Pope Francis receives members of the Focolare Movement on Saturday in the Paul VI room at the end of its General Assembly.
Vatican News staff reporter
Throughout this week’s General Assembly, members of the Focolare Movement debated several key issues and elected new leaders.
At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis on Saturday thanked the outgoing president, Maria Voce, and the newly elected president, Margaret Karram.
He also offered the Movement some reflections to “encourage them on their journey.”
He divided these reflections into three points: the post-founding era; the importance of crises and of living spirituality with coherence and realism.
Openness and dialogue
Speaking of the post-founding period, the Pope noted that twelve years after the passing of Chiara Lubich, the Movement is called to overcome this “natural loss and even decline in number to remain a living expression of the founding charism.”
This, he said, required “a dynamic fidelity, capable of interpreting the signs and needs of the times and responding to the new demands of humanity.” Pope Francis added that it is also about “staying true to the original source, striving to rethink it and express it in dialogue with new social and cultural situations.”
This work of renewal, he said, “is all the more fruitful the more it is carried out by harmonizing creativity, wisdom, sensitivity to all, and fidelity to the Church.”
The Pope went on to say that “openness to others, whoever they are, must always be cultivated: the Gospel is designed for everyone, it is a leaven of new humanity in all places and times.”
Face problems
However, the Pope also had words of warning, advising against withdrawing himself, which, according to him, “always leads to the defense of the institution to the detriment of the people and which can also lead to the justification or concealment of forms of abuse “.
Instead, Pope Francis continued, “it is better to be brave and face problems with parity and truth, always following the directions of the Church.”
A call to new maturity
Focusing on the second issue, “the importance of crises,” the Pope noted that “every crisis is a call to new maturity; it is a time of the Spirit, which awakens the need to update. , without being discouraged by human complexity and its contradictions ”.
“It is the duty of rulers, at all levels, to work to address community and organizational crises in the best, most constructive way,” he said.
Addressing especially the spiritual crises of individuals, which involve the intimacy of the individual and the sphere of consciousness, Pope Francis noted that “they must be faced with caution by those who do not hold government positions, at all levels, within the Movement “.
“This is a good rule that applies not only to people’s times of crisis, but it generally applies to their accompaniment on their spiritual journey,” the Pope said.
Outside and inside
Reflecting on his third point, “live your spirituality with consistency and realism,” Pope Francis told the people gathered, “the ultimate goal of your charism coincides with the intention that Jesus presented to the Father in his last great prayer: that “all may be one, knowing full well that it is the work of the grace of the One God and Trinity.” This intention, he explained, “requires a commitment in a double perspective: outside the Movement and inside it.”
As for acting externally, the Pope said, “I encourage you to be… Witnesses of closeness to brotherly love that transcends all barriers and reaches all human conditions.”
As for the commitment within the Movement, he continued, “I urge you to promote more and more synodality, so that all members, as depositories of the same charism, can be co-responsible and participate in the life of the Work of Mary. and its specific objectives “.
Transforming pain into hope
In conclusion, the Pope invited those present to imitate its founder Chiara Lubich, always hearing “the cry of abandonment of Christ on the cross, which manifests the utmost measure of love.”
The grace that derives from it, he added, “is able to awaken in us, who are weak and sinful, generous and sometimes heroic responses; it is capable of transforming suffering and even tragedy into a source of light and hope for humanity. In this step from death to life is the heart of Christianity and also of your charism. “