With a Saturday evening homily by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, the annual International Meeting of Prayer for Peace, sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio, began in Cyprus. The theme of the meeting is ‘The Civilization of Peace: Faith and Cultures in Dialogue.’ Homilists and speakers Sunday included Archbishop Chrysostomos II, head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, who lamented the Turkish invasion of his nation; Patriarch Theodoros II, head of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Alexandria; Cardinals Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow and Crescenzio Sepe of Naples; and the presidents of Cyprus, Malta, Albania, Montenegro. Muslim and Jewish leaders, including the Chief Rabbi of Haifa, whose comments about Pope Pius XII in Rome last month provoked controversy, also spoke.

In his opening remarks yesterday, Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, described the sacred liturgy as the source of peace. ‘Liturgy is the source of energies of peace and love,’ he said. ‘The beauty of the Divine Liturgy that is celebrated by the Church of Cyprus, with great love and according to the ancient tradition, shows us that peace is beautiful, that indeed it is desirable. Liturgy transfigures men, women, and peoples.’

Speaking last evening, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, conveyed greetings and the apostolic blessing from Pope Benedict.