Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Conversations on the present and on destiny. For everyone. This is the essence of the latest book by Mgr. Luigi Giussani, founder of the Communion and Liberation Movement CL. “Humanity its present and its destiny: conversations over a cup of coffee” is a collection of interviews with Guissani by Italian journalist Renato Farina (vice director of “Libero”) in thirty years: the first in1981, on the day of the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II and the last published on 22 August by “Libero”, an “Interview on Destiny”, the newspaper says on page 1. “To listen to words which are true, not meditated, not sweetened, not watered down, on the meaning of Christianity, is an experience I would wish on all, including non believers, at least those not blinded by their secular fanaticism” Pierluigi Battista writes in the book’s preface and words true and not at all sweetened came from the lips of Renato Farina, interviewed by Fides a few days after the book was published.
How did this book come to be?
In 1981 following the attack on Pope John Paul II in St Peter’s Square I interviewed Giussani for the “Il Sabato” newspaper. The interview was then forgotten. Profound words useful for many people. I remember the first thing he said when we started the interview: “Anyone who defends the human person -we know this from Jesus Christ - must experience all the risks of life, including the greatest”. And then the words addressed to non believers who have anyway something to learn from the attack on the Pope: “they should feel shivers up and down the spine. They should feel that this attack is on common humanity which permits to live constructively; to live together with a minimum of love and peace. Ardent defence of humanity includes the help the Pope offers with his testimony to any man. To all men and women.” Remembering those words, re-reading the interview, I felt the desire to make my conversations with Guissani in the last thirty years once again available to the public. Render public words which were a gift for the whole Church and for all people.
Yes, a gift for all men and women. In effect every page of the book offers words useful and suited to all for the present and for the end. Like meeting for a coffee and talking about life, human destiny, the end of one’s own life...
Yes, the title of the book, the idea of co-existence, of life shared, lived together, intends to express. Communion is a word central in the life of Giussani and all through the book he speaks of unity, of being connected one to another not an entity closed in on itself but communion for mission, for others, for the world. “Communion means being part of Christ’s mystery in the Church” Giussani said in an interview on 17 May 1986, “and therefore awareness that we are tied in the depths of our being with all who are called by the Lord. «Do you not know that you are members of each other?» Therefore it is something we cannot renounce: we all share in the same Mystery, to refuse to collaborate would mean to deny this belonging”. Often we are content with the beauty of being together, forgetting that all friendship is given to be shared with all, to be missionary.
And that every friendship, every gift of the Spirit is for all, is no secondary thought in the book. This is clear on page 84 when, speaking of relations between movements in the Church, Giussani says: “That the Church, as the Pope insists, is realised in the variety of many movements, is a sign of the riches of the Spirit. The Spirit wishes to regenerate the newness and freshness of the Church in every situation and according to all temperaments. If diversity were to prevent collaboration, it would means that attachment to particular aspects would abuse of the Church’s love as such.
Certainly, many are the interesting ideas hidden in Guissani’s every sentence. If we were, nevertheless, to say what is the book’s central message, what would you say?
In effect all the interviews speak of Christ present in time. God present through Christ in time or time itself passes welcoming a great host: Christ himself. Reality, time which passes, Giussani says in every word, is positive because Christ is and Christ is present.
Have you met Giussani often... what impressed you most about him?
More than by what he says, one is impressed by his attitude, his look, how he sees and judges every situation. He is always one with Christ. He is assimilated to Christ. Everything he says refers to Christ, everything about him coincides with Christ.
“When we hear people speak about this man” Farina writes in the introduction to the book, “and even more when you question him and he looks you in the eye, one inevitably shakes off the torpor of widely known things. Something happens, «I» begins to move and recall old questions, loved faces and suddenly one remembers that nothing is lost. One day he told me: Even anchovies will be saved, not to mention those we love!”
(P.L.R.) (Agenzia Fides 16/11/2004 - Righe 64; Parole 844)
