A significant moment in the life of the Focolare Movement and in contemporary spiritual theology took place recently at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome with the official presentation of Paradiso ’49, the newly published volume containing the mystical writings of Chiara Lubich.
For the first time, these writings — long regarded as among the deepest and most personal expressions of Chiara Lubich’s spiritual experience — have been published in their complete form by Città Nuova as part of the ongoing collection of her works.
The publication marks what many participants described as a “historic step.” The presentation, held in the Aula Paolo VI of the Pontifical Lateran University, drew theologians, scholars, members of the Focolare Movement and guests from different Christian traditions. According to reports from the event, the atmosphere was one of deep attention and expectancy, with many aware that something long treasured within the Movement was now being offered openly to the wider Church and the world.
The volume gathers writings dating mainly from 1949 to 1951, years in which Chiara Lubich experienced what she later described as a “period of special graces.” During a summer in the mountains in 1949, she and her first companions felt, as she wrote, that “the Kingdom of God” had opened before them. These experiences became foundational for the spirituality and vision of unity that would later spread worldwide through the Focolare Movement.
The newly published edition, edited by Piero Coda and Alba Sgariglia, includes extensive notes, introductions, glossaries and scholarly tools intended to help readers enter into the depth of the text. Rather than presenting a systematic theological treatise, the book offers a direct encounter with a lived spiritual experience expressed in vivid, poetic and often daring language.
One of the recurring themes during the Lateran presentation was that Paradiso ’49 cannot simply be analysed as a historical or literary document. Speakers suggested that the text invites participation rather than detached observation. Alessandro Clemenzia remarked that the essential question is not merely what Chiara wrote, but “what God wishes to say through this experience.” Stefan Tobler highlighted the extraordinary openness with which Chiara shared the most intimate dimension of her relationship with God.
Particularly striking was the contribution of philosopher Angela Ales Bello, who emphasized that the mystical dimension described in Paradiso ’49 is not something abstract or esoteric, but an illumination of reality lived through faith. She noted the originality of an experience that is profoundly communal, a mystical “we” rather than simply an individual journey.
Bishop Brendan Leahy (Limerick), contributed remotely. He reflected on the ecclesial significance of the text and its potential to inspire new ways of understanding the Church as communion and relationship.
The publication also represents an important cultural and literary moment. Observers have frequently commented on the beauty and originality of Chiara Lubich’s language — a style that moves between theology, poetry and mystical insight. Her writing combines paradox, simplicity and luminous imagery in a way that many believe deserves far wider study, not only spiritually but also philosophically and linguistically.
At its heart, Paradiso ’49 reveals the source from which the charism of unity emerged: not primarily an organizational vision, but a profound encounter with God lived in communion. The decision to publish these texts in full reflects a growing awareness that Chiara Lubich’s mystical thought belongs not only to the history of the Focolare Movement, but to the wider spiritual heritage of the Church and contemporary humanity.Editions in other languages will follow shortly.