Chiara Lubich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Servant of God Chiara Lubich
Chiara Lubich, circa 2006
Born	Silvia Lubich (1920-01-22)22 January 1920 Trento, Italy
Died	14 March 2008(2008-03-14) (aged 88) Rocca di Papa, Italy

Chiara Lubich (born Silvia Lubich; January 22, 1920 – March 14, 2008) was an Italian teacher and writer. She started the Focolare Movement, a group that works to bring people together and promote the idea of a worldwide family.

Chiara was a very inspiring person. In the 1940s, she challenged old ideas about what women could do. She created new opportunities for women in society and within the Catholic Church.

Many people saw Chiara as an important leader in bringing different Christian groups, religions, and cultures together. UNESCO gave her the Prize for Peace Education in 1996, and the Council of Europe gave her the Human Rights Award in 1998. Her ideas and work have had a big impact on spirituality, culture, and society around the world.

Chiara Lubich's Early Life

Chiara Lubich was born Silvia Lubich, the second of four children. Her mother, Luigia Marinconz, was a strong Catholic. Her father, Luigi, was a socialist and against fascism. Chiara later chose the religious name Chiara when she joined the Franciscan Third Order (1942-1949).

Her father, Luigi, worked for a socialist newspaper. When the fascist government shut it down, he started a wine export business. But after a big economic crisis in 1929, he had to close it. He refused to join the fascist party, which made it hard for him to find work. The family faced many financial struggles.

Chiara learned a lot about the Christian faith from her mother and local nuns. She also developed a strong sense of social justice from her father and her brother, Gino, who was also a socialist. Their family's poverty made her very sensitive to the needs of poor people. At 15, she joined Catholic Action in Trento and quickly became a youth leader.

Education and Teaching Career

Chiara went to a teachers' college and loved studying philosophy. She really wanted to go to the Catholic University of Milan, but she didn't get a scholarship. At first, she was very sad, but then she felt a strong inner certainty that God would be her teacher.

After graduating, she taught in elementary schools near Trento from 1938 to 1939. Then, from 1940 to 1943, she taught at a school for orphans in Cognola, a town near Trento. In 1943, she stopped teaching and enrolled at Ca'Foscari University in Venice, while still giving private lessons. However, because of World War II, she had to stop her studies in late 1944.

Starting the Focolare Movement: 1942-1951

The Focolare Movement began during the terrible years of World War II. In the midst of all the suffering, Chiara discovered a powerful idea: God is Love. This idea became the spark for a movement focused on peace and unity.

In the autumn of 1942, after a simple talk with a friar about God's love, Silvia was invited to join the Franciscan Third Order. She was inspired by Clare of Assisi's complete dedication to God and chose the name Chiara, which means Clare in Italian. Chiara often spoke about her experience of God's love to the young women in the Third Order. Natalia Dallapiccola, who was 18, was the first to follow Chiara.

Lessons from the War

On September 2, 1943, planes started bombing Trento. As Chiara and her first friends ran to air-raid shelters, they only took a copy of the Gospel. They read it and tried to live by its teachings. After Italy made peace with the Allies, Nazi forces took over the area around Trento. Chiara's brother, Gino, joined the communist fighters against the Nazi-fascist government and was later arrested and tortured.

During this time of war and uncertainty, Chiara realized that everything in life passes away, everything can be destroyed, and "only God remains." She became convinced that "the way to save the twentieth century is love." She shared this important message with her family, friends, and colleagues through powerful letters. Soon, other young women joined her in what they called a "divine adventure."

On December 7, 1943, in a small chapel, Chiara made a promise to dedicate her life to God forever.

A Revolution from the Gospel

Chiara and her early friends focused on helping the poorest people in Trento. They saw Jesus in them. As more people joined, food, clothes, and medicine arrived in large amounts. Chiara made a plan to "solve the social problems of Trento," which became "Fraternity in action" in 1947.

In 1948, she wrote, "We understood that the world needs to be healed by the Gospel because only the Good News can give life back to the world. That's why we live the Word of Life (…). We have no other book except the Gospel, no other knowledge, no other art. That is where life is!"

In February 1948, Chiara wrote an article explaining how they shared everything they had, just like the first Christians. Within a few months, almost 500 people were sharing their belongings and spiritual gifts.

The Unity of the Human Family

In those dark times, Chiara had a big vision for the world:

One day I found myself with my new companions in a dark, candle-lit cellar, a book of the Gospel in hand. I opened it randomly and found the prayer of Jesus before he died: ‘Father (...) that they may all be one’ (John 17:11). It was not an easy text for us to start with, but one by one those words seemed to come to life, giving us the conviction that we were born for that page of the Gospel.

For Chiara, "that they may all be one" meant nothing less than all people becoming united. She believed that unity with God and among people could happen if they embraced difficulties and suffering. Chiara focused on "Jesus Forsaken," understanding that in that moment, Jesus had turned all pain and suffering into "new life" and healed all divisions.

She later said, "Jesus Forsaken won every battle in us, even the most terrible ones (...). But it is necessary to be madly in love with him, who is the summary of every physical or spiritual suffering, the cure (...) for every pain of the soul."

Chiara and her friends felt great joy, peace, and light. They realized that Jesus was keeping his promise: "Where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matt 18:20). They understood that this unity was meant for the whole world. In 1946, she suggested they aim for universal brotherhood. "Look at all people as children of the one Father. Let our thoughts and the affection of our hearts go beyond the barriers created by our human way of seeing life. Get used to always opening ourselves to the truth that we are one human family with only one Father: God."

Chiara and her friends thought they were just living the Gospel. But the ideas that emerged formed the basic principles of a "spirituality of unity." This spirituality became a rich way of living Christian life, full of ideas and experiences, with a strong focus on community. Later, it was found to be in complete agreement with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. It also had an impact on society, culture, politics, and the economy.

A Big Decision

On May 13, 1944, Trento was heavily bombed. Chiara's family home was damaged, so they decided to move to a mountain village for safety. But Chiara made the difficult choice to stay in the city. She wanted to support the growing group of young women who were inspired by her. As she walked through the streets looking for her friends, a woman, heartbroken, grabbed her and cried that four of her family members had been killed. For Chiara, this was a call to put aside her own pain and take on the pain of all humanity.

In the autumn of 1944, Chiara was offered a small apartment in Piazza Cappuccini. She moved there with some of her companions. This became the start of a small, unique community. Their warm love earned them the nickname "focolare," which means "hearth" or "fireplace" in Italian. Even though they didn't plan to start anything, this small household became the first basic structure of the new Movement. It was its heart.

In 1948, two young men, Marco Tecilla and Livio Fauri, decided to follow Chiara's new way of living together. They formed the first men's focolare community. In 1953, the focolare community took its final shape when married people also became full members, while still living their married lives. Igino Giordani was the first married person to follow this path, opening a way for many other married people who wanted to live a deeper spiritual life.

Years of Challenges

"Whoever listens to you listens to me" (Luke 10:16). This sentence from the Gospel inspired Chiara and her companions to visit the bishop of Trento, Carlo De Ferrari. He listened to them, learned about their lives, and then reassured them. He also confirmed that this was something new and should be separate from the Franciscan Third Order.

On May 1, 1947, Archbishop De Ferrari approved the rules for the "Focolare of Charity - Apostles of Unity." In 1949, the Vatican officially recognized the Focolare of Charity as separate from the Franciscan Third Order. However, criticisms against them didn't stop. In the 1950s, when new movements were uncommon in the Church, some Vatican offices were suspicious of the Focolare Movement. In 1951, the Holy Office (now called the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith) began a long study and interviews to test Chiara. During this time, it was uncertain if the movement would be dissolved or approved.

Papal Approvals

The challenges gradually ended. The Focolare Movement received its first temporary approval in 1962 from Pope John XXIII. This was around the same time he started the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI gave further approval in 1964. In 1990, Pope John Paul II approved the official rules that describe the Focolare Movement as it had grown over the years.

As early as 1984, Pope John Paul II recognized Chiara's "radical love," comparing it to that of other great founders. The next year, he supported the idea that the head of the Movement should always be a woman, even though Focolare includes priests, religious men and women, and bishops. He said, "Indeed! I see you [the Focolare] as an expression of the Church’s Marian profile." In the same year, John Paul II named her a consultant for the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Chiara spoke at meetings of bishops in 1985, 1987, and 1999.

Meeting Igino Giordani

Chiara moved from Trento to Rome due to various reasons. In Rome, she needed help finding an apartment. She asked to meet Igino Giordani (1884-1980), a well-known member of Parliament. Their meeting happened on September 17, 1948.

Giordani was married with four children. He was a writer, journalist, and an early supporter of bringing different Christian groups together. He was also an expert in Church history, so he understood how new Chiara's spirituality was. At 56, he decided to follow her, while staying with his family. He became a spiritual member of the community of consecrated virgins. He was the first of the "married Focolarini," a new way of dedication open to married people. Giordani also helped a lot with the movement's efforts to unite Christians and with its social impact. Chiara considered him a co-founder of the Movement. Efforts are currently underway to recognize him as a saint.

A Special Time of Light

After many years of hard work, in the summer of 1949, Chiara and her companions went to Tonadico, a town near Trento, to rest. This was a very special spiritual experience for her, often called "Paradise ’49." During those months, she understood more about God's plans for the Focolare Movement and its future.

Chiara constantly communicated with Igino Giordani, who had returned to Rome for his work. She immediately shared her new understandings with the young women with her. They felt like they were experiencing it with her. This was the founding experience of the new community spirituality and the Church reality it would create.

Growth of the Movement

In September 1949, Chiara returned to Rome from the mountains, and a new phase began. Before the year ended, she met Pasquale Foresi (1929-2015), a young man from Pistoia, Italy. He became one of Chiara's closest helpers, and she also considered him a co-founder, along with Igino Giordani.

Mariapolis: Cities of Mary

Every summer from 1950 to 1959, in mountain villages near Trento, people from all walks of life joined Chiara and the Focolare members. They lived this new way of life together while enjoying a holiday. People came from Italy, France, Germany, and other countries in Europe and other continents.

A spontaneous, multicultural example of a society renewed by the Gospel began to take shape. It was called "Mariapolis" (meaning "city of Mary"). In 1953, Alcide De Gasperi, who was then the Prime Minister of Italy, attended the Mariapolis. In 1959, over 10,000 people came to the Primiero Valley from 27 nations, including Czechoslovakia, Brazil, and Taiwan.

The next year, at the Mariapolis in Switzerland, Chiara spoke to a group of politicians. She talked about a future time when all nations would live in unity, predicting "a new era." She said, "The time has come when we must love the homeland of others as our own. Today, the times require us to have the social responsibility to build up not only our own country but that of others, too."

A Work "Under Construction"

Chiara often said she was just a simple tool in God's hands. After the Pope approved the movement in 1962, it grew surprisingly fast. This led to the creation of different branches for members who wanted to commit more deeply, and movements for wider outreach. Chiara often repeated that she never had a plan or an agenda:

Yes, because the pen does not know what the author wants to write ... So, when God takes a person in his hands to produce a particular work within the Church, that person does not know what he or she will have to do. They are merely the tool, the instrument ... When this life started in Trento, I had no plan, no program. The idea of this Movement was in the mind of God, the project was in heaven. That’s how it was in the beginning, and that’s how it has been over all the years the Movement has developed.

Youth and the Gospel Revolution

In 1967, Chiara suggested a "revolution of love" to young people, based on the Gospel. She strongly called for young people around the world to unite. She pointed to a new kind of person needed for this time, the "global person" who cares about the whole world.

In 1985, an even bigger youth movement started, called "Youth for a United World" for young adults. A year before, in 1984, Chiara had started "Teens for Unity," for teens and children to build peace everywhere and spread a culture of giving.

New Families Movement

On July 19, 1967, Chiara announced the start of a movement for families. She asked couples living the spirituality of unity to reach out to all couples, especially those who were suffering. Groups formed all over the world, and hundreds of social projects began to support family life. They provided practical help for those in need and sponsored children through their "Adoptions-at-a-Distance" project and international adoptions.

Towards the Church as One Community

From the early years of the movement in Trento, Chiara often met with religious men and women from various groups, as well as priests. She encouraged them to live out Jesus' last wish, "Father, that they may all be one," in their communities and parishes. This led to a widespread movement among religious and priests.

"Operation Africa"

In 1964, during the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Julius Peeters from Cameroon asked Chiara if they could send medical help to a region in his country where people were at risk of disease. She asked some Focolare members who were doctors or nurses to go to the village of Fontem. They found that vaccinating the people greatly improved their situation.

Seeing their great need, Chiara started "Operation Africa" among the youth of the movement. They raised money to build a hospital and then schools for the village. Chiara herself visited the Bangwa people in Fontem in 1966, 1969, and 2000. Fontem is now home to the Mary Health of Africa mission hospital, a 120-bed hospital that also offers extensive outpatient services and runs a clinic nearby.

Eastern Europe

Starting in 1955, with encouragement from Pope Pius XII and German bishops, some Focolare members moved to Czechoslovakia and then to East Germany and other nearby countries. Chiara gave them clear instructions: be excellent workers, live out mutual love and love for each neighbor without talking about it, and respect the country's laws. She traveled to Berlin nine times, both before and after the Berlin Wall was built.

In 1990, when people were allowed to travel outside their countries, several hundred young people from Eastern Europe were able to attend the GenFest in Rome. In August 1991, in Katowice, Poland, 6,500 Focolare Movement members from Eastern European countries met Chiara and each other for the first time.

For an Economy of Sharing

In May 1991, Chiara went to São Paulo, Brazil, to meet with movement members there. An idea came up for a project called the "Economy of Communion" (EOC). In this project, businesses would first live out a spirit of unity among their employees, competitors, and customers. Then, they would share part of their profits to help people out of poverty and create a "culture of giving" instead of just "having."

This idea interested academics who have studied how it works and are now teaching a new economic theory in universities worldwide. Chiara received several honorary doctorates in economics. In 1999, she presented the Economy of Communion at the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe in France. In October 1998, Fernando Cardoso, the president of Brazil, gave Chiara his country's highest award, recognizing the EOC as an "innovative and effective weapon in the struggle against poverty and exclusion."

Politics for Unity

Chiara was invited to speak to a meeting of Italian politicians from different parties on May 2, 1996, in Naples. She suggested that they should first live as brothers and sisters among themselves. Then, they should bring this spirit to all their relationships with other politicians, aiming to work together for the common good. This led to the formation of the Movement of Politics and Policy for Unity (MppU). Chiara explained its main ideas several times when she met government members in Slovenia, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Brazil (1998), and Italy (2000).

During her visit to Ireland in 2004, she met President Mary McAleese. In 2008, visiting the Focolare center near Dublin, McAleese spoke of Lubich's "simple and beautiful idea of love as a lived reality leading to unity. Ideas such as hers" provide "an antidote to the negative ideas that spread so easily, causing damage, breaking hearts and lives."

That same year (2004), Chiara visited England and spoke in the House of Commons in Westminster on the topic "Liberty and equality ... What happened to fraternity." She also spoke at a meeting at the United Nations in New York, titled A Unity of Nations and a Unity of Peoples. In November 2001, she was invited to a big conference in Vienna, Austria, called "1,000 cities for Europe." There, she suggested that "the spirit of universal brotherhood in politics" was key to uniting Europe and the world. On September 12, 2004, she gave what would be her last public speech in Rome, for the second international Interdependence Day.

A Culture of Many Fields

In the early 1990s, Bishop Klaus Hemmerle of Germany encouraged Chiara to bring together scholars from different fields who had been living the Focolare spirituality for some years. They formed what is called the Abba' School, a study center that combines different subjects. Its goal was to develop a deeper understanding from the insights Chiara received in the summer of 1949. In December 2007, the Sophia University Institute, approved by the Pope, was established in the Movement's small town of Loppiano, near Florence. It offers graduate programs that combine different subjects, based on the culture of unity.

"A Woman of Dialogue"

Throughout her life, Chiara was a leader in promoting dialogue. She encouraged conversations among civil and religious leaders, movements, and individuals within the Catholic Church, with Christians of different Churches, with followers of other religions, and also with people who didn't have a religious belief.

She believed in a "dialogue of life." This means people meet and, even with different ideas, speak with sincere love for the other person. This helps them find common ground, clear up misunderstandings, calm arguments, solve conflicts, and even remove hatred.

Chiara had many practical ideas for how to have good dialogue. She explained:

We have to love the other person, but not with words or feelings. We have to be concrete in our love and the best way to do this is to ‘make ourselves one’ with them, ‘live the life of the other’ in a certain way, sharing their sufferings and their joys, understanding them, serving and helping them in practical ways. ‘Making ourselves one’ is the attitude that guided the apostle Paul, who wrote that he made himself a Jew with the Jews, Greek with the Greeks, all things to all people (cf. 1Cor 9:19-22). We must follow his example so that we can establish a sincere, friendly dialogue with everyone.

This attitude, suggested by Chiara, also means not trying to convert the other person to one's own religion or point of view. Instead, it helps people who were strangers discover that they are all brothers and sisters in the one human family. Pope John Paul II called the members of the Focolare Movement "apostles of dialogue."

Bringing Christians Together

Like everything in Chiara's experience, the Focolare Movement's work to unite Christians started with a personal connection. In 1961, a group of Lutheran nuns invited her to Germany to share her spiritual ideas. Some Lutheran pastors were also there. They were so impressed by her simple, Gospel-based life that they wanted to spread her spirituality among Lutherans. In 2008, the General Secretary of the World Lutheran Federation, Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, said, "Many in the Lutheran communion have drawn inspiration from this laywoman."

In 1966, in London, Chiara met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, the head of the Anglican Church. She later met with his successors. A former Archdeacon of Canterbury once said that the Focolare had "burst forth in the Church like a fountain of living water from the Gospel."

From 1967 to 1972, she traveled to Istanbul eight times. There, she had deep, friendly conversations with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras I. She met with him 24 times over the years. This dialogue continued with his successors, Demetrios I and Bartholomew I. Chiara also formed a deep and lasting friendship with Frère Roger Schutz, who founded the ecumenical community of Taizé.

Since 1967, she had contacts with the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches in 2008, wrote that "Chiara Lubich had a profound impact on the ecumenical movement and helped significantly to foster viable relationships between churches of different Christian traditions. (…) Our love for Chiara and immense gratitude for the gift of God she has been to the ecumenical movement will continue to motivate and inspire us in our work for the visible unity of the Church."

In all these efforts, Chiara reported her activities to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, where she received full support. She also felt supported in this work by all the modern Popes, starting with Pope John XXIII, who made Christian unity one of the main goals for the Second Vatican Council.

Working with Catholic Movements

On the day before Pentecost in 1998, in St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope John Paul II held the first large meeting of Church movements and new communities. 250,000 people from many countries attended. The Pope said that both the official structure and the spiritual gifts are essential in the Church. He added that the Church expects "mature fruits of communion and commitment" from these movements. Chiara spoke to the Pope with three other founders and promised to work for unity among the movements. From then on, she worked with special passion to increase unity among the founders, leaders, and members of these movements.

"Together for Europe"

The experience of Catholic movements coming together inspired members of other Christian movements to join them. Since 1999, a network of cooperation among Catholic and Lutheran movements and communities was formed. It gradually spread to many other groups and movements in Christian Churches across Europe. This has resulted in an ongoing project called "Together for Europe." It is ecumenical, meaning it includes different Christian groups, and also involves political leaders. The goal is to help give "a new soul to the old continent," especially considering the challenges of uniting Eastern and Western Europe. The first big event took place in Stuttgart in 2004, with Chiara as one of the main speakers. 9,000 people participated, while 163 similar events were held at the same time in other places.

Talking with Other Religions

The door to dialogue with other religions opened unexpectedly in London in 1977. Chiara received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. In her acceptance speech, she shared her Christian experience and mentioned that the Focolare Movement also had friends among Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. She also quoted great spiritual leaders from other religions who spoke about love. The response from religious leaders present was much more than she expected. For her, it was a sign that the Movement needed to develop its interreligious dialogue.

In 1981, Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of a Buddhist movement, invited Chiara to Tokyo. She shared her spiritual experience with 10,000 Buddhists gathered in a famous Buddhist temple. It was the first time a Christian woman had spoken there. The impact was huge, and many present said it helped them appreciate the basic ideas of Christianity.

In January 1997, she went to Chiang Mai in Thailand. She was asked to speak to 800 Buddhist monks and nuns. Again, she was the first Christian and the first laywoman to address them. Their Great Teacher, Ajahn Thong, explained, "The wise person is neither male nor female. When someone turns on a light in the darkness, one does not ask if the one who lit it was a man or a woman. Chiara is here to give us the light she has experienced."

In May of that same year, she was invited to the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque in New York. Once again, she simply shared her Christian experience with 3,000 Muslims. She referred to quotes from Islam that were similar to the Gospel, and the crowd responded, "God is great!" At the end of the meeting, she made a promise of friendship with their leader, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.

Three years later, they met again in Washington D.C., with 6,000 Christians and Muslims, to celebrate an event called "Faith Communities Together." Since then, this event has been repeated in many cities across the United States, bringing the two communities together for friendship and shared projects.

In Buenos Aires, in April 1998, Chiara met members of the Jewish community from Argentina and Uruguay.

In 2001, she made her first trip to India. She was invited by Kala Acharya, director of a university in Mumbai, who said, "It is time to break down the walls of separation and discover the garden of the other." Two respected Hindu-Gandhian institutions in India gave her the Defender of Peace Award. She returned in 2003, invited by the leader of a large Hindu movement.

In 2002, at the Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Italy, Chiara and Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Saint Egidio Community, spoke on behalf of the Catholic Church. In 2004, in London, Chiara spoke to a large audience of people from various religions and cultures. She suggested a strategy of brotherly love that could change international relations, "because fraternity is God’s plan for the whole human family."

Talking with People of No Religious Belief

In 1978, Chiara opened a Focolare center for dialogue with people who didn't have a specific faith. These were people who followed their conscience and were committed to living and spreading the great common values of humanity. Groups were formed with people of religious faith and those with other beliefs, all sharing the same desire to work for universal brotherhood and to bring the human family together.

At their first meeting in 1992, Chiara told them, "You are an essential part of the Focolare Movement because the values of togetherness and fairness that you promote contribute to the project of unity, which is the goal of this Movement."

Dialogue with Modern Culture

Chiara soon realized that the spirituality of unity had something to offer every job and area of society. People began to meet with others in their field of work. Groups formed to increase unity and brotherly love within their profession. They promote research to bring the values of love for others and unity into the normal practice of medicine, education, art, sports, ecology, psychology, economics, politics, and more. They also sponsor conferences, training courses, and various publications on these topics.

Final Years

The "Night of God" and the "Night of Our Age"

For Chiara, like for Mother Teresa of Calcutta and other deeply spiritual people, a biography should mention a "hidden" side of their life. This is a mysterious but very important aspect. Since the time of Saint John of the Cross, these experiences have been called "nights" of the soul in spiritual language. Chiara said that her life was marked by "bright moments of love and dark depths of pain."

A peak came for her when she experienced the "night of God," her last serious challenge at the end of her life, from 2004 to 2008. It seemed to her that "God had disappeared, like the sun disappearing over the horizon and no longer seen."

This was a personal "night," but she also saw it reflected in the "night of our age." Once again, Chiara found a way out of this challenge by embracing Jesus on the cross, who in his "darkest possible night" felt abandoned by his Father. She pointed out "signs of resurrection" in many parts of her work, especially in politics, economics, communication, and dialogue between religions and cultures. She felt that these "resurrections" came from faithful love for Jesus who felt abandoned amidst pain and darkness. This was her last public message, ending with:

If we walk forward in these ways we can say: ‘My night has no darkness’, but all things shine in the light.

The Last Goodbye

After a long period (from September 2004) when her health declined, Chiara was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome in early February 2008. While there, she received a visit from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and a letter from Pope Benedict XVI. On March 13, 2008, since doctors could do no more for her, she was discharged and returned to her home in Rocca di Papa. She passed away peacefully the next day, March 14, at the age of 88.

Her funeral was held in Rome on March 18, at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Thousands of people filled the church and overflowed outside, where large screens were set up for them to follow the service. Leaders from government, the Catholic Church, many other Christian churches, and other religions attended and shared their thoughts about her life. A respected Thai Buddhist monk commented, "Now Chiara and her great Ideal are the legacies of the whole of humanity." News of her funeral was reported internationally.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, then the Vatican's Secretary of State, read a letter from Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope said, among other things:

The continuous link with my respected predecessors, from the Servant of God, Pius XII, to Blessed John XXIII and the Servants of God, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II, was concrete testimony that the thought of the Pope was for her a sure guide. Moreover, looking at the initiatives she accomplished, one could even affirm that she had an almost prophetic capacity to perceive and anticipate it.”

On January 27, 2015, the process to declare her a saint began. Pope Francis sent a message highlighting its purpose: "to make known to the people of God the life and works of one who, by accepting the invitation of the Lord, has turned on a new light for the path to unity in the Church." On November 10, 2019, the first part of the process ended, and the case was moved to the Vatican.

Acknowledgments

From Governments and Leaders

• UNESCO: 1996 Prize for Peace Education, December 1996
• Council of Europe: 1998 Human Rights Prize, September 1998
• Brazil: National Order of the Southern Cross, presented by the President, October 1998
• Germany: Grand Merit Cross, presented by the President, June 2000
• Taiwan: Order of the Brilliant Star, February 2001
• Italy: Knight of the Great Cross Order of Merit, presented by the President, March 2004

Honorary Citizenships

• Italy: Rocca di Papa, 1995; Pompei, 1996; Rimini, 1997; Palermo, 1998; Rome, 2000; Florence, 2000; Incisa Valdarno, 2000; Rovigo, 2000; Genoa, 2001; Turin, 2002; Milan, 2004; La Spezia, 2006
• Brazil: Vargem G. Paulista, 1998; Manues Amazonia, 1998; Paragominas Parà, 1998; Bela Vista do Toldosc, 1998; Amanindena Parà, 2002
• Argentina: Buenos Aires, 1998; Chacabuco, 1998; Santiago de Estero, 1998
• Philippines: Tagaytay, 1997
• Hungary: Janoshalma, 2008

Important Awards

• Italy: Sienna, Silver Cateriniana Plaque, September 1987
• Italy: Florence, Casentino Literary Award, July 1987
• Italy: Trento, Burning Eagle of St. Wenceslaus, January 1995; Gold Medal of St. Virgilius, 1995
• Italy: Milan, Author of the Year Award, March 1995
• Italy: Bologna, Silver Turret Award, September 1997
• Argentina: Illustrious Visitor, City of Buenos Aires, April 1998
• Brazil: Coat of Arms of Belém, December 1998
• Slovenia: Medal of Saints Cyril and Methodius, April 1999
• Republic of Cameroon: Title of MafuaNdem (Queen sent by God), May 2000
• Italy: Liguria Region, Award for peace and solidarity, December 2001
• Italy: Lombardy Region, Rosa Camuna Award, November 2003
• Italy: Brescia, Paul VI Goodness Award, 2005
• USA: Lifetime Achievement Award, Family Theater Productions, Hollywood, July 2006

For Dialogue Between Religions

• England: Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, April 1977
• Italy: "An olive tree for peace," Jewish Community of Rome, planted in Rocca di Papa, October 1995
• Italy: Civilization of Love award for interreligious dialogue, June 1996
• Brazil: Plaque for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue, April 1998
• USA: Plaque for Love of Neighbor and Solidarity with Muslim communities, May 1999
• India: Defender of Peace Award, January 2001
• India: Citation in honor of Chiara Lubich, January 2001
• USA: Crystal of recognition for excellent service to humanity in religion, May 2004

For Dialogue Among Christians

The Anglican Church

• Cross of the Order of St. Augustine of Canterbury from Archbishop Robert Runcie, London, 1981
• Golden Cross of the Order of St. Augustine of Canterbury from Archbishop George Carey, London, 1996

Greek Orthodox Church

• Byzantine Cross, from Ecumenical Patriarchs Dimitrios I (1984) and Bartholomew I (1995) in Istanbul.

Evangelical Lutheran Churches

• Augsburg Peace Prize, for "special achievement in interconfessional agreements," October 1988.

From Universities and Cultural Groups

Honorary Doctorates

• Poland: Social Sciences, Catholic University of Lublin, June 19, 1996
• Thailand: Social Communications, St. John University, Bangkok, January 5, 1997
• Philippines: Theology, Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila, January 14, 1997
• Taiwan: Theology, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, January 1997
• USA: Humane Letters, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut, May 21, 1997
• Mexico: Philosophy, La Salle University, Mexico City, June 6, 1997
• Argentina: Dialogue with Contemporary Culture, State University of Buenos Aires, April 6, 1998
• Brazil: Humanities and Religious Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, April 29, 1998; Economics, Catholic University of Pernambuco, May 9, 1998
• Italy: Business and Economics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, January 29, 1999
• Malta: Psychology, University of Malta, February 26, 1999
• USA: Education, Catholic University of America, Washington, November 2000
• Slovakia: Theology, University of Trnava, June 23, 2003
• Italy: Theology of Consecrated Life, Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, October 25, 2004
• Venezuela: Art, Cecilio Acosta Catholic University, Maracaibo, November 18, 2006
• England: Divinity, Liverpool Hope University, January 5, 2008

From Cultural Institutions

• Italy: Prize for Dialogue among Peoples, October 1993
• Brazil: Medal of Honor, State University of São Paulo (USP), April 1998
• Argentina: Medal of Honor, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Buenos Aires, April 1998
• Italy: The Trento Person of the Year Award, June 2001
• Italy: Stefano Borgia Award for intercultural and interreligious dialogue, November 2001
• Italy: Honorary member of the Luigi Getta Study Centre, Rome, March 2003
• Venezuela: Establishment of the “Chiara Lubich” Free Chair of Studies, February 2005
• Paraguay: Thomas More Award, December 27, 2006
• Brazil: Medal of Honor, State University of Sao Paulo, April 1998; “Chiara Lubich” Chair in Fraternity and Humanism, Recife Catholic University, March 25, 2014

International Honors

• Argentina: Illustrious Visitor, City of Buenos Aires, April 1998
• Brazil: Coat of Arms of Belém, December 1998
• Italy: Telamon International Peace Award, July 1999
• Republic of Cameroon: Title of MafuaNdem (Queen sent by God), May 2000
• Italy: City of Peace Award, Castelgandolfo, April 2003
• Italy: CivisTusculanus Award, Frascati, September 2004
• Switzerland: Bourgeoisie of honor, presented by the Mayor of Mollens, August 2007

See also

• Focolare Movement
• Igino Giordani
• Pasquale Foresi
• Economy of Communion
• List of peace activists