impaginato ATTI Bujumbura INGL
    International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA) You will be my witnesses in Africa Reality, challenges and prospects for the laypeople’s formation. The contribution of Catholic Action/2 Bujumbura, August 21st/25th 2002 DOCUMENTS Second African Continental Meeting INDICE Presentation p. 3 Catholic Action, give everyday life the flavour of the Gospel + Bernard Bududira p. 5 The force of Good. The hopes and challenges of the Region of the Great Lakes + Simon Ntamwana p. 7 The layman’s contribution to the New Evangelization in Africa - Spirituality + Peter Kihara p. 16 Education: a requisite for the New Evangelization Sr Marie Goretti Nizigiyimana p. 21 Socio-political-economic commitment as a new form of Evangelization Rev. Salvator Niciteretse p. 28 Faith, Justice and Peace. Catholic Action’s role Zénon Manirakiza p. 34 Research and cultures tomorrow’s inevitable development will be “contexteualized inter-culturation” Adrien Ntabona p. 40 The role of the priest assistant in Catholic Action Msgr. Domenico Sigalini p. 50 The path of Catholic Action in the third millennium Beatriz Buzzetti Thomson p. 55 Presentation of CAM Térence Mbonabuca p. 61 Final document p. 67 Programme p. 69 Countries and participants p. 72 PRESENTATION The Second African Continental Meeting was held between the 21st and the 25th August at the “Grand Séminaire” of Bujumbura in Burundi. In presenting these Documents, we would like to express the joy, friendship and faith which we have shared with our African friends during the celebra- tions enriched by singing, silent moments, diverse languages and gestures as well as during reunions, meals, sharing of personal experiences and common activities… Together with you we would like to thank the Lord for the gift of these days in Burundi which were further enriched by our visit to Rwanda for the first meeting of associated lay people, promoted by the Church in Rwanda .
    [Show full text]