Chiara Lubich's funeral. In his homily for the funeral of Chiara Lubich, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone defined the life of the lay founder of the Focolare Movement as a love song for …More
Chiara Lubich's funeral.
In his homily for the funeral of Chiara Lubich, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone defined the life of the lay founder of the Focolare Movement as a love song for God. The touching celebration occurred on March 18 in Rome's St. Paul's Outside the Walls Basilica, with thousands of people in attendance both inside and outside the basilica.
Lubich's coffin was greeted with half an hour of applause.
Cardinal Bertone noted that "representatives of other Christian churches and different religions were united in a chorus of admiration and profound participation."
After the ceremony, the Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, himself a member of the Bishop Friends of the Focolare Movement, spoke to H2onews about how he met Lubich.
"I met Chiara Lubich and her charism in 1964 and I think, without exaggeration, that meeting Chiara Lubich's spirituality was the greatest gift of God and the Holy Spirit in my life."
Carla Cotignoli, the head of Focolare's media division, stated,
"What she wanted to give witness to and always had in her heart is that there is a way of life that renews politics, that renews economics, that renews culture, that renews art, communication, all because this exchange of love is not mere well-wishing, but is a model of the life of the Trinity."
"Now, it's up to you, it's up to me, now it's up to all of us to have the same boundless spirit as Chiara."
Anglican Archbishop Robin Smith, representing the Archbishop of Canterbury, described Lubich as one of the century's most important Christians.
"Chiara was one of the most remarkable Christians, I believe, of the 20th and 21st centuries; she has brought about a unity of not only all Christian people but of all religious people throughout the world and to the end she represented something unique not only in the Catholic Church but also in the Universal Church."
In his homily for the funeral of Chiara Lubich, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone defined the life of the lay founder of the Focolare Movement as a love song for God. The touching celebration occurred on March 18 in Rome's St. Paul's Outside the Walls Basilica, with thousands of people in attendance both inside and outside the basilica.
Lubich's coffin was greeted with half an hour of applause.
Cardinal Bertone noted that "representatives of other Christian churches and different religions were united in a chorus of admiration and profound participation."
After the ceremony, the Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, himself a member of the Bishop Friends of the Focolare Movement, spoke to H2onews about how he met Lubich.
"I met Chiara Lubich and her charism in 1964 and I think, without exaggeration, that meeting Chiara Lubich's spirituality was the greatest gift of God and the Holy Spirit in my life."
Carla Cotignoli, the head of Focolare's media division, stated,
"What she wanted to give witness to and always had in her heart is that there is a way of life that renews politics, that renews economics, that renews culture, that renews art, communication, all because this exchange of love is not mere well-wishing, but is a model of the life of the Trinity."
"Now, it's up to you, it's up to me, now it's up to all of us to have the same boundless spirit as Chiara."
Anglican Archbishop Robin Smith, representing the Archbishop of Canterbury, described Lubich as one of the century's most important Christians.
"Chiara was one of the most remarkable Christians, I believe, of the 20th and 21st centuries; she has brought about a unity of not only all Christian people but of all religious people throughout the world and to the end she represented something unique not only in the Catholic Church but also in the Universal Church."