MARGARET KARRAM RE-ELECTED AS LEADER OF THE FOCOLAR MOVEMENT.
ROBERTO ALMADA, ARGENTINE PRIEST OF THE FOCOLARANI MEMBER, IS THE NEW CO-PRESIDENT.
With more than two-thirds of the votes of the participants in the General Assembly and amid a long applause, Margaret Karram was re-elected yesterday, March 12, 2026, as president of the Focolare Movement for a second term.
«With God’s grace and your help, I accept. I was deeply moved by Psalm 94 in today’s liturgy: “Listen today to the voice of the Lord, do not harden your hearts.” To this new call I renew my “yes,” my full commitment to God together with all of you, in service to the Church, the Movement, and humanity.».
These are the first words of Margaret Karram, a few minutes after her election as president of the Focolare Movement, on March 12, 2026, for a second five-year term.
She was re-elected by the 261 people with voting rights, representing the Focolare communities of the five continents, who are participating in the General Assembly from March 1 to 21.
The new co-president is Roberto Almada, an Argentinian priest and member of the Focolare Movement, also elected by a two-thirds majority. He succeeds Jesús Morán, who has completed his second and final term (according to the Decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life of June 11, 2021).
«"I accept this election with the grace of God and the protection of the Virgin," Almada declared, "and I will give it my all, with my strength, my intelligence and my heart; you can count on me!".
The elections have been confirmed by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, as the competent authority of the Holy See, in accordance with the provisions of the General Statutes of the Focolare Movement (Work of Mary, arts. 79 and 88).
Margaret Karram, a life dedicated to dialogue
Margaret Karram is the third president of the Focolare Movement, after its founder, Chiara Lubich. In 2021, she succeeded Maria Voce, who passed away on June 20th.
A Christian Arab, born in Haifa, Israel, she grew up in a multi-religious environment, developing from a young age a strong commitment to dialogue between different cultures and faiths. In the United States, she earned a degree in Judaism from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, later assuming positions of responsibility within the Movement in the Holy Land, while simultaneously working for 14 years at the Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem.
Internationally recognized for her contribution to interreligious dialogue —recipient of the Mount Zion (2013) and Santa Rita (2016) awards—, she participated in the Invocation for Peace in the Vatican Gardens in 2014 alongside Pope Francis and the presidents of Israel and Palestine.
Elected in 2021 as president of the Focolare Movement for a first term, she has intensified the Movement's work in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. She has met with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and participated as a guest in the recent Synod of the Catholic Church.
In 2023, she was appointed to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. She has traveled to Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific to meet with Focolare communities and organizations committed to interreligious dialogue.
Among its most recent activities: Genfest 2024 in Brazil, the peace forum in the United States in 2025 and the international conference for the tenth anniversary of Laudato si.
Author, together with Monica Mondo, of the book «Per non sfiorarci invano» (2023, Ed. Francescane), in 2025 she published «Prossimità, via alla pace» (Closeness, the way to peace) (Ed. Ciudad Nueva), dedicated to the culture of fraternity and dialogue.
Roberto Almada is the new co-president of the Focolare Movement
Roberto Almada is an Argentinian priest, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist belonging to the Focolare Movement. He holds a doctorate in philosophy and was one of the founders of the School of Logotherapy in Uruguay and Paraguay. He is part of the group that coordinates spiritual and psychological accompaniment programs at the Sophia University Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean and at the Logos Institute in Caserta, Italy.
His pastoral activity has focused on the family sphere through the New Families Movement, where he continues projects to accompany couples.
Author of the book "The Tiredness of the Good" on the dynamics of "burnout", translated into several languages (in Italy: "The Burnout of the Good Samaritan", Ed. Effatà) and co-author of "Challenge Couples", both published by Ciudad Nueva.
He was an advisor to the International Center of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa (Italy) from 1999 to 2009.
Until 2026 he lived in Buenos Aires, committed to the Southern Cone Movement in the areas of evangelization, accompanying local communities where he facilitated processes of reorganization and cohesion, and study.
He has acquired remarkable experience in the ecclesial and formative field in several Latin American countries, including Colombia, El Salvador, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina; he has accompanied priests, religious communities and Catholic teachers through courses and spiritual exercises, paying special attention to support in times of pastoral fatigue and the rediscovery of the meaning of mission.
She has also worked in supporting young people and, in the social sphere, with migrants.
What does the president of the Focolare Movement do?
According to the General Statutes, the Presidency will always be in charge of a consecrated member of the Focolare Movement with perpetual vows: an election that refers to a lay and female presidency, desired by the founder Chiara Lubich and confirmed by Saint John Paul II.
The president is called to accompany “in a spirit of unity” the Focolare communities present in 150 countries, who embrace the evangelical message of universal fraternity in the context of cultural, social and religious plurality.
Among its tasks are the guidance and direction of a movement that faces the local and global challenges of our time, and which is called in particular to heal the personal and social fractures of human existence.
The Statutes also outline the style in which the president must exercise her responsibility: a leadership based on service and evangelical charity, in accordance with Jesus' invitation to become servants of all (cf. Mk 10:44). She is asked to be a builder of bridges, a promoter of unity, and a witness to the central message of the Focolare spirituality, acting as its spokesperson with consistency and dedication.
The role of the Co-Chair
The Co-President—elected from among the Focolare priests of the Focolare Movement—is called above all to work in close collaboration with the President, sharing decisions with her and contributing to ensuring the discernment and cohesion of the Movement.
In addition to this main function, the co-president collaborates in the general management of the Work, contributing to the most relevant issues and ensuring the full conformity of the Movement's life with the faith and doctrine of the Church.
The Focolare Assembly continues
In the coming days, the Assembly is also called to elect the new governing body of the Focolare Movement, that is, the general councilors, who will be the president's closest collaborators, and to debate proposals for modification of the general statutes.
On March 21, the participants and observers of the Assembly will be received in private audience by Pope Leo XIV.
Stefania Tanesini
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