The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and representative of the World Methodist Council to the Holy See, extends to you and your loved ones the best wishes for a blessed Easter. Christ is risen! May the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bring peace, love, joy, and life to our world.
A delegation from the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) visited Rev. Matthew A. Laferty at the MEOR residence on 25 March 2026 to discuss PROCMURA’s work and initiatives for the coming year and learn about the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome.
The delegation included:
MEOR also organized a visit to the Grand Mosque of Rome and Islamic Cultural Center of Italy. They were met by Iman Nader Akkad who gave them a tour of the mosque and shared about its community. Rev. Laferty accompanied the delegation.
The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa is a pan-African Christian organization founded in 1959 with the objective of building good relations between Christians and Muslims in the continent. PROCMURA’s core mandate is two-fold: 1) to promote Christian constructive engagement with Muslims so that, together, members of the two communities can work towards the promotion of peace and peaceful coexistence, and embark on joint actions on issues that militate against the development of the society, and 2) to promote among the Churches in Africa, faithful and responsible Christian witness in an interfaith environment of Christians and Muslims that will promote and not unduly jeopardise the spirit of good neighbourliness.
Christians from across traditions gathered in the heart of Rome on Friday, March 20, 2026, for an ecumenical prayer vigil for peace, offering a quiet yet powerful witness amid a world marked by conflict and uncertainty.
Held at the Church of Santa Lucia of Gonfalone in central Rome, the vigil brought together representatives from Anglican, Methodist, Reformed and Taizé communities, alongside participation from the Holy See. The service became a space where diversity of tradition met in shared lament, hope and intercession.
The vigil was organized collaboratively by the the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, Anglican Centre in Rome, the Reformed Churches Ecumenical Office in Rome, and the Taizé Community. Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, represented the Holy See, underscoring the significance of the gathering within the wider ecumenical movement.
Opening the service, Rev. Tara Curlewis of the Reformed Churches Ecumenical Office and Brother Matthew of the Taizé Community invited those present into a time of prayer rooted in both urgency and trust. Intercessions focused on an end to armed conflict, protection for those living in war zones and the restoration of peace across the world.
Prayers were led by Archbishop Pace, Rev. Matthew Laferty of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and Sister Dr. Elizabeth Anderson of the Anglican Centre. The service concluded with a shared blessing offered by Rev. Matthew Laferty, Rev. Tara Curlewis, Rev. Dr. Peter Adenekan of the Anglican Centre, and Archbishop Pace.
Music for the vigil was provided by an ecumenical team – Rev. Sarah Mae Gabuyo from Ponte Sant’Angelo Methodist Church in Rome on flute, Mr. Conner Drennen from St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome on piano, and Fr. Miguel Pedro Melo, SJ from the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network on guitar.
One of the most striking features of the evening was the participation of the congregation itself. Intercessions were offered in multiple languages — English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese — reflecting both the global nature of the church and the shared longing for peace that transcends borders. The Lord’s Prayer was spoken in the preferred languages of those gathered, a moment that embodied unity in diversity. Music provided by local church musicians wove through the service, deepening its contemplative tone.
The vigil was organized in response to a joint call for renewed commitment to the “gift of peace,” issued earlier this month by the general secretaries of several global Christian communions, including the World Methodist Council. It also took place within a broader context of heightened concern for ongoing conflicts, including the situation in the Middle East. In the Anglican Communion, the gathering coincided with the one-month anniversary of a pastoral letter from Archbishop Hosam Naoum, calling for urgent and sustained prayer as violence in the region escalates. The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church – a member church of the World Methodist Council – issued a call for prayer and action for peace, particularly with the escalating war in western Asia, at the beginning of March.
Reflecting on the evening, Rev. Matthew Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office, described the importance of the evening: “Tonight’s prayer vigil witnesses to the unity that we already share in Christ, our lament for violence and death in our world, and our hope for just and durable peace. We meet each other and Christ in prayer, so we may join hands together to work for justice and peace for all humankind.”
The 2022 report from the international Methodist-Catholic dialogue commission focused on reconciliation, calling Methodists and Catholics to peace-building together. The report states that “the reconciliation of enemies takes the form of peace-making. Part of the work of reconciliation between peoples and countries is the building of international cooperation to resolve conflicts by peaceful means and so prevent the horrors of warfare. Methodists and Catholics are called to be peacemakers and witnesses to this important work of reconciliation” (§128 of the 2022 Gothenburg Report on reconciliation).
DOWNLOAD: The 2022 Gothenburg Report on reconciliation in PDF format (753 KB)
In a time when divisions — both political and ecclesial — often dominate headlines, the vigil in Rome offered a different narrative: one of shared faith, collective compassion and a united cry for peace.
Photo above: Members of the congregation at the vigil in the Church of Santa Lucia. Photo by P. Cheney/ACR.
A statement from the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council
In the wake of escalating conflict in the Middle East and ongoing warfare impacting places like Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza and Myanmar, four global Christian communions have issued the following statement:
As global Christian communions, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council, representing hundreds of millions of Christians across the world stand together in deep sorrow and unwavering resolve. We are witnessing the devastating impact of violence and war on countless individuals and communities around the world. In response, through our ongoing work and the ministries of our churches and partners on the ground, we are engaged in concrete actions of solidarity, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding.
The recent escalation of conflict and intensified war in Iran and the Middle East adds to the distressing list of ongoing violent conflicts and wars including those in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, and Myanmar.
We are profoundly dismayed at the international community’s failure to prevent these tragedies. Instead of pursuing the difficult but necessary paths of diplomacy and dialogue, nations have increasingly resorted to military solutions, pouring vast amounts of resources into arms rather than into peace processes and humanitarian assistance for the vulnerable.
Justice demands that perpetrators of violence and the individuals and countries responsible for atrocities and violation of international law must be held accountable for their actions. The victims of their actions must be heard, and their dignity, rights, lives, and livelihoods must be protected.
In the current global context, ‘Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself… Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion.’ We echo here the words of Pope Leo as he addressed the Vatican’s diplomatic corps earlier this year. If the basis of peace is self-interest, this gravely threatens the rule of law, civil coexistence, and the ability of states to come together.
As old wars rage on unabated, new ones arise. The world is approaching a dangerous tipping point – a time when violence becomes the norm and death and suffering of people and communities condoned.
We reaffirm our strong commitment to peace, in a world increasingly amassing arms, and accepting destructive conflict as inevitable. We envision a world where peace is cherished and actively cultivated, grounded in our shared values of dignity and worth of each person, and the equal rights of all people and nations, large and small, with justice and respect for international law.
The peace the world longs for is not only the absence of wars, nor one which is enforced by coercion and dominance. It is not to be brokered by the highest bidder. Peace is not for sale. It is a peace which includes justice and which transforms our collective culture. Peace is the presence of justice, dignity, and flourishing for all God’s children.
We further reaffirm our commitment to and support of multilateralism – countries of the world pursuing a common goal of justice, peace and sustainability, based on principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation. This is the foundational role of the United Nations – to enable encounters and dialogue across all the nations of the world – and it is crucial to ushering in peace and justice. This path of diplomacy, mediation, and international law is sadly too often undermined.
Whilst it is timely to renew and reform the international multilateral structures and mechanisms of global governance, we call for this to be done in a spirit of re-creation and rediscovery, not of jaded cynicism. This approach will allow multilateralism to regain the strength needed for undertaking its role of encounter and mediation.
In our faith tradition, we find ourselves in the period of Lent and the approach to Easter, in a cycle of reflection which includes suffering, fear and the destruction of what is good. Our Christian faith teaches us that such times can be faced with courage and integrity; the way is not easy, but renewal and recreation are possible.
We call on national governments, regional intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations, international organizations and all stakeholders to invest in peace, not war.
We call for greater support towards humanitarian aid and protection of affected communities and for strengthening of grassroots peacebuilding, recognising the critical role of local communities, civil society, and faith-based organisations in preventing conflict and rebuilding societies.
As churches, we pledge to be relentless advocates for transformative peace. We will continue to pray for the victims of war, to advocate for justice before political leaders, and to serve those affected by conflict through our diaconal ministries. We commit to educating our members on the ethics of peace and challenge the narratives of hate and enmity within our society.
Signed:
The Rt Revd Anthony Poggo
Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
The Revd Dr Anne Burghardt
General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation
The Revd Philip Vinod Peacock
General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC)
The Revd Dr Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto
General Secretary of the World Methodist Council
Download the statement: A call for renewed efforts towards the ‘gift of peace’ for all (337 KB)
ROME (MEOR) – The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, met a group of deacons from European Methodist churches on 4 March 2026 during their annual retreat. The group was composed of 9 deacons from 8 different countries who are connecting the church in mission and service to the world.
During his presentation, Rev. Laferty shared about the ministry of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and briefed the deacons on the state of international Methodist-Catholic relations. He shared about the current dialogue between the Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council and the commission’s recently published text “We Believe in One God: Sixty Years of Methodists and Catholics Walking Together.” He also led a discussion about the ways that Methodists and Christians from other churches can already live the unity we share in Christ, particularly in a grassroots context.
The retreat was held at Centro Ecumene, the retreat center of the Methodist Churches in Italy, in Velletri outside of Rome.
Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome 