Resignation of Communion and Liberation's president"We wish to affirm once again our affectionate following of the Pope and in him our passionate love for Christ and the Church." This was written a few weeks ago by the president of the Fraternity of Communion and LiberationDavide Prosperi, to all the adherents of the Italian movement founded by the priest Luigi Giussani, who this Saturday, October 15, will be received in special audience by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square.
More than 50,000 people are expected from over 60 countries around the world, and the main reason is precisely the centenary of the birth of the charismatic priest, theologian and professor who, in the early 1970s, also driven by the social events of those years, gave life to this thriving youth movement dedicated to evangelization, which then spread throughout the world.
The then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, during the homily at Fr. Giussani's funeral in 2005, a few weeks before his election as Pope, recalled how it was the Holy Spirit who raised up in the Church, through this priest, a movement "that witnessed to the beauty of being a Christian at a time when the opinion was spreading that Christianity was something exhausting and oppressive to live".
Giussani, therefore, succeeded in awakening in young people "the love of Christ 'Way, Truth and Life,' repeating that He alone is the way to the realization of the deepest desires of the human heart" and that Christ saves us precisely through our humanity.
A "renaissance" phase
Her children, shaken by many trials in recent years - most recently, some of them misunderstandings The new leadership changes that led to the early resignation of the previous president, the Spaniard Julián Carrón, are now in a "renaissance" phase that should lead to overcoming some misunderstandings precisely in relation to the change of leadership at the head of the Movement.
The Holy See has intervened to accompany this process, which then affects all the Movements of old and new generation, which today must adhere to the guidelines of the Decree on the exercise of governance in international associations of the faithful, private and public, issued in June 2021 by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life. Basically, this Decree defines a maximum duration of 5 years for mandates in the central governing body, with the possibility of renewal but not exceeding 10 years, except for the founders.
Building the common good
Returning to Prosperi's letter to the adherents of CL (as the Association is commonly known), we read: "To Pope Francis we entrust, therefore, as sons, the desire that from the depths of our hearts encourages us to offer, through the concreteness of our existence, our contribution of faith and the construction of the common good for the benefit of all our human brothers and sisters, continuing to beseech, first of all for ourselves, the One who alone can quench the thirst of the human heart: Jesus of Nazareth".
The event in St. Peter's Square
The ceremony in St. Peter's Square will open with the recitation of the prayer of Lauds, the reading of passages from the Gospel and the projection of audiovisual presentations by Father Giussani, which will alternate with songs performed by the Communion and Liberation choir.
The arrival of Pope Francis is scheduled at 11:30 a.m.; after the greetings of the President of the Fraternity of CL, the testimonies of Rose Busingye (founder and guide of the charitable organization "Meeting Point International" in Kampala, Uganda) and of Hassina Houari (former student of the center of help to the study of Portofranco, Milan) will be heard.
On the previous day, in the Auditorium of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, the book "Il cristianesimo come avvenimento. Saggi sul pensiero teologico di Luigi Giussani."The first of three collections of articles on the thought of the Founder of CL will be presented by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi, Archbishop of Cagliari and Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference; and Don Javier Prades, Rector of the San Damaso University of Madrid, will speak.
"We are aware of our nothingness and, at the same time, we are filled with an indomitable hope in the One who can do everything, in following that 'beautiful path' of which Father Giussani never ceased to give us certainty," Prosperi concludes in his letter to the adherents, summoning everyone to St. Peter's Square.
