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a SPECIAL report

Nicolas of Flüe

A Peacemaker FE I L L A N FESSIO

t n e m n o ir v n e n o s ri p a n i r o A doct

a PRO

A quarterly magazine FOI No.35 – December 2012 – January – February 2013 – 5,50€

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hed by the lis b u p e in Magaz

VIE Contents

Editorial from Father Laurent FABRE Special 4 report

Nicolas of Flüe 14

Ecumenism

14 • Benedict XVI in Lebanon: The ecumenical significance of this visit 16 • The Protestant Federation: A laboratory for the Church 18 • Prayer

Christian training

Young adults

Community Life

Young talent

20 • Art: Master-vitrailliste in Chartres 22 • The Year of Faith: Part One 24 • Professional life: A Doctor in a Prison Environment

26 • Music and Silence 28 • Testimonies

30 • WYD/ If you go to Rio... 31 • Justin Welby: “Who is this man?” 32 • Vocations stories 34 • News – Photographs from the Cycle A in Saragossa

35 • Eloi Huet

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

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Editorial Join the Demonstration 13th January 2013

Le Père Laurent FaBRE Founder and leader of the Chemin Neuf Community

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.

It’s absolute madness to give meat to cows and what’s more it makes them go mad (mad cow disease). It’s absolute madness to risk killing someone because you want to make love -- and that has already led to over a million deaths (AIDS). It’s absolute madness to make thousands of children tell lies by forcing them tell their little friends at school that their mums and dads, their parents, are two men or two women. That can only result in a new type of orphan. As Timothy Radcliff, O.P., said with a great deal of common sense and his very British sense of humour, when speaking about same-sex marriage: «It would be like trying to make a cheese soufflé without the cheese, or wine without grapes!» The 20,000 people who took part in the demonstration in Lyon on 17th November 2012, included a family from the Chemin Neuf Community. Both parents with all their children found themselves cheerfully walking alongside a Muslim couple with all their children, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. And yet again, it is important to stress that underlying these demonstrations, there is an urgent question which has dramatic implications and concerns the whole of society irrespective of our different faiths. Many us thought the text by Gilles Bernheim, Chief Rabbi of France, was outstanding. In particular he pointed out that if this law is definitively adopted, children who are currently individuals in their own right will become mere objects which everyone has a right to possess. That could result in thousands of children being definitively deprived of a father or a mother, because they have been adopted by same-sex couples. In short they will again be orphans. We must not replace «the rights of the child» with «the right to a child». Amid the chorus of half-truths coming from the right, the fact remains that a man is not a wife, not a mother; and a woman is not a husband, not a father. Like many other Christians, we have discussed how we should react in our Community Council. The position adopted by the Catholic bishops and that of their chairman, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, calling it simply «trickery» and emphasising that there is nothing prohibiting Catholics from demonstrating, as well as the excellent statements from the other Christian denominations have encouraged us to write to our Members of Parliament. We hope that nearly 1,000,000 people will join the demonstration planned in Paris for 13th January 2013. Also in this issue, you have a chance to meet St Nicolas de Flüe. This father who had ten children (five girls and five boys) was also in his own way a great political figure. Through his personal charisma he ensured war was averted and he is loved by Swiss Protestants and Catholics alike. We need our own saints today!

Father Laurent Fabre.

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

A Hermit for

THE FILM

Brother Nicholas: A Peacemaker

TESTIMONY

Heading for the Hermitage

TESTIMONY

Nicholas, my brother

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Peace

special report

Nicolas

of Flüe

“May the name of Jesus be your greeting. We wish you much good and may the Holy Spirit be your final reward.” It is with these words that Nicholas of Flüe (1417-1487) greets us. A profoundly spiritual man, he lived over 500 years ago in the young Swiss Confederation, which he saved from a civil war. He is remembered in his country as “the Father of the nation”. He served his country as a farmer-mercenary, father of a large family, councillor and judge, and then lived for twenty years as a hermit, withdrawn from the world at the bottom of a gorge less than a kilometre from the family house. In this film, Net for God invites you to discover and enter a little further into the mystery of this vocation, which was not only his, but also that of his wife Dorothy and his older sons who gave their consent to it. We have nothing written by the hand of Brother Nicholas because he could not read nor write. What we do know has come to us through contemporary itinerant writers. Paradoxically, the influence of Brother Nicholas on the world of his time grew as he withdrew from it. Today we observe the turmoil in the world in its different aspects. It is enough to open the newspapers to see this, all this violence which takes place, sometimes before our eyes, here where we live. The message of peace of Brother Nicholas is more relevant than ever. FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Switzerland: Brother Nicolas of Flüe

(1417-1487)

Peacemaker 500 years ago, Switzerland was on the brink of a civil war, about to tear itself apart. Nicolas of Flüe, a husband, the father of a large family, farmer, officer, judge, then a hermit known for his good judgement, intervened in the conflict and as a result saved his country from ruin. Today he is remembered in Switzerland as the father of the nation. Fr. Walter Signer: Chaplain at the «Nicholas of Flüe» pilgrimage site at Sachseln in Switzerland “Brother Klaus was born in Flüeli Ranft in 1417. This was a highly significant year. The Council of Constance was bringing to an end the period where the Church was being led by three popes. However, here in Obwalden, little was known about the goings-on elsewhere. Most people’s lives were limited to within a 30-kilometre radius, and beyond that, there would be other people who would know other things. People could neither to read nor write; even the government was illiterate! They were however no less intelligent; they simply hadn’t had a chance to learn such things. They lived with the seasons. The religious heritage was passed down the family by word of mouth. Nicholas was brought up in such an environment. He sought solitude from a young age, but paradoxically, he also loved to be with people, and

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

that’s what led him to become active in politics”. CAPTAIN AND MERCENARY Fr. Walter Signer: “When there were wars, it was the young men who would go off to fight as mercenaries. For the Swiss, who were peasants, this represented excellent business and the spoils that were captured constituted a great source of additional income. However, as soon as they got married, they would stop going. After all, it was a brutal business and at the time, there was no such thing as the Geneva Convention. This is what Nicholas condemned, earning money as a mercenary; he was a man with great moral authority”. Geri Keller: Pastor of the Reformed Church in Winterthur – Switzerland: “Nicholas said that before his birth, he had a vision of a star in the sky that lit up the whole world. This reminds me of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, when Paul writes

special report that, through the face of Jesus, we have recognised the being and the nature of God. Jesus is that brilliant morning star that lights up the world. This is a light that words cannot describe. We are all called to reflect the face of Jesus. However, every new century has seen the emergence of men and women chosen by God, to reveal His own face. I’m thinking of Francis of Assisi, John Vianney, and many others. For me, Nicholas represents the heart of God, a source that reveals who God really is”. HUSBAND, FATHER OF A FAMILY AND JUDGE Fr. Walter Signer : “He married Dorothy Wis at the age of thirty, which was late for that time. His wife must have been 15 or 16 years old. He built a house for his family”.

Geri Keller : “This Swiss man’s feet were solidly on the ground of reality. He did what God asked him to do. So he became a farmer, married a woman 15 years younger than himself; he fathered 10 children, and became a public figure because God had given him a highly intelligent mind, along with the gift of counsel and foresight; this resulted in him becoming someone to be trusted”. Fr. Walter Signer : “He was acknowledged and appreciated as a judge. He always considered matters in the light of his conscience and acted accordingly. He was first and foremost a man that could not be bought, he was incorruptible. That is why he withdrew from his commitments when two dishonest financiers were admitted to the community as citizens. They had bought their way in, to obtain protection from the cantonal government and thereby

to continue their aggressive business affairs. He categorically condemned this type of conduct”. GOD CALLS HIM TO BECOME A HERMIT Geri Keller : “One of his sons said that when he woke up at night, he would see his father praying next to the stove. This calling never left him, it was like a millstone that keeps on grinding and grinding without ceasing”. Sister Erasma : Sister of the Holy Cross, from the hermitage of Flüeli-Ranft; “For Dorothy, it was of the utmost importance that she understood her husband. She prayed for him and assisted him in his inner struggle. She knew how much her husband was suffering and she understood that he must pursue a path that would not be easy to follow and to come to terms with”.

Nicholas of Flüe’s hermitage

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

to the Ranft Gorge, just next to your house where your family is living and accept this choice that you have made in full view of everyone’. I think that he questioned this call, and once again, he struggled a lot before he could take the plunge, and give himself up entirely to God and to men. God confirmed this call through some rays of light that fell from the sky, ‘I want your cell to be located at the bottom of the Ranft Gorge’ ”. Fr. Walter Signer : “He was truly open to God and open to the world, as you can see by the windows of his cell: one points outwards and the other inwards”. A statue of Dorothy and her children

Geri Keller : “In the end, it was God who created the break-through leading to the acquiescence of the family, so that both Dorothy and the elder sons could give up their hearts’ desire and so allow their father to leave”. Sister Erasma : “Brother Klaus had organised all the affairs relating to the future of the family farm with his sons. Under no circumstances can it be said that he ran away from home, he did not run away from his home. He loved his family and his wife very much but together they recognised the will of God and they felt that this was a special calling. This was not a renunciation of the marriage vows they had taken on their wedding day, rather a renewal of those vows through Nicholas’s call on the one hand and the call of Dorothy and his family on the other hand. She weaved and sewed his habit herself, leaving it on his bed to show that she consented to this shared calling”. Geri Keller : “Furthermore it was God’s work, by means of visions, that led him little by little to surrender and change his life”.

BROTHER NICHOLAS LEAVES HIS FAMILY AND BECOMES A HERMIT Geri Keller : “His idea from the beginning was to become a hermit. He set off towards Alsace to meet other hermits, but also to flee from the scandal of having abandoned his wife and ten children. He had to take this into consideration”.

A MAN OF GOD Fr. Walter Signer : “One thing followed Nicholas of Flüe all his life; he saw visions. He was a very visual man. He had an image that he described like this: here is my book that I’m reading.

Fr. Walter Signer : “Then, as he arrived in the city of Basel, a red-coloured veil fell before his eyes; this frightened him and he told a peasant about it. He was told to go back, because the Swiss were really not welcome in Alsace given that they had recently caused a massacre there, and furthermore, his family needed him”. Geri Keller : “For Nicholas, this was a massive sacrifice and it meant a complete end to his own wishes, as God stopped him on his way to a foreign land, and brought him back home. So he hid on the mountain pastures of the Melch valley and while he was there he was found by a hunter just before the arrival of the winter. This was the moment that he finally found himself facing the call from God: ‘Go

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

God is in the centre. Everything comes from him. The whole world, represented by the outer circle, all creation, is the work of God. And we as agents in this world have to take care never to lose this centre, but to seek it out tirelessly. This is why these lines return to the middle. That’s where we find ourselves personally, with others. This is where we find God, and peace. He used to say, ‘Peace is in God’.”

special report 1. Sister Erasma:

Sister of the Holy Cross, from the hermitage of Flüeli-Ranft

2. Fr. Walter Signer:

Chaplain at the «Nicholas of Flüe» pilgrimage site at Sachseln in Switzerland

3. Geri Keller:

Pastor of the Reformed Church in Winterthur, Switzerland

4. Urban Camenzind-Herzog: 3

Nicholas and Dorothy’s house

Catholic permanent deacon in Lucerne, Switzerland

“My Lord and my God, Take away from me anything that distances me from You. My Lord and my God, Give me everything that can bring me closer to You. My Lord and my God, Detach me from myself so that I give my all to You”. A prayer of Nicholas of Flüe

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Geri Keller : “This was the fifteenth century, which saw the schism in the papacy and then, in 1417, the decree of reform in Constance, but the Church never succeeded in enforcing this. Nicholas had a very clear vision of the way in which reform should be carried out. It meant, ‘Christ in us’. If we are filled with God, reform will spring from us.

A PEACEMAKER Fr. Walter Signer : “The king of France had enlisted the Swiss and paid them lavishly to fight against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who was obstructing his path. The war went ahead and the Duke was defeated at Grandson, Morat and Nancy.

Fr. Walter Signer : “He was very well informed because people trusted him with many things. He brought all this into his prayers and it was from this depth of knowledge that he gave his advice”.

The interior of the hermitage

Fr. Walter Signer : “It has always fascinated me to see that, as a hermit, even though he had abandoned his official role, he had a lot more influence than before”. A SAINT FOR OUR TIME

It won’t begin first in the church, it is within us that it must begin. Nicholas was quite avant-garde, like those men with whom the reformation began in the heart. He placed his whole life in God’s hands and said to him, ‘God, make of me what you will, I am available’. God filled his life with his presence, so much so that Nicholas neither ate nor drank anything for 20 years. People speak of this as a miraculous fast, but it wasn’t a fast because Nicholas was filled to overflowing with the presence of God. He was fed by this love of God. He was a warm man who was steeped in life; he was a man of such kindness that he became attractive to everybody”.

Geri Keller : “Nicholas was at the centre of them all spiritually. His authority shone out so much that it succeeded in bringing round a table these surly and aggressive enemies and unifying them”.

Sister Erasma : “People from all walks of life come here to Ranft. Old and young who find themselves touched and who tell us, ‘What peace there is in this place! What strength! You really have to experience it.’ And they go back home renewed”.

The Swiss brought back a huge amount of booty that had to be shared out – the people of Burgundy had a great deal of wealth – and this is where disputes erupted. In addition, the independent cantons of Fribourg and Solothurn had contributed to the victory, and they now asked for admittance to the Swiss confederation. The rural cantons that were at the origin of the confederation did not want the more urban cantons to become the majority so the dispute became even fiercer. The parish priest from Stans hurried over to visit Nicholas during the night, while everyone was preparing for civil war. He returned the next day and gathered the protagonists for one last time. Today we know that in one hour a peaceful solution was found. The bells began to ring out to celebrate peace”.

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Geri Keller : “The more space we give to God in our lives, the greater our influence will be towards others. It is the mystics who have had the most influence: The great Theresa of Avila, and many others, Charles de Foucauld, Mother Teresa. They lived in a way that changed the world. The more I am connected to God with my heart and my spirit, the more my influence and authority are important at the heart of society”. Urban Camenzind-Herzog, Catholic permanent deacon in Lucerne, Switzerland: “I spent a weekend in Brother Nicholas’s home village, Flüeli-Ranft on the 12th January 2008. I came down early in the morning and there was snow. I prayed for our country, for a return to our Christian roots, and I had the feeling, the impression, that I had to do something about this church that had been closed. At the time, there was an article about it in the newspaper. It was suggesting that the church could be turned ... into a mosque. This was a call to action. At the time, I had immediately got in touch with the bishop, telling him that I wanted to open a house here and a school of Christian prayer. He sup-

special report Testimony of some pilgrims

Ruedi and Christina Stöeckli, from Switzerland ported me straight away. I give thanks for the reopening of this church, which has allowed people to meet here again to pray together. I am part of a team. Together we pray for the politicians, that they will accept their responsibilities in a Christian spirit. To do this we keep coming back to Brother Nicholas and praying for our country and for Europe. We always had the impression that we had to start simply and in quite a small way. I resolved that as long as I was working for the opening of this church, I must be prepared to pray alone for long hours. And I noticed that people began to arrive. It remained quite modest, we didn’t make a lot of publicity but people came nevertheless, young people included. A Hindu was there recently and he told me that the church was beautiful, that it shone!” Geri Keller : “If we are filled with God and if we belong entirely to him, we do not belong in the first instance to a denomination or to a church, even though these families are important. The more we belong to God, the closer we come to one another as a human family and as a church, to form this unique body which is Christ. In our fatherless society, there is such a thirst, such a desire to meet

this God who is different from the god we have often come across in worldly stories and sometimes even through false interpretations in the church. Nicholas revealed to us a God who is close, who embraces us. During those 20 years of being a hermit, he meditated on the wheel, the book that also represents the Holy Spirit and the mystery of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The secret of this Trinity is that the divine persons each give themselves entirely for the others. The Church is essential but first of all there is God; His kingdom first. I belong first of all to God, who redeemed me with the blood of his Son and who baptised me and plunged me into the body of Christ. He is the head, and only after this do I belong to the Church”. Sister Erasma : “Dorothy remained faithful to her husband right up to the end. She was present at his death. She was with him in his cell during the final week of his life”. Brother Nicholas died on March 21, 1487 on the floor of his cell. He was beatified in 1669. He was canonised in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.

Ruedi : “It’s a place of silence, where it is easy to switch off from everyday life, there is such a peaceful atmosphere”. Christina : “He’s our national saint; it is a heart to heart relationship that has never ceased to grow with time.”

Natalie Butscher, from Switzerland

“I find daily life so hectic! We have so much to do, work, children, we no longer listen to ourselves. I’m simply looking for silence, closeness to nature and also to listen to the voice of God and to find myself.”

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

En route for the Hermitage

A personal journey For over 30 years now I have quite regularly spent a few days holiday at the retreat house run by the Sisters of Bethany. Nowhere else have I been able to get back on my feet quite so quickly and recharge my batteries before taking up my professional duties as a Protestant pastor again. When time permits, an important feature of these few days off is a visit to the Ranft Valley where Nicolas de Flüe - also known as Brother Nicolas - spent the first 50 years of his life as father of a family and then the next 20 years as a hermit and counsellor. It takes about half an hour to walk down the steep road which runs from St-Niklausen to the Hermitage. It is like going into the depths of one’s soul. Paul Tillich said that truth is to be found in the depths and Psalm 130 begins with the words: «Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD». When possible I set off just after breakfast. At that time there are no other --or very few - pilgrims along the road. In the square at the bottom, I go into the Lady Chapel first of all. The gentle murmur of the Melchaa (the little stream which runs along the bottom of the valley) can be heard very clearly, reminding me how time flies and another verse from the Psalms comes to mind: «Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.» (Ps 90).

Then I turn towards the upper chapel in the valley and the saint’s cell. Walter Nigg, a well-known writer on the lives of saints, thinks it may well be the most impressive historical site in Switzerland. You are immediately struck by the two little windows -- one giving a view of the altar and the other of the world outside. Do we not need both these windows every day of our lives? Conversation with God and conversation with men, contemplation and action, a policy of silence, choose your own words for it! Brother Nicolas is certainly a disturbing figure and it is not easy to get one’s mind round his melancholy disposition. But two things stand out and can leave no one unmoved: the fact that he left his family when his wife was about to give birth to their tenth child. Nicolas certainly asked his wife for her approval before setting out, and eventually she let him go. And secondly, the fact that the hermit lived for the next 20 years without eating. Add to that the fact that the people round about considered him to be a saint in flesh and blood. Fifty years before the upheaval of the Reformation, he calmly continued along his way. Which is why Christians of all denominations feel close to him. Christoph Naegeli, Frauenfeld

“Truth is to be found in the depths” Paul Tillich

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

special report Testimony

Nicholas, my brother Brother Nicholas – Bruder Klaus – has been one of the family since my earliest childhood. “He saved our country!” - “He gave up eating …” - “He left his wife and his ten children …” Admiration, but also a lot of questions – that is what I remember about the only ‘ecumenical’ Swiss saint (he lived before the Reformation). Much later at the Expo 02 exhibition, I got to know Brother Nicholas a bit better, particularly from the excellent libretto written by Denis de Rougemont in 1939 for Arthur Honegger’s Nicholas de Flue Oratorio. I gained a better understanding of his life, his motivation, and deep respect for this very holy man took the place of my earlier admiration and questioning.

For the sake of love Why did Nicholas de Flue, an established figure in his village, leave everything, including his family? To understand why he came to express his love for God in this way, we have to look at the Rhine Mysticism Movement which had a considerable influence on Nicholas (1). He had only one desire: to give himself utterly to God. He lived out the story Meister Eckhart told in «The Nobleman» (2), a book written about hundred years before Nicholas was born: «A man left …». So Nicholas left. To do what? «A nobleman went off to a distant country to take up his throne and then come back». He went away in order to detach himself from the ephemeral secular life, and become transformed into a holy image. This is the sixth grade of Meister Eckhart’s new inner man. Nicholas lived this out with all his heart and soul - and his family apparently understood

what he was searching for. As we delve more deeply into the writings of Meister Eckhart or of other mystics from the same period, a sense of peace invades the soul and we thirst to know more, to understand, to follow the unseen stirring welling up from deep within … that passion for God.

Elisabeth Reichen, Pastor of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Neuchatel, Switzerland

What sort of future do we want? And then Nicholas came back. His detachment and his deep inner contemplation firmly grounded in peace gave him ineffable wisdom and made him a visionary. People came to see him and ask his advice, as on the famous night of 21st/22nd December 1481. Is it not astonishing that it was precisely during the night of 21st/22nd December? A great deal has been written about the 21st December 2012. For some, it is the incarnation of the hope of a revelation, of deep change such as that inspired by Nicholas 531 years ago.

“Nicholas is still one of the great human family looking for peace and hope” Something very deep took place then and saved the Confederation from utter disintegration. When there seemed to be no hope, there was reconciliation and the country was saved from the civil war that threatened to break out as a result of the disagreements that were

tearing the first Swiss Cantons apart. We do not know exactly what Brother Nicholas said, but there is no doubt that he was the source of this new peace. A man of prayer firmly rooted in the peace of God, he in some way became the «Father of the nation». Detached from the world, Nicholas saw clearly what the country desperately needed. Detached from the world, he nevertheless still cared about the future. So what can we learn from this great man’s reflections and what can we build today on the foundations he has laid? Nicholas is still one of the family, one of the great human family looking for peace and hope, refusing to accept our fate, looking for an answer which will first and foremost come from within us because the future begins within. Elisabeth Reichen, 1 - Cf : Philippe Baud, Nicolas de Flue. Un silence qui fonde la Suisse, Cerf* 2 - Wolgang Wackernagel, La Divine Consolation, Rivages Poche, p. 95-100* * Translator’s note: These books are not currently available in English.

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

VIE Ecumenism

Ecume

Benedict XVI in Lebanon

The ecumenical significance of this visit Pope Benedict XVI travelled to Lebanon from 14th to 16th September 2012. He was welcomed as a “pilgrim of peace” and his visit has had a great ecumenical significance.

Benedict XVI welcomed by Gregory III LAHAM, Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

On the 14th September, the day of the Feast of the Exaltation of Christ’s Holy Cross, the feast day which had its origins in the East in 335 and which is celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox and certain Protestants, the Pope signed “Ecclesia in Medio Oriente” (The Church in the Middle East). It is a post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation following the special Gathering of Bishops for the Middle East, which was held in October 2010. On this occasion he said: “It is right, at this time, that we must celebrate the victory of love over hate, of forgiveness over vengeance, of service over domination, of humility over pride, of unity over division.” This message is very evident in the document and has been clearly perceived by people, notably by the young, who met the Pope. Let us read the testimony of a young person and a few extracts from the Exhortation concerning Ecumenism.

Testimony: The Pope and the Youth of Lebanon “I give you my peace” – a message full of hope in a region where division, insecurity and violence reign. It was with tens of thousands of young people that Lebanon welcomed Pope Benedict XVI on 15th September 2012. Young Muslims and Christians of all denominations came together for this unique meeting. For us young Lebanese, that moment was very touching. For once, it was not for political reasons, nor for a demonstration that we came together, but to bring, despite our differences and our diversity, a message and an example of peace and unity for the whole Middle Eastern region. Two young people spoke in the name of the whole of Lebanese Youth: they expressed fear for their future, apprehension about unemployment, the refusal to accept corruption, fear of rising fundamentalism, as well as the desire of re-

maining attached to their land and their country, and not having to emigrate. Affirming their will to live in harmony with the youth of other religions, they called on the Church to accompany them and to understand their challenges. “We want to work towards bringing the eastern churches closer together, we want a single celebration of Easter and the unity of Christians!” The address by the Pope was very moving. It was not only a message of peace, a call for unity between Muslims and Christians but above all a message of taking root in this country and this region which saw the birth of Jesus and of Christianity. Very often we forget this, as young Christian Lebanese. Very often we think that we will build a better future through emigration. Very often we

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

think that it is through politics that we will be able to bring about change in this country. But, with the help of the Pope’s visit and address, we have realised that it is only by how we live in the way of Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit that we will be able to replace, little by little in this region: - violence by peace - hate and vengeance by love - division by unity, not only at the heart of our Churches, but also between the 18 different denominations and faiths which live together in this little country which is Lebanon. v Cedrine Al Andary, JCN

nismEcumenism

Ecumenism

Christianity in Lebanon

Young Lebanese who came to welcome Benedict XVI on his arrival in Beirut.

Message of Benedict XVI The Victory of Love over Hate “It is in this context which is constrained, unstable and today inclined towards violence, that God has allowed his Church to blossom. It lives here in a remarkable variety of forms. Alongside the Catholic Church, there are present in the Middle East numerous venerable ancient Churches, to which have been added ecclesial communities of more recent origin.

The situation in the Middle East is itself a pressing call to holiness of life. The martyrologies attest that saints and martyrs belonging to every church were – and some are still today – living witnesses to this unity without borders in the glorified Christ, a foretaste of our ‘reunited being’ as a people finally reconciled in Him. (…)

This mosaic requires a significant and constant effort to stress unity, while respecting the riches of each group, in order to re-affirm the credibility of proclaiming the Gospel and Christian witness. Unity is a gift from God which is born from the Spirit and which we must help grow with a patient perseverance. (1 Peter 3:8-9).

The situation in the Middle East is a pressing call to holiness of life.

We know that it is tempting, when divisions oppose us, to call upon merely human criteria, forgetting the wise counsels of Saint Paul (1 Corinthians 6:7-8).

Authentic witness demands recognising and respecting the other, a disposition to dialogue in truth, patience as a dimension of love, the simplicity and humility of one who recognises themselves as a sinner before God and their neighbour, the capacity for forgiveness, for reconciliation and for purification of memory, at a personal and community level. (…) v

He urges: “Do all you can to maintain the unity of the Spirit by that bond which is peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Faith is the centre and the fruit of true ecumenism. We must start with this by deepening it. Unity surges forth out of persevering prayer and conversation which causes each one to live according to the truth and in charity (cf. Ephesians 4:15-16). The Second Vatican Council encouraged this ‘spiritual ecumenism’ which is the soul of true ecumenism.

Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, n. 11-15

Lebanon is characterized by the fact that it is “the country of communities”. 18 different religious communities, 12 of which are Christian, are present in this small country of 14,952 km2. The beauty is that each of them enjoys freedom of belief and practice of their faith. More and more, we are becoming aware of the importance of the Christian presence. It is not only essential for Lebanon, but for the whole Middle East region – since a lessening of this presence constitutes a danger not only for Christians, but also for this freedom and this diversity, of which this country is an example.

Lebanon defines itself as being a mosaic of eastern Christianity: the majority of eastern Churches are represented there. It is very common to have in the heart of the same family a true mix of Orthodox, Protestants, Catholics and Maronites. With the help of this mixture and through the presence of manifold movements and communities working for unity, young people are less and less interested in different rites. What matters for them is the fact of being Christian. The feeling of having become minorities and fragile in this region implies that our divisions have become ridiculous and even dangerous. This reality impels us to really put ourselves into the work of dialogue between the different eastern Churches. v Samar Al Andary CCN

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Communities of the Protestant Federation of France

A laboratory for the Church One of the assumptions made by one Christian denomination about another is that the community life and consecrated life only belong to the Catholic Church. Sister Danielle Renaud, President of the Community Department of the Protestant Federation of France, tells us that the quest for a community life and the choice of a consecrated life are fully recognised within the Protestant tradition.

The Department for Communities, officially created within the Protestant Federation of France in November 1963, included among its very first members the Deaconesses of Reilly, Strasbourg and Ingwiller, and the Communities of Pomeyrol and Taizé. In 1974, other communities joined them, particularly the Communities of couples and families from the Reformed, Lutheran and Evangelical Churches. A large conference is organised each year and subjects concerning community life are suggested for reflection and for discussion between the various participants. These subjects can be theological, Biblical, ethical or psychological. The Department also invites along members from other communities, from different church traditions and from a few neighbouring European countries, so as to demonstrate its universal openness.

Consecrated life communities

Sister Danielle Renaud, President of the Department for Communities of the Protestant Federation of France.

For more than one and a half centuries, regular religious communities have appeared within Reformed Churches in our country. For their members, consecration to follow Christ means celibacy and chastity, poverty and sharing, obedience and reciprocal submission, solitude with Christ and mutual communion. These communities follow in the monastic tradition of the undivided Church and have an incomparably rich and diverse heritage. They are places of dialogue and openness, not only because they have their roots in the uni-

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versal Church, but also because of their genuine dialogue with communities of similar leanings, be they catholic, orthodox, ecumenical...

Consecrated life communities open to couples Driven by the same vocation, communities open to couples have been created over the last forty or so years. They offer their members a permanent community life throughout the year, a regular prayer life and the opportunity to make a definitive commitment after a sufficiently long experience of this sort of life.

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Ecumenism

Communities, Communions and Fraternities Other forms of expression of community life have seen the light of day over the last thirty years, each with its own specificity, and with a more or less marked and visible approach towards the quest for a community way of life. All these components together form the Department for Communities. In their diversity, they offer places of consecration and radiance and they are all recognizable as being: places of prayer and places to listen to the Word of God places of testimony and welcome places of commitment to the service of Christ and Christian brothers. Their questioning, their way of life, their ecumenical experience and their theological research place them at the very heart of the Church’s mission.

The Department is coordinated by a Council. The Council of the Department for Communities brings together the various leaders of the Communities, Communions and Fraternities belonging to the Protestant Federation of France. The Council is the decision-making body of the Department for Communities, but each Community, Communion and Fraternity remains entirely independent.

Ecumenism

Testimony:

Irene Strittmatter Irene has taken part in the annual conferences of the Department for Communities of the Protestant Federation of France. “Along with my husband, Roland, I am a member of the Caulmont community - an ecumenical community of prayer and welcome. We have been residents of the community in Ardèche for nearly four years. As such, I’ve been able to take part in three of the annual Department for Communities conferences. These days offer a richness of experience. Discovering the diverse forms community life can take (consecrated celibates, couples, families, with life-long or renewable fixed periods of commitment) can only serve to broaden my horizon. During the conferences I experience a real sharing of the joys and difficulties of living together.

Being in the Church as a sign which makes people stop and think and a place which welcomes them with their questionings are the mainsprings of community life. But in it I also find a great deal of humility, the feeling that this choice of a different way of life is not better, but is the response to a calling from our inner being. With a great deal of human warmth and without being judgemental, the Department for Communities is a place where it’s possible to refuel with boldness and hope. It’s a place of celebration, of prayer, of reflection and of fraternity. There, in a few words, I’ve tried to communicate what I have experienced and what I wanted to share.”

The Council oversees links between the Communities and Church life. It organises the annual conference of sharing and reflection, which is generally held in one of the Communities, Communions or Fraternities. Over the years, the dialogue between the Department for Communities and the Protestant Federation of France has deepened into mutual confidence.

In 2012 the Department entered its 50th year. Community life is still very much alive and well in the Church! Comparing and sharing our life experiences remains a treasure to be rediscovered for ourselves and for the whole body of Christ. v

All the Communities and their leaders are particularly attached to this link with the Federation, to this mutual role of meeting, support and calling. By the diversity of their ways of life, of their theology and leanings, the Communities exist in the Department for Communities like a modest real-life laboratory, the reality of the federal challenge. The annual meeting in Taizé, 2009

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Jesus, there where you were born, between Joseph and Mary, Your crib was not closed. The whole world could enter. Jesus, when you were born, You wanted the whole world to come and see You Because You came for the whole world. Before you were born, Joseph and Mary had found Only houses with closed doors, closed to the secret of God. They found a stable open, a poor stable. My heart can also be open or closed to love. My hands can be open or closed to giving: My life can be open or closed to giving life.

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Prayer

The unconditionality of love

Nativity, by the Buffet brothers, Carthusian monastery of Aula Dei

Today, Jesus, you are no longer born in a stable; but you want to be born, to tell the secret of God, in all houses, in all hearts. You want to place God’s kiss on all faces. You want millions of cribs to inhabit the world. (...) Jesus, come and put smiles on our lips, come to open our houses and our hearts so that they say with you: Glory to God our Father. Poem “ The unconditionality of Love” by Elie Maréchal

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FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Christian Training

Art : Master - stained glass artist in Chartres

Of glass and of light An interview with Jacques Loire, master artist in the making of stained glass, near Chartres. Three generations have shared a love for this skill. Loire stained glass has travelled the world for almost 60 years. We focus on a skill that explores the interplay of light and space with man’s inspiration.

Your family has been working together for three generations. Could you tell us how it all began? “My father founded the atelier in 1946, just after the war. I started working with him at a very early age, I was 14 and to me it all seemed extraordinary! My father had almost twenty people working in the atelier until the seventies. Today there are about ten of us. Thanks to the support of my sons I have fortunately been able to go on designing. My wife is now an antique dealer in stained glass and my daughter has opened a gallery in Chartres for exhibitions.” What does stained glass mean to you? “Stained glass is my whole life. As a boy, working with my father, I was fascinated by it. On reflection, I think what delights me most about coloured glass is the way one can transform the light inside a building. My job is to endow the building with a specific atmosphere and colouring through my designs and style of drawing, it means in fact playing with light.”

Jacques LOIRE,

Master-vitrailliste in Chartres.

How does one “play with light”? How is it possible to work on such material ? “Industrial glass lets sunlight in without changing it. When one applies a colouring screen of blue, green or red to glass, one transforms this colour passing from the outside to inside into something different. That is what I mean by “playing with”. If one uses several colours, the result is an assemblage of luminosities. At the moment, I am working with nuns, who, when they enter their chapel, would like to feel that something happens, that they find

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

themselves in a different place. And with coloured glass it is possible to change an atmosphere. It can be achieved either through theme-related images, designs, shades of colour, or sometimes the use of very simple lines…..We have to respect the architecture of course. A stained glass window is always a new adventure, determined by the nature of the building we are working on. Playing with light means modulating, transforming it: therein lies all the magic of stained glass.” How is your faith linked to your work? “My commitment to my faith finds expression in artistic creation and in the making of a stained glass window. I enjoy the time spent in discussion with the priest, the parish and the architect. Sometimes this involves a lengthy approach, but we reach agreement through talking together. There is a difference between the work done for a religious community and work for a parish church. I always think there is something of a festive feeling in a church. In an oratory the atmosphere is more intimate, more given to contemplation. Each case calls for further reflection. I try to adapt my vision to produce lines and colours that enable me to continue the linear design of the architecture.” Has the proximity to Chartres contributed to your work ? “I was married in the Cathedral, it was my parish church. The colouring of the windows in Chartres had a great influence on me : I have exported the famous blue of the stained glass in Chartres world

an training training an training wide!….When I don’t use blue, I’m rather sad…. Of course it isn’t quite the same blue; it’s the impression that counts for we don’t use the same techniques today. Although we know exactly how the thirteenth century glass was made, we can never recreate the past eight centuries of sun and wind ... .” How do you proceed in your work? “Often we respond to the demand from public and especially religious institutions. But today there is an increasing tendency for artists and artisans working in glass to work in partnership : not that I don’t believe that a mastervitrailliste is not also an artist! The work begins with the design on paper produced by the artist working at home, this will then be carried out in the atelier. Here, two techniques are mainly used, the more classical one using glass and lead, but also that of the “glass slab,” one that my father was particularly fond of using : it consists of thick glass bonded by concrete mortar. And there are much more contempora-

ry techniques such as thermoforming, where glass whose form has been altered in the heat of kilns, can also be enamelled. These modern techniques demand a new way of conceiving the design. At the end of the interview, Jacques Loire took us into the Chapel of the Champhol Carmel, a place that was especially dear to him. “It is always a pleasure for me to come back here. From the beginning, I intended to keep the view on to the garden by using transparent glass and not putting any colour so as to let nature enter freely. There is just the drawing in lead, drawn as though with the stroke of a pen : it is the cross of Christ whose outstretched arms are all-embracing in the wide movements that I like to make. Everything is beautiful here, the altar, the space… When one comes to communion here, one is near. My greatest joy, whenever I come back, is the thought that, in fact, I feel at home here.” v

Chartres: Cathedral Retreat In Chartres Cathedral, the Scriptures are expressed in the stained glass windows and in the architecture itself. This retreat will combine the discipline of the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius aiming to inspire a closer awareness of Christ and a response to his call, with a time of learning about, and prayer for, the Cathedral. The silence, the time spent in prayer - private and liturgical will help us to receive the Word, listened to and contemplated Amidst the labyrinths of our lives we shall discover bridges to be crossed so that we may come to know, love, and serve Christ more fully. The emphasis given to the ecumenical dimension, and the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Cathedral are features that distinguish this retreat from other forms of participation in Ignatian Exercises.

The Champhol Carmel Chapel

Led by a team from the Chemin Neuf Community and the Pastors Timothy and Jill Geoffrion

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Christian training

Spiritual life: The year of faith

I believe,

YEAR OF FAITH

we believe, you believe The 11th of October 2012, for the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI launched a “Year of Faith” which will close on the 24th of November 2013. This is an opportunity for FOI to ask a number of noteworthy persons, throughout the year, to answer the question: “For you, what is faith?” Here, Marc Duroeux gives us his “profession of faith”.

One is not born Christian, one becomes so. That affirmation, used among evangelicals, puts the accent on the necessary process, for the believer, of a personal faith. Even though, in my case, I was born into a family where faith in Jesus was an everyday reality, it was important that I appropriate that faith by experiencing a personal meeting with the risen Christ. Many evangelicals were born into a family environment which encouraged them to adopt the faith of their parents. Nevertheless, all of them will tell you that they have experienced repentance and conversion. What does that mean? Conversion marks a radical change in the orientation of one’s life, the acceptance to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, willingly. It implies, therefore, a personal action, linked with recognition of one’s miserable state far from God, repentance.

Marc Derœux

Pastor and General Secretary Of the Federation of Evangelical Baptist Churches of France. And father of a family.

Certainly, intellectually, I can know God, know that He is the Creator, even that He is the Saviour of the world and the incontestable Lord of the whole Universe. But if I have not experienced in my personal life, in my heart of hearts, the reality of the love of Christ and his pardon, my faith is vain, that is without power to change my way of life. You will often hear an evangelical tell you “that he received Jesus in his heart”. This expression, somewhat childish, ne-

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“Conversion marks a radical change in the orientation of one’s life, the acceptance to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, willingly.”

vertheless means that for that person, faith is linked to an experience beyond understanding. An experience often made evident in an immense and incomprehensible joy, the joy of knowing that one is loved by God and pardoned by Him? This experience can be shared but not explained. Through repentance, I realize that God loves me just as I am and for myself personally although I am far from lovable. Placed before the love of Christ culminating in the cross, I can only capitulate and recognize my inner poverty, my dryness of heart, my need for a renewed life This realization results in a determined will to change my behaviour to endeavour to live according to the principles of the Gospel, in other words as Jesus lived. A book, well known to evangelical Christians of my generation, marked my adolescence; its title is evocative for

an training training an training understanding what I have just written: What Would Jesus Do in my Place? Thus, faith is provoked by repentance and lived in conversion, that is to say in a sudden change within oneself, a change to adopt attitudes which will please God. This faith in Jesus, then, affects all my relationships, all my thoughts and all my everyday actions.

A Christian alone is a sad Christian The insistence on a personal faith does not prevent one from living one’s faith in communion with others. The community aspect is important. It permits a nourishing and a sharing of faith. The devotion to Holy Scripture, commonly called “the Word of God” among evangelical Christians, remains a central part of their faith.

READER’S SPACE

It is right to nourish one’s faith by taking time to meditate on all of the Bible, for the Bible is the norm not only for faith but for all of life, therefore even my daily existence. In evangelical circles, to read one’s Bible and pray every day is a feature of discipline of and for one’s faith. To study biblical texts together is also important. Reading the Bible with other believers helps me to seize and understand certain aspects which might escape me in personal reading.

The community is important in supporting the faith of the believer. He likes to join with those whom he calls his brothers and sisters in times of community praise and prayer. Prayer for one another is an asset he does not want to neglect. Faith in Jesus is based on the fact that Christ is still able to heal, internally but also externally. The evangelical Christian in no way neglects that dimension of healing, although it may be lived out in different ways in protestant evangelical circles with varied charismatic tendencies. My faith is based on a living meeting with the risen Christ. The reality of His life in me leaves no doubt whatever even though I can-

not explain it logically. This privilege of knowing God personally invites me to share my experience with those who have not already had such an experience. It is a concern of the evangelical Christian to live and share his faith personally and in community, in his family, his workplace, his neighbourhood and his local church. That faith is based on and maintained by a personal relationship with the God of Jesus Christ. v

Etienne, age 11

“In fact, I do not really know what faith is. But I believe, I believe in the power of God. I believe that God exists, that He can perform miracles to save people. I believe in Jesus who rose from the dead who saves men from death. There is a Word I like very much which is: “Blessed is he who believes without having seen”, because one day, I said to myself that I wanted to see paradise but the only way to see it was to do good things to please God who loves me more than anybody does; I believe in the presence of Jesus beside me when I pray, alone or with others. I like this word too: “Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, I am there among you”. I know that He is with me everywhere, even at school. The other day, when I was at school in catechism class, I felt a warm presence, I said to myself that Jesus was there. I want never to be separated from God because I want to have a good life here and with God.”

AND FOR YOU…

WHAT IS FAITH?

I BELIEVE

The readers’ space is open… we await your answers. revue.foi@chemin-neuf.org

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Christian training

Professional life: A doctor in a prison environment

I was in prison ...

and you visited to me Emmanuel Protais has been following his profession as a general practitioner in a prison in Lille for the past seven years. He wants to provide good quality care in a situation and amongst people that are a little “special”. You come and go through a single reinforced door. That is the threshold of a separate universe, with its own rules and the people who live by them...

“As you pass under the metal detector watched by the security guards, you “harden” yourself a little; the day ahead may be trying. And as you leave in the evening, your breathing and your thoughts become... freer, lighter. Detention is tangible, like a weight to be borne. Walls, bars, keys, cameras, doors to go through (14 before I can sit down at my desk). You get use to it little by little. You have to accept these stops at a succession of doors, you ring, you wait for it to be opened. You agree the time slots when you can see your patients with the guards, between the movements of the detainees, returning from exercise, going to the visitors’ room. In prison, it is the warders that you see first. They open the doors, they check you, then bring your patients and tell you about the ones who are not coming, etc... Their task is maintaining security. It is a difficult job; you have to stay calm when others get angry, to have authority but also patience, and even humanity with people who are not exactly choir boys. It took me a while to come to appreciate the value of the guards, because it was a bit of a confrontation at the beginning between the medical service and the prison administration.

Emmanuel PROTAIS, CCN A doctor in Sequedin prison

And yes, there are the “detainees”. You have to fight against simplistic ideas. The crime is not the person. Nor is the length of the sentence, a month, two years, life. Nor is his prison number,

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SEQ22154. There is no criminal in my surgery, no “lifer”, but a man or a woman who is alive, who is unwell, who is evolving spiritually and morally. Sometimes a patient is someone whom the media had represented as a monster a few days previously. How do I deal with them as my equals, as a man or a woman with dignity, with freedom? Sometimes it is difficult. Some actions make you sick. A prison is a violent place. Imprisonment is a violence. There is also a lot of violence between prisoners. There are even no-go areas. No warder ever goes into the exercise yard. In those several hundred square metres, where the detainees go twice a day, it is just the law of the strongest. If you admit to or show any weakness, you put yourself in danger. Silence, suspicion. Nor is there any right to work: low pay, stoppages unpaid, no works doctor... Sequedin Prison is modern, built to hold 650, expanded ad hoc to hold 950 by putting mattresses on the floor of the cells where there was already little space between the bunk beds and the table. Three people in 9 m2 for 22 hours out of 24. This makes it a “double sentence”, a loss of freedom and … of dignity; of a future, a right to work, independence, etc... After a while, if there is no future prospect, no independence in the way you can organise the use of your time, your perception of time and space

an training training an training God’s sacraments for me. In all their limitations, through them perhaps – their boorishness, their demands, the history of their injuries, their atrocities. A great mystery. The stakes are high, there are many challenges.

deteriorate. You live everything by how you feel at the immediate moment. You think it is hell; And yet it is a “sacramental” place. I came to prison work through the invitation and the promise of the Lord, “I was in prison and you visited me”, (Mt 25,36). And from my first weeks, this was borne out; by the presence of the Lord in the relationships with the other medical staff, and with the prisoners. In the evenings, I had the feeling of having been nourished, comforted, of having grown, through having been visited by Christ. It is a great mystery. In this climate of violence, lack of respect, immediacy, the grace of an encounter can happen. Mysteriously, the Lord is present, and He is at work. How many times have I seen His light shine in the eyes of a prisoner, the rebirth of hope. I give a blessing a hundred times a week, “Take care ...” and receive blessings, “Have a good evening, good luck, have a great weekend doctor,” with a big smile, from a person who has nothing to gain from this except the pleasure of having done me some good. The mystery goes even deeper. These detained men and women prisoners are icons of the suffering Christ. These icons are sometimes damaged. This does not diminish their value; on the contrary. They are the presence of God,

With the patients: how can there be a real dialogue for treatment during a consultation between a person who is normally denied the right to speak or any freedom of decision, and a doctor overwhelmed by noise, multiple demands, ill-timed intrusions? The two graces that I ask for during my morning prayers are to be able to be fully available and to listen. With the warders and the prison administration: if you want to be able to communicate so that you can improve your working conditions and the access to treatment, an attitude of empathy, of respect and of truth is called for.

« It is a great mystery. In this climate of violence, lack of respect, immediacy, the grace of an encounter can happen. » This is difficult; for the administration, every problem damages your career and demands a lot of paperwork. Needless to say, improving matters becomes very problematic. Talking things through takes time but can be very productive. Recently, after two quite informal exchanges with the head of a new centre, we were surprised and delighted to see that all our requests concerning our future working area had been taken into account. In the building where I work at present, these same requests have been ignored for seven years...

Finally, in the medical team. Here there is a mix of different professions with expectations which are sometimes incompatible, and of men and women with very different careers. My career is also special, in particular for my strongly anticlerical colleagues. And yet, it is like a small miracle, with good agreement, words of understanding, friendly relationships. Certainly we have disagreements, but this does not divide us. A personal challenge, Hope I know that my presence in a prison is a calling and a grace from the Lord. How do I let Him provide me with the ability to have hope in the other, to love him? I can so easily slide into self-protection, judgement, denigration of the other. One evening I got home with feelings of fear and hatred about a prisoner, a sort of “big shot” who, frustrated by a refusal, had come close to threatening me physically. I prayed, and then I could return to work in peace. Two days later, he came up to me... to say he was sorry. He had had a difficult visit, he had “blown his top”, he hadn’t been thinking what he was saying, he was saying sorry. I thanked him. What a time of thanksgiving that evening! People who say that they’re sorry in prison; that’s a rare event. Especially for the “big shots”. You must also keep up hoping for the mentally ill, who have no relationships and who, I know, are potentially dangerous, the psychopaths who do all they can to push you to the limit. Perhaps our mission in prisons, in addition to listening, to trying to bring relief, to making room for some words, to let you be yourself, to liberate, would also be, in the name of the whole of society which locks up the thing it fears, to love my enemy. In prison, I can hope for the other, and he does give me much hope. After seven years of giving my best, here I am, always happy to set off in the morning to go to work. The word of the evangelist is true, Christ is waiting for me!” v

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Music and Silence “When the music is good, when it rings out and guides my steps” In the street, on the bus, at university between classes, the music is there. The pastel-coloured, or fluorescent, headphones aren’t just needed, they’re there for show, part of the look. No room for silence any more; Even so, young people have ‘silence breaks’ on the way to work in the morning, or during a retreat, and re-discover the rhythm of the soul…as well as their ears! So, music can help your spiritual life. Be quiet; He’s talking to you!

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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“Get away, be quiet, stay still.” This was the wise advice of St. Arsène to Christians seeking to organise their spiritual life. In his day, people turned to the silence of the desert to find inner peace, and lived there for years, praying all day, fasting and seeing no-one. We too need silence for our spiritual life. But short of becoming a hermit like Arsène, or else blind and deaf, it is hard to organise times and spaces in our lives for silence. So what will your desert be like? Could it be musical? The desert is not an easy experience. It is a dry place. No percussion to give it rhythm, no symphony to fill it. So silence leaves us really poor, deprived of the creatures and activities through which we exist. To “ex-ist” is to “come out of yourself” with endless conversations on Facebook or texting, activities one after another, using each free moment to gather news, music, images; we turn to objects and concerns outside ourselves. This is good; it an even be enriching. But when we want to find silence, we realise that this intense life makes a lot of noise within us, noise which can hold us back; we go away to pray for a quarter of an hour, and find that we have spent ten minutes thinking about our friends, the last time we had a good laugh, tomorrow’s homework, in short, everything we are doing; and all this makes a lot of noise inside our heads.

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So, how do we replace this noise with silence? Can music help us? To be ‘in silence’ is simply to be attentive to the deep subtle movements of the soul, the inner music of the heart. Attention is not a tiring attempt at concentration, when we keep frowning and telling ourselves “I must think about God, I must think about God”. It is the opposite of seeking. It is waiting, waiting in hope, which makes us open and available to anything which can give our soul true peace and joy; open to receive an intuition, to be touched by a verse from the Bible, or a word from someone, to feel a prayer rising in our hearts. This state is not confined to ‘times of prayer’. It can happen at any time, and music is a valuable support in this. A meditative refrain running through our heads can lead our hearts to ‘pray without ceasing’ (Thessalonians 5: 17). Music lifts the heart, this is well known. This is why we enjoy ‘silent meals’ to the accompaniment of music which can bring out emotions, prayers, a feeling of peace. So music does not stop us concentrating; it helps us to centre on our inner selves, on the rhythm of our hearts. It acts like the cable which guides divers into the deepest waters. It accompanies our meditation.

“To be ‘in silence’ is simply to be attentive to the inner music of the heart.” pression of the words enriches our prayer. After the song, we appreciate the silence which follows; it enters into the prayer so that our hearts can continue the hymn to God. So, praise Him every day for 5 minutes in your room, in the silent desert, with your voice or your guitar. Music takes us into the depths of our hearts, and up to the highest heaven. BONUS INTERVIEW: “A song of praise helps me enter into praise” says Nolwenn, referring to the song based on psalm 118 “Let me enter into Your silence, so that I can know Your presence”. v Manon, cycle A, Hautecombe

Beginning with a song is a good way to start meditation. The power of music holds our attention, and stops our minds wandering, while the ex-

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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In the end, I stopped taking my MP3 Usually, on the way to University, I took my MP3 with me, to liven up the start of the day, even to wake me up! Only, recently I noticed that I was meeting a lot of people on the way, and having my headphones in my ears made it hard simply to say hello, or to stop for a chat. In the end I stopped taking it, and I realised it was doing me good to let my mind wander a bit, to offer up my day to the Lord, and be able to start the day without a tune running through my head all morning. Amandine, 20

Be quiet, God is talking to you At New Year at Hautecombe, they offered us a retreat which was silent in the mornings. It was hard at the beginning, I didn’t like the silence much, I was used to listening to music. Then I made a discovery; I realised that silence could also be music, and I began to enjoy it. I found myself alone with God, and it was easier to talk to him. I realised that music had crippled this relationship. When I began this silent approach, it was frightening; finding yourself alone with yourself is not always reassuring. You come face to face with doubts and questions you had put to one side. After a while, you come to understand the value of this silence. It helps you to find your position, and go forward. It is important to distance yourself from the outside world, which can tend to separate us from God. So this silence has helped me in my life; for example, it helped me to see the way forward in my studies. At the moment, I still have a problem finding quiet times; old habits die hard. On the other hand, I know that these times can be helpful. I prefer working in silence, I know it makes it easier for me to concentrate. To me, silence is not empty. In silence, you can feel the presence of God. For me, it is the only way to have a prayerful relationship with Him. Shutting out the noise is the way to accept His presence. Pierre, 20

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Olivier... Do you really have to be quiet to talk to God? Silence is a way of concentrating, but also of listening to others, especially to God. The most beautiful silence is not empty at all; God is there in it. It is prayer. But there are many ways of praying. Do you really have to be quiet to talk to God? For some people, song is the favourite instrument of the soul, a song can have God at the heart of it, just as silence has... How do I talk to God? How do I tell Him about my joys, problems, wishes, How do I spread the Word, talk to others, share my faith with them? Simply by using the gift He has given me, the musical talent He has blessed me with. Some choose a life of contemplation, others evangelise in the streets... Each of us has a special gift. God gave it to us, and said, “This is how you will talk to Me and share your faith with others”. When you realise that God gave you these qualities, everything changes. It’s not me playing, it’s Him playing through me. The qualities people applaud in a concert come from Him. It’s the beauty of His music that reaches the ears of the audience. Olivier, 28

14-18 years

• JERICHO RETREAT: “Get up, He is calling you!” : 30th Dec – 5th Jan. At Tigery and at Hautecombe Abbey. Take time to stop, to listen to the Lord and to welcome His love into your life. A time of prayer, sharing and celebration! A week to experience the New Year differently! • SCHOOL FOR CHARISMS - 18-20 January in Paris 18th Arrondissement, St Denys de la Chapelle Parish. A weekend of formation for growing in the understanding and practice of the gifts of the Spirit, and in particular the charisms, with Damian Stayne and brothers/sisters of his community Cor et Lumen Christi. • WEEKEND “Submit or choose: the embarrassment of choice!”: 17-18 Feb. at Tigery (91) and at Hautecombe (73). 16-17 March at Nantes. 2 days for learning how to make choices by the light of the Holy Spirit in your studies, relationships, professional life and your calling: how to make the right decisions and grow in freedom! • Celebrate Easter at Hautecombe Abbey. 30th March – 1st April. The brothers and sisters of the Chemin Neuf Community invite young people aged from 17 to 30 years to join them to celebrate the risen Christ together! With 600 young people! Experience the Easter Liturgy, Taste the joy of the resurrection! • Various other suggestions & events on the website: Youth Mass, Praise evenings, Meetings for young professionals, “Calling” group, etc. jeunes.chemin-neuf.fr Contact: (+33) (0)1 47 74 93 73 or (+33) (0)6 30 14 06 96 jeunes.france@chemin-neuf.org

• “Become what you are” weekend - 16-18 years: 8-9 Dec. in Paris. 2 days for resting, reflecting on who I am and who I want to be, on who I can be and what I desire for my life & hear who I am called to be, me personally. A weekend for moving forward and fitting into more & more the role of my life. •“ Dare to believe, Dare to live” weekend. Know the meaning of your faith, discover my Church a bit more. A weekend for talking about my faith with other young people and sharing. A weekend for DARING to launch yourself on an adventure which will lead us further! Lyon 14-15 years: 19-20 January Nice 14-18 years: 19-20 January Sablonceaux 14-18 years: 26-27 Jan. Paris 14-15 years: 26-27 January Strasbourg 14-18 years: 9-10 February Brittany – at Boquen : 9-10 February

•“ What’s the family for?” weekend 16-18 years: 16-17 March at Lyon (O.L. of the Dombes Abbey), 23-24 March in Paris (Livry). Reflect on the meaning of the family, of my relationships with my parents, brothers/sisters… Look at what God tells us, through the Bible, about the family. • Secretariat 14-18 years: (+33) (0)4 72 13 73 64 or (+33) (0)6 61 61 02 72 14-18ans@chemin-neuf.org Enrolments online at: WEBSITE: chemin-neuf.org/14-18ans

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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WYD RIO, EO VOU! “I’m going!” From 17 to 28 July 2013 A two-part event... 1. An International Festival 45 mins from Belo Horizonte, from 17 to 22 July, on the magnificent “Aguas Cantantes” site with 1000 young people from all over the world.

2. WYD in Rio from 23 to 28 July This week will be devoted above all to evangelization, to be able to experience fully the theme of WYD: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19.

WYD RIO 2013 “If you go to Rio...” After 4 years of training and mission in France, it was with great joy that I returned home to Brazil to do a year-long mission to prepare for WYD Rio 2013. First of all, there’s the treasure of fraternal life here in Belo Horizonte and also in Divinopolis. The Chemin Neuf Community has taken to heart the WYD mission as its community priority for 2012-2013. That means, for example, that the parish that we lead is committed with us to welcoming the thousand young people who’ll be coming to experience this celebration of faith! The other point that fills me with joy is the group of young volunteers who are serving alongside us. It’s a journey of prayer, fraternity and training so that all those young people may take to heart Benoit XVI’s call for this WYD: “Go and make disciples of all nations!” It’s a real evangelization school that the Chemin Neuf Community is setting up to be able to offer these young people some solid training, not just in the Christian faith, but also in fraternal life and service. Personally, I feel lucky to be able to experience this pause in my theological studies in this way. It’s a concrete opportunuity to be able to share some solid training and to study in depth themes such as the Vatican Council II, the role of the Pope in the

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Catholic Church, the missionary calling of all Christians, etc. with young people. Finally, this mission also fills me with hope on an ecumenical level. For a long time I’ve wanted to work for Christan unity here in Brazil, where relations between Catholics and Evangelicals are far from peaceful! By the Grace of God’s and the work of the Holy Spirit we have started to make contact with pastors of other churches in order to be able to find a way of working together, not only on this evangelization project, but also on a social project with a view to WYD Rio 2013. I’d like to thank you all for your spiritual support in prayer and for your material support in your donations which enable us to continue this work of our Lord’s! I look forward to meeing you in Rio! v Brother Luciano Couto, CCN, Brazil.

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Justin Welby:

The new Archbishop of Canterbury

Who is that man?

The nomination of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Anglican Communion in November was most unexpected. He had been a bishop for less than a year, ordained only some twenty years previously and unknown to the general public... so who is that man who was been called by God to preside over the Church of England at a crucial moment in its history? After studying at the University of Cambridge, where he experienced a personnel conversion, discovered the charismatic renewal and met his wife Caroline, Justin embarked on a brilliant career in the oil industry, first in Paris with Elf, then in London where he became Group Treasurer of Enterprise Oil. It was whilst hearing a sermon in the Anglican parish of Holy Trinity, Brompton, that he felt a call to dedicate himself to the full time service to the Church. He did his theology studies in Durham, where his dissertation at the end of his course was on the question, “Is it possible for companies to sin?” (his answer, “Yes!”). After his ordination in 1992 he served for ten years in the diocese of Coventry, first as a curate then as a parish priest.

In 2002 Justin was made a canon of Coventry Cathedral where he became director of the International Centre for Reconciliation (which had been founded after the Second World War). This was the beginning of a five year period when he travelled a great deal, notably making over sixty trips to Nigeria, a country that he knew well from his career in the oil industry, but now he was working for reconciliation. He put his life in danger at times to negotiate non-violent resolutions to social, religious and political conflicts. Appointed Dean of Liverpool Cathedral in 2007, he adopted the slogan, “A Safe Place to Do Risky Things for Christ’s Service” and dedicated himself fully in evangelisation. He was able to double the number of worshippers. Justin showed himself able to work with all the currents in Anglicanism, High Church, Low Church, Evangelical, Liberal... through his profound faith, lack of pretension and excellent sense of humour. In 2011 Justin received a telephone call from the Archbishop of York, asking him if he was willing to consider the post of Bishop of Durham,

the fourth most senior episcopal seat in the country, which carried important responsibilities at the national level (the bishop has a seat in parliament), but where the diocese was passing through a serious financial crisis. He has very hesitant at first, but then accepted the call of the Church and was appointed in October 2011. He was able to transform the finances of the diocese, raise the morale of the clergy, launch an evangelisation campaign and make himself noticed in parliament, where he was appointed to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which had been set up during the banking crisis of 2008. As a result, in spite of his lack of experience, his name quickly established itself as the natural successor to Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury who will be retiring in January 2013. Although he is from the evangelical-charismatic tradition, Justin Welby testifies that he has been strongly influenced by Catholicism, citing in particular the social doctrine of the Church, the rule of St Benedict (his spiritual director is a French Benedictine monk) and Ignatian spirituality through his contacts with the Chemin Neuf Community, which he came across during his work in international reconciliation. He even chose to make his retreat prior to his episcopal ordination in 2011 at Hautecombe Abbey. Let us pray for Justin and his family as they prepare themselves to take on their new responsibilities. He will be installed as Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2013. v Tim Watson, CCN

Priest of the Anglican Church in Liverpool

Justin and Caroline Welby

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Community Life

Couples and consecrated celibates

Vocation

Stories Aimée Roumieh during her commitment to celibacy

One of the specificities of the Chemin Neuf Community undoubtedly lies in the life and common commitment of couples and brothers and sisters who are consecrated celibates. Together called to be disciples of Christ and respecting each other’s way of life, Aimée, Pépin, Agnès and Xavier set down here their ‘vocation stories’.

“The other person: a pathway to conversion”

Agnès and Xavier are going to be married in May 2013.They share with us their choice of marriage as their vocation. “For each of us, the story of our vocation is above all the story of our personal encounter with the Lord. This encounter took place in the midst of our questions about our calling, our place in the world, the Church and the community. For Xavier, this was in Chartres in 2006, primarily through the medium of the school for evangelism through art, and then through his involvement with the youth of the Chemin Neuf community (Jeunes du Chemin Neuf) and subsequent commitment to the community. For Agnès, it was during a retreat with the Ignatian spiritual exercises and then during Cycle A in 2010. Agnès then spent time with the community in Lyon as a postulant, (known as the Bethlehem stage in the community) and time in the World Youth Days’ secretariat. For Xavier, a second year of commitment to the community, studying for a MA. Then followed a weekend when we were ‘on duty’ together and which very clearly revealed our totally different characters… That was a good start! In spite of these differences, our wish to see each other again and to get to know each other better was growing. We had the grace to wait patiently; Agnès being on a ‘Year for God’. From one point of view it was crazily demanding: taking the time to wait, to wait for each other. But above all, those precious months allowed the Lord to take away our fears, and to let the facts become clear. We clearly had a vocation for marriage, and we clearly needed to live that vocation together!

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Agnès Chevereau and Xavier François

Waiting deepened our desire, strengthened it and made it solid, even before we set out on our journey as a couple, and finally as 3! We could receive each other as a gift, as if each had been given to the other. The Lord invited us to deepen our relationship, especially as regards our differences of culture (Xavier is from Mauritius, Agnès is French), character, ways of working…The other person is a pathway to conversion; our differences move us out of our comfort zone and invite us to give more of ourselves, to let ourselves be loved. We are very small and unable to break free of our habits, but He is not! We recognise today that the other person allows me to be fully myself, that which I am called to be and there is something like a feeling of completion. Today our wish is simple: that by our union we should bear witness to the madness of the love of the Lord for mankind, that we should be a, missionary family, and that by giving ourselves to Jesus and following Him, we should be able to proclaim Him.”

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been confirmed. During a week devoted to life in the Spirit, I offered my life to the Holy Spirit. On the last day, we went into the village of Liboli on an evangelisation visit. Faced with people thirsting for the word of God, I felt within me the Saviours’s call and I said ‘Yes’ to his mission.

Pépin Malonga

Becoming a priest in the Community Pépin, originally from Congo Brazzaville I was born into a polygamous family, which did not prevent my father from showing us the way of the Church from our childhood. At the age of 5, I was adopted by my maternal uncle, who had become an atheist. Once I was living in his home, I was no longer allowed to go to church; I spent my childhood in a sort of spiritual void. From the time my uncle was reconverted, he allowed me to resume my journey in the church. After my first communion and my confirmation, I joined the group of altar servers, which awakened in me the desire to become a priest, but that didn’t last. The desire to satisfy my own wishes, drink, and other leisure activities led me away from the Lord, during the crisis of adolescence. After my baccalaureate, I wanted to take some time out by myself, far away from my friends and my usual surroundings. I spent a month in a parish a few kilometres from Brazzaville, where I knew the priest. That made me want to do something serious with the Lord, but I didn’t know how these things happened. I left for Pointe Noire, where a Sister invited me to a Chemin Neuf community prayer group. There I met people who were genuine with their God, whose prayers had a simplicity: they prayed as if God were close to them. This prayer group became a place of spiritual nourishment and fellowship. At that point, the wish to go further with the Lord deepened within me. The person in charge of the community suggested that I should go to Kinshasa to try out community life and to take the time to discern my calling. After a year of learning about the community, I went to the Ivory Coast to follow a training course (‘Cycle A’) and to begin my novitiate. That was a big moment for me, because a radical call to follow the Lord had

Another turning point in my life was the 30 day retreat (the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius). I went rather timidly, but confident of meeting the Lord. And so it was: he led me tenderly and assuredly. He came to me through the words of Luke 5, 1-11. in which he invited me to set sail into deeper waters with Him. I felt that he was not calling me alone, but into the body of a community. I have chosen celibacy, with a view to becoming a priest in the Chemin Neuf Community, trusting in the Lord and in the brothers and sisters of the community. I live out my chosen life with the support of the brother and sisters the Lord has given me, and day after day I discover that it is a pathway of joy and happiness.”

“You have seduced me, Lord…” Aimée, a consecrated sister, originally from Lebanon “You persuaded me, Lord, and I was persuaded…” (Jeremiah, 20, v 7). Three months ago, I committed myself to be a consecrated celibate in the Chemin Neuf Community. It took me some time to welcome Christ’s call in my life, even though I heard it very young; but like the prodigal son, I was very far away. I took some very tortuous paths, but his infinite mercy came to find me and lead me to the true source of living water. That was two years ago, at the Hautecombe summer festival, which I attended just to keep my brother company. During the way of the cross, using the Gospel story of Bartimaeus as a basis for prayer, I saw myself in this blind man and I felt Jesus’’ hands rest on me , curing my blindness “in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” Ephesians 1 v18. I had spent a long time looking for him outside, in the world, but he was inside me, in my innermost being. I had looked to gain the world, but lost myself. All the joy, freedom and madness that I was looking for externally I truly found in Him and with Him, because He is the way, the truth and the life. “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” John 10 v18. Having heard his ‘Will you?’ I offer him my life with total freedom and great joy, as he touched me with his love. I had nothing more precious than my life to offer him in return, like the sinful women who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. Now, I desire to offer all that I am in his service as a consecrated celibate, to be everything to everyone “so that others might have life” (John Paul II).

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Studying the Gifts of the Spirit

Zaragoza

A monastery transformed

From 18 to 20 January 2013 Parish of Saint Denis la Chapelle (Paris 18) A training weekend with Damian STAYNE, founder of the Cor et Lumen Christi community, and members of the Chemin Neuf community. In the context of New Evangelism, how can the understanding and practice of the gifts of the spirit be increased?. Dynamic teaching, practical exercises, personal and communal prayer.

à TrEvi : de gauche à droite : Gionata Fausone, Bénédicte et Antoine Contamin, Etienne de Beaucorps, Pascale de Beaucorps et les futurs ordonnés : Adonis Bizomenya (Villeurbanne, Paroisse Ste Madeleine), Federico Bertacchini (Paris, foyer de Puteaux).

Information: 06 81 40 03 08 www.ecole-charismes-2012.chemin-neuf.fr

Christmas

On line shopping !

Do you know that there is now a Chemin Neuf on line Store for your Christmas and New Year gifts? You will find there a wide choice of crib scenes, icons, Chemin Neuf community products (honey, musculine, fruit jellies, infusions…) monastery-made products (syrups, sweets, jams), children’s games, Christmas CDs and DVDs…It’s easy! Make your choice, place your order and with one click everything is delivered to your door without you having to move! See you soon!

www.cheminneuf-laboutique.com

à KINSHASA : de haut en bas, Alain Tsiomo (Paroisse de L’Isle d’Abeau, France), Gildas Bobongaud (à Lyon, Henri IV), Jean-Pierre Godding (Kinshasa), Matthieu Wansi (Kinshasa), Benoit et Denise Lokila (Kinshasa) Teaching, community life, family life

Photo album

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

Talents

Young Talent ELOI HUET “Ever since I was young, I’ve always been fascinated and intrigued by

artistic craftsmanship. The turning point came when I discovered my patron

saint had been a goldsmith; so I decided I wanted to be, not a saint like him, but a jeweller (it was more realistic for me!). Now I’m in my third year of Jewellery School. This course is teaching me how to create and repair jewellery as well as the arts of painting and drawing. Doing something with my hands allows me to express myself through the diverse materials and stones the earth offers us. It also allows me to escape, to clear my mind. Once the piece of work is finished, I feel as if I’ve accomplished something. Later on I won’t just make jewellery, but I’d also like to create religious pieces and jewels. I’ve already repaired some medals and designed some crosses. I wish to serve the Lord with my hands, so as to be able to bear witness to the Father’s love through my work.”

FOI • N°35 • December 2012 – January – February 2013

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Printed on paper originating from sustainably managed forests, certified PEFC