Jesuits Against Focolarini. the Beatification of Chiara Lubich in Doubt

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Jesuits Against Focolarini. the Beatification of Chiara Lubich in Doubt Jesuits Against Focolarini. The Beatification of Chiara Lubich in Doubt Dij, 8/11/2018 URL article: http://magister.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/2018/11/08/jesuits-against-foc… > Italiano > English > Español > Français > All the articles of Settimo Cielo in English * Ever since the head of the Vatican congregation for the causes of saints has been Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a focolarino from way back, the opinion has been growing that the beatification of Chiara Lubich, who was the founder of the Focolare movement and its head until her death in 2008, will soon become a reality. Or maybe not. Because the opponents of her beatification are not to be underestimated. And they have in the Society of Jesus, the same one to which Pope Francis belongs, their leading personalities, among them such a high-ranking cardinal of substantial influence even “post mortem,” and almost Lubich’s peer, as Carlo Maria Martini. One of these Jesuits is, for example, Jean-Marie Hennaux, professor of the theology faculty of the Society of Jesus in Brussels and author of the most biting critique published so far on the theological thought of Chiara Lubich, which he sees condensed in this disturbing beginning to a 1950 manuscript of hers: “Every soul of the Focolari has to be an expression of mine and nothing else. My Word contains all of those of the focolarine and focolarini. I summarize all of them. So when I appear they must let themselves be engendered by me, commune with me. I too, like Jesus, must say to them: ‘And he who eats my flesh….’” In December of 2014 Fr. Hennaux delivered his evisceration of Lubich’s theology to the bishop of Frascati, Raffaello Martinelli, who had asked it of him shortly before officially opening the cause of beatification of the foundress of Focolare on January 27, 2015, at the cathedral of the diocese adjacent to Rome in which the 1 motherhouse of the movement is located. And now Father Hennaux’s analysis is available to anyone who wants to read it, as part of a multi-author volume published in 2017 and highly critical of the “sectarian tendencies” not only of Focolare but also of other movements like Opus Dei, the Legionaries of Christ, and the Neocatechumenal Way: a volume that was also thought up in a hotbed of the Society of Jesus, the Belgian center of formation “La Pairelle” inspired by the Jesuit Benoît Malvaux, a theologian and canonist, former president of “Lumen Vitae” and today in Rome as procurator general of the Society. The volume, published by Mols, has been released both in French and - as an ebook - in Italian, and is entitled “From abuse to freedom. Sectarian tendencies within the Church. Testimonies and reflections.” Tying up all the threads, in the book’s preparatory phase, was the Italian Renata Patti, who entered the Focolare movement at the age of 10 and left it at the age of 50, and spent 22 years working in European institutions in Brussels before finally becaming a student of the theological faculty of the Society of Jesus in Belgium. Renata Patti dedicated a lengthy memoir, made public in 2012 with her byline, to her experience in the Focolare movement until her exit, with the addition of interesting extras, including the aforementioned 1950 manuscript by Chiara Lubich. But what is most striking in the book is the chapter in which she recounts her two meetings with Cardinal Martini during the last year of his life, 2012. Two meetings, each of which lasted 50 minutes. In the first of them the conversation starter is a 2007 book by the Frenchman Olivier Le Gendre, “Confession d’un cardinal,” translated into multiple languages, which collects the confidences of a prelate whose name is not given but which Martini says he can guess, in addition to sharing his thinking. A thinking that is, lo and behold, highly critical of the “sectarian tendencies” of the movements. With Martini commenting: “John Paul II exaggerated with the movements… And then the bishop of the world does not exist, it is the bishop of Rome who exists… The Church has never had a definite opinion: somewhat with the movements and somewhat not. But the Church does not have the power….” Patti: “But then, Your Eminence, one must truly weep over our Church…” Martini: “No. This will pass, it will pass!” Patti: “It will pass? And Benedict XVI?” Martini: “He too will pass. I saw him in April [of 2011]. I saw a tired old man. I hope that he will resign soon. Then we will be done with the secretary of state and the secretariat of state.” Patti: “And afterward, Your Eminence?” Martini: “Afterward there will be a conclave that will choose. Perhaps [Angelo] Scola.” 2 Patti: “It seems to me that Scola is connected to a movement.” Martini: “Yes, Communion and Liberation. He left it, but it has always stayed in his heart.” Thus at the meeting on January 7, 2012. And at the one on the following March 12, the conversation was based on Renata Patti’s memoir, which the cardinal read and says: “I did not know that the Focolare movement was so rigid, a bit like Opus Dei.” Patti: “Your Eminence, these things are not known, they are kept too much a secret… Chiara [Lubich] always wanted to look good with the hierarchy.” Martini: “But the pope has to know this! It is true that there are female members of Focolare in all the secretariats of the Vatican dicasteries, and even the pope’s family numbers two female lay members of Communion and Liberation. In the Vatican embassies, in the nunciatures, there are female members of Focolare, one never gets to the pope. But I, last year, succeeded in having direct contact with him two times. I will write a letter to the pope, with regard to the movements!” Patti: “Your Eminence, you bring me immense joy!” Martini: “Yes, but I won’t do it alone: in April I and a a few other bishops will go to Switzerland - that way they too will be more free - we will reflect on the movements, and write to the pope!” In effect, Martini would go to Switzerland in April, but without fulfilling the intention of writing the letter. In compensation, at the end of this conversation the cardinal is informed about the book by multiple authors that is taking shape, and he eagerly encourages its publication. And in effect his personal secretary, Fr. Damiano Modena, would go to Belgium twice for the preparatory meetings, and would figure among the authors of the volume. Today Martini isn’t around anymore. But the pope is his fellow Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Who indeed has two focolarini cardinals, the Italian Becciu and the Brazilian João Braz de Aviz, respectively as the heads of the dicasteries for the causes of saints and for institutes of consecrated life. But, as a Jesuit, it cannot be ruled out that he shares the reservations presented in the authoritative “La Civiltà Cattolica,” in 2005, by another confrere of his, Giuseppe De Rosa, with a drop of venom precisely against the bishops - and cardinals - who espouse the Focolare movement: “It creates perplexity that priests and above all bishops should become ‘friends’ of the movement, because before their faithful the bishops and priests must not take or even appear to take sides, meaning to favor one ecclesial movement rather than others… to the point of privileging it with respect to other ecclesial bodies, maintaining that it is the only spiritually and pastorally valid one.” (English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.) 3.
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]
  • 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]
  • 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]
  • 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]
  • More About the Focolare Movement
    COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Dossier – May 2018 The Focolare Movement The Focolare Movement owes its origin to the charism of unity that God gave to Chiara Lubich. Its members, people of every age and Vocation, come from different social backgrounds, cultures, ethnic groups and religions. Its Various branches are composed mainly of lay people (adults, families, youth, teenagers, children), but also of men and women religious and bishops. The Beginnings: Chiara Lubich, the young girl from Trent consecrated herself to God on December 7, 1943, when World War II was raging fiercely. Soon after, other young women followed her, and the first “focolare” was born. Spirituality: The rediscovery of God-Love is the first key point of the “spirituality of unity”, the specific Focolare spirituality also known as the “spirituality of communion”. Among other things, it demands the practice of “mutual and constant love that makes unity possible and generates the presence of Jesus in the community” (cf. General Statutes). This gospel-rooted spirituality leads to a lifestyle that helps to build unity and peace. Specific Purpose: The Movement feels called to contribute towards the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer to the Father: “May they all be one” (Jn 17:21) and its goal is uniVersal brotherhood. To achieve its aim, it follows the path of dialogue open to people and entities of every expression and culture: - it contributes to an even greater unity within the Catholic Church; - it establishes fellowship and liVes the common witness of unity with Christians of other Churches; - it seeks the deepest possible union in God with all believers through the common commitment to liVe “the golden rule”; - it shares the Values that underlie the social commitment of those who do not profess any religious faith and collaborates with them in initiatiVes aimed at the common good; - it participates in Various fields of culture and human realities offering its specific contribution.
    [Show full text]
  • Topical Index
    298 The Moral Life in Christ Index Page numbers in color indicate illustrations. Titles of paintings will be found under the name of the artist, unless they are anonymous. References to specific citations from Scripture and the Catechism will be found in the separate INDEX OF CITATIONS. A art and music in Church, 130 sanctifying grace in, 33, 34, atheism, 119, 124 235, 250–252, 287, 288 attractiveness. See sexuality Barzotti, Biagio, Pope abortion and abortion laws, Leo XIII with Cardinals St. Augustine of Hippo 50, 82, 88, 90–91, 103 Rampolla, Parochi, on Baptism, 43 Abraham, 103 Bonaparte, and Sacconi (ca. Benedict XVI on, 14 absolution, 148, 286 1890), 114 Champaigne, Philippe de, abstinence, 99, 175, 286 Baudricourt, Robert, 239 Saint Augustine (ca. 1650), Baumgartner, Johan acedia, 66, 286 212 Wolfgang, The Prodigal Son actual grace, 235, 286 Confessions, 12 Wasting his Inheritance (1724- Adam and Eve on Eternal Law, 58–59 1761), 6 marriage and, 108 on freedom, 9 beatitude, 34, 120, 193. See Original Justice and, 19 on grace, 246 also holiness Original Sin and, 17–22, 24, on happiness, 47 Beatitudes, 145, 147–150, 26, 33, 206, 293 152–154, 161, 165, 286 life of, 7 adoration, 275, 277, 286 Benedict XVI (pope) on love, 89 adulation, 129, 130, 286 Caritas in Veritate (papal passions and, 212 adultery, 93, 94, 102, 286 encyclical, 2009), 117–118 on prayer, 283 alcohol and drugs, 84, 141 Deus Caritas Est (papal Retractationes, 28 encyclical, 2005), 13–14 almsgiving, 123, 257, 286 On the Sermon on the general audience, Nov.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconciling Evangelization and Dialogue Through Love of Neighbor
    Volume 52 Issue 2 Article 4 2007 Reconciling Evangelization and Dialogue through Love of Neighbor Amelia J. Uelmen Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Amelia J. Uelmen, Reconciling Evangelization and Dialogue through Love of Neighbor, 52 Vill. L. Rev. 303 (2007). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr/vol52/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Villanova Law Review by an authorized editor of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. Uelmen: Reconciling Evangelization and Dialogue through Love of Neighbor 2007] RECONCILING EVANGELIZATION AND DIALOGUE THROUGH LOVE OF NEIGHBOR AMELIA J. UELMEN* I. INTRODUCTION A. Pope Benedict and InterreligiousDialogue A year and a half into his papacy, Benedict XVI faced his first major .£l~international crisis. On September 12, 2006, he delivered an aca- demic lecture in Germany at the University of Regensburg on the theme of faith and reason in Western culture.1 In the context of a discussion on compulsion in religion, Benedict referred to a fourteenth century dia- logue in which the Byzantine Emperor addressed an Islamic scholar: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman such as the command to spread by the 2 sword the faith he preached." Two days later the Organization of the Islamic Conference, represent- ing fifty-seven Islamic states, issued a press statement expressing "regret" for the "derogatory fallacies defaming Islam," and for the "smear cam- paign" that indulged in "character assassination of the prophet Moham- med." 3 In the days that followed, protests, some violent, occurred in Jakarta, Delhi, London and other cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    (IV) EVANGELIZATION AND THE PARISH I. Why Look at Parish? In recent years the dignity of the person and the role of culture have been central to the Church’s mission of evangelization. However, between a theological anthropology of the person and the social analysis of culture there is another practical dimension of Christian life that has been somewhat ignored. I am referring to the idea and function of parish. Helping parishes to become missionary, that is, to become engines of evangelization is one challenge that the Bishops of North America face.1 Understanding the meaning of Parish and its mission to evangelize deserves focused attention and action for five reasons. First, we often take the idea of parish for granted. In urban areas, the territorial definition of parish has very little or no meaning. People seek the parish and the Sunday Mass time that maximizes their convenience and satisfaction thanks to the car and a dash of the consumerism. Parish allegiance is diminishing.2 What idea of parish is really operative today? What idea should be operative and what should we be doing about it? Second, the Church is a catalyst or at least an arena for the dynamic between culture and the faithful. But is this happening at the parish level? At least one Canadian theologian has argued it is not and that in the future parishes may not be necessary.3 Third, immigration and multiculturalism have radically altered the presuppositions and expectations of what a parish is and how it should function. In the Greater Toronto Area, the Eucharistic Assembly is a wonderful sight to behold because of the variety of multinational faces.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of the Personality of Chiara Lubich
    ow does change occur in society? How does it occur in religion? A sociological approach to this question, espe- cially if focused on a specific historical phenomenon and Ha particular personality, must deal with questions different from those faced by the historian. Is a given change primarily a ques- Between Tradition tion of contextual factors, or do individual personalities have an independent role in bringing about such change? and Prophecy The retelling of the story of the Focolare Movement and its The Impact of the Personality of founder, Chiara Lubich, is an interesting case. Here one might ask whether Chiara Lubich and the Focolare really made an impact Chiara Lubich that cannot be attributed merely to the normal flow of historical processes. What part does tradition play in this story, and what Bernhard Callebaut part may be attributed eventually to innovation? Sophia University Institute Regarding the appearance of the worker- priests, the French sociologist and specialist of recent Catholic history, Ėmile Poulat wrote: “On a long- prepared soil, patiently worked, but not ahead Abstract: How does change occur in society? How does it occur in re- of them . they appear to be as a sudden invention.”1 I think ligion? A sociological approach to these questions deals with issues not something similar can be said of the Focolare Movement and addressed by historians. Is a given change primarily a question of con- Chiara Lubich. At the beginning of my study2 on the origins of textual factors, or do individual personalities have an independent role the Focolare, I tried to understand the religious, social, and politi- in bringing about such change? The author examines the case of Chiara cal context in Italy around World War II, especially the situation Lubich and the foundation of the Focolare Movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishers of Men
    Page 1 of 2 Fishers of Men Fishers of Men By the Honorable Senator Rick Santorum Like most American Catholics, I have followed the recent sex scandals in the Church with profound sympathy for victims, revulsion over priests who prey on minors and frustration at the absence of hierarchical leadership. Unlike most, I have been visited by the gift of hope; for I see in this fall an opportunity for ecclesial rebirth and a new evangelization of America. This "new evangelization," advocated strenuously by Pope John Paul II, has the potential for restoring confidence in the priesthood while empowering all American Catholics. The most obvious change must occur within American seminaries, many of which demonstrate the same brand of cultural liberalism plaguing our secular universities. My hope was rekindled last week as our American Cardinals proposed from Rome an "apostolic visitation" of seminaries emphasizing "the need for fidelity to the Church's teaching, especially in the area of morality." It is an arduous task. However, the Pope made it clear last week that he expects the strong appeal of the Cardinals to be followed by decisive Episcopal action. It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning "private" moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.
    [Show full text]