January 2010

New Focolare Leaders Visit Rissho Kosei-kai Headquarters in Tokyo

On January 15, Ms. Maria Voce, the new president of the Focolare Movement, a worldwide Catholic lay movement based in Italy, and its new co-president, Rev. Giancarlo Faletti, visited Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters in Tokyo. It was their first visit to the Buddhist organization. since Ms. Voce succeeded Ms. Chiara Lubich as president on July 7, 2009.

Ms. Voce and Rev. Faletti were touring Asia to visit Focolare communities and leaders of various faiths. On the 15th they, along with twelve representatives from the Focolare Movement's headquarters in Loppiano, Italy, and 30 Japanese Focolare members, paid a courtesy call at the headquarters of Rissho Kosei-kai and attended an uposatha day observance in the Great Sacred Hall.

At the ceremony, President-designate Kosho Niwano led the gathering in recitation of the Lotus Sutra, and one Rissho Kosei-member gave testimony to the faith. Then the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (TKWO) performed an inspirational piece called É Amore. TKWO had earlier performed É Amore with Gen Verde, an Italian multiartistic performing group, formed by young Focolare members in the late 1960s, when Gen Verde visited Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters in 2004.

After that, President-designate Niwano introduced President Voce, and she addressed the gathering. Ms. Voce pointed out what the Focolare Movement and Rissho Kosei-kai have in common, saying that both are lay movements that promote their faith through practical application of the teachings. She expressed the hope that both organizations would help bridge the gap between Christians and Buddhists. She recalled the spirituality of Ms. Chiara Lubich, who she said treated fellow believers like brothers and sisters in the firm belief that all people are God's beloved children.

In his Dharma talk, President Nichiko Niwano described his first impression of Ms. Voce when met her last year at the movement's international headquarters in Rocca di Papa, near Rome. He said she seemed like a sister to him. He pledged Rissho Kosei-kai's further cooperation with the Focolare Movement for world peace and looked forward to ever stronger ties between the two organizations.

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