ROME (MEOR) – Pope Leo XIV met Bishop Knut Refsdal (second left), bishop of the Nordic-Baltic-Ukraine Area of The United Methodist Church, and Rev. Myron Howie (center), treasurer of the World Methodist Council, following the General Audience on Wednesday morning, 26 November 2025. They were accompanied by Rev. Howie’s spouse Rev. Jules Dunham Howie (second right) and child Ms. Grace Howie (third left), as well as Director Matthew A. Laferty (left) of the Methodist Ecumenical Office and Fr. Martin Browne OSB (right) of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity .
Rev. Myron Howie and Rev. Jules Dunham Howie are ordained ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
ROME (MEOR) – Bishop Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett, president of the World Methodist Council, and the Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, attended the 39th annual international peace meeting ‘Spirit of Assisi’ in Rome from 26-28 October 2025 organized by the Sant’Egidio Community. The theme for the peace meeting was ‘Daring Peace’. Bishop Wallace-Padgett was among the cohort of senior religious leaders participating in the conference. Deacon Alessandra Trotta, moderator of the Methodist-Waldensian Church in Italy, and Lord Griffiths of Burry Port FLSW, minister of the Methodist Church of Great Britain and member of the House of Lords (UK), were additional Methodist participants. Alongside leaders from various Christian churches, senior leaders from the world’s major religions including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, and others also attended the interreligious conference.
Bishop Wallace-Padgett and Deacon Trotta spoke on a panel on stopping the death penalty during the conference.
The Christian conference invitees prayed together in the Colosseum before the closing ceremony. Among the other church leaders present were Pope Leo of the Catholic Church, Patriarch Mar Awa III from the Assyrian Church of the East, and Bishop Henrik Stubkjær of the Lutheran World Federation.
Other Methodists who participated in aspects of the conference were Ms Stephanie Gabuyo from WMC Youth and Young Adults, Rev Mirella Manocchio from Via XX Settembre Methodist Church, and Rev Sarah Mae Gabuyo from Ponte Sant’Angelo Methodist Church.
The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, met Pope Leo XIV, along with leaders from the World Methodist Council, on Monday, 19 May 2025. A special private audience was granted to ecumenical and interreligious guests who attended the Pope’s inauguration in official delegations. Also in attendance from the World Methodist Council were WMC president Bishop Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett, general secretary Rev. Dr. Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto, and vice president Mr. Joshua Rathnam.
Director Laferty was encouraged by Pope Leo XIV’s clear statement on Christian unity. Pope Leo said, “as Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The Roman pontiff further said, “…our communion is realised to the extent that we meet in the Lord Jesus Christ. The more faithful and obedient we are to him, the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit.” Read the full remarks.
Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome 