Rome - Chiara Lubich a printer's daughter from Italy who went on to found the 6-million member Focolare Movement whose promotion of interfaith dialogue had the blessing of her close friend Pope John Paul II, has died. She was 88. "Chiara Lubich has concluded her earthly journey in a serene and sacred atmosphere," the Focolare Movement said on its website Friday.
Lubich died at her home in Rocca di Papa near Rome, where she had returned after she was discharged from the Italian capital's Policlinico Gemelli hospital the night before, the website said.
She had been very ill for some time and had expressed the wish to return to die in Rocca di Papa, the site said.
Born in 1920 as Silvia Lubich in the northern town of Trento, she grew up in a household left impoverished when her Socialist father lost his printer's job because of his opposition to Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime.
Horrified by the World War II bombing of her town, Lubich turned to the Roman Catholic faith in 1943 changing her first name to Chiara, in honour of St Claire, a friend of the 13th century saint, Francis of Assisi.
That same year together with a small groups of friends Lubich founded what became the Focolare Movement with the aim of building "spiritual unity" between people of different backgrounds and cultures.
The movement which is organized in small "cities" consisting of groups of men and women - both married and single, mostly Catholic, but also belonging to other faiths - spread beyond Italy's borders with centres opened in Asia, Africa and North and South America in the 1960s.
Initially the Focolare multi-faith approach was viewedwith suspicion by the Vatican, but this changed in 1964 when Lubich was received for the first time by a pontiff, the then Paul VI.
Subsequently Lubich's relations with the Catholic hierarchy intensified and she would frequently meet John Paul II during his long pontificate.
John Paul visited the movement's international centre in Rocca di Papa in 1984 praising Lubich's work and describing it as "radicalism of love".
In Europe events organized by the movement include days of discussions and spiritual reflection mostly attended by Catholcs but also involving members of the Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches.
The movement has also established relations with representatives of other faiths including Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus, with Lubich nominated in 1994 honorary president of the World Council of Religions for Peace.
On Friday hundreds of people were visiting Focolare centres around the world - the movement has a presence in over 40 countries - to pay homageto Lubich, news reports said.
