The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and representative of the World Methodist Council to the Holy See, and the Rev. Dr. Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto, general secretary of the Methodist Council, attended the International Meeting of Peace, organized by the Sant’Egidio Community, held in Assisi, Italy, from 25-27 October 2026. The meeting celebrated its 40th anniversary and was initially convened in 1986 by Pope John Paul II.
The international meeting brings together leaders from various Christian churches and from all major world religions together with political leaders, diplomats, activists, and business leaders for dialogue, learning, fellowship, and prayer. The aim is to find common solutions and build durable relationships which will foster peace-making and peace-building globally.
A series of panel discussions were held during the three-day meeting. Dr. Neto spoke on a high-level panel on the theme “Christian Unity: An Open Question” with H.H. Patriarch Mar Awa II of the Assyrian Church of the East, Bishop Kristina Kuehnbaum-Schmidt of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, and H.Em. Senior Metropolitan Emmanuel of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The closing ceremony was held in outside the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Prior to the closing ceremony, each religious group gathered in various locations around Assisi for prayers for peace according to their own religious traditions. Christians met in the Lower Basilica above the tomb of St. Francis for prayers. H.Em. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and His All-Holiness Bartholomew I preached during the Christian prayers, while other senior church leaders led the service.
The Community of Sant’Egidio is an international lay Catholic association of the faithful dedicated to social service, peacebuilding, and prayer. Following the initial 1986 meeting, Pope John Paul II entrusted the Sant’Egidio Community to develop and plan the annual international meeting.
Photo above: Photo by Berthold Werner (c) CC BY-SA 4.0
