The condemnation of all wars and the commitment to peace, justice, and the dignity of all people are urgent. The declaration of the leaders of the Focolare Movement, gathered in Castel Gandolfo (Rome) for their annual meeting, invites everyone to be aware that every daily gesture can be the seed of a path toward peace, and to embrace and subscribe with their own lives to the commitment this entails.
Castel Gandolfo (Rome), September 27, 2025
We, the leaders of the Focolare Movement, gathered in Rome, representing all its members in the 140 countries where the Movement is present, express our deep sorrow at the continuing escalation of armed conflicts that are devastating the Middle East and many other parts of the world.
We express our firm and concrete closeness to the people and the populations who suffer, and we also condemn all forms of violence, injustice, and oppression.
Aware that peace begins with our daily actions, we invite everyone to embrace and subscribe with their lives to the following commitments:
- Be “artisans of peace,” willing to overcome ideologies and confrontations;
- Promote and support solidarity networks to provide material, psychological and spiritual support to victims of all wars;
- Make each of our communities a “house of peace,” where we learn to defuse hostility through dialogue and mutual understanding, where justice is practiced, and forgiveness is forged;
- Promote educational programs to instill, especially in the new generations, a culture of peace, inclusion and non-violence;
- Encourage all local and global initiatives that generate encounter, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, which are essential for reconciliation.
We commit ourselves to ensuring that forgiveness, dialogue, and fraternity are not just words, but rather become guiding paths that open up the future and prevent violence from having the last word.
May unceasing and trusting prayer rise from every corner of the earth to the God of peace, so that He may enlighten and move the hearts of those who can act to stop all conflict.
