Beginning from “Listening to the cry of humanity, of creation and of the new generations” and from “the embrace of every kind of suffering and disunity” we have the starting point for the orientations that have been developed by the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement, for the next 6 years. In fact, the final document which was produced by the Assembly and approved in today’s final session has as its title: “A road map”.

It’s a document that begins with a message that is clear and strong: in line with their calling to take unity where there isn’t unity, the members of the Focolare Movement commit themselves first and foremost, “to seek out those who suffer, those who are excluded, beginning from those whom we ourselves have made suffer or have excluded” and “to be in dialogue with all men and women, to let ourselves be touched by the other, to have a preference for those whom we perceive as being more different from us”.

The action plans are born from the desire to live even more in closeness with “those who don’t matter, those who live in underprivileged situations or suffer systematically” and they are a call to all the adherents of the Focolare to adopt a style of life which is humble, moderate and with commitment in every environment. Our desire is “to act more as ‘living networks’, that are enriched with relationships of trust and to collaborate with anyone who is involved in working for the same goals.”   A priority of our focus will be the reality of the family, “as the first cell of society”; it should be “favored and valued in its actions as a social and political subject”.

With “deep sorrow” the General Assembly asks for forgiveness from the victims “of any abuse whether physical, sexual, of authority or of conscience”. And so as not to remain vague or unclear, the new President of the Focolare, Margaret Karram, together with the re- elected Copresident, Jesus Moran, has presented to the Assembly a program of actions containing 4 points. These go from the revision of the bodies and the processes of enquiry into abuse, to the re- examination of all abuse cases – of whatever kind – that have come or will come to our knowledge.

At the end of the Assembly. The new President Margaret Karram – supported by a world -wide, on line applause -expressed her gratitude to the former President, Maria Voce, for her commitment, her intelligence and the spiritual depth with which she has led the Movement in the last 12 years. And she encouraged everyone to remain constantly attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and to give witness to the joy that is born from living the Gospel with enthusiasm.

At the conclusion of the Assembly, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, together with the Undersecretary Linda Ghisoni, came to visit the International Center of the Focolare at Rocca di Papa. In his homily during the Mass of thanksgiving, Cardinal Farrell reminded us of what Pope Francis recommended, in the private audience that was granted yesterday to the Assembly: “that moments of crisis, both personal and communitarian, if they are lived well and with discernment, can also be a gift and can bring great benefits. They re- dimension us, they knock down our pride, our futile self-security.” Pope Francis encouraged the Movement to “return continuously to the purity of Chiara Lubich’s charism, that is to turn to the beauty of a personal relationship with Jesus, that is sincere and total.”

Focolare Communications Office