Pope Francis joined faith leaders at the Colosseum in Rome for the 35th Prayer for Peace Meeting organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio. Among those present were Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos Karekin.
The event was attended also by political leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Christian leaders gathered for a prayer service, asking for peace and fraternity.
-'We beg for the gift of peace that comes from God. May every form of hatred and violence be overcome.'
After the prayer, the Pope and his fellow Christians joined the rest of the faith leaders gathered just outside the Colosseum. Among those present was the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, who sat next to the Pope.
When it was his turn to speak, Pope Francis challenged faith leaders to actively promote peace within their faith communities. He reiterated the need to “demilitarize the human heart” and to stop turning to war to solve problems.
POPE FRANCIS
'Fewer arms and more food, less hypocrisy and more transparency, more vaccines distributed fairly and fewer weapons marketed indiscriminately.'
Then the appeal for peace was read by Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan woman who recently left her country.
SABERA AHMADI
“The future does not belong to those who squander and exploit, to those who live for themselves and ignore others. The future belongs to women and men who are in solidarity.”
Then a group of children went onstage to receive a copies of the appeal for peace from the religious leaders. The gesture is a reminder that children are often those who most suffer from violence.
Patriarch Bartholomew gave the final blessing, and the ceremony concluded with the faith leaders exchanging a sign of peace.
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