Jesus climbed a high mountain with Peter, James and John and, from there, the disciples saw the glory of their Master and heard the voice of the Father who recognised him as his son.
This was an extraordinary experience; being face to face with God allowed his creatures to know him in his splendour. The disciples were afraid and fell to the ground, but Jesus touched them and said,
Get up and do not be afraid.
The verb ‘to get up’ is the same one often used in the Gospel in reference to the Resurrection, just as ‘do not be afraid’ are the first words that the Risen Lord addressed to the women at the empty tomb after having greeted them[1]. Jesus’ strong and clear words on this occasion are a decisive invitation to enter into a new life which the disciples were able to experience through the touch of his hand.
We too are sometimes held back by our fears and weighed down by life’s trials and situations that seem to have no solution. When this happens, we cannot rely solely on our own strength if we want to rediscover the enthusiasm and momentum of witnessing to our faith. Instead, we should depend on the grace of God who always goes before us.
“Who does not go through trials in life? They take the form of failure, poverty, depression, doubt or temptation … Furthermore, the materialistic and individualistic society that surrounds us, with its wars, violence and injustices is also frightening… Faced with these situations, doubt can creep in and we may ask ourselves, ‘Where has God’s love gone?’ … Jesus truly entered into every painful situation and took all our trials upon himself … He is Love, and it is love that drives out all fear. Every time we are assailed by fear or suffocated by pain, we can recognise the true reality hidden within it: it is Jesus who is present … Let us allow him to enter our lives. And then let us continue to live as God wants us to do by focusing upon loving our neighbour. We will discover that Jesus is always Love. We will then be able to say to him, just as the disciples did, ‘You are truly the Son of God.’ (Mt 14,33)[2].
Get up and do not be afraid.
Those who have experienced God in their lives have been captivated by his presence, touched and healed by his Word. Sometimes, the witness of a Christian community accompanies us on this divine adventure and gives us the courage to get up again, to step outside ourselves and resume our journey with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters.
“At the end of last year, my country went through a very difficult time. My city was hit by a wave of chaos and fear. I was deeply concerned for my family, my friends and myself. In the midst of so much uncertainty, I tried to remain steadfast in my hope in God and to stay strong despite everything that was happening. Before these events, the young people with whom I am committed to living the Gospel had planned some projects to support families in need by preparing food parcels and organising various initiatives.
But the situation forced us to temporarily suspend all activities. After a few days, we managed to get together and, at that meeting, we found strength and courage in one another. We decided not to let fear overwhelm us, but to put our trust in Jesus and continue on the path we had begun. Thanks to the faith we shared among us, we were able to help more than forty families who were in real need of support. In the midst of those difficulties, we felt that, thanks to God’s love and our unity, we could really make a difference.”
Get up and do not be afraid.
After climbing the mountain with Jesus to meet God and hear his voice, we can also descend with him, to “return to the plain, where we meet so many brothers and sisters weighed down by fatigue, illness, injustice, ignorance, poverty both material and spiritual.” [3].
Even as a Christian community, we may suffer and feel lost, but this Word urges us to set out together, to bring to everyone “the fruits of that experience with God by sharing the graces we have received.” [4].
According to Article 1 of the Regulations of the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement, participants will live this event in profound communion, so as to help unity grow in the entire Movement and guide it toward the fulfilment of its aims. The Assembly is in fact one of the most important moments for the Focolare Movement and takes place every five years, as established by the Decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life (2021).
It will be held at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo (Rome, Italy), where 320 participants – including about 50 observers – from different countries, cultures and ecclesial and religious contexts are arriving. They are brought together by their adherence to the spirit and values of the Movement founded by Chiara Lubich (1920–2008) and recognised by the Catholic Church as a private, universal association of pontifical right.
The programme
The Assembly will begin with three days of spiritual retreat. On the 5th of March, the current President, Margaret Karram, will present her end-of-term report, accompanied by some reflections from the Co-President, Jesús Morán. The following days the programme will alternate between plenary sessions and work in 30 groups, dedicated to studying in depth the topics raised by the Focolare communities around the world.
The subjects that will guide the work will focus on the question of how to implement the charism, or rather how to create relationships of fraternity and unity, in the current global context through a commitment to peace and social justice, dialogue in a polarised world, the responsible use of technology, dialogue as a key instrument between Christian Churches and with people of various faiths and convictions, integral ecology, and participatory governance. One of the topics will also be the transmission of the charism of the Focolare Movement to future generations. There will also be sessions for discussion on the proposed amendments to the General Statutes and to the Regulations of the various branches of the Movement.
Thursday, the 12th of March, will be dedicated to the election of the President and the Co-President, positions which, according to the General Statutes of the Focolare Movement, must be confirmed by the Holy See. Then, on the 15th of March, the General Assembly will proceed with the election of the general councillors, thus completing the composition of the new governing body of the Movement.
Towards the General Assembly: a worldwide journey
In preparation for this Assembly, communities of the Focolare Movement in 150 countries took part in an extensive process of listening and synodal discernment, offering ideas and priorities for the future. This resulted in hundreds of contributions on key issues as well as challenges that the Movement is facing internally and in the global context. Local communities also expressed their preferences for candidates for the governing body of the Movement.
Christine Schneider-Heinz and Michael Heinz from Eggenburg, Lower Austria, received a short message from the Focolare community in Kiev: it expressed an urgent need for winter clothes for people in Ukraine. The couple have long been committed to helping refugees from different countries, organizing accommodation in their town and helping with initial needs. They immediately knew who to ask for help.
Friday, February 6 – even before morning coffee
The first messages and requests were sent out. The first went to a friend who works in the nearby shoe factory and who already had organised donations of shoe several times. By 10 am he confirmed 100 pairs of winter shoes, including transport to Eggenburg.
Friday 6 February – 11:30 am
A message was posted in their WhatsApp Status and sent to their friends in the vicinity: “bring warm clothes and shoes for people in Ukraine to the presbytery of the Catholic parish this evening, between 18:00-20:00”.
Friday, February 6 – 6:00 pm
Christine and Michael had already gone through their wardrobes and went to the presbytery with the first bags, equipped with labels in English and Ukrainian to pack and label everything.
What awaited them was incredible: an overwhelming display of solidarity and readiness to help. The Mayor had shared the appeal on the municipal app, the parish through the parish app and many people had spread the message through their Status and networks.
People arrived with single jackets, with full boxes, bags and cartons. Some brought items while others accepted them, sorted them, packed and labelled them. Young people from Kharkiv and Afghanistan, women from Kiev and Eggenburg worked side by side.
Some families returning directly from their ski holiday spontaneously brought their ski equipment and thermal clothing. A man took off his expensive down jacket, left it there and went home in his shirt sleeves. People who didn’t know each other stayed to help and everyone was happy to contribute. By 22:30 two minibuses were already loaded.
Saturday, February 7, early morning
The first two minibuses left for Vienna, where the material was delivered to the collection point. Meanwhile, the work of sorting, labelling and packing continued at the Eggenburg presbytery. At 14:00 a third minibus left for Vienna.
Donations came from all over and a variety of people participated: the current Mayor and two former Mayors, the pastoral assistant and a German teacher, an Afghan pizza chef and other shopkeepers, parents with their children and pensioners.
There was a deep sense of warmth between everyone: some people embraced while others shyly left their bags at the door and slipped away.
Someone wrote: “Something like this makes you hope that humanity can still change course. You could feel the willingness to help when we heard the news from a bombed and freezing Kiev. Then someone started to help and suddenly a little miracle happened”.
Saturday 7 February @ 5 p.m.
Over a ton of donations was sorted, packed, labelled, loaded and delivered to the collection point for Ukraine. 27 hours had passed since the appeal was received. The entrance to the presbytery was empty once more and back to normal. Was it a dream? No. But perhaps Eggenburg truly experienced a little miracle.
I am 62 years old, I am Irish and I have lived in Taiwan for many years. I have had pulmonary fibrosis for a long time, so when I began to feel more tired, I thought it was just a worsening of this condition. I went to the doctor not very worried. To my surprise, I was told directly and without any preparation: stage four cancer, which has already spread to the other lung and perhaps elsewhere.
My first reaction was to call my wife. She and my daughter, who lives with us in Taiwan, remained on the phone in silence. Our other daughter is in Ireland. At that moment I was not afraid for myself: my thoughts went immediately to them, to the burden that this news would place on their shoulders. At the same time I felt a deep regret for all the times I hadn’t loved fully, for the wounds I had left along the way. It seemed too late to make amends.
One day a priest came to celebrate Mass in our home. I have known the Focolare Movement since I was eleven years old, and I have always lived the offering of myself to God during the consecration. But that time I understood something new: I could place in the chalice, not only myself, but also all the people I had hurt. I could entrust them to Jesus so that He might heal what I could no longer repair. It was an immense relief. Since then, a deep serenity has accompanied me.
Eight years ago my wife had breast cancer. We have already passed through darkness. Then, as now, we chose to trust in the Father’s love. When I pray the “Our Father” and say “Thy will be done,” I feel that my whole life is already held in heaven. The future does not belong to me: it is in God’s hands. All I have to do is say yes.
I often think of Loppiano (Italy) where as a young man I felt a very strong call to follow Jesus. Over time I understood that it was an invitation to recognize him above all in suffering, in that face that the charism refers to as ” Jesus Forsaken “. Even when my wife was ill, before the cross I understood that it is not enough to remain below and look on: we must ascend with Him, enter into His abandonment and let ourselves be carried to the Father. Our home is there.
Before the diagnosis I had a very full life: I taught at the university, I accompanied students and young people, I supported families and I participated in the life of the Movement. Now my world has shrunk. I’m on leave of absence and in order to avoid infections, I go out little. But something surprising is happening: people seek me out. They write to me from every continent and pray for me. Some young people in Taiwan have created a group to pray together every week. I thought I had sown very little; now I see that love returns multiplied.
When I speak openly about my illness, many find the courage to open up about their own wounds. My weakness becomes a space for communion. It is as if, Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws hearts to himself. This illness, which humanly is a death sentence, turns out to be an opportunity to welcome others.
There are sufferings that can be shared with everyone and others that can only be expressed to God, in a deep dialogue with Him. I know moments will come when I won’t even have the strength to offer my pain. So I prepare myself in this way: by repeating my yes. “Not my will, but yours be done” (Lk. 22:42). I know I can’t face what lies ahead alone. But I also know I won’t be alone.
In these months I have understood that love is not the sole remit of those who know Jesus or call themselves Christians. In the hospital, the doctors and nurses who treat me do not share my faith, yet they love with a tenderness and attentiveness that move me. I have seen in their daily gestures – an extra phone call, a patient explanation, a discreet presence, that love is greater than labels. When I look at suffering through the eyes of love, it no longer remains trapped in fear: it is transformed, it becomes a space of hope, something mysteriously positive. It is as if every act of care, even if unconscious, is already a pathway to God, because wherever there is love, it leads to Him.
And within this immense communion – made up of my family, friends, students, young people and doctors who love perhaps without fully knowing why – I experience that everything is already held within a design of goodness. I don’t have to control it or fully understand it: I can simply dwell within it, day by day, with gratitude.
In 2025, the Focolare Movement took additional steps to make its commitment to safeguarding both structural and verifiable, with particular attention to children and vulnerable adults. This was carried out in three areas:
consolidation of regulations
organisational strengthening
educational and cultural growth
Regarding regulations, the Movement has drawn up and approved the Safeguarding Policy of the Focolare Movement, which came into effect on the 1st of January 2026. The Policy brings together values, responsibilities and practices, connects procedures and guidelines, defines codes of conduct, criteria for safe spaces with a clear focus on people who have suffered abuse, providing for listening, accompaniment and – in specific cases – support and measures for compensation.
On an organisational level, on the 2nd of September 2025, the Safeguarding Office was established, with the task of coordinating safeguarding activities, monitoring commitments and deadlines, supervising official communication and supporting local safeguarding officers. It is supported by the Advisory and Action Board: a body composed of experts in the fields of formation, communication, law, and accompaniment of people who have suffered abuse. Its task is to assess the compliance of the actions undertaken according to the founding values of the Focolare Movement, to propose guidelines and strategic plans, and to promote collaboration with external experts and networks, ensuring constant updates on current regulations and best practices in the field of safeguarding.
View and download the 2025 Report by clicking on the image
In dialogue with the Catholic Church, in the two-year period 2024-2025, a collaboration with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) was developed. The Commission examined the Procedures for handling cases of abuse, making several observations; it also requested information to include an analysis of the Movement’s policies in its own2024 Annual Report. The PCPM’s recommendations have led to a process of implementation that has already been partially completed (including the publication of the Internal Regulations of the Independent Central Commissionand the reporting of dedicated resources) and, for the remaining part, is in the process of being defined or developed (additions to be made to the General Statutes of the Focolare Movement, IT tools and institutional channels for data confidentiality).
The commitment to integral formation in safeguarding was outlined in an initial document summarising the courses and initiatives planned for the two-year period 2024–2025. The information shows the work being done to make formation more widespread, strengthen local commissions and coordinators, and at the same time highlights some critical issues that need to be addressed: continuity of formation, intercultural adaptation of materials, and improved flow of communication.
All of these steps – Policy, Safeguarding Office, collaboration with the PCPM, formation and transparency in reporting – express the desire to continue with determination on the path of prevention, shared responsibility and listening to those who have suffered an abuse, in the belief that safeguarding is an integral part of the Movement’s mission and a service to the common good.
In this perspective, the words that the Pope addressed to the participants at
the meeting ‘Building communities that safeguard dignity’ also resonate for
the Focolare Movement as a guideline to follow:
“I therefore appreciate and encourage your intention to share experiences and learning processes on how to prevent all forms of abuse and how to give an account, with truth and humility, of the steps taken to protect minors. I urge you to continue this commitment so that communities may increasingly become examples of trust and dialogue, where every person is respected, listened to, and valued.
Where justice is lived with mercy, wounds are transformed into openings for grace.”[1]
Stefania Tanesini
Interview with Bishop Alí Herrera, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors of the Catholic Church
