Religious and political leaders from around the world will gather in Rome for the International Meeting of Dialogue and Prayer for Peace, an annual event organized by the community of Sant'Egidio.
This year the presidents of Italy, Nigeria, and France, will travel to Rome for the event. France's president, Emmanuel Macron will have a private meeting with Pope Francis the following day.
Last year's event was attended by outgoing German chancellor Angela Merkel.
ANGELA MERKEL
Former chancellor of Germany
Without respect for others who think differently and have a different faith, we cannot live in diversity and peace.
The summit will last three days in which faith leaders from some 50 countries will participate in discussions on learning from the pandemic, and the role of religion in globalization, and the war in Europe.
While his attendance has not been confirmed, the foreign minister of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolmsk was among those invited to participate.
He last saw Pope Francis at a congress of faith leaders in Kazakhstan, but has since said that the Russian Orthodox Church's relations with the Vatican were “Frozen.”
JM
