37 years later since the first interreligious prayer meeting strongly desired by the then Pope John Paul II, Friday, 27 October, the appointment of “the Spirit of Assisi” is renewed, which this year falls on the very day of prayer and fasting for peace announced by Pope Francis. “Today as then the world needs peace, the Holy Land is torn apart and here at the city of St Francis we invoke God because the way of dialogue prevails on the weapons, as the only tools to bring an end to the many wars being fought in the world” : so [says] Bishop Domenico Sorrentino, bishop of the diocese of Assisi – Nocera Umbra – Gualdo Tadino e of Foligno.
Echoing him, don Tonio Dell’Olio, president of the Commission of the Spirit of Assisi underlines: “In a dramatic climate of hatred, animosity and violence, only the tenuous thread of spirituality and of prayer can try to keep the fraternity afloat. Therefore we remain all the more faithful to the spirit of Assisi, the process which was begun 37 years ago. It falls to us the task of continuing in full harmony with Pope Francis and with religious leaders in every part of the world.
This year’s program is rich, which includes a meeting with the schools (Thursday 26 at 10:00am in Assisi’s Sanctuary of the Stripping), the interreligious prayer for peace with the representatives of the various religions and the link with the piazza of St. Peter for the prayer of the Holy Father (Friday 27 October at 4:30pm in the refectory of the Portiuncula at St. Mary of the Angels), and a seminar entitled “Can the religions stop the war?” (Saturday 28 October, from 4:30pm in the room of conciliation of the Commune of Assisi), to which the following will take part: Bishop Sorrentino; the mayor of Assisi; Stefania Proietti; don Tonio Dell’Olio; Piero Damossa, Tgl journalist; Father Enzo Fortunato; Rita Moussalem, responsible for the interreligious dialogue of the Focolari Movement; Maymouna Abdel Qader, spokesperson for Interreligious Dialogue of the Islamic Cultural Center of Perugia. There will be on the link Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of St. Egidio, and Edith Bruck, the Hungarian writer who survived the Shoah. Then there will be transmitted the testimony of Victor Fadlin, President of the Hebrew community of Rome.
On Sunday 29 October, at 12:00pm, the eucharistic celebration presided by Bishop Sorrentino will take place in the upper Basilica of St. Francis.
