Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - The first Interreligious Day of Prayer for Peace was held in Assisi on 27 October 1986 convoked by Pope John Paul II. It was attended by 50 representatives of different Christian Churches and 60 representatives of other religions. On that occasion, in the face of war, the Pope said the meeting was “a call to the world to realise that there is another dimension of peace and another way of obtaining it not only negotiations, political and economic compromises”. He said “prayer and witness of believers, whatever their tradition can do much to promote peace in the world”. The call was heard, even by the “world” and for that day arms were silenced.
Since then every year the S. Egidio Community has invited members of different religions to come together to pray for peace in the spirit of Assisi: Rome (1987), Rome (1988), Warsaw (1989), Bari (1990), Malta (1991), Brussels (1992), Milan (1993), Assisi (1994), Florence (1995), Rome (1996), Padova-Venice (1997), Bucharest (1998), Genoa (1999), Lisbon (2000), Barcelona (2001), Palermo (2002), Aachen (2003) were the cities which hosted the previous events.
This year, from Sunday 5 September to Tuesday 7, at the initiative of Sant’Egidio and the archdiocese of Milan, that city will host the 18th World Interreligious Meeting: “Religions and culture: the courage of a new humanism”: three days with 36 forums on international themes, 350 men and women of culture and prominent members of the civil society, representatives of institutions and leaders and witnesses the belonging to the great world religions.
Participants will include the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi and Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference will open the meeting with Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, and Ibrahim Ezzedine representing the president of the United Arab Emirates. Also present Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini and the President European Commission Romano Prodi.
Among those present, 12 Cardinals and Patriarchs, including Cardinal Re and Cardinal Kasper, religious representatives of different communities from Iraq numerous Muslim representatives, Secretary general Mohammed Sherif of the WICS, Hasan Hanafi of the university of Cairo , Turkish minister Mehmet Aydin, experts in the economy including Michel Camdessus and Alessandro Profumo, Corrado Passera and Katherine Marshall, intellectuals such as Moni Ovadia and Tvetan Todorov, Susanna Tamaro, Massimo Cacciari, Gianfranco Ravasi, Serge Latouche, Jean Daniel, Enzo Bianchi, Francisco Whitaker, Mohammed Smaili, Amos Luzzatto, representatives of Judaism and Islam in Europe . (P.L.R.) (Agenzia Fides 3/9/2004 - Righe 34; Parole 433)
