Author: Maria Arias

John Paul II Foundation / Articles posted by Maria Arias (Page 3)

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Magazine, News
June 29, 2024

Bishop emeritus of Fiesole, Msgr. Luciano Giovannetti, who would have been 90 years old in a few days, returned to the Father's house today. The John Paul II Foundation, which he founded more than 25 years ago to help Christians in the Middle East, prays for him as he is reunited with the Father today, in Christ, in the Holy Spirit. In these hours of bewilderment over his departure from this world, some of Bishop Luciano's words come to mind: "We must be close to the Christians who live in the land where Jesus was born, where the first church was born, where each man was born not only affectively, but also effectively." These are words Bishop Luciano Giovannetti has repeated many times over the years in which he has spent himself, sparing no energy, for Christians living in the Middle East, from Iraq to Jordan, from Lebanon to Israel and Palestine. Luciano Giovannetti was born...

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Press Releases, Magazine
June 20, 2024

Today, 20 June 2024, World Refugee Day, we wish to make an appeal to the whole community. What makes us people? What characteristics must an individual have in order to be considered a human being, a being equal to us? Is it the country of origin, the color of the skin, the language or the possession of a plastic card that certifies the legal residence in the country? When an individual does not meet these criteria, "our" criteria, then he immediately becomes an outcast, a person who does not deserve the same rights as us, but who above all is not worthy of our humanity. Today, the John Paul II Foundation intends to express itself on those who are considered as objects. Objects of rejection, hatred, contempt but also objects of work as tools to be exploited. All to get support from the society that fears them so much, but can't do without them. Today we are talking...

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Press Releases, Magazine
June 20, 2024

May Satnam's death teach us to change course, while there is still time We were stunned and speechless by what happened in the countryside of Latina, to the young Indian boy Satnam Singh who lost his life due to the cruelty of Italians who did not assist him after the serious accident he suffered while working in the fields. What has happened, as it is taking shape, calls on all of us to take a stand and to reverse the "course": you cannot let a person die without assisting him, dumping him in the street with his wife, without telephones, with a serious haemorrhage in progress, with his arm placed in a fruit box. The government should intervene and regularise the people who worked next to Sarnam with residence permits so that they can testify and tell all the brutality of what happened. Satnam's is not a death at work, it is the denial of...

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Article, Magazine, News
June 10, 2024

On Saturday, June 8, at the Bishop's Seminary in Fiesole, we had the honor of presenting the book "Pilgrim of Peace" by Father Ibrahim Faltas. This book collects the Franciscan's writings published in the John Paul II Foundation's magazine Colloquia Mediterranea, as well as a selection of his emails sent to friends over the years. A Journey between Italy and the Middle East Through the pages of this book, Father Faltas shares accounts of his many trips to Italy and the Middle East, offering profound reflections not only on the foundation's projects, but also on the realities of populations and lands among the most beautiful and troubled in the world. Indeed, these regions constantly face ongoing situations of war and hardship, and Father Faltas' words give voice to these experiences with a tone of hope and faith. A Vision on Historical Complexity The pages of the book offer a view on the historical complexity of the Middle...

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Magazine, News
May 24, 2024

After a few months of pause due to complex local situations, the flow of medicines that the John Paul II Foundation and the Focolare Movement have long activated in collaboration with the Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut of the Latins, for the benefit of hundreds of Lebanese families in need, resumes. This project, essential to support the population in a period of serious crisis, is a concrete example of international solidarity. At the end of the month, in agreement with Civil and Military Cooperation (CIMIC - NATO), 6 pallets of medicines collected throughout the country will leave from Pratica di Mare military airport for Lebanon. This shipment is the result of a great collective effort, which has seen the participation of numerous local and national entities. Special thanks go to the Ministry of Defense for the reactivation of this important humanitarian channel, which is proving increasingly valuable due to the serious situation...

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Magazine, News
May 23, 2024

A presentation of the book "Pilgrim of Peace" will be held on June 8 at 5 p.m. at the seminary lecture hall in Fiesole. Pilgrim of Peace, by Father Ibrahim Faltas, collects his writings published in the journal of the John Paul II Foundation, Colloquia Mediterranea. Alongside these articles are collected here some of his e-mails sent to friends over the years about his many trips to Italy and the Middle East. Father Faltas is a tireless pilgrim, who, like St. Francis, meets and dialogues with all the people he meets. He deals with the everyday situations of life, sometimes beautiful, other times complex and delicate, such as those experienced by many people in the Middle East. His articles are short, written in a journalistic style, and we decided not to weigh them down with notes or comments precisely to keep the writings in their original freshness. They are pages that help to understand the complex situation in the Middle East, to orient the...

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Article, Magazine, News
April 25, 2024

Today, April 25, on the occasion of Italian Liberation Day, Civitella in Val di Chiana hosts a solemn commemoration, at which Bishop Luciano Giovannetti, Honorary President of the John Paul II Foundation, is present as a witness and survivor of the horror of June 29, 1944. This event commemorates 80 years since the massacre, when Nazi-Fascist troops carried out a massacre that deeply marked the history of the community. Bishop Luciano, who lived through the horror of those days as a child, returned to his hometown to honor the memory of the victims and witness the community's determination to pursue peace and reconciliation. Alongside him, two other survivors of the massacre will join the commemoration, along with President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. Luciano Giovannetti's personal story is intertwined with the dramatic events of Civitella. Born in the small Tuscan village, Luciano experienced the horror of the massacre up close when he was only 10 years old. Together with his mother, he...

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The Foundation in Italy
April 22, 2024

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] La Fondazione Giovanni Paolo II, in collaborazione con l'Ufficio Scolastico della Toscana e la Fondazione la Pira ha promosso il progetto educativo "Voglia di Futuro", focalizzato sulla solidarietà. La proposta è stata articolata in quattro macro-aree: la solidarietà nella vita quotidiana giovanile, la sfida ambientale, gli interventi della Fondazione Giovanni Paolo II nel campo della solidarietà, della cooperazione e dello sviluppo e la solidarietà secondo la Costituzione e i documenti internazionali. Lo scopo del progetto è sviluppare la solidarietà come fonte di integrazione, promuovendo altruismo, amicizia e condivisione tra i giovani. Gli studenti delle scuole  secondarie appartenenti a sei Istituti delle province di Firenze e Arezzo hanno prodotto 15 progetti sulla solidarietà. I beneficiari del progetto sono stati  sia gli studenti che  i docenti. Gli studenti hanno fatto approfondimenti in classe, si sono confrontati, incontrando anche operatori delle due Fondazioni, visitando centri di accoglienza e tramite percorsi di P.C.T.O. Gli...

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Magazine, News
April 22, 2024

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, a day of restitution was held at the Blue Room in Fuligno (FI). Students from 6 educational institutions - the Giovanni XXIII Institute of Terranuova Bracciolini (AR), the Galileo Galilei Technical Institute (AR), the Gramsci Scientific High School (FI), the Machiavelli Institute (FI), the Balducci Pontassieve Institute (FI), and the Galileo Galilei Scientific High School (SI) - accompanied by their teachers, illustrated their 29 projects, arousing interest, participation, and emotion as they recounted their experiences. The centerpiece of the day was an audio-video link from Jerusalem with Father Ibrahim Faltas, a class of students from Jerusalem and two teachers from Terra Sancta School. The students confronted each other, asked questions about the difficult situation those populations are experiencing-a serious and constructive dialogue that culminated in a monologue recited in Italian by a Terra Sancta School student. Bringing their greetings to the day were: Lorenzo...

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Magazine, News
April 15, 2024

Florence experienced three days of youthful energy with the Francis Live 2024 event, which attracted as many as 1,700 participants. The John Paul II Foundation took part in the event with a workshop on Saturday, April 13 at the Sala degli Otto in Palazzo Vecchio. With the theme "A Sustainable Dream," President Andrea Bottinelli along with Renato Burigana, Alessandro Martini and Maurizio Artale led a training session, offering the young people in attendance a unique opportunity to learn and share ideas....

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