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Final document: work in progress

Final document: work in progress

Feb 5, 2021 | Non categorizzato

General Assembly – Diary12, February 5, 2021 A very intensive day of work has come to an end for the General Assembly participants. Between yesterday and today they analysed and voted on a number of motions about the future life of the Movement. A first draft of the final document has also been written. This summarises the orientations and the plan of action on the topics discussed in the various working groups. It needs to be said that time constraint and the technical conditions imposed by the telematic mode posed a challenge for the Assembly’s work. Nonetheless, every effort has been made to enable everyone to contribute, to experience unity in diversity, and to plan together a final document to be handed over to the new Government. Roughly, it has been calculated that 13 to 15 hours of work were put into each topic and a total of 3,500 working hours were invested in the first draft alone. All this work has been achieved through the help of several specialised platforms and three professional facilitators. An extraordinary appointment for tomorrow morning: Pope Francis will receive the General Assembly in a private audience at the Paul VI Hall. Some participants will actually participate in person, while most of them will follow via streaming. The outgoing president, Maria Voce, will introduce the newly elected Margaret Karram to the Holy Father. The new president will address Pope Francis, who will then speak to those present and to the Assembly participants who will follow through the link-up. Detailed information about the live broadcast, that all may follow, is available on the following link: https://www.focolare.org/en/news/2021/02/05/pope-francis-gives-audience-to-the-general-assembly-of-the-focolare-movement/

Focolare Communication Office

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Election of the Councilors: A world team

Election of the Councilors: A world team

Feb 4, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Diary No.11 of the General Assembly 4th February Between yesterday and today the 22 new general councilors of the Focolare have been elected. They come from 16 countries and 4 continents, their ages range from 52 -70 and they truly represent the multiculturality that is a characteristic of the Focolare Movement. Many of them have lived in various geographical areas besides their country of origin, an important factor for getting to know in depth, the characteristics, needs and challenges of the many countries in which those who identify themselves in the Focolare’s message of unity, are living. At the opening of the voting for the councilors Margaret Karram said: ”Let us ask for the Holy Spirit so that we can be guided only by him”; in fact this is only the first step towards the composition of the new “Center of the Movement”. Shortly, the newly elected President will distribute their specific tasks to each one. The intense work of today was concluded with a session dedicated to the presentation and approval of various proposals. Tomorrow the work will continue in plenary with sessions of dialogue on the plans and directions for the next 6 years. In the meantime, let’s get to know the names of the newly elected councilors and where they come from.

Women Councilors Cuneo Chiara (Italy) Escandell Silvia (Argentina) Gomez Margarita (Spain) Kempt Donna Lynn (USA) Kobayashi Renata (Japan) Koller Friederike (Germany) Moussallem Rita (Lebanon) Ngabo Bernadette (Dem. Rep. Congo) Sanze Genevieve (Central African Republic) Simon Renata (Germany) Zanolin Clara (Italy)

Men Councilors Asprer Ray (Philippines) Bartol Angel (Spain) Battiston Ruperto (Italy) Bruschke Klaus (Brazil) Canzani Francisco (Uruguay) Dijkema Enno (Holland) Kenfack Etienne (Cameroon) Salimbeni Antonio (Italy) Schwind Joachim (Germany) St-Hilaire Marc (Canada) Valtr Vit (Czechia)

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Voting has started for the men and women general councilors

Voting has started for the men and women general councilors

Feb 3, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Diary of the General Assembly no.10, 3rd February 2021 Today’s program is dedicated once again to voting. The General Assembly has met together in a plenary session to begin the process of voting, so as to elect the men and women general councilors of the Focolare Movement and this will conclude tomorrow.

The Electoral Commission at work

The councilors are the closest collaborators and consultants of the President. The total number is divided equally between men and women focolarini with perpetual vows and is specified by the newly elected President.  Margaret Karram has decided there will be 22 councilors and in the coming days she will distribute their tasks to each of them. There are many areas in which the councilors will be involved; these range from economy to prayer life, from care of the environment and of the person, to communication, from culture to evangelization. They also have the task of keeping in touch and maintaining strong links with different countries or with whole geographical areas. The President can also entrust them with other special tasks. Together with the President and Copresident they make up the “Centro dell Opera”, (The Center of the Work of Mary), which forms the beating heart of the Movement. Tomorrow voting will continue and we will get to know the names of all the 22 councilors. Focolare Communications Office Text in PDF