I was a stranger…

2

Editor in ChiefMariagrazia Curti

EditorsGiuseppina TeruggiAnna Rita Cristaino

CollaboratorsTonny Aldana • Julia Arciniegas •Mara BorsiPiera Cavaglià • Maria Antonia ChinelloEmilia Di Massimo • Dora EylensteinLaura Gaeta • Bruna GrassiniMaria Pia Giudici • Palma LionettiAnna Mariani • Cristina MerliMaria Helena MoreiraConcepción Muñoz • Adriana NepiMaria Luisa Nicastro • Louise PasseroMaria Perentaler • Loli Ruiz PerezRossella RaspantiLucia M. Roces • Maria Rossi

TranslatorsFrench• Anne Marie BaudJapanese• Japanese ProvinceEnglish• Louise PasseroPolish• Janina StankiewiczPortuguese• Maria Aparecida NunesSpanish• Amparo Contreras ÁlvarezGermano• Austrian and GermanProvinces

4EditorialeAlike and CloseBy Giuseppina Teruggi

5

I was a stranger…

13

14The LampInvoke the Spirit

16The Gospel of LifeThe Last Page of the Gospel

18Dialogue The Hill of Peace

3

27

26Cooperation and DevelopmentWells for Life

28Rights and Consecrated LifeAre We Truly Prophets ?

30Photoclick

31PolisPublic Opinion and Consensus

35

32Youngpeople.comLittle Bullies Grow up and Land onthe Web

34The PointYoung Immigrants

35Websites

36 Camilla

Who is a Stranger ?

4

editorial

Alike and Close

The annual celebrations for the Feast ofGratitude on the theme Launching a Bridgeof Hope Together were recently concluded.Still impressed on our minds is the picture ofthe bridge that was brought to reality in themissionary project of Don Bosco and MaryDomenica Mazzarello expressing thejourney of communion and openness insolidarity of in our communities and of eachone of us. The metaphor fascinates us.However, we well know that buildingbridges is neither easy nor to be taken forgranted, because it brings with itselfbreaking down walls and tracing outfrontiers of unity where there aredifferences. It means leaving a restrictedplace that gives us security to openourselves to the new and the unforeseen. Itrenders our hearts hospitable andwelcoming.In the recently released film “The Zone”, by the Mexican director Rodrigo Plà, there is aconflict between dwellers in a residentialarea, the Zone and a very poor slum. A thieffrom the poor neighborhood breaks into thewell-to-do zone and creates agitation on thepart of the privileged class and the policewho set to in the attempt to find the intruder.No one discusses the tragic disparity of lifeand the many injustices that so many peoplesuffer. It is right there, however, that therecomes about a friendship between the littlethief and his peer who is the son of wealthypeople and who attempts to save him. “It is a pure sentiment that comes from beyondprejudice. The children are two young boyswho succeed in seeing themselves as theyare inreality: alike and close.”Frequently it is the poor, the disadvantaged,the little ones who have the charism ofacceptance, discovering the shared humanitythat brings out what makes us alike ratherthan what makes us different. For this reasonit is often the poor, the little ones, and thesimple that are our teachers and know how

to understand where there is injustice, fear,and the need for security. They knowsolidarity and reciprocity.In our globalized world there has explodedthe phenomenon of human mobility, a signof our times. Every part of the earth hasbecome a mosaic of different cultures andall are called to live side by side withimmigrants, refugees, foreigners who ask fora place for life and self-realization forthemselves and their dear ones,notwithstanding the legal hesitations thattend to impede the migratory flow.For a few years now our Institute has beencarrying out the project For a Shared Homein the diversity among people. Ourcommunities are called to have open eyesand hearts for this new, complex, planetaryphenomenon. The contribution offered maybe limited, but we cannot absolve ourselvesfrom the sensitivity to the problem and tothe active seeking of ways to resolve it asan educating community, as the SalesianFamily, networking with men and womencommitted to the same cause.We intend to do “all this”, states the project, “not so that dialogue may not influencethose at the top, but from below, from thenormal relationships of everyday life, wherepeaceful coexistence and harmony ofdiversity becomes spontaneous and concreteand makes people feel the warmth of charitythat expands the heart and restores the gustoof living.”Mary, woman who lived in exile andexclusion, provokes us to intensify ourwelcoming, accepting gestures, in particularin our meetingsS with the women anddefenseless children who live in ourneighborhoods and come to our houses.

gteruggi@cgfma.org

5

I Was a Stranger

6

I Was a StrangerWhen we succeed in loving oneanother without looking at thecolor of one’s skin, or the religion practiced, when we discover thatwe have great wealth of mind andheart, of faith and culture, that daywill be a special, unique day… because we will be capable oftaking one another by the hand.Human mobility, a phenomenonthat characterizes globalizedsociety, does not challenge usmerely from a political, economicand social point of view, but alsofrom that of culture and ministry.

Maria is a 13 year old girl fromSudan. She and her whole familyfled from their homeland and tookrefuge in Cairo, Egypt. They arewaiting to find out whether their newdestination will be the United States,Canada or Australia. They live in theparish of Sakakini, a piece of blackAfrica in a mistrusting Arab world.The difference of skin color, religion,language and customs, the lack ofrecognition of minimum rights forsurvival make Maria and so manyothers in the same situation, peoplein transit, seeking hospitality. Herreference points continue to be thoseof the people who gather each day inthe courtyard of the parish to readtwo large white posters wheresomeone writes the name andsurname of those who will befortunate enough to depart shortly fora new life. These departures areaccompanied by the recognition ofthe status of being refugees, andtherefore the regaining of an identity.

Paulina is a girl from Ecuador whoafter six years of struggle anddocuments has finally obtainedpermission to stay in Spain, andtherefore, the possibility of returningto her country without the anguish ofnot being able to re-enter Europe.During these six years she has notseen her family. Her employer hasalways impeded her obtaining anydocuments from the Ministry. Herrequest to legalize her standing hasalways been refused, and when sheasked for an explanation, heremployer responded that it was noneof her business.These brief life stories indicate thatholding out a hand like this, as adocument predisposes one to theencounter and lowers reciprocalfears.In the diverse contexts, even theFMA are committed to helping thosewho emigrate and have difficultiesfor survival, for finding dignified workand a home, to defend their cause ineach nation that offers hospitality,collaborating with those who struggleto obtain laws that favor theimprovement of the lives of theimmigrants and their socialintegration.The pastoral commitment in humanmobility dilates the frontiers of theheart and mind demolishing theprejudice that limits persons. It alsoshows how the presence of anotherperson is a precious opportunity todiscover the beauty of respectful andcordial relationships with those whoare different from us.

7

In the context where the arrival of theimmigrants seems unstoppable, theFMA communities witness to theGospel with a simple and familiarwelcome, typical of the SalesianSpirit

The mirage of the “promised land”

The FMA of the United States havealways cultivated a closeness to theimmigrants. In fact, their story beganwith the request of Fr. Felix Cianci toMother Catherine Daghero, askingher to send 4 missionaries torespond to the needs of a greatinflux of Italian immigrants. The“promised land” soon revealed a harsh reality, expressed very well inthe words of this Italian proverb ofthe end of the nineteenth century: “I came to America because I heardthat the streets were paved withgold. When I arrived, I becameaware of three things. First thestreets were not paved with gold.Second the streets were not evenpaved and third, they expected me topave them!” The life of the first FMA in the UnitedStates was not easy; in fact, it wasvery much like that of theimmigrants. Tumbledown houses,much hunger and poverty. However,God blessed their sacrifices andgradually they opened schools,oratories, orphanages, catecheticalcenters and activities for the supportof the Italian immigrants. Today theface of immigration in the UntiedStates has changed from theEuropean predominance of the firstdecade of the 20th century to that ofLatin American (42%) and Asian(35%) of our days. What has notchanged, however, is the closeness

of the FMA to the poor. Next Julythe centenary of the arrival of theFMA Missionaries in the UnitedStates will be celebrated. Theircloseness to the families and youngimmigrants constitutes the particularaspect of the inculturation of theSalesian charism in this land thatcontinues to be dreamed of as the“promised land”.The experiences of the communitiesof Miami, Florida, and Port Chester,New York, offer a cross-section ofthe mission of the FMA at the side ofthe immigrants.The community of Miami, Floridawelcomed Cuban immigrants who,after the seizing of power by Castroin the 50’s, have continued to increase notably. Between 1965 and1973, there were daily “freedom flights” from Havana to Miami and for this reason today the city isnicknamed “little Cuba”. Even today Miami continues to welcomeimmigrants from throughout LatinAmerica. The integration of thediverse cultures present in the city isnot easy. There are, however,positive signs as Sr. Patricia Roche,principal of Immaculata La SalleHigh School tells us: “Our scholastic population is made up of 83 %students of Latin American origin.The children of the Cuban exileshave already been well integratedand belong to the middle and uppermiddle class. Some of them arevolunteers and help with the childrenwho come from Guatemala andbelong to the Mayan culture.Various activities are offered throughthe project Escuelita Maya . Two ofthe most important are the scholasticsupport and the summer camps.The volunteers of our school frorm

8

true and proper relationships withthese children and help them to beproud of the indigenous culture fromwhich they come and naturally, theyoffer the means to insert themselvesinto a very different culture. Thevolunteers thus become true andproper positive models who help theyoung immigrant to shun beingattracted to gangs.”Another area of action is theguardianship of rights. Through thepast pupils of the school we recentlyavoided the deportation of a 14 yearold girl, born in Guatemala, whorisked being sent back to herCountry alone, without family. Theparents had permission to remain,because her younger siblings hadbeen born in the United States andaccording to law, only she wouldhave to be deported.

Sr. Agatha Cosentino is the principalof Corpus Christi School located inPort Chester, New York and she tellsus that the assistance offered to theimmigrants is on three levels:education, financial support andmedical assistance.In the experience matured duringrecent years, Sr. Agatha maintainsthat education is the best way tofavor integration. Financial help,instead, passes through diversefoundations and organizations thatpropose to especially supportfamilies. With regard to medicalassistance, Sr. Agatha tells us: “Last year, Gloria, a Peruvian mother withtwo children again became pregnantand she appealed to theGovernment for aid, but her requestwas rejected. She turned to us andwe, in turn involved the respect forlife office of the diocese. A few

weeks later we succeeded in havingthe insurance that allowed Gloria toobtain assistance for herself and herunborn child.”Sr. Agatha concluded her testimonytelling us that the work with theimmigrants requires time, struggleand commitment, “but it is the work that God asks of us today…to educate the poor and the needy.”

PortraitsA photographic exhibit that presentsa gallery of portraits of children fromthe “Rosa Luxemburg School ”of Aubervilliers, shows another face ofthe outskirts of Paris. The picturesof smiling faces tell the stories ofthose who say no to violence and tourban warfare.Moussa’s face tells of her happiness because after many ugly stories, shehas returned to her desk in schoolafter 25 years. Vanessa, in thephoto, is pictured with hergrandfather who has been living inbanlieue since 1931. It is because ofhim that she loves the outskirts.

Ly instead, clings fast to her mother.They live on 308 Euros a month andher father is seriously ill. Fily, fromthe Ivory Coast, a mountain of aperson, is the best friend of the girls.Hugo, the Angolan is a miracle. Theleast of the least, without home orfamily, has obtained the highestgrades and proudly shows us hisdiploma.Benjamin, French-Algerian, isphotographed with his inseparablebackpack. They call him the

intellectual because there’s always a book in his pack. All of the childrenare shown in close-ups, just the waythey are. The message is clear: we

9

can become famous just by beingourselves, without having toparticipate in urban warfare.During the French emergency, eventhe FMA are present in the front linesside by side with the children,adolescents, young people andfamilies. Sr. Virginie Merel and Sr.Valentina Delafon are two youngFrench Sisters. At Lyon theycollaborate in the activities of theValdocco Association, founded bythe Salesian Jean Marie Petitclerwho has been working the field ofeducation with marginalized childrenfor ten years.

Working on the street

Sr. Virginie and Sr. Valentin meetchildren, adolescents and youngpeople especially those who belongto other cultures. They come frommany places : North Africa (Morocco,Tunisia, Algeria), West Africa(Gabon, Ivory Coast, Senegal),Turkey and Eastern EuropeanCountries (Russia, Romania).

Sr. Virginie tells us: “As soon as I arrived in Lyon, I began theapostolate of the streets, workingwith a Salesian on the outskirts inthe North of the city. We expectedthe first phase of the work to be theanalysis of the neighborhood, withthe observation of the needs andhabits of the children andadolescents. Which schools werethey attending? What did they do intheir free time? Where did theygather? What was their religion?What was the social level of theirfamilies? These were the questionsthat guided our exploration of theneighborhood.Last November, for the first time wewere able to organize an afternoonof games on the street. It is veryimportant that they see us toreassure the parents and to conquertheir mistrust. Working

10

on the street is challenging, it isanother way of meeting the people.It is no longer the children, theadolescents, the parents who cometo a structure, who enter into a worldthat is not theirs. It is we, theeducators, who go out to them intheir environment. The experience ofthese months has shown me thatthere is a freer way of meeting thepeople, especially the mothers whogenerally do not know the languageand have a fear of being seen. Littleby little during these 5 months wehave won the trust of the adults, andthe picture of educational needs ismuch more complete. Each day is achallenge. It is not easy to meet withyoung people of another culture,another religion. For me the greatestdifficulty is facing the aggressivenessthat they carry within, and which, attimes, is manifested through harshlanguage and challenging gestures.Yet, I am discovering the power ofthe educational relationship that isfull of God. I do not speak of Jesus,but He is present in whatever I do.At this time, the priority is to beevangelical with them so that theymay have the experience of theGood News.”Sr. Valentina tells of the work thatthe Valdocco Association carries outin favor of the adults.“In general, the families that I meet are made up of adults who have adiplomarecognized by their country andcompetence earned in variousprofessions, but they do not knowFrench. When they arrive, all is backto zero. They are not seen ashaving recognized diplomas andcompetence. The first months arevery hard for them, they arrive and

accept any type of work just tosurvive. There is a great sense ofmortification and this is frequentlytransformed into anger when they donot succeed in improving theircondition of life.If the adults suffer, so much more dothe children. There are also familieswho come from French speakingcountries and who, for this reason,have better opportunities forinsertion. These families remain onthe outskirts only for the timenecessary to have their possibilitiesrecognized.One of the greatest difficulties animmigrant family faces is theslowness of the bureaucracy beforethey see their right to remain Francerecognized. The ValdoccoAssociation intervenes throughcultural mediators and the creation ofgroups that listen. This is how theyattempt to build bonds with thestreet, the city, the school and thefamily itself.We, as an FMA province, haveunderstood that the best way toinsure the future of the youngergenerations who live on the outskirtsis through instruction. We accept inour schools young people/strangersof the first and second generations,assuring them respect of religion andcultural traditions and we offer themthe possibility of understanding theroots of French culture and aboveall, we help them to have a positiveexperience. At the beginning it costme much not to be able to speakexplicitly of Jesus. With the passingof time, however, I understood thatmy role was that of believing in theyoung people and loving them asJesus did. I understood the

11

importance of humanizing and ofrestoring dignity.What sustains me in this mission ishaving understood the centrality ofthe stranger in the Bible. I want tokeep the door open to God whocomes to visit me and who wants tovisit those who knock at my door.”

The stranger at the door

In this historical moment in which thestranger knocks in various ways atthe doors of our communities, inwhich the migrant sets up his tent inour midst, we have no other choicethan that of understanding thesignificance of this epochal passage.We need to ask ourselves whatcontribution each of us is called toconsign to the shared history whichis germinated by biblical roots forbelievers.The Bible is , first of all, the narrationof the exodus of God, of thepilgrimage of a God who seeks aland that is hospitable. The humanperson is the earthly dwelling place,the promised land of a God whocomes and stands at the door andknocks, waiting for it to be opened(Ap 3,20). The Merciful one without ahome seeks a home. Each person isthe place of God’s exodus. But God does not invade; He standsat the door. And in this He seeks ahome, in this He seeks hospitality,He appears as a God-foreigner inthe world who goes and stopswherever He finds a place. This iswhy He identifies with the foreigner,with the poor, because He wellknows what it means to look for ahome and not find it: “I was a stranger, and you did not take me in” (Mt 25, 43).

A typically biblical and spiritualconcept tells us that the earthbelongs to God. Everyone passesthrough it, struggles on it, dwells onit, loves it, rests on it, but withoutever hoarding it, without everthinking that they alone live there.Like Abraham, all people are born asmigrants. Each of us is on a journey,is defenseless, carries his/her tenton their back and never finds adefinitive dwelling place for body orsoul. For this reason we need togive and receive hospitality. We alllive by hospitality. For the Bibleradical opposition, the decisivedifference, is not between having orbeing, neither is it between living anddying, but between knowing that weare welcomed into the world bysomeone, and perceiving that wehave not been abandoned.For the Bible, the identity of a personlies in being a creature receivinghospitality in a space of gift. Thedebt of existing is paid only bybecoming, in turn, hospitablecreatures, within a space offriendship and gift.Acceptance is the cardinal virtue ofrelationships with others and themeasure of justice of a behavior thatwants to imitate the merciful and justattitude of God. Acceptance of theyoung immigrants and their familieswitnesses to the care of God whoprotects and helps the stranger.

Justice and poverty

“Man, , you have been taught what is good and what the Lord asks of you:only to practice justice, to love pietyand to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah, 6, 8).

12

Today for many religious, living thevow of poverty means committingself to the practice of justice. Thispractice cannot be invented. It isrealized only by learning to be justpersons. The vow is precisely apedagogy to learn a lifestyle, onethat could favor and anticipate adifferent story. Certainly, wereligious cannot resolve all of theproblems of persons in difficulty, butwe can live the time that is given tous with intensity and above all, wecan be in harmony with God’s logic, living the profound passion forjustice, for concrete historicalchanges, small or great, ofrelationships with things and withpersons.The theologian Antonietta Potentesays: “The vow of poverty, or rather of justice is a lifetime commitment soas not to betray God’s dream. It is not volunteering, it is placingourselves in harmony with thepassion of recreating in history thebonds and harmony that God hasplaced in humanity and creation.This commitment is not simply aneconomic question, it is a differentlogic in life’s meetings.”

Being just is one of the greatesturgencies of humanity and ofcreation and we must learn it ascommunities and as individuals. Thesignificance of our vow of poverty forthe actual world consists in the recallto a way of relating with persons andthings that does not discriminate,does not exclude.We are called to live religious liferadically, basing it on the vocation tolove tenderly (chastity), to practicejustice (poverty) and to walk humblywith our God (obedience). What willhelp us to be a meaningful sign willbe the quality of those relationshipsfilled to the brim with God’s tenderness.Interpreting the vow of poverty in thelight of justice must help us to givewillingly that which we have, to workin favor of structural change that hasas it objective justice in theawareness that living poorly is livingjustly.

mborsi@pcn.netsrlmroces@cgfma.org

13

Biblical, Educational andFormative Studies

Close up

14

The Lamp

Invoke the SpiritThird step of the lectio

Graziella Curti

We have already taken the twopreliminary steps: the seeking forspace and time suitable for listening tothe Word and the preparation of theheart to be able to receive andconserve it.We are now at step three. It isimportant to take in the biblical ourhands “with reverence, because it is the body of Christ” text and to call upon the help of the Spirit, the innerteacher, He who becomes prayer in usand who “with inexpressible sighing” sends our supplication and adorationto God.The long letter of love that is the Biblewas dictated by the Spirit and onlywith His help can be understood andbecome life. The spirit who camedown upon Mary and made her themother of the Word will also fructifyus and make us capable of generatinglife.

Be attentive, He will not delayChrist’s spirit makes the desert bloom; it gives life.A vigilant, calm expectation attracts theSpirit of the Lord proclaimed in the“light breeze” and in the voice of silence. Yet, it is not enough to placeoneself in a listening attitude only at themoment of the lectio or of prayer ingeneral. An attitude of expectation isnecessary, one that runs through thewhole day like a musical motif and is

articulated in the invocation: “Come, come Spirit Consoler, sweet guest of thesoul, fire, love…” We could continue with other titles that come from thedepths and flower on the threshold of theheart.At times, it happens that we need to givemore time to this expectation, which,however, will never be a delusion andnot even useless. We deal withpreparing a place, of giving a home, ofallowing ourselves to be moldedaccording to the preferred forms of theOne who is called and is the quiet, vitaldynamic of our existence.

“Ephatha...Be thou opened“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.If someone listens to my voice andopens the door to me, I will come tohim, dine with him and...(Apoc 3,20).

There is a mysterious Guest whoaccompanies us in the understanding ofthe biblical text. Solitude is surpassedby God Himself. Just as the Ethiopianwho was reading Isaiah but did notunderstand until Philip came to him, sentby the spirit to open his heart, so too, oureyes are illuminated and our intelligenceis open to the “things from above”.But on our part we need the will, afterhaving paid attention to the knocking, toopen the door to the Spirit. The Threewill then enter into our everyday life,will sit at our table and we can listen to

15

God and speak with Him as with afriend.The fruit of this remaining is a strongerimpulse toward the mission. Guarded byHis presence, we may proclaim and bethe transparency of His Gospel.

Listen!Shemà Israel! Listen Israel, it is theLord your God who wants to speak toyou.A hymn says: “Listen and you will live/the Lord has something to tell you/.Prepare your heart in silence/ if youwant to listen to your God/ The Lordwants to meet you/wants to remain inyour heart. / You cannot deny Hisinvitation/if you want to dwell withGod.”

Even Maria DomenicaLina Dalcerri’s book dedicated to Mary Mazzarello has as its title: “A Soul of the Holy Spirit”. This is the definition/ synthesis of her life. At the end of thebook the author writes: “When a soul is

chosen for a mission to guide, shebecomes grasped by the action of theHoly Spirit and urged on, by anirresistible, supernatural instinct toradiate around herself the inner fullnessthat overflows”. But this wealth had always been invokedand expected.

Why the lectio?In the introduction to his book “Praying the Word”, Enzo Bianchi writes: I seek to present the lectio divina, the readingprayed by the Word of God through aTrinitarian view, because prayer isTrinitarian and our life is Trinitarian.Are we not moved by the Spirit inseeking Christ to contemplate the oneGod, the Lord of the universe?”He adds: “…the method of listening and of prayer is different for all, because it isthe Holy Spirit who suggests it to eachperson.”

16

The Gospel in Life

As an example of theLectio Divina,i.e., aWord that becomes life, in this articlewe will report homilies given by AngeloCasati, parish priest in Milan,

The Last Page of theGospel

This vision of Jesus being carried upinto heaven is the last page of a bookand the first page of another book. Itis the last page that closes the Gospelof Jesus of Nazareth written by Lukeand the first page of another Gospelalso written by Luke, the Gospel of theChurch, the Acts of the Apostles.Now we see where the journey isleading. You know how Lukedescribes the life of Jesus as a greatjourney, like a going up to Jerusalem,the city of His “hour”, the city where He will stretch out His arms on thecross, as a sign of the great covenantbetween heaven and earth.And today you see how the journeydid not conclude in the city of death.The journey opens to theindescribable, flowing to the infinite,illumined by the vastness. It is likesaying that if you ascend to Jerusalem,if you ascend to the city ofunconditional gift, if you ascend in asuperior way of understanding thatlife means “giving one’s life”, then you are carried on high.

The burden of its invisibilityYou understand me when I say that itis as though there were an inseparableconnection between loving to the

extreme and rising on high. It is,perhaps, a bond that Luke wanted torecall setting the ascension of Jesustoward Bethany, on the Mount ofOlives, in the garden of extremebitterness. There remained among thebranches the extreme lament of Hisbitterness. “Nowmy soul is sad, withmortal sadness.” Yet, there in the garden, during the night, He had alsosaid to that band of thugs: “Take me, but leave them free.” The place witnesses to this strong love, the lovethat gives its life for its friends, and itrighteously becomes the place ofelevation.It is also written in the Gospel of Lukethat He saw them detached fromthem, and in the act of separation Heblessed them: “While he blessed them, he was separated from them.” And there remained-just think-on theearth, bound to our earth, thatblessing. It was a benediction thattoday reaches you, reaches each one ofus.Because today we are the ones whosuffer the detachment. And while Heleft, He blessed them! Today it is wewho feel the burden of this, Hisinvisibility, we who suffer the anguishof a reign that is not yet re-establishedand will never be so in its fullness.“Lord”, they asked Him, when will the reign of Israel be restored?” How many times we ask ourselves on themeaning or lack of meaning of death.Jesus knew the weight of thisdetachment, of this absence ofpowerful signs. And He comforts uswith His blessing, which is like Hisshadow over us, a shadow thataccompanies us.

17

A blessing that accompanies us

We leave Church and a blessingaccompanies us. The Mass ends witha blessing. The Lord knows that adifficult week awaits us, knows thatupon leaving the church, we go outinto the complexity of life. And in theact of leaving us, He blesses us.It happens at times that we leave thechurch and we forget. We forget thatwe are going toward a land whereblessing has not been cancelled out.At times we hear certainconversations, certain judgments,certain affirmations of ourenvironment, so full of pessimism thatwe feel like saying that these are thethoughts and visions of non-believers.They say they are believers, but theyreason as though they were not, theyhave forgotten, they have erased fromtheir memory the promise of the Lord,His promise of a blessing.He leaves us, spreads His arms in agesture of blessing and sends us: “Of this you will be witnesses”. Now it is up to us, now is the time of witnessing“to the ends of the earth”.And for us…the ends of the earth are these places, these houses, thesestreets, this city, these extremeconfines of the earth, the places of ourtestimony.

Witnesses to lovePerhaps you have also noticed that inlooking at the book of the Acts of theApostles there is a dilemma, a crucialdilemma that continues to bother us:the reconstruction of a kingdom or thewitnessing to it? How do we dream ofthe presence of the Church in time, inhistory?

And how do we follow our image ofbelievers? With the category ofreconstruction of a kingdom or thecategory of witness?And perhaps you have even noticedthe fact that Jesus once again speaksto His disciples who are seeking forpower, directing them to anotherpower, a power He says “from on high”. This, He told them was the Spirit, that would be their power, verydifferent, totally different, that wouldcover them and which they mustpersistently invoke. That of theSpirit!That which has nothing to do with thewinning of places, with the glitter ofpower.It is meaningful today that the youngpeople who are preparing themselvesfor Confirmation have moved fromsaying “Confirmation makes us soldiers of Christ”-and then shall wereconstruct the kingdom”-to saying“Confirmation makes us witnesses of Jesus in the world.And we need witnesses who aretransparent, but silent, because theyspeak with their lives. We haveenough climbers …we don’t need any more. But there is an immense needfor witnesses, for people who by theirlives bring us to remember JesusFor the future, for a promising futurefor this earth, in view of another earththat awaits us…this is why the Lord rose.

18

DIALOGUE

THE HILL OF PEACE

“I am profoundly convinced that in the situation in which the world finds itselftoday, it is imperative,for Christians, Jewsand Muslims to commit themselvesto work together to face the numerouschallenges that confront humanity...We have an absolute need for authenticdialogue among religions and cultures, adialogue that will help us to work togetherto overcome the tensions in a spirit of usefulunderstanding in continuity with the workundertaken by my venerated predecessor,Pope John Paul II(Pope Benedict XVI)

“All began with a dream.” This is what Bruno Hussar wrote in his diary. “I am a Jew, an Israeli citizen born in Egypt in 1911.My mother was French, my fatherHungarian and both were Jews. I studied inCairo in an Italian Lyceum and I earned mydegree in engineering in Paris.” These were the years during which Bruno Hussar beganan inner journey, a fervent seeking thatwould bring him to the discovery of God.At 24 years of age he was baptized into theCatholic Church with the name of Andrea.Jacque and Raissa Maritain, his goodfriends, accompanied him to the Baptismalfont.

This was a time of war. His work was takenfrom him; he suffered threats andpersecution and risked deportation to theconcentration camps in Germany.At the end, he collapsed, stricken with thetuberculosis that forced him into three yearsof immobility and forced isolation. Threeyears of silence and deep study of the Wordof God.Once the war ended, he asked for andobtained the privilege of entering theDominican Order, taking the name of Bruno.God’s glance was upon him…He had

prepared him for a definitive choice and in1950 he received priestly ordination.After three years his Superiors sent him toIsrael to found “Isaiah’s House” a Center for Jewish Studies open to Christians, Jews andPalestinians.Successively he participated in VaticanCouncil II as an expert with Cardinal Beafor the Hebrew revision of the text of theDeclaration “Nostra Aetate”,where therewas a definitive removal of the accusation ofthe “deicidio” against the Jews.Now he could bring to reality his greatProject: “Nevé Shalom” where Jews, Christians, and Muslims could live togetherin reciprocal trust faithful to their owntraditions.

Educating Ourselves to Difference

On the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalemthere is a hill. Bruno Hussar discoveredthere a piece of land adjacent to a TrappistMonastery at Latroun. There he set up a tentfor prayer with the first four friends whofollowed him, among whom was a woman,Anna Le Meighen, an incomparable apostleof deep faith and courage.In his heart, Bruno had a secret project, a“foolish dream”, as he would say.He was convinced that religion was oftenthe cause of divisions, but held also that itcould become a source of harmony. “In every country”, he wrote, “there are Academies where, for years, they havetaught the art of war. We, inspired by theWord, want to create a school of Peace,because peaceis an art that cannot be improvised; it mustbe taught.”And his dream came true.

Next to the tent, Bruno Hussar built the“House of the Encounter”, an oasis of peace, and a place of sharing, of fraternity thattoday gives hospitality to 150 families ofdifferent religious convictions. Each familyeducates their children in their ownlanguage, culture and religion: Jews,

19

Christians, Israeli, and Arabs grow andstudy together.It is a new educational proposal, anunexpected journey in the discovery of the“other”in all his/her difference seen as avalue and responsibility.In 1990 the Magazine “Cem Mondialità ofthe Xaverian Fathers launched a challenge atits traditional Assisi Convention: to bringabout the Utopia of Bruno Hussar “Living together in Diversity”, with the participationof more than 350 educators, who, for themost part, were young people.

Presenting his testimony, Bruno Hussarraised a climate of high reflection on newscenarios of education to peace, toacceptance, to a worldwide view. It was thediscovery of the “other” as a “value and resource”, of “conviviality”. “What is

important for us”,he said, is that each person can express his/her own identity and isaccepted and respected.”In the village of Nevè Shalom they learn tolive together, to get to know one another, tocreate human relationships. “Our aim,” he continually repeats, “is to form a new generation of young citizens capable ofovercoming wounds and prejudice to makethe Peace that seems impossible today areality.

The Man of Four Identities

Bruno Husssar, in defining himself as theman of four identities, has opened anunconfined horizon, indicating to us the pathto become builders of peace in everyday life,“promoting authentic dialogue among religions and cultures, in the spirit ofprofitable understanding.”Thinking over his entire life he confessed: “I do not know why the Eternal guided my life.Some of my Jewish friends ask me why Ibecame a Christian. The only way I cananswer is by telling my story...”“For a longtime my heart was divided, torn,but faithful to each of these identities.” He concluded saying: “One thing is certain: there is only one language in which thepeople of different religions can sit togetherto praise God. Together. Without anydispute. It is the language of Dumia, thelanguage of profound silence.”Today, halfway along the road between TelAviv and Jerusalem, there is a great whitetent where all can pause, enter the sanctuaryof their conscience and immerse themselvesinto the silence inspired by the Psalm: “For you, O God, silence is praise.”

( Bruna Grassini)

20

ARIANNA’S LINE

ACCEPTANCEGiuseppina Teruggi

I become that which I accept

What is more human and Christian thanacceptance? It is a word full of attractionthat evokes convincing attitudes. When youbecome aware that you are accepted, youfeel alive, open to trust, to the reality that isillumined and colored.But accepting is also a word of multiusagethat lends itself to ambiguity. We do notdeal so much with opening the door to onewho asks you to enter, giving a coin to theone who stretches out a hand, carving out aspace of time to dedicate to the one whoasks to be heard.Acceptance, we well know, is not only this.It means rather allowing a person to enterinto ourselves to the point of giving them thegift of a dwelling place in our heart, givinghospitality in our life, making them feel thatthey are worthwhile, that they are loved.Acceptance means expressing to the otherperson that they recognize them, value themand trust them. It means seeing an innerwealth even when it is not evident. It is anattitude linked to many others. It implies, infact, the capacity to listen, tolerance,discretion, and especially the awareness ofthe sacredness of each person, unique andunrepeatable, loved by God.Acceptance does not have any length oftime. It can be of short term or long term, orof unlimited time. What matters is theavailability of a heart that is open before theperson encountered or with whom one lives.Acceptance means looking into the eyes of abrother or sister to find in the depths,beyond a glance, to understand the joy ortorment. It means taking care of...at times itneeds only a word, a friendly gesture, agreeting, a smile. Or it could be real interestin the condition in which one lives: animmigrant, refugee, homeless person…It is calling each one loved by God.

It is the vocation lived by Mary, the womanof hospitality who accepted God into her lifeeven before into her womb, and sheaccepted every person. It is she who teachesus that “thanks to acceptance every I ofpower is transformed into an I of hospitality,giving space to the other person and limitingour own and is the first to initiate service”, says Hermes Ronchi. And he emphasizes:“To accept, a word that generates life: accept our task, our most human missionbecause the person becomes what he/sheaccepts. If you accept vanity, you willbecome empty, if you accept peace, you willgive peace. The person becomes that whichlives within.”

I opened wide the door …

Acceptance is expressed primarily withthose who live with us day after day, withinthe fabric of daily life. There we play outthe capacity of being persons of “a great and generous heart”, as Mary Domenica Mazzarello exhorted us. Because it is fromthe heart that the habit of being acceptingcomes, rather than merely carrying outgestures of acceptance.I found a witness that involved meprofoundly. It was offered by RobertaGrazzani, a journalist, a woman of anevangelical stamp who narrated a piece ofher story and spoke of what acceptance wasfor her, in a very concrete form.I have chosen to share Roberta’s testimony. It is extraordinary in the normality of herlife. It has happened with many brothers ansisters whom we know, persons who livewith us, who inhabit our homes and knowhow to make acceptance a customary styleof life.“For nine years my mother was afflicted with Alzheimer’s”, says Roberta. “The

21

illness, that showed itself slowly, progressedrapidly. I was committed professionally andthis mother who forgot everything and whocould no longer iron nor prepare a normalmeal frightened and irritated me. Acceptingher was a slow, painful process on bothsides. For me, dedicating myself to mymother meant losing myself, transformingmyself into another person. I had ademanding and hectic job, and my motherwho was becoming more and more ill,would literally hold on to me every eveningand would not leave me until it was time togo to sleep. I no longer had time for anyoneor anything. My friends felt cast aside andforgotten. I suffered, and was afraid for thefuture and I was angry with what washappening.Then, suddenly, I began to look at mymother with other eyes, to see her as shetruly was, in need of everything, defenselessand fearful. I rediscovered it little by little.And finally I opened wide that door that Istruggled to keep closed and allowed her toenter. She was almost absent, yet she knewthat I had accepted her and she showed meher gratitude at every moment with herglance, with few words and with rare smiles.So it was that I stayed close to her in hersilences, in brief times of rationality and inher rare moments of clarity. I cared for herin everything. I had become her daughterfor a second time, but in a different way. Ifelt maternal and loving.It was not a journey of weeks nor even ofmonths, but of years…18 to be exact. Whenmy mother died, I became aware of howmuch her presence was sacred and blessed.And I asked myself if it was truly I who hadaccepted her or if it was not rather she whohad accepted me.

Full time

“What God does in our life is truly mysterious. Mysterious and strange”, emphasizes Roberta in continuing the storyof her experience. “As soon as my mother departed, someone else knocked at my door.Again, I was afraid. And again I was not tooready to open the door because I knew the

problems this new guest would bring withhimself. My brother, after a failed marriage,asked to come to live with me.Stricken with depression, at times he isincapable of leaving the house and at othertimes he is caught up in a state of euphoriathat makes him feel omnipotent and capableof performing strange actions. Every day is aday of struggle for me. But as happenedpreviously, even with him I am opening upto acceptance. Once again, I am losingmyself.I suffer for his suffering; rejoice in his briefmoments of serenity. And I see with a morelimpid glance that I, too, am accepted byhim. Then, when he understands me, heinterests himself in my work, he listens tome.He was not a believer. He only had a greattenderness for his friend Mary, as he calledOur Lady.Then, at his hesitant proposal, we began topray together. We pray the Our Fatherbefore meals. We frequently pray theRosary. More than once, upon entering hisroom, I have seen him kneeling at the foot ofhis bed.It was then that I realized, with marvel andgratitude, that because of this reciprocalacceptance, someone else has entered intoour home…it is God, our Father.Acceptance, then, means being with God.Acceptance becomes a covenant. LikeAbraham at the oak trees of Mamre, Idiscover myself celebrating for theunexpected guest who arrives. It is acelebration that is a bit strange, made upoften of agitated nights, with anguish andtears.But I no longer fear getting lost, because wetwo are not alone...there is Jesus, there isGod, there is the Trinity. Because of this,notwithstanding my fragility and recurrentfears, this time of my life seems to be acelebration, where every now and then I fearlosing myself, and perhaps I will belost…but there is Someone who will findme!

22

A new exodus

Roberta’s events are like those of Valentina and Stefano, of Angela…men and women who live the risk of becoming accepting andwho know the long path of availability ofthe gift in the first person. It is not easy toassume an accepting style, to promote a“culture of acceptance” especially in one’s own environment, contributing towardcreating a mentality in solidarity andopenness. We deal with nourishing all thatpromotes meeting, dialogue, and attention tothose person in need to the point of changinghabits, broadening affective living,accepting the possibility of insecurity andthe unforeseen.The dynamism that opens us towardaccepting the other is built on a basicconviction (referring either to persons orsituations…) this is not a threatto my ownself-realization, but an opportunity thatcould lead it to fulfillment.Making oneself an open space for acceptingsolidarity, passing through the risk of theunexpected, allows for the experiencing of afullness of humanity and the discovery ofresources of which, perhaps , one was noteven aware. But this brings with it afatiguing process of overcoming self-sufficiency, removes habits of reassuringtranquility, and shakes from the routine intowhich one may fall when all seems to beguaranteed.Accepting implies an internal de-structuring–and at times also the external-for a re-structuring, and invites to a journey thatcould be compared to an exodus: thepassage from the certain to the uncertain,from that which we “always did” to the creativity that renews and revitalizes.

A few simple adjustments could encouragethe journey along the frontier of acceptance.

Accepting self – one’s own story, what one has and is, one’s body-constitutes the first requirement fora serene life. If I know how toaccept myself, I can more easilyrelate to others, accept them andeven anticipate their acceptance.

In the measure in which I acceptmyself I go toward others as a giftoffered for their joy and I receivethem as a gift that bring me togratitude. It does not matter howwell “wrapped” the gift is!

The steps toward acceptance are insync with my capacity to see in eachperson a value, a gift, a source ofgood that could make me richer andhappier.

I build my happiness in the measurein which I go beyond things, beyondthe everyday, beyond routine,beyond reassuring plans. Evenbeyond myself. Happiness has themeasure of the space that I createfor God and others in thought, heartand in the organization of my life.

23

He showed me a distant horizon

It is Sunday evening. Dozens of boyslaugh, play, and run around aplayground predisposed by Don Boscoas a type the first oratory. For thoseboys who worked throughout the wholeweek in workshops and factories,Sunday was the longed for day ofcelebration to distract themselves, tohave fun, but also to “nourish” their souls.“On that day I could receive Holy Communion with my brothers andtherefore I was really happy” remembered Joseph Buzzetti, a 10 yearold bricklayer who has emigrated fromLombardy with is brothers and was nowwatching his peers at the oratory. “Don Bosco had come out of the church andwas at recreation with us, telling usabout the most wonderful things of theworld...When I approached Don Boscoto greet him, he, while trying to speakwith those who were kissing his hand infarewell, almost without seeming tonotice, took me by the hand.‘Oh...what’s this about...’I thought to myself. I tried to let go once or twice butcould not do so. I let the others all pass,remaining almost alone. I tried again togreet Don Bosco so I could go back tomy brothers. It was late evening. Atthat moment, Don Bosco, almost asthough he had not done it on purpose,turned to me and seeing that I wasalone, said: ‘Good, I’m glad that I can speak with you. Tell me, do you want tostay with me?’‘Stay with you? What do you mean?’‘You’re a bricklayer, right? Well, I want you to help me to build many otherhouses.’‘I’ve got a long way to go. I’m just an apprentice. I carry the materials andmaybe this year I’ll get to handle a trowel.’

That’s what we need. OK, are you willing to come?...I need to gather youngmen from here and there who would beready to work with me in building theOratory. You would be one of them. Doyou accept?’‘But what would I have to do?’‘I will begin with some basic instruction then I will teach you the fundamentals ofthe Italian language, and then Latin,and, if God wants, in time you could beHis priest.”I looked Don Bosco in the eye while hewas telling me these things and itseemed as though I was dreaming...Ialways have before me Don Bosco whoshowed me a distant horizon and thehope of staying with him.”

24

The yellow tulip and rights

Giancarlo Bregantini, bishop,“Dear young people, I write to you...”, Elledici 2007

Once upon a time there was a bright young man named Louis who bought a tulipbulb. He only bought one. And while he was going to plant it he asked himself “I wonder what the color of this tulip will be? I did not create it, it is a gift, a secretthat the flower holds in it. I only need to do one thing, plant it carefully, cultivate itwith love giving it the right sun on my balcony, a bit of water every dayand...know how to wait. The bulb will do the rest. It is not necessary to do anyviolence to it. If I know how to wait with trust, I will get to see its color.”One morning in March, the bulb flowered. It had a fantastic yellow color, thatgolden yellow that it had loved from all eternity. But one day Louis’s little sister Claire pointed out the beauty of a tulip that she had planted. It was bright red.Louis quickly noted “Mine is more beautiful.” “No”, said his little sister, “both are beautiful. Why don’twe put them side by side. Together they are morebeautiful.”“Where shall we put them ?” They asked their Dad who answered: “Put them in the living room so that all can enjoy them. They will brighten the whole house.”Seated on the couch, Claire and Louis were lost in contemplating that miracle.It was a color received as a gift, but enriched by their commitment.

Rights are already in the heart of each one of us, like the color of the bulb.Rights are there, but they need to be drawn out, clarified, explained, spread sothat all may know them.Each one of us must be content with what she is and has.There must be neither opposition nor envy of another, but joy for the color of theother, for the recognition of his/her native rights.

Place colors together to make one sole composition. Your rights are united tomine, without having either prevail, neither yours nor mine. It is the greatadventure of cooperation. It is the seeking for the common good. It is politics inits most noble expression because it rests on the most elevated form of charity,i.e., of gift.

Edited by Mara Borsi - Anna Rita Cristaino

25

Gospel Readings of Contemporary Facts

IN SEARCH OF

26

Cooperation and Development

Wells for LifeMara Borsi

To favor the registration in school for girls who would otherwise spend the greaterpart of their day fetching water for family need, the FMA community of Tonj (SouthSudan) has set in motion a project to dig wells in two villages.

The house of Tonj was opened in 1983,three years after the Institute launched“Project Africa”. The outbreak of the civil war in Sudan forced the FMA toabandon the mission a year after it wasopened. Beginning from the year 2000the East Africa province made a fewattempts to re-open the house of Tonjand finally, in 2003 there was acommunity which, during the last year ofthe war, was a true and proper point ofreference for the people who had beenseverely tried during the long conflict.During the 22 years of war, Tonj remainunder the control of the Sudan People’s Liberation Front (SPLA) and suffered acomplete destruction of theinfrastructure and of services. Duringthe conflict, Tonj could be reached onlythrough Kenya and the only means oftransportation was by plane. After thesigning of the peace accord, thesituation gradually improved and withthe removal of the mines,communication with the other zones ofSudan was re-established.

A project for the Dinka girls

The project presented by the Tonjcommunity to various internationalorganizations proposed the constructionof two wells, one in the village ofWaramel (a two hour drive by car fromTonj) and the other at Laithok (45minutes distant). The aim was tofacilitate access to water by the childrenand girls.The greater part of the population ofthese areas is Dinka. In the Dinka

culture, the girls are of value only for thedowry they bring to the family. For theDinka wealth is measured in relation tothe number of cows possessed by thefamily. It is the father who decides towhom to give the daughter in marriage,and usually, the choice falls upon theman who offers the greatest number ofcows. It does not matter if he is 70years of age and the girl is only 15. Thegirl has no possibility of expressingherself.The girls have no possibility of living achildhood because from 6-7 years ofage they must care for younger siblingsand are involved in the domestic work:they fetch water, pound rice, look forfirewood and clean the house.The percentage of girls who go toschool is very low and very few of themsucceed in completing obligatoryschooling. The main obstacle isdomestic work and especially thegathering of water and firewood.Looking for water is one of the reasonsthat keep the girls far from instructionbecause they must walk for hours to findit.Precisely because of this the FMA seethe construction of wells in the villagesas one of the strategies to favor theattendance of girls in school and as theadvancement of women andimprovement of their life conditions.The plan of cooperation for developmentproposes the construction of two wells.The minimum cost of a 30 meter deepwell more than 5,000 Euros.

27

Interview with Sr. RoseFarina, missionary in Africafor 23 years

What strikes you about thecountry?Undoubtedly, the people. Ahthe people! They carry themark of everything on thestructure of their body and thefeatures of their face. It is anoriginal stamp, something thatfor us “kawanja” (as they call us) is difficult to read, tointerpret, and to understand.The people have a beauty thatattracts: gentle eyes, a bitclosed almost as though hidingthe thoughts of their hearts.Gentle pride, open, intelligentpeople, people interested inliving and sharing, but alsopeople who know how to placethemselves decisively in thefront lines to face and challengeyou.The new Sudan also strikes mein its vastness. I read thatwhen God created Sudan helaughed because of itsenormous extension. I had theopportunity to observe thisvastness from an airplane andalso by traveling long, dirtroads. It is a vastness markedby long-horned gray-whitecows, and Tonj, where I findmyself, is noted for having thehighest concentration of cows.

What does it mean for you tobe in Tonj,It is a choice for the essential. Iwant to walk with the people onthe old road but also to traceout the new. This is necessaryafter 30 years of war, a war thathad devastating effects on theeconomy of the country and onthe people. It is a gift that Iwanted to give myself for the75th year of my life as a“renewal “ of the spirit.

What do you do in themission?I do what I can and what I seeis needed in the mission. I hoeand plant in the garden with thechildren and young people, withthe girls of the Bakhita Centre.In short, I lend a hand whileeyes and mind “function” as the best private internet. We are ina period of transition with theneed to plan a new life andwork. The turning point for theyoung people is to pass fromthe training with arms toeducation. The new Sudan hasthe youngest population in theworld.If you would like to contributetoward the project, go tohttp://www.cgfmanet.org, thedonation section.

mborsi@pcn.net

28

Rights and Consecrated LifeJulia ArciniegasAre We Truly Prophets?(cfr Micah 6, 6-8)With what do I present myself to theLord?The era in which the prophet Micah livedwas dramatic, violent and tumultuous.The wealthy landowners exploited thepoor, the farmers, and the peasantswithout mercy. This abuse of powerwas forcefully attacked by Micah. Hededicated his activity to the defense ofthe oppressed.A native of the little city of Moreset,close to Jerusalem, Micah carried outhis ministry contemporarily with theprophet Isaiah. Even though he camefrom a rural area, he knew about thecorrupt life of the city and he denouncedJerusalem in particular because He sawin it the symbol of national corruption,the corruption of the administration ofjustice, of government functionaries, andeven of the religious leaders. Thefoundation of his message was thejustice of God.In one of the more familiar verses of theOld Testament, Micah summed up whatthe Lord asks of man: (Practice justice,love piety, and walk humbly with yourGod” (6-8).Furthermore, Micah proclaimed auniversal reign of peace that wouldembrace all people. The sword wouldhave been transformed into plowsharesand the spears into pruning hooks.There would be a period of peace,prosperity and wellbeing (4, 1-5). Godwould reign supreme and men would“no longer learn the art of war.”

What the Lord asks of you

The critical glance of the prophetunveiled the compromises and placed inevidence what was truly pleasing toGod. Above all, to practice justice , todefend the rights of the poor, of thosewho were exploited in Israel, the

strength of the nation, in fact, that doesnot reside in the economy,in the army,but in social equality and in respect forthe poor. If the rights of thedisadvantaged are not respected, all theofferings and sacrifices would count fornothing, and prayer itself will have nomeaning.The fruit of worship cannot help but bejustice.In second place, loving loyalty,respecting the word given, not betrayingfriendship, remaining faithful in love toothers. The quality of interpersonalrelationships expresses the authenticityof the love of God, true piety.Finally, walking humbly with God.Traveling the way He has chosen to beclose to His people, accompanying,supporting, encouraging, consoling.This style of fraternal animation revealsa profound harmony with God, and isthe sign of a clean heart, one that ispoor and humble.

Your sons and daughters willprophecy

In a recent assembly, the Union ofSuperiors General (UISG) faced thetheme: “Is religious life a prophecy in today’s culture?” The question broughtout significant reflections on the part ofthe presenters and the participants thatemphasized, among other, the urgencyof the Church in today’s world that the Church has for a prophetic consecratedlife.In the social context in which we seeevidence of the idea that “more and more people are living as though Goddoes not exist”, religious life is called to proclaim the marvelous designs of God,to denounce all attempts contrary to it.In this proposal Fr. Pascual Chavez inhis report said: “Our prophesy must not be something outside of ourselves, ascould happen to the prophets ofmisfortune, who do nothing but proclaimdisasters and punishments, or with theprophets of the court, who do nothing

29

but tickle the ears of their listeners, orthe prophets of social vindication, whomimic a political or economic systemand canonize another without seeingthe need that exists to redimensionevery human reality. Consecrated lifewill be prophetic only if we know how torender testimony to the impassionedlove of God.”Along this line and in harmony with whatGod tells us through Micah, theprophecy to whom He calls us today asconsecrated persons leads us to take achance on the defense of human rights,to always accept people with greattenderness, to dialogue with others on alevel of equality and reciprocity, withoutever making our own thought absolute,to pray the Word together with the mostdisadvantaged, with the awareness thatit is the poor who evangelize us, todiscernment and the capacity tointercept the new requests, the continualattention to the great themes ofhumanity: peace, justice, reconciliation,integral development, and ecology.This is the “new prophecy “ to be realized with Jesus. Undertaking thisway each and every day means walkinghumbly as His followers.For this reason, with J.C.Paredes weask ourselves: “Are we truly prophets?” Are we ready to pay, eventually, theprice of a prophecy which, if true, cannothelp but disturb, especially those whohave the power and are responsible forintolerable situations?Do we have the courage to go againstthe current, to stand with the little onesand the least?

The story of Patricia Wolf, the“shareholder Sister” who belongs to a congregation of the Sisters of Mercyfounded in Dublin in 1831, reveals anew way, for a traditional religious order,to use its influence in favor of the poor.Patricia Wolf works in New York and isresponsible for a 12 figure patrimony,but she is neither the manager norshareholder of any multinational.The starting idea is that themanagement of economic resourcesmust be coherent with one’s own faith and that these may be used in the nameof the poorest. The L’ICCR (InterfaithCenter on Corporate Responsibility)makes ethical investments, i.e., itemploys the money in activities thathave a positive return on the social andenvironmental level. There is also theactivity of societal shareholding.It deals with an organization that startedin the 70’s that handles patrimonies (constituted by inheritances, donations,real estate, offerings) of 275 religiousorders, dioceses, parish funds, pensionsand other corporations bound to theCathlic Church, Protestant Churches orJewish communities in the UnitedStates.With the patrimony that they hold, thesecommunities know how to makethemselves heard by the powerfulmembers of economy and finance. TheL’ICCR acquires stock quotes of largecompanies and participates actively inthe shareholder meetings proposingmotions on correct social andenvironmental themes to guide thechoices of these important subjects inan ethically correct direction and havingthem adopt a more transparentmanagement.

Visit the ICCR site at:http://www.iccr.org/

Julia Arciniegas

30

PHOTOCLICK

Your most beautiful photos…

We publish some of the photos that arrived in our office. You willfind others in successive issues of magazine. We thank those whoentered the contest and those who will still do so. The name of thewinner will be announced during the next few months

The half-closed door…Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If anyone hearsmy voice and opens the door, I will come to him...(Romina Macaj - Albania)

End of course celebrationEnd of the year celebration for the activities of the children who joyfully show us their work. (EllaMengue Mbira Aristide Lionel - Gabon)

31

POLIS

Public Opinion and ConsensusWe start with a few questions.Can the consensus of public opinion be the only means to evaluate whether a choice is right or not?Can an orientation consider itself to be right only because it has consensus?Who forms public opinion?

There are also other questions, perhapsbecause we are in a time of strong use ofpublic opinion, or perhaps because frequentlythis expression is abused.Public opinion could approve or cause lack ofapproval in the choice of government, it couldexert pressure so that a determined law willbe promulgated or another abrogated.This was the guarantee of democracies, butperhaps today the method of bringing it abouthas been “sullied”.It is frequently measured by opinion surveysthat could also be contradictory according towho commissions them. There are examplesthat reveal the choice of voting. In fact, everypolitical candidate or every party states thatthe surveys are in his/her favor.Furthermore, we hear politicians who declare:“It is the people...it is public opinion that asksthis of us”...but when did they listen to ordinary people on the streets or in thesupermarket?Some scholars hold that the only way tomeasure needs and desires of public opinionare through market research. What peopleconsume becomes what the people want andconsumerism, even on the cultural level(books, newspapers, etc) is mathematicallymeasurable, but we know that frequentlyconsumerism is induced by the mode and bypublicity.This is not a banal discourse. There are inplay political choices on a worldwide levelthat regard the safeguarding of life, of rightsand that cannot be held to be licit only

because a survey revealed that the championwas in agreement.If the majority holds that the death penalty isa just punishment, this does not mean that it istruly so. If the majority holds that abortion isa right to be defended subscribing to the freechoice to kill, this cannot be held to be a rightchoice.There is, therefore, a distinction to be madebetween dòxa (opinion) and episteme (certainawareness). The measure of public opinion,especially through surveys, must be interpreted asa tendency, almost as the mood that the peoplehave in that determined moment and not as ascientific truth , episteme.Participation in public life through the exercise ofcitizenship requires activity and experience thatbring the problems to light in a studied mannerand find concrete proposals in their response.This is why when the Church presents strongproposals, it does not preoccupy itself withconsensus. It is one matter to keep open dialoguewith all representatives of civil society, politics,with the various religious faiths, and quite anotherto make choices to attract consensus.It is important, therefore, to listen to the requestsof groups, associations and movements, eventhough they do not draw consensus, because theycan help to seek truth and justice in view of thecommon good.But who forms public opinion ? Much isattributed to the media, to information thatfrequently follows an ideological mode andparticular interests. Intervening in an educationalfield signifies, on this point, helping to leave theidea of consensus and give means of criticalevaluation that looks to the common good, justiceand truth.

32

youngpeople.comMaria Antonia ChinelloLucy Roces

Little Bullies Grow Up and Land on the Web

Goodbye muscles. Now it is enough to have a computer and a cell phone.Once upon a time, to be a bully you neededcertain physical and psychological characteristicsThat’s no longer necessary with the Internet.The stories of cyberbullying multiply on all latitudes.A first defense is that of putting onlinevery little personal data and choosing“hard to guess”passwords.But it is not enough.

For young people getting on the Internet with a cell phone is a game. From some research we seethat the cell phone is utilized to make videos or photos to be uploaded to the Net, where thegreater majority navigates to see video clips filmed at school.The Net allows for “born digital users” to broaden relationships and friendships, to get to know other realities, to explore while seated before a monitor. Sadly, however, on the Internet one canalso find sites that instigate to aggression, violence, pornography and criminal behavior.Recently, traditional media has reported news that addresses the question of electronic bullying.These new forms have found, primarily in YouTube (DMA 3-4/2008) a channel for easyamplification for use by the youngest, who become protagonists on the “world level”.The “bullies of the third millennium” do not limit themselves to torment their school companions with insults, physical aggression or plots to isolate them from others. Cyber abuse has manymanifestations: identity theft, entering into the accounts of others and changing their password,blocking access for the legitimate owner; invasion of private life with SMS and false calls in thedead of night, sending compromising texts and digital photos.

Cyberbullying

The English term Cyberbullying (“electronic bullying” or Internet bullying) indicates the use of electronic information and communication devices such as e-mail, instant messenger, blogs, SMSor MMS or the use of websites with defamatory content to carry out bullying actions or molesting aperson or group through personal attacks.Speaking of recent phenomena and those linked to the evolution and spread of communicationstechnologies, it is still very open to discussion among researchers if electronic bullying is to beconsidered a new form of an old phenomenon (bullying) or if we must hold it to be somethingqualitatively different. Confirming the first hypothesis there is some research that indicates thatthe subjects who act like bullies in social relationships tend to act in a measure that is clearlygreater than others in cyberbullying.At the same time, a few characteristics of cyberbullying seem to extend and diversify the sphere ofaction of bullying, contributing toward and modifying some aspects. Electronic bullying allows for agreater anonymity with respect to that which is directly or indirectly of a social type. It is ananonymity that could diminish the sense of responsibility on the part of the one who acts, allowingfor prevaricating action also on the part of subject who, in direct social conflicts, would not find thestrength to act. Furthermore, cyberbullying, by its role, once again covers the image, feeling morethe effects of “traditional” bullying if the influence of the media and the ways and content transmitted by it.

What can we do?

There is widespread ignorance, especially on the part of parents who frequently do not know theirchildren are doing. Research from the United States show that it is urgent to make parents aware

33

of the friendships and relationships that their children have, and not only online. Only 15% ofadults admit that the problem exists.It is important that schools assume the responsibility for educational journeys for the literacy andproduction of the new technologies for parents, teachers, non-teaching personnel and the studentsthemselves. However, it is not sufficient to possess technological competence. The solution ofproblems such as these of the Internet and of the new technologies on the part of minors, saysLaura Sturlese, president of The Center of Studies for Minors and the Media, lies in the “becoming aware that education to a critical and responsible use is presently insufficient, and cannot only notlimit, but rather help the balanced development of children and young people.” We deal with:

- making people aware of the forms of cyberbullying and its spread;- educating to a correct use of the Net and making people responsible for the material theypublish. The “words” spoken on the Net can be downloaded, printed and, in some cases,are punishable by law;

- learning to produce quality audio/video content- adopting clear, precise criteria to regulate the use of technologies on the part of young

people;- involving in the reflection local authorities and experts in the field to undertake actions in

defense of minors;- reporting acts of cyberbullying, pedophilia and child pornography through the proper

channels

Second Life Diary

A few months have passed since our last meeting. Today I signed on to Second Life with a largegroup of friends. Sadly, we had chosen a bad time...there was no one around, at least in the Italianpart, while the Asian part was so crowded that I couldn’t “land”...SL has no spatial confines, but only those of time...I have to convince myself to change, or I’ll run the risk of not establishing friendships.With my “real” friends we enjoyed flying here and there, changing clothes and changing the appearance of the avatar. Imagine, at a certain point due to a clumsy click, I found myself with acat’s tail and a fox’s ears ...Happily, there was no one on the Spanish steps in Rome!It would be better to go somewhere else...Oh, there are persons seated there, stiff as though theywere asleep. I tried to make contact, but nothing happened. Who knows what they are doing Iasked myself. I then decided to get up and, miraculously, there was a chorus of protests(obviously, written). Albamattutina (who was peacefully sleeping almost on my head) said to me:”Where are you going...sit down. Don’t you know that you can earn a good 10 Linden dollars ?WHAT ! I responded. An easy way to earn money, but I prefer to look for people with whom I canspeak. Otherwise, what’s the use of traveling virtual spaces on SL if we do not “meet”? In thinking it over, however, I must try, at least toevaluate if this is exactly so. In this wayI will have a small amount with which toenter the pay-to-enter places. Next timeI’ll let you know how it worked out!Your friend,Adelphie Pastorelli.I forgot...I’m attaching a photo snappedin SL...another “electronic” souvenir!

34

THE POINTPalma Lionettilpalma@email.it

Young Immigrants

“To protect” seems to be the most used verb when we speak of immigration on an institutional level...to protect with every means possibleone’sown territory in the presenceof persons coming from other countries, not succeeding in proposing a model ofintegration that favors the everyday affirmation of human rights and the possibility thatmultitudes of men and women may seek a possibility for survival in a society of well-being.In the report of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nationspublished in 2007, there is a prevision relative to the coming years on countries that will bethe greater destinations for foreign immigrants: United States, 1.1 million a year, Canada200,000, Germany 150,000, Italy 139,000, the United Kingdom 130,000, Spain 120, 000,Australia 100,000. The UN calculates that one person in 35 lives or works in a countrydifferent from the one of birth and that the immigrant population has doubled in the last 35years. This means that 175 million persons reside in a country different from the onewhere they were born.Surely, the vast process of globalization in act in the world brings with itself an exigency formobility that urges many young people in particular to emigrate and to live far from theirfamilies and countries.The Swiss Government and the European Union have financed a video for the “Campaign for the prevention of risks of illegal immigration”, promoted by OIM, The International Organization for Migration that is made up of 120 States. The video was broadcast duringthe soccer game between Switzerland-Nigeria last November. Filmed in French withEnglish subtitles, the film was viewed by millions of persons in Africa. It tells the story of ayoung, homeless African living in Europe who goes to a public phone booth to call hisfather to greet him. The father asks “How are things going?” The son responds “All fine”, while in the background one sees the images of the landing of clandestine migrants. Thefather pressed on: “Are you hiding something from me?” The son responded: “I’m tired. I’ve been running all day.”The boy is shown in the background, desperate, running from the police on the streets of acity that could be any one in Europe.It is young people in particular who end up in the trap of unscrupulous exploiters whotransform them into objects of physical, moral and sexual violence.Today words and pastoral action can no longer ignore the reality of human mobility or passover the most severe expressions when injustice, exclusion and misery strike the life ofimmigrants, especially of the young. They become the cry and impassioned struggle,transforming themselves on the pastoral level into works of sensitizing and the creation ofnetworks of information and action to strengthen and give concrete form to projects,journeys taken together with the immigrants so that they may become the protagonists oftheir story.

35

Websites of Interest

Anna Mariani

http://www.unhcr.it/An international site in Italian, French and English of the UNHCR (United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees, a UN agency for refugees). It furnishes information on theorganization and its activities, on the rights of refugees in general, statistics and reports on variousnations in which it works, official documentation from the high commissioner and a collection ofprinted materials within the organization. It is a site that is determined to support campaigns infavor of the refugees to combat intolerance. Refugees frequently find themselves facing not onlythe intolerance that forced them to flee, but a new intolerance in the countries of asylum thatundermines their integration and renders their lives even more difficult. It invites support by smalldonations for the refugees, giving all the opportunity to become part of the “UNHCR Angels”.

www.ecre.org.The official site of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE - Consiglio Europeo per iRifugiati e gli Esiliati)–an organization with 68 members committed in various ways in theassistance and safeguarding of refugees in 25 nations. Here one can find information,documentation and comments that are constantly updated and studied on the situation, problems andpolitics relative to the refugees.

http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/Site of the Europeans United for Intercultural Action committed in activities against racism,nationalism, fascism and in support of the rights of migrants and refugees. The network is based onthe voluntary cooperation of more than 500 organizations in 49 countries. In addition todenouncing the various forms of discrimination against the migrants and refugees, the site furnishesinformation on the rights and numerous campaigns andinitiatives that the network sets in act. In English, French and German.

http://www.sos-racisme.org/Site of the anti-racial Sos Racisme, started in France, and which today, has become an internationalmovement present in different countries. Here one can find condemnation of the different forms ofdiscrimination and information on the activities of the international anti-racist movement. InFrench.

http://www.errc.org/Site of the European Rom Rights Center (ERRC), an international organization committed in thelegal field in favor of the Rom (Gypsy) community. With headquarters in Budapest (Hungary) theERRC offers a rich site on which there is available, among other things, the Country reports, presscommunications and international links. Language: English.

http://www.eumc.at/ Site of the European Observatory on racism and xenophobia (EUMC) thatcontains the Annual Report and other information on the European situation with material onxenophobia and racism. In English, French and German..

36

Who is a Stranger?

I recently read a question: who is a stranger?I don’t know –nor do I pretend to know-how to find a scientifically exact response. But Ican reason it out. (I am not a philosopher, but it can help).If a stranger comes from another country, then that’s it. I’m a stranger to you; you’re a stranger to me...we two for others etc, etc...infinitely.But there’s a concept that is still difficult for me. In the Institute I have been used to always meeting with Sisters from many places: Sisters from Asia, Europe, Africa, andAmerica and even from the islands of Oceania. All Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.And outside of the Institute? It’s really not that different...African or American, Europeanor Asiatic, each person is a brother or sister for me and we are all children of God, made inHis image. Even though at times the touches of similarity are not that evident. Thedifferences of physical features are not distance, and do not impede us from rememberingthe catechism, right? But what about those who don’t go to the catechism?St. Paul comes to my mind. “There is no difference between Jew and Greek...because God is the Lord of all”.There is the brother or sister who is poor and those who suffer illness...those who are sadbecause they have left their country...those who are hungry...No one should be a strangerfor me; everything is my business, I owe solidarity of thought and a fraternal glance of theheart to all.I care! Here it is...I found out how to apply this saying that a young Sister explained to me(there are still those who are patient with the elderly, with the less “updated” and thus they exercise themselves in the art of teaching).

I care: I think about, I have a heart. It is like saying that no one is outside of my sphere ofinterest. I must share all that I have and especially the highest Good that I possess...God,who is the true wealth of the human heart.Certainly, with a bit of occasional catechesis, but concretely with some renunciation. Iunderstood that I have to “dust off” my vow of poverty a bit and that beautiful cetera tolle,and as the Constitutions tell us: “be satisfied with what is necessary, be grateful for what the community offers me...”I found a beautiful response to this, my vague (perhaps too much so!) desire to connect thewords I care. In the Apostolic Exhortation of Vita Consecrata, which presents in N.90 (Ishould transcribe all of it, but it is better that each person goes to read it and meditate on itfor herself) “Evangelical poverty at the service of the poor”.I must find some way to contribute, with my modest capacity and especially with mypoverty, toward rendering life “more human”, the life of those whom the Lord has me meet. The stranger, together with the orphan and the widow, were, in the Old Testament,in the category of the persons considered to be more indigent They are those againstwhom we can measure our attitude of fraternal understanding and the resources ofcharity. Could they be the indicators to measure our sanctity?

37

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

DOSSIER: The Sacredness of the EarthCreation is the sign of the all-foreseeing love of God.

CLOSE UP: Arianna’s LineConsumerism

IN SEARCH OF: Cooperation and developmentThe School as Friend

COMUNICATING Young People. comBlogs and Social Networks

Thoughts…

The only wisdom that we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility. (ThomasStearns Eliot)

38

RIGHTSDemocracy, developmentand the respect for human rightsand of the fundamental freedomsare interdependentand reinforce one another