Communion and Liberation: A Movement in the Church

The Communion and Liberation movement began in Milan, Italy, in the 1950s as an attempt to communicate the awareness that Christ is the one true response to the deepest needs of people at every moment of history. The person who encounters and welcomes the presence of Christ undergoes a conversion that affects not only the individual but also the surrounding environment. The movement spread rapidly throughout Italy and is now present in some seventy countries around the world, including people of all ages and in every occupation at every level of society. Communion and Liberation traces the history of the movement, illuminating the main characteristics of its structure and the experiences of its members. The introduction by Monsignor Luigi Giussani is a testament to his devotion to the Church and to his followers. The appendices include Pope John Paul II's moving address to the ecclesiastic movements and the new communities within the Church and Monsignor Giussani's description of his meeting with the pope in Rome, 30 May, 1998. An inspiration to all, Communion and Liberation will be of interest to scholars of religious movements as well as to all those interested in reassessing their lives.