---
title: Assisi hosts 40th anniversary of first interfaith peace prayer
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/assisi-hosts-40th-anniversary-of-first-interfaith-peace-prayer
published: 2026-10-29T20:49:04+00:00
language: en
section: World Church
source: https://www.domradio.de/artikel/vor-40-jahren-fand-das-erste-gebetstreffen-der-weltreligionen-statt
organizations: Sant'Egidio, Catholic Church, World Orthodoxy
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Assisi hosts 40th anniversary of first interfaith peace prayer

Approximately 5,000 people are expected to gather in Assisi, Italy, from October 25 to 27, 2026, to mark the 40th anniversary of the first interfaith peace prayer meeting. The event brings together representatives from various religions and churches to commemorate the historic initiative launched by Pope John Paul II in 1986.

The original gathering took place on October 27, 1986, when Pope John Paul II invited leaders of the world's major religions to Assisi to pray for peace. This event was described by Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant'Egidio community, as a first in history. The initiative was designed to counter the threats of war, nuclear danger, and the arms race during the Cold War. Riccardi noted that the organizers believed the meeting in the city of Saint Francis of Assisi could change the world, though he later observed that war has become socially acceptable again.

The current anniversary celebrations were originally planned to feature Pope Leo XIV, who was scheduled to announce a new peace manifesto with around 80 representatives from religions and churches. However, the Vatican canceled his attendance to allow for his recovery from cancer surgery. The Pope will instead send a peace message to the attendees. Marco Impagliazzo, the current president of Sant'Egidio, recalled that the Polish Pope originally ended the 1986 day with a speech urging that peace is a construction site open to everyone, not just experts.

The three-day meeting is held under the motto "Disarmed and Disarming Peace," a theme inspired by Pope Leo XIV. On October 27, a prayer service will be held in the Basilica of Saint Francis with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I of Constantinople and representatives of other churches. For Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and followers of other religions, 13 separate locations in Assisi have been arranged for them to pray according to their own traditions. Organizers stated that this arrangement avoids the danger of syncretism, a concern previously raised by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The Sant'Egidio community, which co-organized the 1986 event, was founded in Rome in 1968 by young people under the age of 20. The organization focuses on charitable work, diplomacy in civil war zones, and interreligious dialogue. It reports having approximately 60,000 members in 70 countries, including 5,000 in Germany. The community has been recognized by the Catholic Church as a lay association since 1986.

Participants in the 2026 event include about 380 figures from religion, culture, and politics from 53 countries. On October 26, forums addressed topics such as migration, poverty, the situation of youth, and the protection of human dignity in the face of technological progress. Discussions also covered the dangers of atomic war, growing nationalism, and climate change. The event includes the reading of the names of countries currently at war and the signing of a peace appeal.