Today, the 20 general councillors of the Focolare Movement were elected; during the new term of office, they will support the President of the Focolare Movement in her role.
In accordance with the General Statutes, they, together with the President and the Co-President, are responsible for representing the entire Movement and expressing its unity.
They will be called upon to carry out the tasks entrusted to them by the President, in particular overseeing the practical aspects of the life of the Movement (summarised in the “seven colours”) and the support of the geographical subdivisions (the “zones”). Each one, in their own role, will have at heart the unity of the entire family of the Focolare Movement, safeguarding and promoting it at every step.
They will be called upon to carry out the tasks entrusted to them by the President, in particular overseeing the practical aspects of the life of the Movement (summarised in the “seven colours”) and the support of the geographical subdivisions (the “zones”). Each one, in their own role, will have at heart the unity of the entire family of the Focolare Movement, safeguarding and promoting it at every step.
Stefania Tanesini with the Multimedia and Linguistic Services Communication Team
In recent years, the Middle East has gone through one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.Wars, political instability and economic emergencies have affected millions of people, forcing entire families to leave their homes and putting access to the most basic necessities at risk. In this context, the projects supported through the funds raised for the Focolare Movement’s Middle East Emergency Appeal, implemented by AMUand AFN, sought to offer concrete responses to the most urgent needs, reaching a total of 3,337 people, thanks to the use of 362,754 euros allocated to humanitarian interventions.
Gaza: Supporting the Displaced
October 7, 2023 marked the beginning of a new phase of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. According to the United Nations, about 90% of the population has been forced to leave their homes and almost the entire population is now facing extreme levels of food insecurity.
In collaboration with the local network, in particular with the Caritas organization in Jordan and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, it was possible to support 1,750 displaced people. The interventions involved the purchase and distribution of basic necessities, food assistance and the welcoming of hundreds of people in two parishes. In addition to food and medicine, a safe place was provided where people could find shelter and care.
In 2024, the intensification of conflicts in southern Lebanon resulted in over one million displaced people. Many families had to leave everything and seek refuge elsewhere.
Thanks to the collaboration with the local Humanité Nouvelle association, 195 people were welcomed at the “La Sorgente” Mariapolis Centre and at the Institut de Réducation Audio-Phonétique (IRAP), in the province of Beirut. Here, displaced people received accommodation, food, medical assistance, clothing and hygiene supplies.
Particular attention was paid to children and young people: 7 classes were organized for 39 students up to the age of 15, allowing them to continue their education even during displacement. Recreational activities, moments of sharing and initiatives promoted by young volunteers helped to create spaces of hope in a situation marked by uncertainty.
Also in Lebanon, the SOSTENIAMOLibano (Let’s Support Lebanon) project was continued. It was established to help people cover the cost of medical treatment in an increasingly fragile healthcare system. The project reached 112 beneficiaries, offering help for the purchase of medicines, psychological support and assistance for hospital treatment.
Another intervention supported small local agricultural producers. Through the “From All Lebanon to All Lebanon” initiative, agricultural and artisanal products were purchased from small producers and distributed to displaced families in the Beirut metropolitan area. This project involved 80 people, contributing both to food support and to the protection of local economic activities.
After more than fourteen years of war, Syria continues to experience an extremely fragile situation. In 2024, during a phase of political transition, many families suddenly found themselves without access to money due to the temporary closure of banks.
Thanks to the local network of the Focolare Movement, it was possible to offer financial support to 305 families in Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and other cities, reaching around 1,200 people. The contribution enabled them to meet their most urgent daily expenses such as food, medicines and basic necessities.
A concrete sign of closeness
Beyond the numbers, these projects above all tell stories of solidarity and collaboration between local and international realities. The goal was not only to respond to the immediate emergency, but also to strengthen community bonds and support the resilience of the people involved.
Prepared by Emergency Coordination Team of the Focolare Movement
To make a contribution to the Middle East Emergency click here
I have felt you beating in the perfect stillness of a little Alpine church, in the shadow of the tabernacle of an empty cathedral, in the breathing as one soul of a crowd who love you and who fill the arches of your church with songs and love.
I have found you in joy. I have spoken to you beyond the starry firmament, when in the evening, in silence, I was returning home from work.
I seek you and often I find you.
But where I always find you is in suffering.
A suffering, any sort of suffering, is like the sound of a bell that summons God’s bride to prayer. When the shadow of the cross appears the soul recollects itself in the tabernacle of its heart and forgetting the tinkling of the bell it “sees” you and speaks to you.
It is you who come to visit me. It is I who answer you: “Here I am, Lord, I desire you, I have always desired you.”
And in this meeting my soul does not feel its suffering, but is as if inebriated with your love: filled with you, imbued with you: I in you and you in me, that we may be one.
And then I reopen my eyes to life, to the less real life, divinely trained to wage your war.
Chiara Lubich in Meditations, New City, London 2005, pages 74-75
Following on from the confirmation of their election, Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada have relaunched a joint commitment: to revitalise relationships, overcome indifference and walk together for peace.
“With the grace of God and the help of all of you, I accept. I was deeply moved in today’s liturgy by Psalm 94: “O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts”. In response to this new call, I renew my “yes”, my full commitment to God together with all of you, at the service of the Church, the Movement and humanity ”.
These were Margaret Karram’s first words, just minutes after her election as President of the Focolare Movement on the 12th of March 2026, for a second five-year term.
She was re-elected by the 261 participants with the right to vote, representing the Focolare communities from all five continents, who are taking part in the General Assembly from the 1st to the 21st of March.
The new Co-President is Roberto Almada, an Argentine focolarino who is a priest, who was also elected by a two-thirds majority. He succeeds Jesús Morán, who has completed his second and final term (in accordance with the Decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life of the 11th of June 2021).
“I accept this election with the grace of God and the protection of the Virgin Mary,” said Almada, “and I will give it my all, with my strength, my intelligence and my heart; you can count on me!”
The elections were confirmed by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, as the competent authority of the Holy See, in accordance with the General Statutes of the Focolare Movement (Work of Mary, Articles 79 and 88).
Margaret Karram, a life dedicated to dialogue
Margaret Karram is the third President of the Focolare Movement, after its foundress, Chiara Lubich. She succeeded Maria Voce in 2021. Maria Voce passed away on the 20th of June last year.
Margaret is a Christian Arab born in Haifa, Israel, she grew up in a multi-religious environment, developing from a young age a strong commitment to dialogue between different cultures and faiths. She graduated in Judaism from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles (USA), before taking on positions of responsibility in the Movement in the Holy Land, while also working for 14 years at the Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem.
Internationally recognised for her contribution to interreligious dialogue – Mount Zion Award (2013) and Saint Rita Award (2016) – she participated in the Invocation for Peace in the Vatican Gardens in 2014 with Pope Francis and the Israeli and Palestinian presidents. She was elected President of the Focolare Movement for a first term in 2021 and has strengthened the Movement’s action in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. She met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and participated as a guest in the recent Synod of the Catholic Church.
In 2023, she was appointed Member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life. She has travelled to Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific to meet with Focolare communities and organisations engaged in interreligious dialogue. Among her most recent visits were Genfest 2024 in Brazil, the peace forum in the United States in 2025 and the international conference for the tenth anniversary of Laudato si’. Co-author with Monica Mondo of the book Per non sfiorarci invano [So as not to pass each other by in vain] (2023, Ed. Francescane), in 2025 she published Prossimità, via alla pace – Pagine di vita [Closeness, the path to peace – Pages of life] (Ed. Città Nuova), dedicated to the culture of fraternity and dialogue.
Roberto Almada is the new Co-President of the Focolare Movement
Roberto Almada is an Argentine focolarino who is a priest, psychiatrist and psychotherapist. With a doctorate in philosophy, he was one of the promoters of the School of Logotherapy in Uruguay and Paraguay. He is part of the group that coordinates spiritual and psychological accompaniment programmes at the Sophia University Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean and at the Logos Institute in Caserta (Italy). His pastoral activity has focused on the family through the New Families Movement, where he follows projects accompanying couples.
Author of the book El cansancio de los buenos [The Weariness of the Good], which explores the dynamics of burnout and has been translated into several languages (in Italy: “Il burnout del buon samaritano” [The Burnout of the Good Samaritan], published by Effatà), and co-author of Desafío Parejas [The Challenge of Married Couples], both published by Ciudad Nueva. He served as a collaborator at the International Centre of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa (Italy) from 1999 to 2009 and as a Councillor for the same Centre from 2014 to 2021. Until 2026, he lived in Buenos Aires, working for the Movement in the Southern Cone in the areas of evangelisation, supporting local communities where he facilitated processes of reorganisation, of cohesion and of study.
He has gained considerable experience in ecclesial and educational settings across various Latin American countries, including Colombia, El Salvador, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina; supporting priests, religious communities and Catholic teachers through courses and spiritual retreats, with a particular focus on offering support during times of pastoral burnout and helping them rediscover the meaning of their mission. He has also worked in youth ministry and in the social sector with migrants.
Role of the President of the Focolare Movement
According to the General Statutes, the Presidency will always be entrusted to a woman focolarina who has taken perpetual vows: a choice that reflects the lay and female leadership envisaged by the foundress, Chiara Lubich, and confirmed by Saint John Paul II. The President is called to accompany, “in a spirit of unity”, the Focolare communities present in 150 countries, which embrace the Gospel message of universal fraternity within a context of cultural, social and religious diversity. Her tasks include guiding and directing a movement that addresses the local and global challenges of our time and is called in particular to heal the personal and social divisions of humanity. The Statutes also outline the way in which the President is to exercise her responsibility: a leadership based on service and Gospel-based charity, in accordance with Jesus’ invitation to be a servant to all (see Mark 10:44). She is called to be a bridge-builder, a promoter of unity and a witness to the central message of the spirituality of the Focolare Movement, acting as its spokesperson with coherence and dedication.
The task of the Co-President
The Co-President – elected from among the focolarini who are priests in the Focolare Movement – is called first and foremost to work in close collaboration with the President, sharing decisions with her and helping to ensure the Movement’s discernment and unity. Alongside this primary role, the Co-President collaborates in the general guidance of the Movement, offering his input on the most significant issues and ensuring that the life of the Movement is fully in line with the faith and doctrine of the Church.
The Assembly of the Focolare Movement continues
Over the coming days, the Assembly shall also elect the Focolare Movement’s new governing body – the general councillors, who will serve as the President’s closest collaborators – and shall discuss proposed amendments to the General Statutes.
On the 21st of March, the participants and observers of the Assembly will be received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV.
