The testimony of sister Paola G.: Caritas of Termoli-Larino also participated in the 44th National Conference of Diocesan Caritas, dedicated to the theme of “Borders, areas of contact and not of separation” in Grado, in the province of Gorizia.
It was a very significant meeting, for four days 613 Caritas directors and members of diocesan teams from 182 Diocesan Caritas from all over Italy, including 138 young people, were able to confront each other. Termoli-Larino was present with the Directors, Vito C. and Anna B., and myself.
We reflected and discussed together on the theme of ‘borders’ in the light of the Three Ways, delivered by Pope Francis on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Caritas Italy (1 July 1971):
the way of the least
the way of the Gospel
the way of creativity
The Conference took place on the border between Italy and Slovenia, which is crossed right near Grado and Gorizia: “charity” (in Latin caritas) is “crossing borders”, as Msgr. Carlo Redaelli, archbishop of Gorizia and president of Caritas Italy, recalled: “All borders, starting from those in our hearts and heads, we want to make them become points of encounter and reconciliation”.
In the background of the conference, the lagoon and the fact that Gorizia and Nova Gorica, the two contiguous cities in Italy and Slovenia, have both been chosen as European Capital of Culture 2025: precisely because they represent a cross-border territory where encounter and exchange are experienced in practice.
“A Europe without borders”
This is the hope we heard from the words of Msgr. Michael Landau, president of Caritas Europa, which is made up of 49 members in 46 European countries, thus beyond those of the European Union. But, precisely in this context, the role of the European Union becomes fundamental: “I am convinced that for the great challenges there are only answers that we can give together, at European level. We need more Europe, not less, and together more Caritas in Europe’.
Sister Paola G.
