Friday, October 27, 2006

IT WAS FIFTY YEARS AGO


It was more than forty years ago when Bob Dylan sang “How many years can some people exist, before they’re allowed to be free ?”.

It was exactly fifty years ago when the Russian troops suppressed the freedom of the Hungarian people with their invasion in Budapest.

During those dramatic days was so clear the voice of Pope Pio XII, in a radio message, saying that the name of God, “the source of law, justice and freedom” had to “be brought back to our parliaments, our homes, our offices”.

In the same time Chiara Lubich, founder and still president of the Focolare catholic movement, said to many people : “there is a society capable of putting aside the name of God (...) of eradicating it from the hearts of men. So there must be a society who is able to give Him his place. There must be authentic disciples of Jesus, an army of volunteers, because love is free”.

Fifty years after the “volunteers of God” are a reality, inside the Focolare Movement and the Church and they had their meeting in Budapest, at the Sports Arena on the 14th, 15th and 16th of September.

More than 11.000 people, coming from 92 countries in the five continents, together with 13 ecclesial movements and New Communities, christians from various Churches, and follower of Islam and other religions.

Three days looking at the effects on social life where the Gospel is lived in everyday life and in different cultural backgrounds.

Because these are simple men and women that are living the normality of family, work and social life, but – while imitating the first Christians just today in the 21st century – are “like the leaven in the bread, building new heavens and new earth, renewed by the light of the Gospel”.

Simple people but with a great ideal : to propose fraternity as a way that leads to peace.

Because the world, after years and years of fighting for freedom and equality, is still waiting for fraternity.

Just like Bob Dylan, saying more than forty years ago : “An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing”.

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