Chiara Lubich concludes her Holy Journey

On 14 March 2008, shortly after 2am Chiara Lubich, aged 88, died peacefully at her home in Rocca di Papa, surrounded by members of her family and Focolare community.

Following several weeks care in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Chiara had expressed the desire to return home and she was discharged on Wednesday evening.

All day long, in the concluding hours of her life, she was visited by hundreds of people - relatives, close collaborators and her spiritual sons and daughters – who paid their last farewell in her room, and then stopped for a moment of meditation in the adjacent chapel. Despite her extreme weakness, Chiara was able to recognize some of these people.

An enormous number of messages has already reached the Focolare Centre in Rome from religious, political, academic and civil leaders from all over the world expressing their gratitude for Chiara’s life and for her contribution to the Church and to humanity. Messages of love and unity are also arriving from her many spiritual children present in all the continents.

Pope sends telegram of condolence

On hearing of the death of the 88 year-old Focolare founder, Pope Benedict XVI sent a telegram expressing his “deep emotion” on hearing the news of her death which, he said, had come “at the end of a long and fruitful life marked untiringly by her love for Jesus forsaken.”

In his message Pope Benedict said that together with all those who “valued her constant commitment for communion in the Church, for ecumenical dialogue and brotherhood among all peoples” that he assured Chiara’s family and the whole Focolare Movement of his spiritual closeness “with affection”.

The Pope thanked the Lord for Chiara having given herself to “listening to the needs of contemporary humanity in complete faithfulness to the Church and the Pope”. He expressed the wish that “all those who had met her and knew her, admiring the wonders that God performed through her missionary ardour, will follow in her footsteps and keep the charism alive.” The Pope concluded his message invoking “the maternal intercession of Mary” and giving his apostolic blessing “to all”.

 

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