The document provides a concise overview of the general guidelines for the Focolare Movement’s educational endeavours. In essence, it outlines the first mapping of the many and varied educational experiences designed not only for members of the Movement, but also for schools and to cultural and training agencies promoted by the Focolare in diverse contexts worldwide.
To download the document, click on the image.
It is therefore addressed to all those engaged in education within the various branches and training initiatives of the Focolare Movement, in their own Churches or Christian communities, in their own religions and in society at large.
While acknowledging that reflection and implementation on it are still at an early stage, the document also reaches out to people working in other institutions and organisations involved in education and formation, as a stimulus for dialogue and mutual enrichment.
In several motions of the 2021 General Assembly, the desire was expressed to focus more deeply on the pedagogy that flows from the charism of unity and to foster synergies both within and beyond the Movement in this area. On the eve of the 2026 Assembly, this first document is now being made available online rather than in print to highlight its nature as a work in progress: an open document, to be enriched and updated over time.
The first section identifies the intended audience, the guiding principles, objectives and the key participants in the educational process. This is followed by a summary of the content and methodology and finally a compilation of the agencies and educational programmes offered by the Focolare Movement.
«The Church’s enduring response to abuse requires more than structural reforms: it demands active participation of all, at all levels of ecclesial life.» This could be one of the key phrases of the second Annual Report on Church Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding . In its comprehensive and detailed Report, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors documents its findings and recommendations for 2024, thanking Pope Leo XIV for his full support in this work.
A second key phrase could be this: «Victims should be central to our priorities.» For this reason, the direct listening to the victims and the survivors of abuse has been expanded in this second report. «Al di là del ruolo limitato e spesso insufficiente del risarcimento finanziario, in un approccio integrale alla riparazione sono fondamentali strumenti di riparazione come i seguenti:
assurances of welcoming listening centres for victims /survivors to be heard and believed by Church authorities
the provision of professional psychological support services
public acknowledgements and apologies
proactive and transparent communication with victims/survivors to provide timely updates on their cases
the inclusion of victims /survivors in the development of the Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures.»
During the presentation of the Report to the press, emphasis was placed on the ongoing dialogue between the Commission and the bishops’ conferences around the world, focusing primarily on prevention, transparency and applicable protection procedures. The availability of safe spaces is important in order to manage situations in a preventive manner.
Press conference presenting the Second Annual Report of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. From left: Prof. Benyam Dawit Mezmur, jurist, member of the Pontifical Commission; His Excellency Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, Titular Bishop of Giubalziana; Secretary of the Pontifical Commission; His Excellency Monsignor Thibault Verny, Archbishop of Chambéry, Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Tarentaise, President; Dr Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, jurist, responsible for the Annual Report; Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office.
The cultural delays in many countries and the resistance to addressing situations and listening to people who have suffered abuse have not been concealed. Professionalism and structured dialogue are needed in local services, because victims or survivors often feel that they are not being adequately accompanied and report a lack of respect. There is also a need for a clearer canonical procedure for the dismissal and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence. However, there is widespread awareness of these delays and serious efforts are being made to acquire the necessary skills.
With regard to communication, this is a critical issue highlighted above all by victims, who always recall the suffering caused by the lack of transparency at the level of the universal Church and the local churches. The importance of developing training and information programmes for families on educational rights was also noted.
In the Report, the Commission launches a study on lay associations, in particular with the development of a pilot methodology to assist the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in accompanying aspects regarding safeguarding within these associations. This methodology is illustrated in the Report, together with an initial application in the case of the Focolare Movement.
« The Commission welcomes the important safeguarding reforms recently enacted by the Focolare Movement. While noting specific recommendations, the Commission also highlights certain particularly good practices, including the establishment of an Independent Central Commission for handling cases of abuse within the Focolare Movement; a Communication Policy concerning sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults; and Guidelines on support and financial reparation in cases of sexual abuse.»
Among the improvements requested and the recommendations: external review and control procedures and a systematic independent review plan, at the same time taking into account the work of the Supervisory Board, which is however a useful provision within the Movement’s safeguarding system.
The inclusion in the new Procedures of a clause stating that victims/survivors should be proactively and affirmatively informed of their right to report their case to the civil authorities; to harmonize the Movement’s diverse and fragmented policies into a single, coherent document, although positively welcoming a consolidated document which is to be published shortly.
The Focolare Movement expresses its sincere gratitude for the support received from the Commission for the Protection of Minors, which over the past year has followed the Movement’s work on formation, prevention and the creation of a system of rules and procedures, offering its expertise. The work is now continuing with the study of the recommendations proposed by the Commission in this report; some will be implemented in the coming months and will be reported in the next Report on Safeguarding in the Focolare Movement, which will be published by February 2026.
During the second half of September 2025, the General Council of the Focolare Movement met with the Delegates from its 15 geographical regions of the world at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo (Rome). “Exploring our History” was the title of a session in which, among other contributions and moments of sharing, participants heard the powerful and deeply moving experience of the Regnum Christi Movement through the testimony of Eugenia Álvarez, a consecrated member and a current member of its General Council. Eugenia offered an interpretation, in the light of the Gospel, of some particularly troubled periods of their movement’s journey and of the subsequent path of healing that led to a renewed momentum and a revival of vocations.
“In order to discover how we are called to live the present,” she said, “we need to connect with our deepest aspirations, read the history through which God has shaped us and recognise the concrete reality in which we find ourselves: the people we are and the circumstances in which we live.” These words referred to discernment of the present reality, a process born from a balance between hopes and history.
After her presentation, we had the opportunity to interview her. Here is what she shared with us:
Activate English subtitles – The original is in Spanish
Eugenia Álvarez is from Venezuela and has been a consecrated member of Regnum Christi since 1999. She holds degrees in Education and Development from the Anáhuac University (Mexico) and in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (Rome). She has studied Spiritual Theology at the Sèvres Centre in Paris and has completed courses in Spain to become a “Specialist in Spiritual Exercises” and in the “Theology of Consecrated Life”. She currently serves as General Councillor of the Society of Apostolic Life “Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.”
In the light of the recent positive news regarding the agreement for the Gaza Strip, I want to express my sincere hope that this represents a first step toward a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace.
There is certainly still a long way to go, yet in this moment my thoughts are with the hostages, the Palestinian prisoners and the residents of Gaza. We trust that they may begin again to glimpse a renewed hope for a life worthy of its name.
We also hope that those entrusted with the fate of nations will continue to make decisions guided by the highest good we possess: life itself.
We commit to joining our efforts, both practically and spiritually, with all those who are working tirelessly for a better world. In this spirit, we want to unite to the Day of Prayer for Peace proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, to be held on the 11th of October.
The third and final day of the Raising Hope Conference unfolded with new keynote addresses, moments of reflection, prayer, music, and a defining moment: participants’ contributions and commitments, presented as key pillars for climate justice action.
On the website raisinghope.earth/action/ conference participants, both in person and online, were invited to share their own commitments: How will you respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor? These People-Determined Contributions (PDCs) are a bold global civil society initiative to present the pledges of individuals and grassroots communities towards ecological transformation.
Raising Hope water will reach COP30
The moving opening ceremony led by Pope Leo XIV last Wednesday, 1 October—when he blessed a block of ice from Greenland—reached its culmination this afternoon as participants collected the melted water to take to their homes and communities.
Dr. Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, expressed with emotion: “A block of ice blessed by the Pope has gone viral these days. Now this blessed water will become something very powerful, because it will be carried to COP30 in Brazil.”
Each participant was able to take a bowl containing some of this blessed water—partly from the glacial ice, mixed with water from rivers across the world that had been offered by representatives at the start of the conference. This was not just a gift, but a sign of the urgency of the climate crisis, marked by the hope carried through the Pope’s blessing.
Returning to the heart and raising our voices
Another highlight of the closing day came when Dr. Lorna Gold presented some of the commitments made by participants. Among the most significant were the power of collaboration, the importance of alliances, the call to return to the heart, and the promotion of the Laudato Si’ Animator Program developed by the LSM.
She emphasized the importance of implementation: “We cannot wait for others to act. We must implement the changes that are within our hands,” Dr. Lorna affirmed. She encouraged participants to raise their voices together in Belém, Brazil (next COP), where a new alliance for the non-proliferation of fossil fuels will also be launched.
Giving thanks for 10 years of the LSM
A deeply moving moment came as participants gave thanks for the ten-year history of the Laudato Si’ Movement, founded in January 2015. Dr. Lorna Gold recalled meeting co-founder Tomás Insua in that same year and being struck by his passion and energy to spread the values of the encyclical.
“The most extraordinary thing about our movement is joy,” she declared, urging everyone to “bring this joy to COP30.” She recalled Pope Francis’s words inviting us to “sing along the way,” because “our concern must not take away our joy or our hope.”
Yeb Saño, Chair of the Board of the Laudato Si’ Movement, urged participants to engrave into memory what had been lived during the conference so that “all these reasons push us out of bed every morning.” “We have a lot of work ahead, but Pope Leo is on our side. It’s not about rushing forward, but about moving together.”
Laudato Si’ for courageous communities
The morning opened with a keynote by Kumi Naidoo, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, who described himself as a “prisoner of hope.” He stressed that we must care for our environment because “there are no jobs or humans on a dead planet.”
“Catholic communities, through Laudato Si’, have shown courage,” Naidoo said, encouraging all to act with wisdom and faith, with a sense of urgency. “Hope is not love; hope is resilience, hope is a mission.”
The resilience of peoples
The next panel, titled “Faith and Shared Mission for a Resilient Planet,” was moderated by Josianne Gauthier, Secretary General of CIDSE (Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité). Key topics included financing for developing countries and resilience as the driving force to move forward.
Dr. Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister of the Interior, Climate Change and Environment of Tuvalu, noted that while her native language has no word for resilience, her people have learned to “move from vulnerability to strength” after enduring multiple climate catastrophes. She also emphasized the importance of spirituality in building a resilient future.
Dr. Svitlana Romanko, founder and director of Razom We Stand, spoke of her country, Ukraine, and how fossil fuel dependency as a consequence of war has devastated its people. She stressed that resilience is what keeps them standing today, together with renewable energy and green economies, proving that living on clean energy is possible.
Mons. Robert Vitillo, from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, contributed with a reflection from the Gospel: “We are taught about solidarity, and we must shift perspective to translate it into action in our commitments.”
Listening to the peripheries
In the afternoon, the final panel was moderated by Bianca Pitt, founder of the Women’s Environment Network and co-founder of SHE Changes Climate. It revolved around what our hearts tell us about the experience of these past days.
Catherine Coleman Flowers, MacArthur Fellow and advocate for environmental health, member of the boards of the Natural Resources Defense Council, shared how people on the margins are the ones who suffer the most and are least heard.
Bishop Ricardo Hoepers, Secretary General of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, reflected on his country’s diversity and how it is necessary to step out of our comfort zones to broaden our horizons: “My dream for Brazil is to unite Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti; and for nature and human beings to hold the same importance: nature is the space God has given us to live as brothers and sisters.”
And Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, stated: “I am convinced that the only way to bring about lasting change is to embrace love as the guiding principle of our ecological action. In Laudato Si’, the word love appears seventy times! A powerful indication of a path on which everyone and all of us are invited to walk. An invitation to journey from an authentic human fraternity — such as we have experienced in these days — toward a cosmic fraternity .”
Before concluding, participants joined in a final session of prayer and reflection, led by members of Trócaire. After presenting a video summary of the three-day journey, all were invited to recall the most significant moments and to solemnly commit to continuing the path, advocating for our common home.
