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As the Focolare Movement gathered for its General Assembly, World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Dr Prof. Ioan Sauca sent joyful greetings.  

In a first-ever online visit to the World Council of Churches (WCC), members of the Focolare Movement gathered on 14 January in place of what, until COVID-19 prevented it, has annually been a joyful in-person gathering.

Celebrating 100 years since the birth of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare movement, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the International Centre of the Focolare in Rome on 20 October. 

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent joyful greetings via a video message to Focolare youth who are about to celebrate Unity Week 2020.

Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania was honored with the Klaus Hemmerle 2020 Prize in Germany for his contribution to interreligious efforts for peace and harmony.

During an ecumenical ceremony attended by representatives of the Focolare community and by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Archbishop Anastasios accepted the award on 14 February at the historic Aachen Cathedral in Germany.

An adage that some people ignore these days is that mobility has shaped each human society, and a recent meeting of the Maison Internationale des Associations in Geneva focused on this.

Many colours and flavours of humanity assembled on 7 April for a lively day of discussions and exchanges about human mobility where most views were celebrating the social phenomenon at an event titled “Tout d’ailleurs, tous d’ici” (All from elsewhere, all from here).

“We are united in a pact of love, that encourages us to live in such a way that Christian unity is not only a dream, but may come closer each day,” said His Eminence Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, archbishop of Bangkok and Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Addolorata, as 40 bishops from 18 churches in 12 different countries gather in Sigtuna, Sweden, this week.

Basta amare! This is the core of Chiara Lubich’s message for unity. A message full of hope and respect for the work of the World Council of Churches (WCC) towards justice and peace.

The relationship between the WCC and Chiara Lubich dates back to the time of the Second Vatican Council. On her death, Samuel Kobia paid tribute, saying: “Our love for Chiara and immense gratitude for the gift of God she has been to the ecumenical movement, will continue to motivate and inspire us in our work for the visible unity of the church”.

An Ecumenical Week promoted by the Focolare Movement is being held 9-13 May at Castel Gandolfo, Rome. Some 700 Christians from 70 churches and ecclesial communities are participating in the meeting, which is titled “Walking together. Christians on the road to unity.” In a greeting to the conference participants, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit noted that the theme of the Focolare conference resonates well with the framework for WCC’s current work, the pilgrimage of justice and peace.

“We have re-discovered that we were one church before and have, indeed, a great common heritage.” These are the words of Rev. Dr Martin Robra, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive for Ecumenical Continuing Formation, as he spoke at a Focolare ecumenical meeting entitled: “Walking together. Christians on the road to unity.”