FOI Magazine - 33 - Thank you Thaïs

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FOI A quarterly publication No. 33 - June - July - August 2012 - 5€

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a SPECIAL report

“ Thank you

THAÏS ”

a testimony: anne-dauphine julliand and her husband loïc

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T I L A U T I a SPIR

e t s a t a L h p e s o J Jean-

VIE Contents

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Editorial by Father Laurent FABRE Special report

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“ Thank you Thaïs ”

14 Ecumenism

14 • The Copts: Another voice out of Egypt 16 • History of the Church: Yves Congar and Vatican II 18 • Prayer

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Christian training

26

Youth

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Life in the Community

35

Young talent

20 • Bible: From the Second Epistle to Timothy 22 • Spirituality: Fr. Jean Joseph Lataste, op 24 • Education: A human and spiritual adventure

26 • Evangelisation: “God loves you” 28 • Testimonies

30 • Liverpool: An ecumenical Holy Week 32 • The Communion at twenty (1992-2012) 34 • News

35 • Samuel Richardson

FOI magazine (Fraternité œcuménique Internationale, International Ecumenical Fraternity) is published by the Chemin Neuf Community-10 rue Henri IV-69287 Lyon cedex 02 Publication director: P. Laurent Fabre Executive director: Jean-Charles Paté, Editor in chief: Pascale Paté, Editorial committee: Franck Démaret, Blandine Lagrut, Fr. François Lestang, Véronique Pilet, Adam Strojny, Marion Tissot Graphic design: Annick Vermot (06 98 61 98 76), Photo credits: Cover:CCN / Central pages: CCN / Others: fotolia.com – angelo.gi, Andres Rodriguez, kasiap, herreneck, Eisenhans, Kurhan / Special report:CCN / Ecumenism pages: P. Mansfeld Subscriptions: Marie-Thérèse Subtil, Nicole Zébrowski, Administration-Management: AME, Production: Sandrine Laroche, Printing: IML - 69850, St Martin en Haut, Registration of copyright: December 2010, CPPAP : 0310 G 83338, ISSN : 1770-5436

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FOI • N°33 • June - July - August 2012

Editorial

“A

t the same time, on the same day, 9 May 2012, two wonderful messages arrived. They were so complementary, although so different; the text messages from Arnaud and ‘Thank you Thaïs’, the excellent and profound video by Net for God. Thaïs is a little girl suffering from metachromatic leukodystrophy, an incurable degenerative illness. Two magnificent testimonies about the strength and influence of love within marriage and within community.

Father Laurent FaBRE Founder and head of the Chemin Neuf Community

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We produce a film every month, translate it into over 20 languages and send to groups in 72 different countries throughout the world. This has created a network of prayer, the International Ecumenical Fraternity.

NET FOR GOD.

Text message from Arnaud on Tuesday 8th: ‘Hi, Laurent, we are entrusting to your intercession the evening of prayer for healing in Grenoble. For our part, we have prayed, fasted and been to confession. The Grenoble prayer group has the strong impression that it has been guided throughout its preparation and that the Saviour is going ahead of us…Alleluia (Stephan, Arnaud and Co).

The following morning, Wednesday 9th, (text message) ‘It was really great…there were more than 500 of us (the Grenoble group had leafleted the neighbourhoods, etc., really well) 130 brothers and people from the prayer groups. There were over 40 healings (healings of sight, a child with a stammer, knees, legs, backs, etc.).

Much thanks was given for the healing of physical or emotional problems. At least 80 people took a step towards Jesus. It’s true that we would have liked to have seen people getting up from their wheelchairs…Jesus is alive!!!’

The same day, I had tears in my eyes as I watched this half hour film, which I very strongly recommend to you, between 2 support sessions of the Great 30 Day Retreat according to Saint Ignatius.

The strength of maternal love, the strength of paternal love, the effectiveness of a community ‘united’ in the service of the health of bodies and souls.

Bringing together these 2 experiences of love and faith into a single speech, Frederick was entirely correct to tell us in the Church of Charpennes in Lyon, on Tuesday 6 March, ‘Some have triumphed over illness through faith, and some have borne, endured, illness through faith. What is written is important ‘It is through faith’. Whether you are cured or whether you remain ill this evening, you are in the process of winning a victory for the Kingdom through faith. (1)’

Father Laurent Fabre * Brother Arnaud Bonassies and Frederick Mansot are part of the leadership team of the worship and prayer evenings for the healing of the sick.

(1) From Hebrews 11, 33 and following

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THANK YOU

Thaïs “Thaïs, the more she lost her capacities, the more her soul of a child developed, the more we wanted to love her.”

Anne-Dauphine

“It’s true that at the end of her life, we really had the feeling that she was just a diffuser of God!”

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Loïc

FOI • N°33 • June - July - August 2012

special report

TESTIMONY Anne-Dauphine Julliand and her husband Loïc

In her book “Two small footprints in the wet sand”, Anne-Dauphine Julliand tells her deeply moving story of a couple that is confronted by the illness of their children, especially of little Thaïs. This is the testimony of a mother, but also of a couple, of a family and of the whole network of their friends who lived through this ordeal with them. It is a story that can be related to many of the situations which can arise in families.

The Net for God team went to meet Anne-Dauphine and her husband Loïc. In this film they give their testimony, at the same time magnificent and sobering. They tell us about the life of their little daughter Thaïs, and demonstrate to us just how much they received from her, through learning to tune in to her heart and her soul.

The story begins on a beach when Anne-Dauphine and Loïc notice that as their daughter is walking on the sand, one of her feet is moving hesitantly. On the very day of Thaïs’ second birthday, they learn that she has an incurable genetic illness. As a result, they make her a promise to love her to the end.

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Anne-Dauphine Julliand and her husband Loïc

Thank you Thaïs “When you are no longer able to add days to someone’s life, you must add life to that person’s days”. Professeur Bernard “If you knew…” This phrase is engraved in the very depths of my soul. I shall never forget it. Above all, I shall not forget the way in which I felt it; this phrase carried all the suffering and the confident calm of someone who knows, who knows everything. In just a few words, it conveys the ordeal that would transform our everyday lives a few months later. For ever.”

(An excerpt from the book)

NFG : In 2005, in Paris, Anne-Dauphine and Loïc were living an almost idyllic existence.

Following their son, Gaspard, who was almost four, and their daughter, Thaïs, aged two, they were expecting a third child in mid-July.

They had fulfilling careers and loved each other very much. In short, life was good to them… barring one small problem that had emerged that summer at the seaside, disrupting the perfect joy they sought; looking at the footprints left in the wet sand by Thaïs’s tiny feet, they noticed something strange about the way she walked. Her big toe tended to bend outwards.

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special report “This was not a small problem that would ruffle our happiness. Rather, it was a tidal wave that was going to turn our lives upside down.”

Anne-Dauphine : When we got back home to Paris, we consulted a doctor who said that it was nothing, so we consulted another one.

Consequently, just a few months later, on the day of Thaïs’s second birthday, Loïc and I went to see a neurologist at one of Paris’s biggest hospitals.

He told us that this was not a small problem that would ruffle our happiness. Rather, it was a tidal wave that was going to turn our lives upside down; our little girl, who had been perfect until then, was suffering from an incurable degenerative genetic disease, and she did not have long to live, just a few months or a few short years.

NFG : Metachromatic leukodystrophy: that is the name of this incurable genetic disease.

Anne-Dauphine and Loïc were both healthy carriers of a genetic anomaly.

They had transmitted the defective gene to Thaïs. This disease progressively destroys the entire nervous system, starting with the motor functions, until it strikes a vital function.

There was no hope for a cure for Thaïs; and the baby that they were expecting had a one in four chance of

being affected as well. Thaïs, barely two years old, would soon not able to walk, nor speak, nor see, nor hear, nor move. What would she have left?

In her book “Two small footprints in the wet sand”, Anne-Dauphine tells her story: We told Gaspard and Thaïs the news.

That night was not easy. We did not want to wake up, ever. To sleep forever in order to avoid facing the truth.

What a temptation! At the centre of this turmoil, we experienced a moment of grace, a window opened letting in a glimmer of light: Thaïs celebrated her second birthday and laughed as she opened her presents.

That was on the 1st of March 2006.

At that moment, we realised that children have a beautiful way of living spontaneously in the present moment, and once the tears had dried, it was Thaïs’s birthday, and there was clearly no reason why we shouldn’t celebrate her birthday. I think that we had never celebrated a birthday like that, we overdid it somewhat, we sang too loudly, we had our tears to hide. And above all, we dared to be happy. It was the first time that we dared to be happy in the middle of a catastrophe, and I think it left a mark on us. We actually have the right to be happy, even when we are in distress.

Loïc : And as a result of the example set by our children, we instinctively adopted this state of mind, living one minute, one day at a time, living in the present moment, because from that moment on, I almost stopped looking ahead to the future, telling myself, “I must concentrate on the immediate present, or else I shall not be able to get through it”.

Every morning, the struggle would restart. To avoid despair, we held on to simple everyday things as if they were a life belt. Thaïs was still the same charming, boisterous, mischievous little girl she had been before. She was very strong-willed.

Within a few days, we began to notice the obvious signs of her illness. Her hands shook, she found it hard to put the top onto a felt-tip pen or to raise her spoon. A few weeks after the news, we made a decisive step, almost without noticing it; we had an appointment with a professor who specialised in leukodystrophies.

We wanted to find out more about the disease; what were the stages in the deterioration? what would death be like? … When one knows, one has less to fear. Thaïs came with us.

(Excerpt from the book).

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NFG : But there was no way that all the questions could be answered. A lot is still unknown to medicine in this area; the disease is too rare. It affects only one child out of several tens of thousands.

Anne-Dauphine : I think that was the point where we both realised that nothing could be done to cure our little girl who was there before us, but that there was something to be done in her life.

And we did not feel powerless to «add some life to her days». This is phrase used by Professor Bernard, who pioneered palliative care in France, and who had said, «When you are no longer able to add days to someone’s life, you must add some life to that person’s days».

And that’s when we told Thaïs that we would do everything to give her a lovely life. She had heard what was going to happen to her.

We explained to her that what was happening to her was not what happened in the lives of other little girls, but this was her life and we promised that we would do everything to help her live a great life, and that above all she would never be lacking in love.

NFG : Both Anne-Dauphine and Loïc worked in Paris. Living with Thaïs’s illness quickly became very complicated. A real obstacle course that included Gaspard’s school run, Thaïs’s nanny and the physiotherapy sessions.

That’s when a network of volunteers including relatives and friends came to the family’s assistance so that they could re-organise their lives.

However, the disease was progressing fast. Thaïs could now no longer walk at all. But the worst was hidden from view, namely the pain she was experiencing; the illness caused Thaïs to experience neuropathic pains, generally considered to be unbearable! The only remedy to ease the pain was an extensive list of drugs.

(Excerpt from the book).

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“When you are no longer able to add days to someone’s life, you must add life to that person’s days”.

Professor Bernard

Anne-Dauphine : We hadn’t realised that Thaïs was going to suffer. We didn’t know that at the beginning and then she began to feel pain. One day, I was next to Thaïs and she was in pain, she cried out loudly; so I gave her her medicine and as I waited for the medicine to take effect, I stayed beside her, powerless, just watching her suffering, suffering myself to see her like this.

And as is often the case, there comes a point when it becomes unbearable, your ears hurt, your heart breaks.

That’s when you want only one thing, that it should stop, you honestly want her life to end right there because it is unbearable.

So I told her, «Thaïs, if you can’t bear it any more, you can ask for it to stop, to ask for your life to end.» And when I said that, my little Thaïs fell silent, she stopped screaming. So I won-

dered what I had said. She was all red and flushed, she was holding in her scream, and I realised that she was saying, “It’s OK, I can handle it, yes it hurts, but later I’ll feel better. Mummy, if it hurts you too much, I’ll not show it, I’ll protect you”. That’s when I realised that a child should not have to protect its parents.

And I reminded myself that we are not powerless in the face of suffering.

We are always able to love. I think our children only expect that when they are in pain, that we hold them tightly in our arms and that we tell them that we love them.

Faced with Thaïs’s unbearable suffering, I think that we experienced an inhuman level of love. And thanks to Thaïs, I realised that there is a remedy to suffering and that is love. The best way of transforming suffering is to love, to love more and more.

special report Thaïs never said, «I love you,» as much as the time before she lost the power of speech. One morning, she stopped talking completely. She never spoke again. Her silence was intimidating and it hurt us. How were we going to communicate? I wanted to cry out for her. But Thaïs looked at us in silence, and through her silence, she seemed to be saying: «Trust me».

(Excerpt from the book).

Loïc : As we saw her illness progress, we were surprised by how naturally she seemed to be living through it. It seemed obvious to her, while we were apprehensive, afraid, at every stage.

And you just had to look at her to see how she was coping, to be able to say to oneself, “There you are, it’s normal, it’s natural for her”. She helped us immensely to accept the reality of what was happening and to go forward with her. It was truly remarkable to see that.

this in a very natural way. That’s when we understood that Thaïs was not just coping with her illness in a passive way, saying to herself, “There’s nothing I can do”. She helped us to think in a new way; Thaïs had accepted her life. She was confident in herself and she trusted us. She was calling us to trust her in this loss of communication.

Loïc : I think that when she lost all the conventional means of communicating,

we had to go further in the way we related to each other. Sometimes, when we have the ability see, hear or speak, we do not go far enough. Under these circumstances, we had to go further if we wanted to keep in contact with her and share those things that are deep in our hearts and souls, without our usual senses.

Anne-Dauphine : She accomplished something absolutely remarkable; we forgot everything that we had known previously in

Anne-Dauphine : One day, she lost her sight and this was one of my biggest fears, because I imagined myself being blind and realised that if I lost my sight, it would be a nightmare, how can one cope without being able to see? And we were so surprised to see Thaïs experience

Agnès Chevereau : Truly a lesson in love “I had the good luck to read ‘Two little footprints in the wet sand.’ This account of a life leads us into the story of a family and the events which they encountered, the choices that confronted them, the shared times – happy and painful. There are four images that struck me most especially.

Firstly of the radiant mother. In spite of the events she lived through, complex and painful, this mother who could have taken on the role of a nurse (wanting to provide care at all costs), of a guardian (carrying the responsibility), of a lawyer (a defender of rights), … she remains attached to her mission, her vocation as a mother above all else: present, loving, gentle, strong and fragile, taking care of each of her children.

The other strong image is that of a united family. In spite of the anguish, the risks to be taken, the complex decisions that had to be faced, the unity of the family can be felt and becomes a central support in the ordeal. We can sense this pre-existing unity in the family, in the couple, with their first son, with the grandparents, and how it is reinforced throughout all the daily difficulties, yet, for all that, without all the incomprehensions being silenced.

But above all else, Anne-Dauphine, through her testimony, truly gives us a lesson about love. It would be more correct to say that she is sharing this “lesson” after having first of all received it. She knew that she should let herself be surprised, to be dislodged, and to let her children, so young and so fragile, teach her how to love.

It makes one want to marvel at this family, where the breath of life resides in each member, and is recognised to be there; where life is stronger; where it is the path to life which is chosen. Finally this sentence which is said and re-said, “When you are no longer able to add days to someone’s life, you must add life to that person’s days.”

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order to communicate. We had to forget everything to adapt to her. There were times of love beyond belief when we could approach one another in this way. You forget what you know, you don’t expect to hear words, you look for a breath, a blink, you look for this to express yourself. You search in a way for the soul of that little girl, how she is going to break through in the face of these difficulties.

I remember one day, she was lying on her bed and she sighed in a particular way; so I said, «Yes, l love you too».

For me, there was no doubt, that sigh said, «I love you». It was a genuine conversation of love. But it requires humility to approach a little girl like Thaïs.

us, he is crying with us, and feeling what we feel; he’s not up there somewhere, far away and absent.” I really felt him almost physically there next to us, weeping and suffering with us.

Anne-Dauphine : Once we knew that Azylis was ill, my own greatest suffering was seeing no reaction at all from Loïc. He was like an automaton, he didn’t say a word, whereas I was crying and really showing how much I was suffering.

tain; whereas if we were apart, that would add yet another ordeal.

Loïc : We realised that our anguish was tearing us apart, and that we needed to come together in our suffering, to console one another, and then to learn how to express, each of us, our suffering in our way, to say, “This is what I’m feeling, this is how I’m suffering.” And then to be able to say, “I feel for you; I’m crying and suffering

I think that we reversed roles: we didn’t teach her how to speak or to see, she was the one who taught us everything.

NFG : 29 June 2006: a moment of absolute joy. Gaspard and Thaïs were joined by a little sister, Azylis.

I love you Azylis and I forget everything else, the horror of the disease which threatens you, the fear of the future (…)

However, once again, I could not sleep that night. I felt the joy of the birth sure enough, but it was tainted with a dark cloud, that of fear.

(Excerpt from the book).

NFG : One week after the birth, the results arrived; Azylis was suffering from the same disease.

Loïc : I don’t remember much, just coming out of the doctor’s surgery with Azylis’ carry-cot, then going home, totally stunned by these news.

We sat down together on the sofa. We just felt crushed and had a whisky, then a second, and I remember very well feeling at that moment that it wasn’t just the two of us on the sofa, but three. And it was a great comfort, an incredible comfort to be able to say, “God is here with us, next to

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“We realised that our anguish was tearing us apart, and that we needed to come together in our suffering, to console one another.”

What frightened me the most that day was thinking, “We’re going to split up. We’re not together any more; he didn’t react, it’s too much for him” And then suddenly, when I saw a tear in his eye, I thought, “We’re OK”.

with you. And tell me how you feel.”

When I think back to this, it seems crazy that my biggest worry that day was our marriage. But I knew that if we remained united as a couple, we might manage to make the best of our chances of climbing this moun-

It’s true that it was far from being a fairy tale but we decided to love one another. Yes, love is a decision. Even if we had been deeply in love, we would then have had to decide to love each other afterwards. To decide to do eve-

Anne-Dauphine : And that day, crying together, we decided to do all we could to remain together always.

special report rything to stay together. We committed ourselves fully to one another.

Loïc : So we were careful to make sure we had time together as a couple as well, even sometimes when it didn’t seem like quite the right moment.

A year later for example we went on holiday together as a family; we’d been invited by some friends. But we left Thaïs, who could no longer move, behind with our parents. It was a very hard wrench because we knew that she might die in our absence.

At the same time we told ourselves, “It’s important for us, for Gaspard and for Azylis, that we have as normal a life as possible.”

Anne-Dauphine : It’s important just simply to live.

Loïc : And also not to be attached like a clam to a sick child. Step by step, we learnt this sort of detachment, a form of abandonment.

Anne-Dauphine : To let go.

Loïc : Yes, to let go, saying to oneself, “If the time comes for Thaïs to die when we’re not by her side, well, let her be free to chose the time of her death.”

And we learnt, little by little, to let go.

And it is is not easy.

Anne-Dauphine : At Pentecost, they told us that Thaïs was dying, that she was really in her last few hours. And I had always said that I would be there – that I would be with her. I hung on to her desperately.

But it turned out that she didn’t die that day.

And we also had a baby alarm that I kept plugged in thinking, “I’m going to keep this by my ear all the time so I can run to her if I hear that she’s in her last moments”. It was then that the doctor who was looking after Thaïs at home told me, “You have to let her live” I found these words terrible. I hated her. I hated the doctor for

“And we learnt, little by little, to let go.

This is is not easy.”

saying that to me. I said to her “How dare you?” and she said, “Don’t under any circumstances impose yourself” She actually said this to me with a great deal of tact.

I understood; she told me of some children who had died at the very moment when their mother went to buy a sandwich, just as their mother left the room.

She said to me “Thaïs can’t leave, she can’t go away into a corner, she can’t hide. Let her live. Let her choose.”

There is nothing more difficult than letting a child go. But by unplugging the baby alarm that evening – and until the end of Thaïs’s life, I think that I allowed her to live and I said to her “It’s your life, go ahead my love” NFG : Marseilles, in the south of France, four months at the same time difficult and beautiful; this is where Anne-Dauphine and Loïc had to take

the family, five weeks after the birth of Azylis. Thanks to a bone marrow transplant in a hospital in Marseilles, the life of Azylis was saved. However the transplant didn’t halt the illness.

Today Azylis is a very disabled little girl with an uncertain life expectancy.

Loïc : She walked, but not for very long. Little by little she has lost control of her mobility, so today her movements are awkward and slow. She can’t stay sitting up any more and she can no longer speak. But today we have a little girl who is happy, radiant, smiling from morning till night, and it’s a real pleasure to be by her. She has incredible perseverance. It will take her an hour to put two Lego pieces together but she’ll do it without getting losing patience.

Anne-Dauphine : I think that Azylis is as happy as she is because she knows that she is loved.

We promised her that we would love

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her for her whole life just as she is, whatever the results of the bone marrow transplant, this attempt to heal her.

We tell her every day that we love her through all the means that we have, and she fills us with happiness just being as she is.

Only one week after our return to Paris, Thaïs began to suffer terribly again.

We were overwhelmed by the frightening progression of her illness and her suffering. Her pain was so violent that the doctors had to constantly review their medication so that Thaïs didn’t suffer too much. Sickness attacks our last defences.

(Excerpt from the book).

NFG : Both girls were being treated at home. Azylis was confined to her room after her transplant in the hope of soon discovering the world that had so far been hidden from her eyes.

But Thaïs was declining progressively. The nurses were now looking after her not in order to give her any treatment but just to make her life more comfortable.

I love the capacity that Thaïs had for holding on to all the happy times. So the majority of the treatments that she received were a source of happiness to her because she only remembered their benefits. Despite all her faculties being so impaired, I can affirm that my little daughter’s heart still knew how to swell with love and joy.

(Excerpt from the book).

Anne-Dauphine : I didn’t see anything in this little girl except what was lacking; yet what she had lost, she gained in another way, in an intensity of life that was beyond us. I think that Thaïs taught us how to love, that she taught us love with a capital L. I have in mind one story that I particularly love, which sums up Thaïs for me. It was at the very end of her life.

She could only just manage to move her head a little, a few centimetres.

And instinctively, when someone en-

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“I love the capacity that Thaïs had for holding on to all the happy times. So the majority of the treatments that she received were a source of happiness to her because she only remembered their benefits. Despite all her faculties being so impaired, I can affirm that my little daughter’s heart still knew how to swell with love and joy.” tered the room, she would turn her head towards them. So I went into her room one day. She turned her head and I positioned myself next to her. I began to speak to her and then she turned her head to the other side, so I went round the other side of the bed and continued saying “Thaïs I’m here...” but she turned her head back round to the other side again, three four, five, six times until I began to get worried. I began to be sad thinking, “Here’s yet another thing to mourn; she can no longer tell where we are.”

NFG : This is when Anne-Dauphine heard a little purr that she could recognise.

Thaïs was laughing!

Excerpt from the book

Anne-Dauphine : She laughed by purring. When I heard this very significant sound, I thought “What’s going on? Why is she laughing?” and then I understood that she was playing hide and seek. Since she was very small, hide and seek was her favourite game. And this was a way she’d found to play hide and seek, to make the other person disappear from her field of vision.

We rediscovered our childhood selves a little thanks to Thaïs. And this was thanks to a tiny girl. I think that with Thaïs, the less she had, the more she became. The more she lost her capacities, the more her soul of a child developed, the more the little girl that she was was revealed, the more we wanted to love her.

special report Loïc : It’s true that at the end of her life, she had a kind of gravity, an incredible intensity, which is really paradoxical because in a sense she was just a body that could hardly move lying on a bed and yet she had an astonishing presence.

Moreover, there were many people, friends, both close and far from the family who came to pass some time in the apartment.

And many who went into Thaïs’ bedroom with a bit of apprehension came out again with a peace that was a little supernatural, and they would say, “It’s incredible, it’s good being by Thaïs. We could stay for five minutes, half an hour or an hour, and feel at peace”

Anne-Dauphine : It makes so little sense, the strength of this little girl who was in such a fragile state, that all at once we knew where this love came from. This was the greatest evidence of my life: it was pure love, love that was absolutely divine and Thaïs was a beautiful instrument for it. I think that Thaïs was a beautiful instrument of this divine love.

Loïc : It’s true that at the end of her life, we really had the feeling that she was just a diffuser for God! A conduit through which we had the impression of having a little door into heaven in this room through Thaïs. And seeing her simply “being” on that bed, living on that bed, we can say, and it a bit of a paradoxical thing to say but – we saw

the life of Thaïs like a wonderful gift.

And that God had entrusted this little girl to us and the life she had was an immense gift that he gave to us.

NFG : It was in the silence of Christmas night, that Loïc and Anne-Dauphine heard the last breath of Thaïs. She was three and three quarters.

One year after her death, Loïc and Anne-Dauphine had a fourth child.

The folly of love. He is called Arthur and he is in good health. v

“Thank you Thaïs.

For everything. For what you are.

For all that you are. And for all that you give.

You make us happy. Really happy.

I love you. My princess.”

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VIE Ecumenism

Ecumen

E

The Eastern Churches

The Copts

Another voice out of Egypt The Copts are proud, proud of their origins and proud of their faith. As a mark of their identity, the cross is tattooed on their flesh itself, inside their wrist. In an Egypt disrupted by the aftermath of the Revolution, awaiting the succession of Pope Shenouda III, the Copts, in common with all Egyptians, are engaged in a delicate process of learning freedom by trial and error.

Sister Marie Farouza MAXIMOS Consecrated celibate of Franco Egyptian descent, CCN.

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The history of a Church Today, if you ask a Copt to introduce himself, he will say, not without humour, that the blood of the pharaohs runs in his veins. According to tradition, the evangelisation of Egypt by the apostle St Mark took place very early, in the first century. From its beginnings, Christianity spread widely, particularly amongst communities of Hellenistic Jews, and was marked by the presence of figures such as Clement of Alexandria and Origen.

However, a violent period of persecutions began in the 3rd century, during which a new form of Christian living emerged: monachism. For the first time, men chose to break with society and to live in solitude in the desert.

Two forms of living are recognised: the eremitic life centred around a spiritual master such as Anthony, and the communitarian or cenobitic life with Pacôme. These monks, by their presence and their prayer, evangelised the Egyptian fellahs (peasants).Little by little, the Coptic language was born: ancient Egyptian transcribed into Greek, which facilitated the spreading of the faith.

Divisions between Christians arose during this period: the urban Greeks allied themselves to Constantinople, which recognised in Jesus a single being with two natures. As for the monks and the people, they remained faithful to the formula of Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril: ‘the unique incarnate nature’ of Christ, that is to say the absorption of

his humanity into divinity. These positions, in the midst of a difficult context, provoked a separation during the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The two communities remained divided until the Aran conquest in the 7th century. Many became Muslims. From that time on the term ‘Copt’, from the Greek Aegyptos (which means Egyptian), designated only those who remained Christians.

After 750, there were alternating periods of more or less violent or peaceful

“Egypt welcomes and protects the Holy Family in flight. The Christian pilgrim is invited to walk in its footsteps.” cohabitation with the different Muslim dynasties. In the 19th century, then in the middle of the 20th century, a renewal of monachism, a renewal which is still alive today, breathed fresh intellectual and spiritual life into the church.

In Egypt, as in the diaspora, life revolves completely around the monastery, where the Christian community meets.

In Jerusalem, for example, the Coptic community is very small. However, the monks and some lay people have opened ‘Saint Mark’s Club’, a small café at the heart of the residential area, which allows a presence and a whole range of

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apostolic work with the youth of the neighbourhood, who come along to share their joys and sorrows.

Liturgy and spirituality Greek and pharaonic influences can be found in the liturgy, which is celebrated in both Arabic and Coptic.

The monachistic inheritance is reflected in the considerable rigour of the numerous periods of fasting throughout the year, and in the austerity of a lengthy liturgy, in which the Old Testament has pride of place in the numerous readings, thereby highlighting the evidence for Christ which already exists in the Old Covenant.

Joyfully, the Copts identify themselves in this prophesy of Isaiah1 “…he will send them a saviour and defender, and he will rescue them. So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord...” The blessing announced is the visit of Christ himself: Egypt welcomed and protected the fleeing Holy Family. The Christian pilgrim is thus invited to walk in their footsteps, to pause under the tree where the virgin rested, to pray at the numerous wayside shrines.

The Coptic monastery in Wadi Natroun

The Copts today Today there are between 7 and 10 million in Egypt, that is to say 10% of the population, which makes it the largest church in the Arab world. For the most part orthodox, small catholic and protestant communities also exist.

They live with the tensions of being a minority which is simultaneously fragile and strong. Strong through the vitality that comes from being a young church and through its presence in every social class in the country. But also fragile, confronted by a radical Islam which has been gathering strength since the 70s, fragile because of repeated attacks and persecution, fragile because of the difficulty in accessing posts in the country’s administrations. They are excluded from jobs in the justice system, the universities and the police, and many flee to the West, hoping to find a better life. Thus, Egypt is today no longer the

only ‘Coptic’ country; communities are organising themselves in the United States, Canada and Australia, churches have been built and chaplaincies are being set up…

agreement. But the energy he put into defending his church might have led to a hardening of the line on denominational matters, which did not always serve ecumenical dialogue.

Steps towards unity

The profound spirituality of Shenouda is still much loved by the Copts and he is appreciated also by Muslims for his patriotism. The procedure to elect his successor began on 25 April, feast day of Saint Mark.

Pope Shenouda III, symbol of the Coptic Church and 117th successor to the apostle Mark, died on 17 March 2012. For 41 years ‘Baba Shenouda’, as the Egyptians say, had been leader of a church which he directed with authority, ambition and success. It was he who chose to relaunch the dialogue broken off in 451 by meeting Paul VI in 1973. A common declaration on their identity of faith in the mystery of the Word incarnate was signed, followed in 1987 by a declaration with the Anglican church and in 1989, by an inter-orthodox Christological

An assembly of bishops met to debate and to draw up a short list of 3 candidates. The final step is for a child to draw lots to choose the new patriarch. At the heart of this tense situation, the Copts stand firm in a faith and piety which seem naïve to the eyes of a westerner, but is nothing less than the solid foundation of their hope. v

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Yves Congar a man of communion Father Daniel Blaj has taken the occasion of the 50 th. anniversary of Vatican Council II to publish Prier 15 jours avec Yves Congar* in which he reveals the spiritual and intellectual character of this Dominican theologian who was a prophet for the life of the Church, in its ecumenical dimension especially. We are grateful to the Nouvelle Cité publishers for their permission to print the following extract.

Father Daniel BLAJ,

chaplain to the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Parish priest in Dardilly, teacher in the Centre Théologique at Meylan(38)

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Over a period of 5 months I attended the protestant faculty of theology, authorized to do so by my superiors, in spite of the unfavourable opinion expressed by one of the Fathers: “You are throwing him into the arms of the apostates!”

That gives you an idea of the mood at the time! I came to know there a man to whom I was drawn almost immediately, Pastor Auguste Lecerf; some people would smile, calling him “the last of the Calvinists” probably because he was not a follower of Karl Barth (…) In those days there were barriers between Catholics and protestants; they did not meet socially; mixed marriages were rare.1 Man is shaped by the encounters that line his path. Father Congar shows how they also structure our inner lives, for Christian faith is an encounter (…) Born in a town of mixed religions, Father Congar always maintained an instinctive approach towards protestants ; following courses at their Faculty of theology in Paris seemed to him a necessary step to fulfilling his vocation.

His superiors allowed him to pursue his choice, even though some of them felt that it might put his faith at risk. As for the protestants, more than one of them must have been surprised when this monk in his cassock appeared.

Father Congar perceived a discrepancy between what he learned from other Christians and the trend of theological thought at that time which described them as heretics and schismatics.

Seemingly each protestant or orthodox church member in the 1930’s had

cut themselves off from the catholic Church. (….) It was a state of affairs that shocked Father Congar. He was not content to accept the version of protestant and orthodox Christians presented in apologetic manuals. These manuals treated Protestantism and orthodoxy as a theoretical problem to be resolved.

They took no account of the real life practices and spiritual aspirations of non-catholic Christians.

Father Congar was fiercely critical of this kind of thinking : He who is not very sure of his principles does not dare to say much and, not knowing just how far he can go, of necessity advances as little as possible ; he holds on at all costs to the safest position which is, for him, that of the majority, that which is and always has been.2 Father Congar chose to follow a different course based on his

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Ecumenism preamble to the decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, the outcome of his intellectual labour became the ecumenical charter of the Catholic Church: In this movement towards unity, known as the ecumenical movement, participate all who invoke God the Trinity, confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, not only individually, but also together in their communities where they hear the Gospel, and which they call their Church and the Church of God.3

Leaving St.Peter’s Basilica at Vatican Council 11, Rome, Vatican.

increasing awareness of the Christian life lived by protestant and orthodox church members, an awareness gained from his many encounters with them. If these Christians are Christians, it is not in spite of their Communions, but in and through them. The practices within the actual communities where Christians live are of the order of the Church of God. To project non-Catholics into the realm of religious indifference is to wound the Church of Christ.

“Ecumenism is not a compromise. It seeks the fullness of the Christian faith.”

Other Christians belong to the one Church through their Communions, even though these share only certain links such as baptism, the Word of God, the life of prayer, with the catholic Church…….

Nor is that all, by living their adherence to Christ in specific communities and traditions, non-Catholics have shown the importance of certain aspects of evangelical life; it follows that a diversity of Christians bringing their respective

characteristics to the one same Church would be far more representative than disunion among Christians.

For Father Congar, ecumenism does not signify compromise, weakness, or sinning through kindness. It seeks to attain the fullness of the Christian faith.

The desire for Christian unity tends towards a complete deployment of evangelical life. An authentic Christianity exists outside the visible limits of the catholic Church. Even if, in the view of the catholic theologian, this Christianity does not contain all the elements that make up the Christian life, it nevertheless remains a real Christianity. In Father Congar’s own terms non-Catholics acquire a different status : rather than heretics or schismatics to be avoided, they become brothers whom one can get to know and love. The way to Christian unity must be sought together with them in a movement whose completion lies in the hands of God. Father Congar was given the opportunity to inscribe this ecumenical opening towards others in the texts of Vatican Council II. When he was asked to write the

Becoming involved in ecumenism means being open to exchange and dialogue. It is not a matter of losing one’s faith but of renewing, widening and enriching it. Open to the questions of other Christians, we experience a real conversion as we pass from what seem familiar aspects of Christianity to a deeper understanding of the elements of faith. Father Congar’s experience is conclusive: Engaging in ecumenical dialogue forced and helped me, first of all to renew the Christian within me. In a way it compelled me to become more Christian and more catholic : the questions that were put to me, the testimony that I had to offer, the obligation under which I found myself to reach a certain level of truth, jolted me out of a convenient and mediocre position of conformism and led me to re-examine many questions in depth.4 Ecumenism is not just a debate for specialists, it is a reality that concerns the whole Church.(…)When the ecumenical movement seems to be running out of steam, this does not mean that it has come to completion, but that it must recover its spiritual strength. For Father Congar ecumenism is not an option, but an urgency of faith that seeks to embrace the dimensions of catholicity. v 1 - Une vie pour la vérité. Jean Puyo interroge le Père Congar, Paris, Centurion, pp.76-78 2 - Octave of prayer for the unity of the Christian world, Unitas, mars-mai 1936, pp.23-24 3 - Décret sur l’œcuménisme, Unitatis Redintegratio n°1 4 - Chrétiens en Dialogue. Contributions catholiques à l’œcuménisme, Paris, Cerf, 1964, p.123

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Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

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Mark 16, 15

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Go forth, God is sending you out, You are members of one single body.

Through you, He wants to love And to meet all mankind, The love by which you love one another, Will be a sign of the covenant with God, Day after day.

Through you, He wants to unite And to meet all mankind, He is sending you to announce this.

He is the vine which will bear the fruit Of unity.

From the CD “Chants de l’assemblée n°7”

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Christian training

Bible: From the Second Epistle to Timothy

Fan into flame the gift of God The Apostle Paul (1) is in prison, awaiting his sentence and prepared to die for the Lord. What message should he send to Timothy, his “dear son” (2 Tim 1,2)? What advice should he give him for his ministry and his Christian life? The main thing is to urge him to fan into flame the gift of grace, so that he can bear witness to the Gospel without being ashamed of it, remaining faithful to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.

2 Tim 1,6

A letter-cum-testament From the very beginning of his letter to Timothy, Paul aligns himself in a tradition of faith in God, that of his ancestors (1,3); Timothy is also placed in a lineage of faith which comes from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (1,5).

The exchange between Paul and his “son” comes from a family tradition of keeping and maintaining, of a faith in God that is handed down from generation to generation.

But in particular, towards the end of his letter, Paul writes: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4, 6-7) (2) The “time for my departure” is probably the moment of death which Paul, whom “everyone in the province of Asia has deserted” (1,15), sees as being nearer than ever.

What advice, what experience should he pass on to Timothy, when time is running out?

“Fan the flame” (2 Tim 1,6)

François LESTANG

A Biblical scholar teaching at the Faculty of Theology of Lyon

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First of all Paul urges Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God”.

In the Greek a single word expresses the idea of “fanning into flame”, the verb anazôpyreô. This verb combines the ideas of a fire (pyreô, “set fire to”, cf. “pyromaniac”), of life (zoé, cf. “zoology”), and of an increase or new beginning (ana, cf. “anagram”). This word is

rare in the Greek Bible; it is only used on two other occasions. In Genesis 45,27, Jacob, who had been grieving his son, Joseph, ever since Joseph’s brothers had brought back his bloodied coat, learns from their mouths that Joseph is, in fact, alive and ruler of all Egypt. Then his spirit revives, “is fanned” and he decides to set off and find him.

“The exchange between Paul and his “son” comes from a family tradition of keeping and maintaining, of a faith in God that is handed down from generation to generation.”

In 1 Maccabees 13,7, the people of Jerusalem, under threat from an army, are reassured by the words of Simon Maccabee and prepare to go into battle.

The man they had believed to be dead is alive and reigning over them, but there is a battle to be fought. This could also apply to Timothy; Paul asks him to remember “Jesus Christ, raised from the dead” (2,8), but also to suffer with Paul “like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2,3), by preaching the Word (4,2).

But why talk in terms of flames and fire, when talking about “the gift of God”?

In Paul’s letters, “gift” doesn’t always refer to the Holy Spirit; it only does so in about half the cases. Paul specifies

an training training an training that this “gift of God” has been given to Timothy by the laying on of hands, and that it is a spirit of “power, love and self-discipline” (1,7), which is going to enable him to bear witness to the Gospel, even in the face of opposition.

Paul had urged the Thessalonians not to extinguish the Spirit (1 Th 5,19), thereby likening the Spirit to a fire lit in the heart of the community that could be neglected and allowed to go out if attention wasn’t paid to the quality of the community’s prophetic dimension. In the case of Timothy, it seems necessary to blow on the embers to bring the flame back to life so that, emboldened by the power of God, he can bear witness: “Be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage.” (4,2) This is no longer exactly prophesy, but, more particularly, teaching.

“With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” (2 Tim 1,14) What must Timothy bear witness to? First of all, to Jesus’s death and resurrection. But he must also retain “the pattern of sound teaching” (1,13) which he’s heard from Paul, and guard “the good deposit that was entrusted to you” (1,14).

Thus we once again come across

the logic of handing things down, whether it is in Paul’s example or in what is understood in the wider church tradition.

The means of guarding this “good deposit” is the Holy Spirit which “lives in us”; the promises of the Bibical prophets are fulfilled, since God has put his spirit into the hearts of believers, so that they can do his will.

So it isn’t surprising that Paul affirms the essential role played by the Scriptures to “make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (3,15) Indeed, he continues, “all Scripture is Godbreathed (théopneustos) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

(3,16-17). The Spirit which lives in us has also inspired the authors of the Scriptures, so that believers may find in them what they need to “fan the flame” and announce the good news of “the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.” (1,1) v 1- The attribution of this letter to Paul the Apostle is contested, but in this article we’ll write “Paul” instead of “the author of the second letter to Timothy”.

2- New International Version translation.

“In the case of Timothy, it seems necessary to blow on the embers to bring the flame back to life so that, aglow with God’s strength, he can bear witness.”

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Christian training

Spiritual life : Fr Jean Joseph Lataste , op

Bethany The beloved of God The beatification of Fr. Jean-Joseph Lataste, on June 3rd 2012 at Besançon will give us a message both on God’s mercy and on human dignity; On giving a retreat for prisoners at Cadillac, Fr. Lataste (1832 – 1869), was amazed by the confessions of those he called his ‘sisters’. With them, he set up a new order, the House of Bethany.

“The greatest sinners have it in them to become the greatest saints”. This was the sentence that Father Lalaste used at the conclusion of a retreat which he led for almost four hundred women who were detained in the prison in Cadillac.

Through interviews with these prisoners, this 19th century Dominican brother discovered that some of these women had become profoundly converted.

They aspired to a new life with God after being freed, or even to become consecrated to God.

Soon after its foundation, a large number of former prisoners arrived at Bethany. During its first 40 years, 193 women, coming either from prison or from hostels, took the veil at Bethany and stayed there until they died.

To this day, we still visit prisons in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland, not as social workers, but simply as sisters visiting our sisters in prison, to offer them courage, hope and friendship. Fr. Lataste said “God does not ask us what

“The greatest sinners have it in them to become the greatest saints” Fr. Lataste

Sr. Pia Elisabeth, op

Superior General of the Dominicans of Bethany.

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Within this institution, Fr. Lataste had the idea of founding a new Congregation, in which women leaving prison would mix with those from more common walks of life, and live together in a community based on sisterhood and mercy, with no mention made of their past lives; for “the same hand that raised up one group has saved the others from falling”.

we were, he only cares about what we are”.

Fr. Lataste’s message, that “God has the power to change a life”, has spread worldwide, and there are many people who follow this way, either as Dominicans, in a Lataste Brotherhood, or in the prison itself. A Bethany community has been set up in a men’s prison in Norfolk, USA.

an training training an training About 40 prisoners have formed a community, praying together, studying the Bible and have become Dominican lay brothers. There are even some under sentence of death.

Bibliography

One of these men told me “I’ve found a new family in this group; I feel welcomed, loved and supported”. Another said “In this group, I’ve learned what it is to be a brother, to have brothers. I just give thanks for that”.

We are indeed all brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is waiting to give his love to each one. v

The Venerable Marie-Jean Joseph Lataste, Founder of the Dominicans of Bethany, 1832-1869.

“Do you understand, my brothers, the unfathomable and incomprehensible depth of the love of God? What it is to want to be loved, by all humanity without exception, to beg for the hearts of all, even the most abject, the most miserable, what that entails for God! O Lord, what is Man that you treat him with such respect?”

5th September, 1832 Birth of Alcide Lataste at Cadillac (Gironde). As a young man, he worked as a customs officer, and listened to lectures given

by Vincent de Paul.

On November 14th, 1857, he became a novice in the Dominican Order at Flavigny.

In 1860, he had a mystical experience at St. Maximin, on the occasion of the transfer of the relics of St. Mary Magdalene.

On February 8th, 1863, he was ordained priest, and lived the monastery at Bordeaux.

In September 1864, he was sent to lead a retreat at the prison in Cadillac.

In the summer of 1865, he was appointed Fr. Superior of student brothers at the monastery of Flavigny.

In March 1866, he published a pamphlet “The redeemed”.

On August 14th, 1866, in co-operation with Brother Henri-Dominique, he founded the House of Bethany in Doubs.

During Lent, 1869, he became ill with pneumonia, and died on March 10th.

Bibliography & Le père Lataste, prêcheur de la miséricorde, J.M. Gueullette, Éd. du Cerf, 1992. [Édition des prédications du P. Lataste en prison et des textes concernant la fondation de Béthanie.] Traduit en italien. & Ces femmes qui étaient mes sœurs… Vie du Père Lataste, apôtre des prisons, J.M. Gueullette, Éd. du Cerf, 2008.

[Vie du père Lataste, à partir des recherches faites pour le procès de béatification.] Traduit en italien et en allemand. Traduction à paraître en néerlandais.

“Yes, they were guilty, but God does not ask us what we were, he only cares about what we are” Fr. Lataste

& Prier 15 jours avec le Père Lataste, M. et O. Longueira, Nouvelle Cité, à paraître en avril 2012. [Une approche très accessible des principaux thèmes de la spiritualité du P. Lataste.]

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Education : A human and spiritual adventure

The art of being a parent

As every parent knows, we are not born parents but have to learn. Marie-Christine Bernard’s book,“Etre parent, une aventure humaine et spirituelle” (1) (Being a parent, a human and spiritual adventure), sets out a number of basic reference points and discusses the basic meaning of «education», with a view to helping parents find a sense of direction in their relationships with their children. The author who is an anthropologist and theologian, answers our questions.

Marie-Christine BERNARD

is a theologian and specialist in Basic Anthropology. She teaches at the Theology Faculty in Angers.

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Why talk about education today?

In the course of my work, I have met people from many different walks of life. However I’ve often been struck by the way the same questions about education come back over and over again, as if the vast amount that has been written on the subject has only served to create more and more confusion. What is the meaning of education? How can we educate and, at the same time respect, the child or young person?

What does being a parent really come down to? How can we can pass on to others what we feel most deeply about?

Is this still legitimate? And what impact does Christianity have in education? Can we pass on something in this area as well? And how? We’re living at a very interesting time, with the rediscovery of parenthood, of happier parental relationships, of the importance of our emotions in the parent/child relationship, etc.

Should we still accept the responsibility of the «duty to educate», and educate in the real sense of the term. I have tried to set out a number of both theoretical and practical reference points along a time-line running from a point prior to birth to the threshold of adulthood. To do this I have drawn on the insights that Basic Anthropology can provide, and on Christian theology.

What are the implications of the differences between men and women when being parents today?

The biological differences highlight the different roles with regard to procreation and gestation, differences which stem from the male-female distinction found in other living species. However the human species is specific: our species takes on its biological reality, not voluntarily but de facto, through what we call «culture» in the broad sense.

Human nature can never escape the in-

an training training an training fluence of culture and this is expressed in an infinite variety of ways.

How can parents introduce the child to faith, to spiritual life?

However, apart from breastfeeding, which extends the specific role of the woman for a few months, are there any other types of non-variables in the way in which a man or a woman takes care of a child? There is no easy answer to this question. One of the basic features of «culture» is the fact that it is never fixed, even though the images used to differentiate male and female, for example, change over a long period. For instance, we have long believed that «authority» was more of a male attribute and that «caring» was more for women. In fact, we have discovered that a child does in fact need both authority and care (among other things) and that he receives these from the adult looking after him. In fact, the child needs emotional bonds with the man and the woman actually looking after him: they give him a satisfying sense of security so that he «dares» grow up and launch out into life. Sometimes the woman demonstrates more authority than the man and the man is more «maternal» than the woman; sometimes it’s the opposite. It all depends on the background of each, their temperaments, as well the extent to which they invest themselves in the parental relationship, and their personal development.

Up until puberty at least, children are nourished by what makes sense to their parents, this is what gives them life and gives them their values. After that, even questioning what they have inherited in this way can prove structurally enriching. Children will take faith seriously if their parents live it out seriously (and joyfully!).

A child needs to grow up in a secure open environment. Certain educational functions are therefore necessary.

The logistics of everyday life (maintenance of the home, shopping, meals, etc.) are also part of that environment.

It is up to the parents to organise this together. Mum and Dad have to agree on who does what and make adjustments together from day to day as one stage leads on to another and in the light of any event that may occur. This is the most important thing of all. They must avoid filling their minds with ideas about hard and fast «roles», defined at the outset without reference to their situation by someone somewhere else, and that risks placing an intolerable burden on family life!

The initial introduction to faith is therefore living it out simply and openly, and involving the children as much as possible (taking due account of their age) in the celebration of this faith (prayer, liturgy) and learning about it (stories, explanations). Some «rites» can be beneficial when they are followed sincerely: saying grace before a meal, prayers at bedtime, the crèche at Christmas, a palm branch in the living room, symbols of Lent and then of Easter in the home, etc.

Our spiritual lives relate to something deep within us, which means that, after an initial awakening, they must be nur-

“In fact, the child needs an emotional bond with the man and the woman actually looking after him.”

of the Lord. For a child of nursery school age, this will rarely lasts for more than 20 seconds, but that is enough to allow him to start learning the «technique».

Following on from that a phrase, a word, or even a story from the Bible can be read out and of course we can talk to the Lord using everyday expressions, and then finish by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.

The length of time and what we do will evolve as the child grows up. In a family context prayer must also always be suitable for the youngest child, even if we allow the youngest to «nip off» before the others so that the older children are not frustrated. It is also important that the children understand the everyday links that their parents make between their faith and their lives, their sense of service, their love for their neighbours, and even the difficulties they sometimes have in establishing these links (it won’t discourage them!).

It is also helpful for children to share as soon as possible in such experiences with other Christian children in parish groups and other organisations (scouts, Youth Eucharist Movement, sessions specially designed for them, etc). In all this, the Spirit will be at work and He is the one who will convert them to God. The parents sow and the wind of the Grace of God blows where it wills. v 1. Etre parent : une aventure humaine et spirituelle.

Les Presses de la Renaissance 2011

tured and fed. Needless to say, this has been particularly neglected in our society... and often in church life.

It is learnt in moments of silence (times without words, gestures, signs, or images - and even pious ones!). During these times, silence allows the person to listen to what is going on within him and open himself to the Word of God. We must be careful not to try and go too fast: for a start being silent, calming the body, has to be learnt. So, when praying in the evening, it is helpful to start with a time of quiet, a time of returning to calm, reconnecting with oneself and placing oneself in the presence

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God loves Paula Costa, a consecrated sister of the Chemin Neuf Community, and a Brazilian, takes care of the mission to youth aged 18 to 30 years in Paris - and bears particular responsibility for an Evangelisation project, notably through a “School of Evangelisation” which began this year, as well as for the preparation for the “Hautecombe 2012” Festival which will take place this (European) summer.

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Called to evangelise?

“Last year, I went to Cannes for three days of evangelisation. It was at the time when the Community was talking to me about starting up a small school of evangelisation in Paris... I personally felt the need to relive an experience of evangelisation. So I left with this question: “Is the Lord calling me to evangelise in this way, going to meet people in the street?”

I only had three days of mission. On the first two days, nothing special happened. The last evening, before starting out on mission, during a time of prayer, I asked the Lord to really show me if he wanted me to serve Him in this particular way, by street evangelisation.

I set out, paired up with one of the boys, and we saw in front of a church two young people sitting on the steps, listening to a concert. I approached them and asked them their first names: Charlotte and Pierre. I said to Pierre (Peter): “You know, your name is the name of an important man in the Bible.” He answered me: “Yes, I know, Peter is the one who denied Jesus.”

So we sat down, and opened the Bible, and read together a passage from the Gospel of John (John 21). I showed him that Peter was also the one who told Jesus three times, “You know that I love you,” and that Jesus trusted him, and entrusted his church to him.

Next, I asked them if they were young

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people who were happy with their lives.

Charlotte said to me: “Well yes, but I could be happier.”

“Charlotte, would you like us to pray for you this evening, in the church?”

At that moment, her friend Pierre said to her: “Well, yes – you’ve got nothing to lose.” All four of us went into the church: Charlotte had never seen a Bible, nor had she ever entered a church before this. We started to pray for her.

It was just a simple prayer: “Lord, we entrust Charlotte to you, and her future.

Come and bless her life, show her your love, TODAY!” She started to cry, she was truly touched by the love of God. Then they took a passage of God’s word from us and left.

I stayed to pray, and I heard the Lord saying to me: “Paula, my Church is empty and I need people to bring others into it.” I thought of all these empty parishes… Then I received this Word from the Bible: “But there is one thing, dearly beloved, that you must know – that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. The Lord will not delay in fulfilling his promise, as some people think; but he shows patience towards us, wanting no one to perish, but desiring all to come to repentance. […] But we await, as He has promised, new heavens and a new earth, where justice will dwell.” (2 Peter 3:8-13) And I understood that in a single day the Lord could really show His love to someone and that the only thing we had to do was to announce that God is love!

For me this was a real awakening, and a Sending.

From Brazil to France… what’s the difference?

The big difference for me was to notice that in France you speak about God’s love, you say that God is love; while in Brazil, you spell it out in the 2nd person you would say to a young person: “God loves you!”

In Brazil, we work hard to ensure that

Paula COSTA, Head of the Youth Mission in Paris

young missionaries take some time for themselves, that they stop every so often, they undertake some formation, they discover silence, the inner life.

There is always so much noise, so much music… When they are engaged in mission, they give without counting. For them, it’s important to put the emphasis on formation, on spiritual direction; to teach them to take time out with Jesus, in His presence.

In France, it seems to me that we work hard to give young people a taste for mission! Formation already has a very important place for young people, but we have to push them to get involved, to give of themselves so as to announce Christ.

For me, what’s at stake in evangelisation, and perhaps what is the most difficult thing, is to ensure that young people who already know Christ, who have already had some living experience of the Lord, themselves become evangelisers.

But then, how do you call young people to evangelise?

They have to see signs and wonders, to see that Jesus truly is alive, in order to have a real experience of God’s love for them… which is where the Holy Spirit comes in!

What is important is to call them just as they are, with the sort of things they do, like in that passage from the Gospel of Matthew: On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew, his brother,

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VIE Youth who were casting nets into the sea; in fact, they were fishermen. He said to them: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. If I see a young person who is artistic, I say to them: “Be an artist for Jesus!” If they are a chef, I call them to cook for Christ!

You have to find out what is best in each young person and tell them: “Go for it, really give yourself, for Jesus!”

Can you tell us two essential points for you in evangelisation?

To evangelise, you have to be in love with Christ. There will always be lots of things to do for evangelisation… but the more you evangelise, the more you need to take time out for Jesus: times of silence, time spent alone…. to have a real life with Jesus, to remain centred on Him. We have continually to get less

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caught up in our own affairs before Jesus, to learn to trust Him. To evangelise, you have to allow yourself to be evangelised. For me, an evangelisation which bears fruit is first and foremost an evangelisation which allows ourselves to be evangelised, which gets us going; which brings us out of ourselves and challenges us to allow ourselves to be transformed by Christ.

In practical terms, in preparing for the Festival this (European) summer, the fact of working with young people and with brothers and sisters, this evangelises me, this calls me to desire holiness of life.

You never evangelise alone, I very quickly become aware of my weaknesses and I continually have to place myself again and again before Christ and before His love for us. v

«

Witness

Summer is coming!

From the 5th to the 12th of August, the Chemin Neuf Community, and more particularly the team of which I am a member, is organizing the 20th edition of the Hautecombe International festival with, this year, an entirely new formula.

Rendezvous in the wings for the festival preparations!

About fifteen of us are particularly concerned with the preparation of this event at which we expect about 1000 young people. The team consists of young people involved in the Community and brothers and sisters from the Community.

We meet once or twice a month and some of us even work full time to organize this considerable event which requires time and talent. The young people, thus, are full partners in the conception and preparation of this new formula.

For the 2012 edition, an “a la carte” or personalized formula is proposed for young people aged 18 to 30 who wish to take a week of vacation, festivity, sharing and prayer in the heart of their summer? As well as three more specific programs,

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«

I wish also that young people will not be afraid to be the first evangelisers of their peers.

It’s often thanks to friendship and to sharing that these latter will be able to discover the person of Christ and attach themselves to Him.

Speech by Benedict XVI to the bishops of Gabon, 26th October 2011

»

Stanislas, age 23

Manaïm (human and sporting challenges in a natural environment), Studi’lac (philosophical and theological reflection on liberty, and times for relaxing), the school of evangelisation (talents and fraternity serving the good news of Christ), the principal “a la carte” formula allows participants to choose their program each day mixing sport, relaxation, prayer, learning and sharing. In order to offer all these possibilities to the young people (and such varied activities) our team needs a great deal of energy.

Above good logistic organization, it is prayer that guides us and Christ who calls us. Within the team, prayer, sharing and times to relax together are the yeast which permits us to prepare this Festival for young people and with Christ.

Three weeks ago, we met south of Paris in a house belonging to the Community for a week-end of preparation. One of the high points of the week-end was our Saturday evening prayer meeting when we were able to pray for one another and also to ask one another for pardon. This moment was fundamental in the Festival preparation. This unity among ourselves through Christ is essential so that our Festival is itself an invitation to discover the person of Jesus.

»

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Testimony

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AGE 18-30 • STUDENT RESIDENCES: for students from 18 to 25 years old in Paris, Lyon, Chambéry, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille, Nancy, Nantes and Reims and abroad. A structure favourable for work with a fraternal lifestyle and Christian training.

AGE 14-18 • SABouge - Camp 14-15 YEARS : July 9 – 14 in Sablonceaux (17) A week of sports and games.

Many activities to build solid friendships and enjoy powerful experiences together, to let God MOVE the frontiers of our heart and learn to know Him better.

• JET – INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER WORK: Go abroad for from two months to two years. Participate in a project for development and international solidarity; live in community and evangelize.

Nolwenn, 23 years old, Chemin Neuf Youth My connection with the Hautecombe Festival is rather special, since I have been working there full-time for the last two months! And yet nothing could have foretold how much of myself I would put into this preparation… but I made the mad gamble of letting Jesus guide my life, and this is where He led me!

And so I learnt to place my skills and training in cultural events management at the service of Jesus - quite a different way of starting a professional life… and that has filled me with joy!

What is edifying for me in this preparation is centering everything on Jesus in daily life. It’s not just a question of creating an exceptional event, rich in emotional experiences and organisational qualities, but to work in such a way that each and every participant can really go directly to meet Jesus. Christ is the heart of everything in this Festival!

• PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND – July 8 – 22. Walks, notes, witnessing, personal and communal prayer. A fraternal and spiritual experience to deepen your faith through walking in the land of Jesus.

• LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN ENGLAND – July 7 – 20. Two weeks to learn English, discover life in community and deepen your faith with young people from different countries. English classes every morning, relaxation and English practice in the afternoon.

• HAUTECOMBE FESTIVAL 2012 – August 5 – 12. The rendezvous of the summer not to be missed!

A la carte or with a set course, register on the internet site: hautecombe2012.chemin-neuf.fr • “LIFE CHOICE” RETREAT – August 13 – 19. A silent retreat following the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius with teaching and daily spiritual accompaniment.

All offers: 01 47 74 93 73 - 06 30 14 06 96 jeunes.france@chemin-neuf.org SITE : jeunes.chemin-neuf.fr

• Step by step - 16-18 YEARS : July 9 – 14 in Sablonceaux (17) 5 days of walking, an adventure in the Charente. Walk “step by step” on the road that leads to God. Life in fraternity with 20 other young people, prayer, know oneself in surpassing oneself all the way.

• Sablonceaux Festival – 14 – 18 YEARS: July 16 – 21 in Sablonceaux (17). A big camp with 200 participants! 5 days to touch the sky in a festival of proposals: from prayer to sport passing through music and sharing. Everything has a place in this festive program!

• Evangelisation Caravan – 16 – 18 YEARS: July 16 – 21 in the Charentes-Maritimes. Prepare and present a theatrical performance (touring in the Charentes-Maritimes). To witness together to the joy and hope which Christ gives us.

• Secretary’s office 14 – 18 years: Tel : 04 78 15 07 98 Online registration: SITE : chemin-neuf.org/14-18ans

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Life in the Community

LIVERPOOL : an ecumenical Holy Week

What a journey !

Quel voyage !

For the first time ever the Chemin Neuf Community received an invitation to lead a good many of the services for Holy Week in a cathedral... an Anglican cathedral! It was a fantastic opportunity but also a challenge: brothers and sisters of all different Christian denominations being in service together in the Anglican Church. It was an intense week of mission and fraternal life, almost like a time of retreat. Yes – what a journey we made as we came together for this! dral during the prayer time – some of them were intrigued by what they saw, others probably didn’t understand much about it. We hope that they at least understood that this beautiful building isn’t just a museum but a house of prayer. On Saturday evening, we were asked to lead the Easter Vigil.

Dominique and Marie-Christine Ferry added a touch of theatre: we began the liturgy in the dark with a dramatised reading of the Creation and Exodus.

Tim Watson, Anglican deacon We began each day at 8.30 with the office of morning prayer ; we were about twenty in all with some members of the Anglican clergy and two or three others. Luckily, the flexibility of the Anglican liturgy allowed us to adapt the office in order to make a sort of ‘hybrid’ of Anglican and community worship... and we learnt to sing psalms together, rather than reading them as we usually do each morning in Liverpool Cathedral (here it is the professional choir that does the singing, but only during the evening office!)

On Holy Thursday, at midday, we put on an office for the unity of Christians in the middle of the cathedral; it was a time of grace for us and for those who came to pray with us. At least a hundred tourists were looking round the cathe-

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Then the great west door opened to reveal the fire of Easter and we crossed this huge cathedral in procession with our candles following the paschal candle, to stand in front of the altar and sing together the Gloria from the Hautecombe Mass setting.

Baptisms followed this (two young men who had found their faith during an Alpha Course given at the Cathedral) and a very beautiful Eucharist; and we finished late in the night with a celebration… with champagne!

For all of us, it was a first opportunity to experience a great liturgical feast in ‘Chemin Neuf’ style as we do at Hautecombe or Chartres, but in an Anglican context. It won’t be the last!

Evangelisation

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Sheila Byrne, Catholic Church As a Catholic, I was excited about the idea of a community mission to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral but had no idea what to expect. For me it was a week of many blessings as well as a time to truly experience both the cross and the resurrection.

Growing up in England I had, almost subconsciously, internalised the stereotypical attitudes towards Anglicanism that many Catholics have – a church of the establishment, middle class, woolly thinking. This Holy Week was a real conversion for me as I tasted the beauty and sacredness of the Anglican liturgies; yet it was also a suffering as we lived the central unity of our shared faith but the reality of our divisions in terms of the sacraments, the role and ministry of women etc.

We led three Ignatian guided prayer sessions, two reconciliation services including confession which is rarely offered in Anglican services, prayed and sang morning prayer each day, led the three hour devotion in front of the Cross on Good Friday and planned the first part of the Easter Vigil – the first in the Cathedral for five years. It was a very special time, not least as all of us lived the week together – with all the joy and pain of Community life! It was a privilege to be one of the fifteen Chemin Neuf members from mixed denominations who shared this experience. It has been an important step in our journey together and strengthened our commitment to work and pray for unity.

Holy Thursday supper

Miguel Desjardins, Catholic priest

Sandwich lunch

Morning prayer

What a fantastic ecumenical venture ! As I was staying in the presbytery of the catholic cathedral, I quickly realised that the clergy here didn’t really understand very well what we were all doing serving in the Anglican Cathedral at the other end of ‘Hope Street’ which links the two buildings. It needed several providential meetings, including one with the archbishop, to get the message across that, as a Catholic priest, I was remaining faithful to my own church while still joining this evangelising mission in ‘the other cathedral’.

The public words of welcome and encouragement from the cathedral itself on Easter Day were testimony that the power of our community witness of unity in the service of one church could resound as far as the church opposite!

William Bernardo, Evangelical Free Church

It was a joy to be with Community brothers and sisters, preparing our hearts for Easter, and to relive each day of Holy Week again. But due to my Evangelical Free Church background I found others wearing albs and chanting liturgical prayers difficult to appreciate!

Visiting Liverpool city we discovered a monument in Hope Street between the two cathedrals which recorded steps of unity and reconciliation by the then two great leaders, Bishop Father Derek Warlock and Bishop David Shephard. These steps of unity are now remembered as history and speak of encouragement to us all today and I hope this week in prayer together will lead to the continued development of unity between the cathedrals and also in Liverpool.

I did appreciate the obvious spirit of Evangelism within the Cathedral, in the cafe service and in the publicity of the forthcoming Alpha Course. Also the sincere adherence to the Word of God both in prayers and in the beautiful hymns and music. It was a week well spent

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Life in the Community

The Chemin Neuf Communion: 1992-2012 …

Twenty years The Community and the Communion of the Chemin Neuf are part of the same apostolic body. This year they celebrate the birth and the continuing life of the Communion.

Numbering around 2300 people, across the world, the brothers and sisters of the Communion are committed to a life of prayer, mission, fraternal life, receiving training, and sharing their financial resources. Let’s hear from them now!

Tigery, Pentecost 1992

LYON : ISABELLE AND MARC MAZAS

Savouring the joy of giving A Cana session in 1988, then four years of Cana Fraternity, brought good things, and nothing but good things, both to us as a couple and to our family. So, in 1992, when invited to join the Communion, we set off on that adventure without any hesitation.

Twenty years already! They have brought us a succession of important times for growth in our Christian lives: - Weeks of retreat – a range of different types of training to help us enter into greater intimacy with Christ and grow in faith.

- A range of people offering us spiritual accompaniment as well! Changing as we moved around, they taught us how to be guided by the Spirit and discover the will of God in our lives.

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- A range of different fraternities as well (varying every year – what a lot of brothers we have had over 20 years!) to help us learn more about sharing and listening.

- Weeks of service, again of many different kinds, ranging from helping in the kitchen, under the tents at the Youth forums, with walkie-talkies preparing summer sessions, in dormitories of houses for children … to savour the joy of giving.

- Prayer metings on Tuesday evenings where we could “form one body” with other brothers and sisters.

- And when our six children left home, and we decided to take a three-month break, it was quite natural to turn to the Community and go to live a life of fellowship, work and prayer with

brothers and sisters at Nazareth. What an experience!

To sum up, for us the Communion is the younger sibling of a family, born after its elder, which is growing up with its parents and its elder sibling. We give thanks to the Community for giving us this gift of the Communion, which helps us live out our calling as Christians, and make ourselves available to announce the Gospel and serve the Church. v

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BERLIN : THERESIA AUST

“Travel with confidence along this new way” the Mistress of the House, Sr. Ruth Lagemann was in charge of the language school, and Fr. Christopher Blin was the new Priest of the Community.

In 1994, Fr. Hasso Beyer and Fr. Xavier Molle, Priests of the Chemin Neuf Community, took charge of our Parish, Herz Jesu [Sacred Heart of Jesus]. Three years later, the first language school was begun and Fr. Beyer asked me if I would help the young people learn German. I took up the offer and that is how I learned about the community at close quarters. Mari-Laure Davigo was

In 1999, Sr. Ruth invited me to Hautecombe when she made her life vows.

The experience I had there, and the way the brothers and sisters lived, led me to question seriously if I should make a commitment to the Communion.

Would I say, “Yes”?

Opening my Bible at the Book of Tobit, I read the verse, “I give them to you”.

This verse touched me. For me, it meant, “Travel with confidence along this new way”. And so, since 1999, I have been part of the Communion of the Chemin Neuf – with joy, and also with commitment.

What has changed in my life? The ser-

vices, the spiritual direction, the sharing in fraternity and, especially, my first retreat according to the Spiritual Exercises, deepened my faith, and I was able to experience the tangible presence of Jesus. My daily prayer has been transformed as a result.

I have a particularly strong memory of my Baptism in the Holy Spirit. During the first Alpha weekend, during the sermon, it was as if the Holy Spirit had really taken hold of me. In tears, I felt impelled to go forward and ask for the renewal of my baptism and my confirmation. An image given to me at that time still touches my heart: a vase overflowing with water. I can live my life in that way, overflowing with the grace of God, and I am truly grateful for that. v

THE ABBEY OF BOQUEN : CHANTAL AND DANIEL GUILLOTIN

The fruits of our saying “Yes” On March 6th 2010, the Communion of the Chemin Neuf enthusiastically replied “Yes” to the following questions: Are you ready to stand alongside the Community in its decision to take over the Abbey of Boquen, by taking part in its life? Are you ready to give extra money?

This “Yes” was confirmed in September 2010, during the Regional Weekend at Ti Mamm Doué, where each person set out his personal commitment in concrete terms: physical work, running the Abbey, finances, and so on.

The Community entered through the doors of the Abbey in February 2011, thanks to our brothers and sisters in the Community, Gilles and Nicole Guidon, René and Andrée Abernot. As at Cana,

today we see the fruits of our saying “Yes”. This body of twenty years of age this year has been rejuvenated. It has grown stronger and has been knitted together. The fraternal link between the Community and the Communion is full of meaning.

For a little over a year, everyone has been able to find his and her place: internal or external maintenance, work in the kitchen, helping in the shop.

The prayer-filled chapel calls us to recollection and contemplation. Begun by the Sisters of Bethlehem, the Adoration is offered each afternoon. Some have been faithful to it for several years.

And so, in the “Christian countryside” of Brittany, the Chemin Neuf Community is both seen and recognised. v

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Life in the Community

A Summer of Celebrations Ordinations and life commitments to the Community This summer the Community will have the joy of celebrating in various countries ordinations, vows of consecrated celibacy and life commitments to the Community. in the Netherlands: Agnes Diosszilagyi, Thomas Darret, Emmanuel Georges, Jean-Pierre Goddong. in Italy: Ordination to the priesthood of Federico Bertacchini, Adonis Bizomenya Vows of celibacy: Pascale de Beaucorps, Jana Vioclava, and in the Community: Federico Bertacchini, Adonis Bizomenya, Pascale de Beaucorps, Etienne de Beaucorps, Gionata Fausone, Antoine and Bénédicte Contamin. in Kinshasa: ordination to the priesthood of Gildas Bobongaud, Alain Tsiomo, Mathieu Wansi – Life commitments to the Community: Gildas Bobongaud, Alain Tsiomo, Mathieu Wansi, Jean-Pierre Godding, Benoit and Denise Lokila.

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THANK YOU

KINSHASA The Bethany Centre On the 8th of March, International Women’s Day, the Chemin Neuf Community inaugurated its new Centre in Kinshasa for welcoming girls off the street. Following the Ndako Ya Biso (our house) Centre for boys, the Bethany Centre for girls has opened.

A fine sign of hope for this new mission!

Thanks to gifts, land was bought in 2011, upon which the Community has built a large house with a big common room, an office for welcoming and listening to girls, two bedrooms for girls, a kitchen and toilet facilities.

The very evening of the inauguration a dozen young girls came to Bethany and two of them asked for shelter for that night! Two days later a group of five girls came. And the next day one of them had already been reunited with her family.

CANA SESSIONS throughout the world Online registration: cana.chemin-neuf.org DATES AND COUNTRIES 14 - 20 JULY

BRAZIL, CANADA, CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA, MARTINIQUE

21 - 28 JULY

GERMANY, LATVIA, NETHERLANDS, D.R.C., R. of the CONGO

28 JuLY - 4 AUGUST U.S.A., GREAT BRITAIN, SLOVAKIA

Through the periodical FOI (Faith) many of you responded to the Lent Campaign appeal to help the Chemin Neuf Community with all its projects. Thank you!

This encourages us greatly in continuing our mission. You may ask for the new brochure which gives precise information about donations, legacies, life insurance, material gifts, corporation patronage.

Marc Hodara : 06.47.29.05.02 partage@chemin-neuf.org

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5 - 11 AUGUST

SWITZERLAND, ITALY

13 - 19 AUGUST

BURUNDI, LEBANON, MADAGASCAR, IVORY COAST

20 - 26 AUGUST

POLAND, GUINEA

CANA SESSIONS in France Online registration: cana.chemin-neuf.fr DATES OF CANA SESSIONS 15 - 21 JULY

CANA COUPLES

ARDENNES

22 - 28 JULY

CANA SAMARIA

LYON (Les Pothières)

22 - 28 JULY

COUPLES, ENGAGED and HOPE

SAVOIE (Hautecombe)

5 - 1 1 AUGUST

CANA COUPLES

SABLONCEAUX (17)

12-18 AUGUST

CANA FAMILIES

SABLONCEAUX (17)

rendez-vous

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Talent

Young talent

SAM RICHARDSON He’s called Sam. He’s fifteen and lives in England. Like many young people from his country, music is a part of his life.

Make way for the clarinetist.

«What I like most about playing an instrument is that there are no boundaries.

How well you play is down to how much you practice, nobody else can change that. I like that.

I practice for an hour a day (or at least I try to!) I have a lesson once a week and with all the homework, playing squash and playing X Box, my life can be rather busy. During the holidays I play in the Somerset County Youth Concert Band. Last year we went on tour to the Black Forest, Germany, which was simply amazing. I have a great time with my friends in the band, and we all have something in common: the love of playing music together. This year we are going to Venice and I can’t wait. After that, who knows what the future holds? «

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