An inviting initiative: the “Cross of the new unity”

Enrique Soros

There is an initiative related to the conquest of the cross in the hearts of many Schoenstatt members. It’s about an expanding stream of life related to the spiritual conquest of the Unity Cross.

We have interviewed Javier Carbonere, from the Family Federation of Argentina, who with his wife Cecilia, is part of those who promote this current.

Javier, how did this initiative come about?

In mid 2020, in light of the accusations against our Father and Founder, the desire to erect a large Unity Cross next to the Original Shrine arose. We understand that no one remained indifferent to those accusations. There were different reactions, all of them understandable. We believed that a response had to be given; we could not stand idly by. We felt the need to show our affection and gratitude to Father for the gift of his life, because he gave us a Shrine, a home, a family, a Mother and a Covenant of Love with her, a community of hearts that strives for personal, matrimonial, and community sanctity.

From that moment on we began to dream of uniting ourselves in a common initiative, and that is how we began to pray and share it with our closest communities. It was very nice to see that our dream was the same as that of many others who were enthusiastic and began to work to generate a stream of life in which all the members of the Movement could participate and contribute.

Why did you choose the symbol of the Unity Cross?

Because we wanted to place all this pain in the hands of Christ and Mary so that they, united on the cross, could transform it into graces. In the confidence that God always obtains a greater good from an evil. God always triumphs. It is not a cross of death. It is a victorious cross.

The Unity Cross is a symbol that, in its origin, is born in painful circumstances. Father had been banished, and various rumors and prohibitions covered him with a cloak of suspicion. The Family was divided and the destiny of the Schoenstatt work was uncertain. One of the fruits of this cross was the unity of the Chilean family.

The central idea of the Unity Cross is the Christ of attachments. It’s the Christ who, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is profoundly and intimately attached as Son to the Father.

It is the Christ who is deeply linked to Mary as collaborator and permanent companion in the redemptive mission.

He is the Christ of Unity, who unites heaven and earth.

It is Christ the Good Shepherd, who, reflecting the Love of the Father, unites us to God and to each other, making us children of the same Father.

What steps have you taken?

After sharing this initiative with the regional councils and the moderators of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Sisters and Ladies of Schoenstatt, we put the proposal into a document with the title “Conquest of the Unity Cross close to the Original Shrine in gratitude to the Father and Founder.”

Since then, several virtual meetings and motivational talks were held. These were in July 2021, with the participation of Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay: “Gratitude to our Father and Founder,” by Father Ludovico Tedeschi; “A time of the Cross,” with Sister Pilar Carrere; “Presentation of the initiative,” with Javier and Cecilia Carbonere and “Capital of Grace Presentation,” with Diego and Inés Campos and Agustín and Ana Bogliano.

In September, with the participation of the same countries, the talks were: “The Christ of attachments,” with Father Tommy Delloca and “Mary and attachments,” with Sister Juana Maria Spinazzi. In November, Ecuador and Peru joined in, and Fr. Pablo Perez offered the meditation for an international rosary.

From the Original Shrine

Germany also participated in December. Father Pablo Pol celebrated a Mass in the Original Shrine, which was broadcasted online. The Mass was offered to place this stream of life in the hands of Christ and Mary. Fr. Pol bid us farewell with these wise words of our Founder:

“How often in the history of the world has the small and insignificant been the origin of the great, of the greatest!” (F.J.K., 18.10.1914).

In April of this year we had international Stations of the Cross, with a meditation by Father Pepe Villariño. Six more countries participated: Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, USA, and Canada.

Why “new unity”?

With “Cross of the new unity” we want to unite ourselves to the spirit that enkindles our entire family after having experienced the Pentecost Congress. The idea is, returning to Schoenstatt’s founding origin, with our gaze fixed on Christ and Mary, to respond to the needs of the men and women of today. A Schoenstatt going out, open to the world and in harmony with other charismatic forces of the Church. Hence the word “new”. The Unity Cross symbolically expresses the content of this life of the Spirit of renewal. 

Love and gratitude to the Founder, a profound experience of littleness and the desire to respond to the great challenges of the times lead us to embrace Christ anew, together with Mary, so that He may make everything new.

What is your vision of this stream of life for the future?

We have learned that in the face of every trial we respond with love to Christ by sharing our cross with Him. Each one of us carries our cross; in our cross we embrace the cross of Christ and Mary. Each of us carries a pain so that God may transform it into full love.

We want to be open to God’s will. May Christ and Mary guide us in the conquest of this desire. It is very important that we record our contributions to the capital of grace with all the things that we want to offer to Christ and Mary.

To achieve the final objective of erecting this great Unity Cross, we understand that first we have to embrace our own cross. And then embrace the Unity Cross as Father’s family. “In my cross I embrace your cross.” This is our great desire: To generate a current of inscriptio that embraces Christ and Mary, confident that God always obtains a greater good from every evil.

If this initiative is from God, a current of life will be generated, and in this case we will have to present the formal request for the construction of the Unity Cross in Schoenstatt to the corresponding authorities of the Movement. Today with great confidence and joy we say united as a family: “Yes Father, we go with you.”

Song “At the Unity Cross”

Tony Gazel, Costa Rican singer-songwriter, composed the song “En la Cruz de la Unidad” (On the Unity Cross), without knowing about this initiative. We liked it very much. It reflects very much the spirit of this current. You can access it through this link.

Updates on this current that is spreading through Schoenstatt shrines in many countries can be obtained through this INSTAGRAM account: www.instagram.com/cruzdelanuevaunidad.

More info: cruzdelanuevaunidad@gmail.com.

Origin and mission of the Cross of Unity in Spanish.

This interview was published originally on the portal Schoenstatt Vivo.
The text was updated to be published on www.jkentenich.com