Christian brotherhood has no barriers
Ecumenism, regarded just as a movement of union among the Christian Churches, which is almost an unattainable aim in itself, is considered by our Founder Swami Roberto (in the photograph) to be a limiting concept anyway. Anima Universale believes, instead, in ecumenism as the peaceful co-existence and cooperation among all religions that have ethical foundations; such a coexistence will allow people to be sustained in their rights and aspirations. The basic premise will therefore be not theological unity, but the spirit of universal brotherhood and solidarity for the sake of humanity. (In the photographs below: the Founder and the ramia brothers of Anima Universale with representatives of other religions).
(In the photographs, the Ramia monks and the Founder of Anima Universale with exponents of other religions).
“To have equal respect for all religions means to believe in brotherhood.
God’s Love is the common factor which unites within Himself all human beings.”
— Swami Roberto
Anima Universale...
Believes in God, Father and Mother of all people, Eternal and Omnipresent.- Believes that Jesus Christ is true God and true man: the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.
- Believes in the Holy Spirit.
- Believes that Love, Charity and Brotherhood are universal spiritual foundations, which belong to the whole of humanity, beyond any religious creed.
Short synthesis of some spiritual foundations of Anima Universale:
- Life is an expression of God, a manifestation of His being and of His Mercy.
- Life is sacred and is the person’s most precious gift in this dimension since it is the means by which he or she may spiritually evolve and expand his/her awareness of being, through different experiences.
- Life should always be respected and loved in all of its forms: from the mineral to the vegetable and animal worlds, and especially the human being.
- Every man and woman has existed for ever within God's Mind and is, therefore, a spiritual being who has to rediscover his or her own divine origin and essence beyond the veil of illusion and regain full consciousness of the inner being.
- The evolution of each individual being who "inhabits" life, from the least evolved forms up to humanity, is regulated by the law of cause and effect (Karma) in accordance with the use which each makes of the individual freedom as a unique and unrepeatable spiritual being.
- The level of consciousness is the fruit of the spiritual awareness reached by the individual’s evolution. When people welcome Christ in own’s life, then his or her consciousness finds its way, changes, evolves.
- Each individual is spiritually responsible for choices and actions solely before God and before his or her own consciousness. There can be no spiritual rules which apply to all consciousness, as each one is unique. This concept has nothing to do with the proper social and civil rules of human communities which are, however, the product of the evolution of a group of consciousness. Here we just want to highlight two important aspects. On the one hand it is necessary for each being to choose a personal path independently and consciously for it to be "true". On the other hand each is responsible in his or her own consciousness, from a spiritual point of view, for what has been understood and not for what has been established previously by others.
- “Sin” is a failure before one’s own level of awareness.
Nobody may therefore spiritually judge, forgive or condemn the spiritual consciousness of another, as it is only the individual concerned and God who directly know it. - To help others better it is first necessary to help oneself to be better, discovering, knowing and accepting one’s limits to be able to gradually overcome them through seeking coherence with one’s own consciousness.
- “Love your neighbour as yourself” is a universal teaching which summarizes each spiritual journey towards the Light. In order to put it into effect another teaching has to be followed which is “Know thyself”.
The human being does not live in a static unchanging reality but, thanks to experiences and dialogue with others, can grow in awareness and consciousness in a process of inner evolution. Faith, rationality, personal opinion, culture and tradition are all elements which characterize the varied interpretations regarding the spiritual sphere. Anima Universale believes that faith, in whatever environment it is found, in order to be real and to bear fruit has to seek an objective relationship with reason and the surrounding reality. The individual must then learn how to go beyond religious and cultural differences to gather together the common elements which are of value for the evolution of all beings. The ability to help, learn from, and love one's neighbour, to engage in constructive dialogue and build a better future is something which is inherent in every man and woman irrespective of the particular belief or creed they profess. On a day to day basis, however, we sadly observe a society which is all too often prey to mistrust and intolerance. From spiritual ignorance can often spring fanaticism, sectarianism or even total indifference towards God. Understanding, open-mindedness, and thus the inner growth needed to build Peace, spring instead from education to respect, from the willingness to question oneself and to do good also to brothers and sisters of other religions. Anima Universale believes that the world will become better when respect and brotherhood replace a fragile tolerance, and when religions overcome the sectarian culture that often set one faith against the other, in evident contradiction to the creed that all proclaim: «God is One. God is the Father of humanity».