[10] During the war this group of young girls and many others sequentially joined in helping those in the shelters and in the poorest parts of the town of Trento, sharing her vision that was later called "Ideal".

[11] Their radical way of living the Gospel that Chiara proposed attracted the accusation of "fanaticism", and the word "love", not customarily used in the Catholic sphere at that time, was likewise misunderstood.

Pasquale Foresi, who would work on the theological ground to answer the Catholic Church questions and later help found the movement main journal, New City Press, in 1964.

[13] The desire to share, materially, culturally, and spiritually, beyond the sole summer reached a focal point after Chiara's visit to the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland in 1962.

It has grown to include 900 people of worldwide origins and diverse occupations, married and single, priests and religious, who work and study together and strive to live the ideal.

[15][16] Some have specific emphases: ecumenism (Ottmaring, Germany;[17] Welwyn Garden City, Great Britain); ecology (Rotselaar, Belgium); interreligious dialogue (Tagaytay, Philippines); multi-ethnic harmony (Luminosa, New York; Faro, Križevci, Croatia); or inculturation (Fontem, Cameroon; Kenya; Ivory Coast).

[18] Others have the names of people who are linked to the history of the movement in a part of the world, such as Ginetta (Vargem Grande Paulista, Brazil), Renata (Loppiano, Italy), Piero (Nairobi, Kenya) or Lia (Chacabuco, Argentina).

Love is stronger than everything and this is your faith, the source of inspiration for all that is done in the name of Focolare, all that you are, all that you do in the world.Since the late 1940s around Chiara Lubich many people saw her charisma as something different than similar branches of Christianity, such as the Third Order Franciscans of which she was initially a part.

Thanks to the work of Pasquale Foresi, Giuseppe Maria "Peppuccio" Zanghì and since the 1990s the Abbà School a great number of people was involved in study and dissection of the theological, cultural and social implications of the charisma of unity.

This thought is clearly slended towards universality grounded on the Golden Rule, and this can be seen by a strong presence in ecumenism,[36] dialogue with believers and non-believers,[37] international aid and adoptions[38] and many other fields such as the collaboration with other lay organisations of the Catholic Church.

In Pope Francis' address to the reorganizational meeting, he said: "The Work of Mary, that everyone knows as the Focolare movement, was a little seed in the Catholic Church's womb, that in the course of the years has brought to life a tree which now extends its branches in all the expressions of the Christian family and also among members of different religions and among many who cultivate justice and solidarity together with the search for truth."

In light of allegations of sexual abuse brought against Jean-Michel Merlin, a consecrated member in France, the Focolare Movement contracted with GCPS Consulting to look into the matter.

[54] Among its publications are the Spirituality of Unity series, featuring the works of founder Chiara Lubich, and Understanding the Scriptures, Bible commentaries by scholars such as Daniel J. Harrington, Dianne Bergant,[55] Robert Karris,[56] and Ronald Witherup.

[57] NCP publications include: the academic journal Sophia twice a year; three quarterlies – Gen's on ecclesial commitment[58] as well as New Humanity,[59][60] and Unity and Charisms;[61] the bimonthly Teens for children; and the monthly periodicals Città Nuova (published in 38 different national or regional formats; known as New City in the UK, and as Living City in the US, where its editor is Jon M. Sweeney) with opinion and dialogue,[62] Big Smart Kids including inserts for educators, and Gospel of the Day.