Focolare Movement re-elects Maria Voce as president

Maria Voce

Five hundred representatives from around the world, present at the Focolare Movement’s General Assembly in Rome, elected Maria Voce on 12 September for a second consecutive term as its President. Maria Voce, is an Italian lawyer. She also studied Theology and Canon Law. A significant part of her Focolare life was spent in Istanbul where she established warm ecumenical and interreligious relations, including with the present Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Maria Voce was the first president to succeed the founder, Chiara Lubich, who died in March 2008. In 2009 Benedict XVI appointed her as a Consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Laity. During her first six year mandate, she has travelled widely establishing warm relationships with communities of the Focolare Movement in the US, the Middle East, Europe, Brazil, Africa and Australia. She visited Britain in 2011. In her first term Maria Voce has built on and strengthened Focolare’s 70 years’ work for unity and dialogue at all levels.

Following Maria Voce’s re-election, Jesús Morán was elected Co-President. Born in 1957 in Avila, Spain, he is a Focolare priest, with degrees in philosophy and theology, and currently completing his doctorate in theology at the Lateran University in Rome. Jesús Morán plays a key role as a member of the Abba School, the interdisciplinary research centre of the Movement. He spent 27 years with the Focolare Movement in Chile, Bolivia, Mexico and Cuba describing this Latin America experience as fundamental for his life.

Fr Morán said: "It taught me a model of Church which is close to the people, close to the poor and bears witness to the Gospel in everyday life; a Church which is committed to social justice". Morán identifies closely with the teachings of Pope Francis who will receive the 500-strong Assembly at a private audience on 26 September at 12 noon, in the Vatican.

The 500 participants include Noreen Lockhart and Frank Johnson, co-directors of Focolare in Great Britain, together with Anglican representative, Cathy Limebear.