Mediterranean of Fraternity,
Palermo, 8–10 October 2026
Message from Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement:
I am very happy to join you, even if only from a distance, on the occasion of the ‘Mediterranean without Borders: Peoples Networked for Fraternity’ gathering. I would have loved to be there with you, and for this reason I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Silvia and Klaus, and Valentina and Enno, members of the General Council, who are taking part on my behalf and whose presence expresses the solidarity and support of the whole Focolare Movement.
Perhaps some of you will recall that, in December 2023, during the spiritual exercises for the Middle East and North Africa zone – in which some Italian Focolare members also took part – I shared my ‘dream of a Mediterranean of fraternity’ as a place where peoples and cultures meet, capable of transforming differences into opportunities and, precisely because of its millennia-old history, of becoming a place of welcome. On that occasion, I had encouraged you not to set limits on the creativity that is characteristic of love and which can be expressed in everyday gestures – however small – such as meetings between the countries bordering this sea, conferences, joint initiatives or other such endeavours. I sensed that this dream could contribute to peace.
Three years have passed since then, and I am delighted to tell you that this vision immediately aroused the interest of many within the Movement. In a short space of time, numerous artistic, educational, political and solidarity initiatives have emerged, aimed at promoting fraternity and peace, building bridges and bonds between the people of the five shores of the mare nostrum, and creating synergies between associations and groups of citizens working to realise this ideal.
Today you are meeting in Palermo, a city that embodies both the great riches and the wounds of the Mediterranean. You could not have chosen a more significant place to begin imagining, together, new paths of fraternity for this region. From its very origins, the Mediterranean has been a crossroads of exchange and a space of knowledge: it connects three continents and encompasses an extraordinary wealth of peoples, cultures, traditions and faiths. Today, however, it is also marked by wars, forced migration, inequalities, divisions and death. Can we, then, speak of fraternity, precisely in this place? I believe it is extremely necessary, and that now is the time to do so. Fraternity is not an ideal for peaceful times. It is a necessary choice when divisions are on the rise, and it requires the courage not to regard anyone as a stranger or even an enemy. Pope Leo XIV, speaking to the Mediterranean Youth Council, recalled that: “The mare nostrum can and must be a place of encounter, a crossroads of fraternity, a cradle of life and not a grave for the dead.”
This is the Mediterranean that we too wish to help bring about: a sea that forges bonds and fosters encounters between people, nations and cultures, welcoming the gift that each represents for the other. I am particularly pleased to know that amongst you there are young people, professionals and individuals active in various fields and countries. To each of you I would like to say: your presence is important! We need the fresh and creative perspective of young people, together with the experience and expertise of those who have been working in these areas for years. Above all, we need to come together, listen to one another and share our gifts, questions and hopes.
This gathering can therefore be an opportunity to take on a shared responsibility together, one that will bear fruit over time if it is shared with other organisations, groups and individuals who believe that this sea can become the source of a new form of social life, founded on fraternity. On this journey, the Focolare Movement can bear witness to the power of unity – a unity built on sincere dialogue and mutual respect, capable of crossing borders without diminishing anyone’s identity. I hope that these days will mark the beginning of a vibrant network where we can think together, recognise one another, forge bonds and foster new collaborations for peace, justice and human development in the Mediterranean. Perhaps, faced with the vastness of the problems, what we can do may seem like nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But in that drop, the whole sea may already be contained. I am close to you and accompany your work with my prayers.
With affection and gratitude,
Margaret Karram
1 Pope Leo XIV, Address to the Mediterranean Youth Council, 5 September 2025.
