The Vatican marks 40 years of the Assisi interreligious meeting

The Vatican marks the 40th anniversary of the interreligious meeting in Assisi, an initiative started by Pope John Paul II. The event first took place on October 27, 1986, bringing together representatives of major world religions under the principle of being together to pray without praying together.

In the encyclical Magnifica humanitas, Pope Leo XIV wrote that the spirit of Assisi, continued by the efforts of Pope Francis, shows that believers can draw from spiritual traditions where there is no place for sacralized hatred. Vatican media cited the Pope's mention of the dialogue between Pope Francis and the Al-Azhar leader as an example of this work.

Historical records from Vatican News describe symbolic moments from the inaugural day, such as Jewish youths giving olive branches to Muslim representatives and a fraternal greeting between Christian leaders at the Cathedral of Rufino.