At the Centre of the Movement: to maintain unity and live service
2026 United World Week: #ChooseToDialogue
“We should have the courage to reach out to one another, the courage to come together.
This is not simply a motto for the United World Week, but a choice we all make every day. And if we do so, it becomes a path to peace.”
Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada,
President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, through a brief chat, encourage us to approach dialogue with determination and to choose it in a practical way in our daily lives.
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A prophetic force in the present day
From 16 to 18 April 2026, the Steering Committee of the “Together for Europe” (TfE) met for its annual retreat, this time at the Schoenstatt Centre in Vienna, Austria, on the Kahlenberg. Twenty-six participants, representing eight of the Christian movements that make up the network, reviewed the past year and set out objectives for future projects.
A key aspect of this year’s meeting was the change in membership of the Steering Committee. This transition has been prepared over the last two years in an atmosphere of listening to the Spirit, with a view to ensuring both continuity and fresh impetus.
Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, expressed her heartfelt thanks in a letter to the outgoing members for their tremendous commitment over the past decades in shaping TfE. The following members bid farewell to the group: Gerhard Pross (YMCA Esslingen), co-founder of TfE and its long-standing moderator, together with Thomas Römer and Walter Kriechbaum (both from the YMCA Munich, who have been involved with TfE since its inception).
Diego Goller (IT) and Ilona Toth (HU), representatives of the President of the Focolare Movement on the Steering Committee, welcomed their successors: Liz Taite (GB), who has extensive experience in ecumenism, and Alberto Lo Presti (IT). The role of General Secretary will be taken on by Maria Wienken (DE), supported by Elisabeth Danner (A), both members of the Focolare Movement. The handover was solemnly celebrated during an evening prayer and sealed by the “Pact of Mutual Love”. Gerhard Pross highlighted the greatness of TfE’s mission and its rich fruits, which have marked important milestones in the history of the Church, as described in the book “Sternstunden der Einheit” (Highlights of Unity).
The role of TfE moderator will now be filled by a group comprising three members of the current Committee: Sister Nicole Grochowina (Christusbruderschaft Selbitz Community), Fr Raffael Rieger (Schönstatt Movement) and Matthias Bühlmann (Vineyard). “This change marks not only the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new phase of collaboration at European level,” commented one of the participants.
Another member added: ‘The days spent on the Kahlenberg have shown that our diversity is our strength. With this new team, we are sending a clear signal of continuity and new horizons.’ Another participant emphasised: ‘TfE is writing a story of hope in these seemingly hopeless times. That is why it is more important than ever to walk together today.’
Agenda and outlook
Another key focus of the discussions was the work of the National Committees, which are taking on an increasing responsibility for establishing TfE in their respective countries.
The following key upcoming events were also discussed:
- 9-13 May 2026: To mark Europe Day, 120 young Europeans will visit the European Parliament. Inspired by the Christian unity they have experienced at TfE, the young people have drawn up an “Intergenerational Pact” which they will present to MEPs.
- 29-31 October 2026: The next ‘Friends’ Gathering’ will take place at the Vineyard Centre in Würzburg, Germany.
- 4-6 May 2028 (date to be confirmed): Major event in Castel Gandolfo and Rome, Italy.
The 2026 meeting of the Steering Committee thus marked an important milestone for the future direction of the network, which remains committed to unity and fraternity across the continent.
Beatriz Lauenroth
Photo: courtesy of TfE
Pope Francis: A Legacy That Lives On
Cover photo: © C.Mendes – CSC Audiovisivi
Audience with Pope Leo XIV
We would like to thank Vatican Media for kindly providing the images and photographs of the Audience
An invitation to a real turning point
A true source of pastoral encouragement, the fruit of a profound understanding of the times we are living in: this is how we perceived the words spoken by Pope Leo XIV at our meeting with him on the 21st of March. It was a moment of special grace and deep joy that left an indelible mark on the hearts of the 300 participants at the audience in the Vatican. We had just concluded the General Assembly, which is convened every five years to elect the President, Co-President and governing body of the Work of Mary – Focolare Movement, and we have taken the Pope’s words to heart as a source of wisdom for the future and for the service we are called to offer today to the Church and to the world.
The Pope began by acknowledging the gift that the charism of Chiara Lubich represents for the Church: a gift that has shaped the lives of so many people, families, consecrated persons and priests, and which continues to bear fruits of communion, of dialogue and of peace in the most diverse contexts. At the same time, he has located this gift within the living dynamics of history, reminding us that every charism is entrusted to the responsibility of those who receive it and are called to live it out in ever-new ways.
Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed for us the essence of our charism: unity. A unity that does not stem from organisation or strategic planning, but which is “the fruit and reflection of Christ’s unity with the Father”. For this reason — he reminded us — it must not be confused with uniformity of thought, of sensitivity or of lifestyle. On the contrary, authentic Gospel-based unity values differences, respects the freedom and conscience of each person, and is built on mutual listening and the shared search for the will of God.
In this time, marked by deep polarisation, social tensions and armed conflicts, the Pope has pointed to unity as a true prophetic strength. A simple yet powerful seed, capable of combating “the poison of division” that pollutes hearts and relationships, through the Gospel-based witness of dialogue, forgiveness and peace. This is a call that we deeply feel as our own and which challenges every member of our Movement to be a force for reconciliation in everyday life.
With particular clarity, the Pope then outlined a specific responsibility for this post-foundational phase, that is, the period following the death of our foundress, Chiara Lubich. This is not a season that has now come to an end, but a time that is continuing and which calls for constant, mature and, above all, shared discernment. He urged us to distinguish what is essential to our charism from what, even if it was part of our history, is no longer necessary, or has shown over time its limits, ambiguities and shortcomings. This discernment — he emphasised — cannot be entrusted to a few people but involves the entire body of the Movement. The charism, in fact, is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and everyone has the right and the duty to feel jointly responsible for the Movement to which they have committed themselves with dedication.
I would also like to quote the words spoken by the new co-president, Fr Roberto Almada, as he commented on this part of the Pope’s address, recognising its great significance: he noted how the Pope had spoken to us “like a father”. He then added that the Pope has encouraged us on the path we have in fact been following for some years now – listening to those who have suffered and reviewing our procedures – but at the same time he has called us to a deeper conversion.
The conversion to which the Pope calls us begins with a personal change of mindset; it is therefore not merely a matter of reforming structures or institutions. At the heart of it all lies the way we live out our relationships, respect for the dignity of the person, and the correct exercise of roles of responsibility, lived as a service. In this sense, the Pope has reminded us that only a Gospel-based approach can allow the “beauty” of the Gospel to shine out in our relationships and structures.
I was particularly struck by Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on charity as the essential nourishment of unity. Referring to the First Letter to the Corinthians, he recalled that charity is patient, generous and respectful, and that without it, unity risks becoming meaningless. In these words, I recognised the heart of the intuition of Chiara Lubich, who saw in unity not merely a spiritual ideal, but the “rock” upon which the whole life of the Movement is based.
A new mandate is now beginning for the Focolare Movement; five years in which we feel that looking to the future means to embrace and to bring about a real turning point. A turning point that calls for personal and communitarian conversion, a renewed awareness of the cry of humanity today, and a commitment to bear witness to unity not so much through words as through our lives. Our General Assembly, which was made up of people representing all vocations, a variety of cultures, languages and nations, allowed us to experience the richness of a widespread shared responsibility and a new enthusiasm: signs that the Spirit is continuing to accompany us even during this delicate transition.
With deep gratitude, we therefore take to heart the Pope’s encouragement and his invitation to continue on this journey. We do so with humility and trust, confident that, if we live unity as a free gift and as a daily task, it will be able to contribute to the Church’s mission and increasingly become a force for peace for the world.
Margaret Karram
President of the Focolare Movement
Published in the Italian version of L’Osservatore romano on the 26th of March 2026
Photo: © Vatican Media