19/01/2006

International Prayer for Peace Comes to Washington

The International Prayer for Peace 2006 will be held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in April. It is the first time that the annual interfaith gathering will meet in the United States.

The 2006 event, which will include 80-100 speakers and panelists, is being coordinated by the Community of Sant�Egidio, the Archdiocese of Washington, Georgetown University and Catholic University. It will conclude with a public ceremony and signing of a peace proclamation on April 27. This year�s theme is "Religions and Cultures: the Courage of Dialogue."

Former U.S. Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton have been invited to participate in the opening ceremonies at Georgetown�s Gaston Hall on April 26 from 5-7:30 p.m. Confirmed speakers include: Yona Metzger, the chief rabbi of Israel; Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Al-Turki, secretary general of the Muslim World League; Cardinal Francis Stafford of Rome; and Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio to the United Nations.

Pope John Paul II was the driving force behind the historic International Prayer for Peace held for the first time in Assisi in 1986. "There is no peace without a passionate love for peace," the pope said. "There is no peace without a relentless determination to achieve peace."

The Community of Sant�Egidio was founded in 1968 by Professor Andrea Riccardi, who received an honorary degree from Georgetown in 2004. Based in Rome, it is a movement of over 50,000 Catholic lay people throughout the world who are dedicated to living the Gospel, interreligious dialogue, peace, justice and service. This is the organization�s first major event in the U.S.

Georgetown University is the logical place to hold such a gathering because of its commitment to interreligious understanding and its promotion of service and prayer for peace, said Jesuit Father Philip Boroughs, university vice president for mission and ministry.

Georgetown, America�s first Catholic and Jesuit university, has a diverse student and faculty population. It has a center for Christian-Muslim dialogue and has had a full-time rabbi on its campus ministry staff for 37 years, Father Boroughs said. It also hired a full-time Muslim chaplain in 1999.

Sant�Egidio representatives recently met with members of the media in Washington to discuss this year�s gathering at Georgetown.

"Over the years, we have been able to gather together leaders who have found a way to speak to each other about their differences, recognizing that the road is long, but that peace is the common destiny of humanity," said Claudio Betti, a spokesman for Sant�Egidio. "We are very excited about bringing this conversation to Washington, D.C."

"It is our duty to underline that coexistence is possible, especially after 9/11," said Msgr. Ambrogio Spreafico of the Community of Sant�Egidio. "Dialogue is the answer to the clash of civilizations."

"We need to talk to people who aren�t convinced that dialogue is important," said Betti. "We need to show them that this is the path they can walk on."

Betti said it is important to maintain the differences between politicians and religious leaders. "We want religious leaders to interact with politicians, not to do their job," he said.

The DNA of coexistence is deeply imbedded in American history, Betti said. "America is a clear image of a country living together."

Organizers expect the most significant part of the event to be the closing ceremony. The different faith groups will conduct separate prayer services then march together to a common stage where they will light the peace candle.

"We have no other chance than living together," said Msgr. Spreafico. "Let us try to find what unites us and put aside what divides us."

"We will have done our job if we open a couple of hearts," said Betti. "We need to be able to breathe on the future with hope and not with fear."

Conference sessions are free and open to the public but participants must pre-register. For additional information about the International Prayer for Peace call 202/687-7862 or visit the Web site at: http://president.georgetown.edu/prayerforpeace2006.

Michael F. Flach