Communion and Liberation

{{Main|Luigi Giussani}}

Communion and Liberation's origin is in the educational and catechetical methods of Luigi Giussani who in 1954, abandoned his teaching position at the Venegono seminary to teach Catholic religion at {{ill|Berchet High School|it|Liceo classico Giovanni Berchet}} in Milan. Following daily encounters with his students, Giussani soon became an assistant to Catholic Action via the {{lang|it|Gioventù Studentesca}} (Student Youth) branch.{{Cite book|title=The life of Luigi Giussani|last=Alberto|first=Savorana|isbn=978-0773552173|location=Montreal|oclc=1028904627|date = 26 December 2017}} Within a few years, GS widely spread within and well beyond the Milanese diocese.

Though GS was part of Catholic Action, differences in approach caused internal tension and an eventual schism. In 1968, various members abandoned the group. The ones who remained faithful to Giussani organized themselves in what they eventually named "Communion and Liberation." The name was derived from a flyer distributed by some university students in 1969 with the aim to respond to the time's common mentality. While the world affirmed that man's freedom rested in revolution, they believed Christian communion was liberation.{{Cite book|title=Communion and liberation : a movement in the church|date=2000|publisher=Published for Cooperative Editoriale Nuovo Mondo by McGill-Queen's University Press|others=Rondoni, Davide, 1964-|isbn=9780773568297|location=Montrâeal [Que.]|oclc=181843433}}

Giussani said that he never planned to found a Catholic movement. In a letter to Pope John Paul II, he wrote, "Not only did I never intent to 'found' anything, but I believe that the genius of the movement whose birth I witnessed was the perceived urgency to proclaim the need to return to the elementary aspects of Christianity. That is a passion for the Christian fact as such, in its original elements. That's it."{{cite web|url=https://www.scritti.luigigiussani.org/en/s/nella-fedelta-al-magistero-abbiamo-sempre-voluto-portare-la-gente-a-scoprire-come-cristo-e-presenza-20050528|title=Scritti di Don Luigi Giussani|website=Scritti.luigigiussani.org|language=en|access-date=2018-07-23}} The pope was said to have been an ardent advocate of the movement, maintaining that it is a vanguard in "the work of overcoming the division between the Gospel and Culture".{{Cite book|title=Fundamentalisms Observed|last=Sciences|first=American Academy of Arts and|date=1991|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=0226508781|location=Chicago|pages=123}} John Paul II also supported the work of the Italian politician Rocco Buttiglione, a member of the Communion and Liberation, particularly those that confirmed his European and American views.{{Cite book|title=Pope John Paul II and the Church|last=Hebblethwaite|first=Peter|date=1995|publisher=Sheed & Ward|isbn=1556128142|location=Kansas City|pages=216}} The pope's attitude was influenced by his papacy's focus on moral issues as well as the movement's anti-liberal orientation.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VTJHDQAAQBAJ&q=%22Communion+and+Liberation%22+pope+john+paul&pg=PT44|title=The Rising Laity: Ecclesial Movements since Vatican II|last=Faggioli|first=Massimo|date=2016|publisher=Paulist Press|isbn=9781587685231|language=en}}

File:Julián Carrón - Padova 24-02-2016 (cropped).jpg

Giussani's former high school and university students began to express their desire to live the experience of the movement in a more stable way. Their desire was fulfilled on February 11, 1982, when the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation was recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity as a lay association of pontifical rights.

After Giussani's death on February 22, 2005, responsibility over Communion and Liberation was passed on to Spanish priest and theologian Julián Carrón, who resigned in 2021{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/fr-carron|title=Leader of CL since 2005|date=2017-01-13|work=English|access-date=2018-07-23|language=EN}} and was succeeded by Davide Prosperi.

{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}}

The experience of life proposed by Communion and Liberation revolves around what Giussani considered to be the dimensions of Christian life: culture, charity, and mission. CL continues to be represented in secondary schools under the name of GS, while Communion and Liberation - University (CLU) informally encompasses the university students involved.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/cl/t218/life-in-the-movement|title=Life in the Movement|date=2016-06-27|work=English|access-date=2018-07-23|language=EN}} Different forms of consecrated life are also present in the movement: Memores Domini, the Fraternity of St. Joseph, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo, and the Sisters of Charity of the Assumption.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/cl/t218/lay-and-religious-associations|title=Lay and Religious Associations|date=2017-01-13|work=English|access-date=2018-07-23|language=EN}}

A recurring activity in Communion and Liberation is catechesis through the School of Community (SoC), typically focusing on a text by Giussani or the Magisterium, organized by individual communities and open to the public.{{Cite web|url=https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/what-is-communion-and-liberation/|title=What Is Communion and Liberation?|first=Sofia|last=Carozza|website=Church Life Journal}}

Since the early stages of GS, Giussani had established his primary goals to be education to Christian maturity and collaboration in the mission of the Church in every aspect of life. The School of Community aims to be a method to verify the presence of Christ in one's life, delving into the relationship between faith and reason and, more specifically, how human reason can approach the mystery of God and the Incarnation. Participants help each other grow in awareness of how communion with Christ can give birth to a new humanity.

Giussani always followed the Catholic Church's prayer and liturgy. He recommended the Liturgy of the Hours, in which Communion and Liberation pray in recto tono. In the early Seventies, a condensed version of the Ambrosian breviary was compiled; this version follows a weekly cycle rather than a four-week one and is still used today in Communion and Liberation communities. However, the consecrated religious within the movement used the official Catholic breviary for prayer. The rosary is recited frequently, and praying the Angelus, the Regina Coeli, and the Memorare is often encouraged, as is the use of the invocation to the Holy Spirit, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Veni per Mariam.

Giussani's desire to encourage readership of both Catholic and secular writers who could aid in further comprehension of the Christian experience led to the "Book of the Month," a series of texts regularly recommended by Communion and Liberation.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/books/recommended-books|title=The Word Made Flesh. Foreshadowed, Fulfilled, Forever|date=2018-03-15|work=English|access-date=2018-08-08|language=EN}} Music proposals are instead compiled in the Spirito Gentil collection.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/pubblications/video-dvd/cd-spirto-gentil-series|title=Voi ch'amate lo criatore. Mediaeval Lauds|date=1970-02-10|work=English|access-date=2018-08-08|language=EN}}

Members of Communion and Liberation are educated to charity through "charitable work," a recurring time to serve those in need. Charitable work might constitute activities such as assisting people who are elderly or disabled, tutoring immigrant children, or providing support for families in need.

The movement of Communion and Liberation is, in its essence, a missionary movement, meaning its adherents dedicate themselves to bringing the living presence of Christ to all men. Its consecrated men and women live out the missionary life as missionary priests and sisters.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/cl|title=The Christian Proposal as the Adventure of Life|date=2016-06-27|work=English|access-date=2018-08-08|language=EN}}

Communion and Liberation communities regularly engage in local cultural initiatives, occasionally giving life to events that have become popular in time. The largest and most famous of these cultural initiatives is the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, an international cultural festival that takes place annually in Rimini, Italy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.meetingrimini.org/eng/default.asp?id=826|title=the Rimini Meeting|last=Foundation Meeting for friendship amongst peoples|first=Via Flaminia 18, 47900 Rimini, Italia - Tel. (+39) 0541 783100 fax (+39) 0541 786422|website=Meetingrimini.org|language=EN|access-date=2018-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207090634/https://www.meetingrimini.org/eng/default.asp?id=826|archive-date=7 December 2018|url-status=dead}} Among other smaller recurring events inspired by the Rimini Meeting are the New York Encounter,{{Cite web|url=http://www.newyorkencounter.org/|title=Home|website=New York Encounter|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-08}} Encuentro Madrid,{{Cite web|url=https://www.encuentromadrid.com/em/|title=Inicio {{!}} EncuentroMadrid|website=EncuentroMadrid|language=es-ES|access-date=2018-08-08}} Rhein Meeting,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rhein-meeting.org/|title=Rhein-Meeting|website=Rhein-meeting.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-08}} Meeting Lisboa,{{Cite web|url=https://www.meetinglisboa.org/|title=meetinglisboa2018|website=meetinglisboa2018|language=pt|access-date=2018-08-08}} and the London Encounter.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thelondonencounter.co.uk/|title=The London Encounter – The Human Being: A Paradox of Freedom|website=Thelondonencounter.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-08-08}}

The official magazine of Communion and Liberation is Traces, a monthly publication that is available in eleven languages, including English.{{Cite news|url=https://english.clonline.org/traces/traces-archive|title=July/August 2018|date=2018-07-13|work=English|access-date=2018-08-08|language=EN}} Until the 1980s, Communion and Liberation's official publishing house was Jaca Book. Since then, publications tied to the movement have been published by various publishing houses, including Notre Dame Press, McGill-Queen's University Press, and RCS MediaGroup.

Members of Communion and Liberation in positions of power in Italy have faced criticism for allegedly surrounding themselves with persons affiliated with Communion and Liberation or sympathizers, thus excluding individuals of different or opposing social, political, or religious views.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/granmilano/2018/01/21/news/comunione-e-liberazione-piccola-mappa-della-diaspora-del-fu-potere-celeste-173678/|title=Tutti i ciellini del presidente. Piccola Mappa Della diaspora del fu potere Celeste|access-date=2018-08-09|language=it}} Carrón responded to these widespread moral charges in an interview with the Italian newspaper Repubblica, in 2012. "It is a burning disappointment. The ideals of Communion and Liberation movement are far from the corruption surfacing in the Mafia Capitale investigations. And seeing that among those being investigated are people of the movement is cause of profound sadness for us."{{Cite news|date=2015-06-11|title=Julian Carron: "Un'enorme delusione ma Cl è agli antipodi"|language=it|work=Repubblica.it|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2015/06/11/news/julian_carron_un_enorme_delusione_ma_cl_e_agli_antipodi_-116584997/|access-date=2018-08-09}} In December 2016, Roberto Formigoni, former governor of Lombardy and former unofficial Communion and Liberation political spokesperson, was sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and corruption after four years of investigations.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2016/12/22/ex-lombardy-governor-formigoni-gets-six-year-jail-term-2_10370b1e-ca85-4c3c-97a6-836d2679e0ee.html|title=Ex Lombardy governor gets six years for corruption - English|date=2016-12-22|work=ANSA.it|access-date=2018-08-09|language=en}} In 2012, when Formigoni resigned as governor due to scandals, Carrón released an interview in which he stated, "There may have been people who used CL in a certain way ... we don't intervene in the documents or acts of those with political responsibilities. There are no CL candidates, there are no CL politicians. The sooner this is made clear, the better."{{Cite news|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2012/05/02/vaticaninsider/caso-formigoni-carrn-chiede-perdono-5K1TYRRYtKh0rqqecl4BJK/pagina.html|title=Caso Formigoni, Carrón chiede perdono|work=LaStampa.it|access-date=2018-08-09|language=it-IT}}

In 2016, Italian priest Mauro Inzoli, formerly of Communion and Liberation, was convicted of sexual abuse against five boys.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/pope-francis-defrocks-italian-priest-convicted-child-sex-abuse|title=Pope Francis defrocks Italian priest convicted of child sex abuse|date=2017-06-28|work=National Catholic Reporter|access-date=2018-08-08|language=en}} Inzoli had been removed from the priesthood in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, but in 2014, he was reinstated by Pope Francis. This reinstatement was reversed following the 2016 conviction, and Inzoli has been permanently out of ministry since 2017.

On 31 October 2023, officials of CL's US branch announced they had confirmed multiple cases of sexual abuse between 1997 and 2018 on the part of Christopher Bacich, who led the US branch from 2007 to 2013. CL first learned of complaints about Bacich in 2018. He has denied any fault and resigned from the movement.{{cite news | access-date = 8 November 2023 | work = National Catholic Reporter | date = 6 November 2023 | url = https://www.ncronline.org/news/abuse-allegations-against-communion-and-liberation-leader-deemed-credible | title = Abuse allegations against Communion and Liberation leader deemed credible |first = Gina | last = Christian | agency = OSV News }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://english.clonline.org Communion and Liberation International homepage]

{{Associations of the Christian faithful}}

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