Phramaha Thongrattana Thavorn, a revered Thai Buddhist monk and long-time friend of the Focolare Movement, passed away on November 10 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 81.
News of his death quickly reached Focolare communities across the world, drawing attention to his lifelong commitment to interreligious dialogue, mutual understanding, and peace — values that transcended religious boundaries and defined his life’s mission.
Bridge between faiths
The Focolare Movement, also known as the Work of Mary, was founded in Italy in 1943 by Chiara Lubich. Its goal is to promote unity among peoples of all backgrounds, inspired by Jesus’ prayer, “May they all be one.”
Today, the movement is present in more than 180 countries. It includes members from different Christian denominations, other faith traditions, and even non-believers — all committed to building a culture of fraternity and peace.
According to Varaporn Phongpit, a senior member of the Focolare community in Thailand, the story of Phramaha Thongrattana’s relationship with the movement began in 1995.
“While accompanying his disciple, Phramaha Thong, to Italy, he visited Loppiano, the international center of the Focolare Movement, and met Chiara Lubich for the first time,” Varaporn told LiCAS News. “From that meeting, a deep spiritual friendship was born.”
Touched by Lubich’s message of universal love, the monk affectionately called her “Mamma Chiara.” Recognizing his spiritual depth, Lubich gave him the name Luce Ardente — Italian for “Burning Light.”
From then on, Phramaha Thongrattana became a devoted friend and bridge between Focolare and the Buddhist world.
Monk of dialogue
For three decades, Luce Ardente took part in Focolare gatherings across Asia and Europe, meeting Popes John Paul II and Francis, and engaging in interreligious dialogues that emphasized cooperation over competition.
His message was always consistent: “Religions must not compete but collaborate for the good of humanity.”
In a December 2024 interview with LiCAS News, he explained, “When you are a good person and I am also a good person, we should bring our goodness and our morals together. We can come together without losing our own identity.”
“This is the era of globalization,” he added. “We must keep an open mind. Religions should not be compared as to which is better or worse.”
Phramaha Thongrattana articulated what has come to be seen as his spiritual testament: “I would like each one, in his or her own religion, to seek the deep meaning of his or her doctrine. Only in this way will we be able to live together in peace and harmony.”
It was a call not for uniformity but for depth — to live one’s faith authentically and encounter others with sincerity.
His reflections echoed the message of Pope Leo XIV, who, during the recent commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate — the Second Vatican Council declaration on relations with non-Christian religions — called for unity among all faiths.
“Let us collaborate, because if we are united, everything is possible,” the pope said. “Let us ensure that nothing divides us.”
‘Resist for love’
Following his passing, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, sent a heartfelt letter to members worldwide, remembering him as a beacon of hope and compassion.
“Phramaha Thongrattana lived fully the name Chiara had given him — Burning Light — being everywhere an instrument of light, consolation, and hope,” Karram wrote. “Until the end, he loved and lived to build fraternity.”
She recalled how he faced misunderstanding and hardship with quiet strength. “Once, a monk asked him, ‘Master, do you follow a Christian woman?’ And he replied: ‘I do not follow a woman, but her ideal of universal fraternity. She is not only a Christian; she is also ours.’”
In his final message to Karram, written before his death, Phramaha Thongrattana expressed the serenity of a man who had made love his way: “Margaret, I suffer, but I resist, I resist, I resist, because my sufferings are nothing compared to those of Jesus on the Cross. I resist because I am the son of Mother Chiara. Remember: we don’t see each other anymore, but one day we will meet again. I’ll go to her soon.”
Karram said she carries his words as a lasting lesson. “He taught me what it means to ‘resist for love,’” she wrote. “His unity with me was a precious gift that I will never forget.”
Legacy of friendship
In predominantly Buddhist Thailand, where the Catholic population numbers fewer than 400,000 — less than one percent of the population — interreligious harmony has long been a hallmark of society.
Within that context, Phramaha Thongrattana’s friendship with the Focolare Movement embodied a living example of dialogue in action.
“Phramaha Thongrattana wanted many people to get to know Chiara and Focolare,” said Varaporn. “He brought many monks and lay Buddhists to meet us. He believed love was the only language everyone could understand.”
Even in his final days, Luce Ardente remained faithful to that conviction — that beyond all differences, love is the path that unites us all.
