The Meeting has been organised by the Priests of the Diocesan Priests Centre of the Focolare Movement.
c.p. 21 - 00046 Grottaferrata (Rome)

The gathering is taking place at the MARIAPOLIS CENTRE
CASTELGANDOLFO (Rome)

“I have only one Spouse on Earth: Jesus Crucified and Forsaken. I have no other God but him": The Key to being, to being Christian, to being priests.

Video of a talk given by Chiara Lubich

“Heaven and Earth will pass away ” but in our lives Jesus' last will and testament will never pass away, enabling us to realise, on the Cross with him, his objective for humanity: May They All be One

A Talk by Natalia Dallapiccola, Chiara Lubich's First Companion.

Even in the most difficult circumstances, and also amongst the most poor, people are sensitive to selfless love, rediscovering the face of God-Love and so generate the Christian community.

Dear everyone,  
I am very happy to welcome each participant at this Congress and I especially greet our Christian brothers, ministers of other Churches, who are present.  You have come together from many nations the world over to deepen the spirituality of communion and dialogue in the Church today. I was asked to share a message with you. I saw that in your dense program a special place was given to the theme on: “The abandonment of Jesus.” Why is this? Because the cardinal points of our spirituality are, on one side, Jesus Crucified who cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and on the other, unity. Jesus crucified and forsaken is the One who opened up the way for humanity towards universal brotherhood. It was in that moment that he became the mediator between humankind and God. It was there on the cross that he presented himself to the Father as priest and victim for all of humanity. And since men and women, because of Jesus crucified and forsaken, were able to establish their rapport with God again, they were also able to be in relation with one another: Jesus forsaken is the bond of unity also among people. And unity is the fruit of dialogue: it is dialogue which has been totally consummated. This is why we speak of him: he is the priest par excellence! My wish, accompanied with my prayers, is that each of you may find your model in him, so that the Church today may be enriched by priests-Christ, priests-victims for humanity; authentically Christ, ready to give their lives for everyone. Easter, which we have just celebrated, reminds us that the suffering of the Passion was followed by the great joy of the Resurrection. In Him risen and alive among us, Chiara

Through an interview with priests from three different continents about the challenges and issues facing the Church today, the Congress looks more closely at the problems that arise.

The Congress will open with a series of brief experiences from priests and deacons from all corners of the world .

A Concert honouring the life of the llate Vietnamese Cardinal Van Thuan

The mission of the Church today is faced with a variety of new situations. It is called to measure itself on the universal embrace of Jesus Crucified, knowing how to reach even the most secular expressions of human co-existence.

Examples of a Pastoral Ministry with far-reaching horizons: Through the Art of Loving the ecclesial fabric and life of the Christian community opens to the horizon of universal fraternity. Brief Experiences

Reminding us of the Essential:
"One thing alone remians : love "'

Video Message: Chiara Lubich

Giving God to Humanity Today: Priorities for an Evangelizing Pastoral Ministry.

Fr. Aldo Giordano, General Secretary of the Council of the Conference of Episcopal Conferences.

Where can we find models for a Church-Communion?
In the testimony of ordinary people - from children to adults, lay people and consecrated.

Fr. Silvano Cola, one of the first priests in the Focolare Movement, recalls how priests discovered the Charism of Unity.

"A «united» man is worthy not because of what he possesses or what he knows but because of what he is. And this means a culture-education understood as being, as life, as depth, as divine-human wisdom."

Fr. Pasquale Foresi

The Church-Communion cannot do without a spirituality of communion. This is the topic addressed by Prof. Giuseppe Zanghì, Director of the Focolare Movement's Study Centre.