wfn.org | "Spirituality for Unity" the theme of Chiara Lubich visit to Geneva

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Information 02-11
For Immediate Use
10 October 2002

"Spirituality for Unity" the theme of Chiara Lubich visit to Geneva 

Chiara Lubich, the founder and president of the Focolare movement for
spiritual and social renewal, will visit Geneva, 25-28 October 2002. Lubich's
message of "spirituality for unity" in all areas of life and humanity is of
great interest to the organizations hosting her visit: the World Council of
Churches (WCC), the Protestant Church of Geneva, and the Ecumenical Institute
at Bossey. 

In his invitation, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser highlighted
Lubich's "vital contribution to the ecumenical movement", and noted that her
initiatives in the spiritual and religious, but also in the political,
economic and social spheres "demonstrate the potential of common witness and
the need for efforts to restore communion.  This is evidence," Raiser added,
"of the importance of spirituality in today's context, and of its extremely
precious and decisive contribution not only to the unity of the churches but
to that of humanity as a whole."

The visit programme includes a seminar for students and faculty of the
Ecumenical Institute in Bossey on Saturday, 26 October and worship at St
Peter's Cathedral in Geneva at 10:00 am on Sunday, 27 October.

A discussion open to WCC staff and members of other ecumenical organizations
on the theme of "Spirituality and Communion", as well as exchanges with WCC
staff on spirituality and socio-economic and political processes, are
scheduled for Monday, 28 October.
 
The visit coincides with the annual ecumenical gathering in Morges of bishops
related to the Focolare movement, convened by Prague archbishop Cardinal
Miroslav Vlk. Participants in that gathering will join Lubich during her
visit to Geneva.

The Focolare movement has over 140,000 members, with another 2.5 million
adherents world-wide. While the majority are members of the Roman Catholic
Church, the movement includes people from 350 churches and ecclesial
communities, as well as Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists and people
with no religious affiliation. 
This is the third visit of Chiara Lubich to the WCC. Her previous visits took
place in 1967 and 1982.

Schedule of Key Events during Chiara Lubich's visit to Geneva,
25-28 October 2002

Friday, 25 October 2002
Press Conference, 11:00 am, Auditoire de Calvin, Place de la Taconnerie 1,
Geneva 
The press conference will be held with simultaneous interpretation in French
and Italian.
Contact: John Grinling, Press Officer, Protestant Church of Geneva,
+41-22-819-8835

Sunday, 27 October 2002
10:00 am, Worship at  St Peter's Cathedral, Geneva
Message by Chiara Lubich (in Italian, with French translation).
Contact: John Grinling, Press Officer, Protestant Church of Geneva,
+41-22-819-8835

Monday, 28 October 2002 (for WCC staff and members of ecumenical
organizations)
08:30-09:00 am: Worship at the Ecumenical Centre (organized by the Focolare
movement) 
09:15-10:30 am: "A Spirituality of Communion": address by Chiara Lubich
followed by discussion.

For further information or to schedule interviews, please contact the Media
Relations Office,  tel: +41 (0)22 791 64 21

**********

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which
meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in
1948 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary
Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Media Relations Office
Tel: (41 22) 791 6153 / 791 6421
Fax: (41 22) 798 1346
E-mail: media@wcc-coe.org 
Web: www.wcc-coe.org 

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