Holy Father Spends Time With Nomadelfia Community and Focolare Movement
To visit the homes of two Catholic movements, today, May 10, 2018, Pope Francis visited Nomadelfia and Loppiano.
This morning, the Holy Father made a half-day pastoral visit to Nomadelfia, marking his 22nd pastoral visit in Italy, in the province and Diocese of Grosseto, where he met with the Community founded by Don Zeno Saltini, and to Loppiano (Florence) in the diocese of Fiesole, where he will visited the International Town of the Focolare Movement.
This morning, the Pope arrived in a helicopter to Nomadelfia, named after a Catholic community, following in the footsteps of St. Pope John Paul II who visited the same town on May 21, 1989.
Upon landing, the Pontiff visited the tomb of Italian priest Father Zeno Saltini, who founded the community in 1948. The Holy Father visited on of the family groups, held a meeting community members in the Church, joined young people in their celebration and delivered an address.
In the Nomadelfia Community, all goods are shared and there is no private property. Inspired by the first Christians in the Acts of the Apostles, the families and lay unmarried people of the community adopt a lifestyle of brotherhood.
After Nomadelfia, Pope Francis flew near Tuscany’s capital of Florence to Loppiano, where in 1964 the first international center of the Focolare Movement was established.
This marked the first time that a Pope visited Loppiano.
Upon landing, the Pontiff visited the tomb of Italian priest Father Zeno Saltini, who founded the community in 1948. The Holy Father visited on of the family groups, held a meeting community members in the Church, joined young people in their celebration and delivered an address.
In the Nomadelfia Community, all goods are shared and there is no private property. Inspired by the first Christians in the Acts of the Apostles, the families and lay unmarried people of the community adopt a lifestyle of brotherhood.
After Nomadelfia, Pope Francis flew near Tuscany’s capital of Florence to Loppiano, where in 1964 the first international center of the Focolare Movement was established.
After landing, the Pope first prayed at the Maria Theotokos Sanctuary, in the Focolare complex. Outside the sanctuary, Francis met the community and responded to questions from members.
After greeting a delegation of the Focolare, the Holy Father flew back to Rome.
Active in 194 countries, the Focolare is an international movement based in Italy that promotes “the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood among all people.” It was founded by charismatic lay Catholic woman Chiara Lubich in 1943 in the northern Italian city of Trento.After greeting a delegation of the Focolare, the Holy Father flew back to Rome.
This marked the first time that a Pope visited Loppiano.
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