Bishops: an experience of communion at the service of the Church

Oct 8, 2026

The international meeting of Bishops, Friends of the Focolare Movement, entitled "Now is the time for charity. Building peace through witnessing unity" took place at Casa Divin Maestro in Ariccia (Rome) from the 8th to the 11th of September 2026.

Coming from as many as 40 different countries, the participants included around ninety bishops and some cardinals. They shared an experience of true fraternal communion, made all the more special by an audience with Pope Leo XIV on the 9th of September. Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, were also present at certain points during the meeting. These meetings began in 1977 on the initiative of Bishop Klaus Hemmerle (1929–1994) of Aachen, together with Chiara Lubich. Since then, they have been held regularly at international, national and regional levels, and have been encouraged over the years by the Popes.