This year marks many milestones for us in the Philippines and the whole world. There is so much to be thankful for after surviving the pandemic after almost three years. In April 2022, Filipinos concluded the celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines with its theme Gifted to Give. Connected with this celebration, we also commemorated the quincentennial of the first circumnavigation of the world (instigated by Magellan in 1519 and completed by Elcano in 1522), a historic feat that proved the world is round.

Another milestone in history is the 50th anniversary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) with its theme “Journeying Together as Peoples of Asia.” Since its coming to the Far East, the Focolare has made its own the vision of a “triple dialogue” the FABC has asserted as a pathway for the Church in Asia: Dialogue with the Peoples (especially the poor), Cultures and Religions of Asia. This is also in sync with our local Church’s efforts, in the spirit of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II), to be a Community of Disciples and a Church of the Poor.

The Focolare Movement also celebrates several milestones like the 40th anniversary of the first visit of Focolare founder Chiara Lubich to Asia (1981-1982) during which she spoke to about 10,000 Buddhists in Japan, and the 25th anniversary of her second Asian visit (1997) during which she received honorary doctorates in three universities, in Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines. 

In this issue, we highlight several initiatives of the Movement in line with the FABC’s three-fold dialogue and the Philippine Church’s vision to be a Community of Disciples and a Church of the Poor.

To form Christians for dialogue with the great religious traditions of Asia, the School of Dialogue with Oriental Religions (SOR) was established by Focolare founder Chiara Lubich in Mariapolis Peace in Tagaytay. Since 1983, SOR has conducted courses on Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shamanism in the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Living the Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”(Mt 7:12), through visits and activities together, the members of the Movement are engaged in a dialogue of life, action, and religious experiences with brothers and sisters of other religions.

The Focolare has also been active in ecumenical dialogue in various ventures promoting social justice and care for our natural environment with members of other Christian churches.

For the past 40 years, the Center of Spirituality for Priests and Seminarians, also in Mariapolis Peace, has been offering a period of formation in the spirituality of communion to hundreds of priests, deacons and seminarians from different dioceses in the Philippines and other Asian countries. This center aims to be a place where they can live as brothers, as a family, providing a concrete experience of living Christ’s commandment of love: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 15:12)

Furthermore, the Focolare’s Mariapolis Peace is also a center of formation in a life of unity for young people, for those who wish to follow the way of the focolare, and for adults and families in the Philippines and other Asian countries. However, it is also open to those from other parts of the world.

The Focolare has always been in dialogue with the poor through its social centers, Bukas Palad and Pag-asa, which have uplifted the lives of thousands of indigent people in different parts of the Philippines. These centers, present in Manila, La Union, Tagaytay, Cebu, and Davao, channel their services through education, livelihood and healthcare programs. Another social project is the Focolare Carpentry Training Center, a community-based institution that provides skills training in furniture carpentry to out-of-school youth.

The young people of the Movement have been at the forefront of relief efforts in regions hit by natural disasters in the Philippines. The Noche Buena Project, a collective youth initiative that started after the devastation of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009, continues to give Christmas dinner packages to disadvantaged families all over the Philippines.

Through New Humanity, the Focolare has been committed to spreading a culture of universal brotherhood and peace in politics, economy, education, health, psychology, law, ecology, sports, social sciences, and communications media.

As we celebrate all these milestones, we can say that the Focolare has gone a long way in its 360-degree dialogue with various peoples, cultures and religions in the works it has carried out through the years. Significant steps have been taken and, little by little, the fruits can be seen in new relationships based on a culture of unity and fraternity slowly penetrating society.