Hi everybody,

My name is Nada and I'm a Gen in the movement. I was very surprised to find this website as I've found it by coincidence.
Anyways, the reason I am writing although I'm an active person in the movement is that i felt responsible to share my opinions with you.
First of all I myself have many questions about the movement and sometimes i find that some actions may be weird but what I do is asking directly the pope about them . And they answer me unlike what you say and sometimes I'm convinced and sometimes I'm not. they don't destroy my personality or brainwash me as has been pointed out many times. and if someone feels he was brainwashed then it's his own fault not anybody's to let someone think for him.
Second , about life after focolare and so on . Of course there is and there MUST be life outside the focolare even during being a member. and i don't know why everybody writing on this page did nothing else than the focolare and don't tell me the pope didn't like that because it's your choice and the pope are normal people like all of us.
Finally personally the focolare helps me to be a better person and that's why i like it a lot but of course if you can be a good Christian person otherwise it's ok . Following God is the purpose and not following the focolare. Focolare is only the means and of course there are many other means.

Thanx a lot

Laura 

I was surprised to find this page the other day as I did an internet search for focolare. I was actually taken in and absorbed by this website and spent four hours straight reading through the 48 pages of opinions. I have known the movement for about 25 years and have gone through a lot of ups and downs over the years. I have felt at one time or another how many people have expressed themselves in this website. I can say, however, that I have come to understand and be able to live my faith as deeply as I have only because of this experience with the focolare. There were many things I wanted to comment on and I do so not to say the other person was wrong and I am right but just that I have had a different experience. I guess one thing that stood out for me was the focolare living in affluent areas and driving expensive cars. This may be something that varies from country to country but in my country I can tell you this is not the case. Their cars, their homes and their lifestyle in general is very modest. This is one thing that has always impressed me because it seems that which ever focolare I go to it is always clean and really nice and one might even think, "wow! this is a nice house" but then when I've looked with a more critical eye, I've noticed the quality of the furniture, let's say or the carpet that's old and fraying, for example and I've thought, this really isn't that nice. But yet, why is it that these things aren't apparent to me right away? This has also been a great lesson for me in my own life and home to make the atmosphere more beautiful than the accessories.
As far as the amenities that Chiara has, I really don't know, it's never really struck me as extravagant but rather functional. She is an elderly woman and the head of a large international organization. She certainly doesn't live in a palace, like a king, prime minister or president in the white house.
I did not mean to change the subject of the conversation that was going on.
I just would like to say that I think it is important for those to have left the movement to have a voice, and while I have decided to stay with the movement and I am happy with my decision, I do sympathize with those who have left, some of them whom I miss very much. I would have liked to have stayed in touch regardless of their relationship with the movement.
I'm sorry to have made this message so lengthy but thank you for giving a place to share opinions.
Regards,
Laura

Regardless of the negative points the Ana (and/or others) see in the movement, there is one major thing that no one can deny, one thing that attracted me to the movement, which is the unconditional universal love, the strength that I got to be able to make strong commitment to piece and love, to give to the others without waiting, not to Judge (but to be firm-polite-clear when you do not agree with some one), to learn how to do your best in everything, and think about the others before yourself, this self giving, confidant building ideal, the super natural spirit that would guide me in my life, this thing that I never found anywhere else was and still attracts me to the movement and still make me want to commit more and more. This life that made me build so strong relationships with people from other religions and listen to them and sometimes share with them, it got to be from GOD and no one else

Love
Observer