Pope Leo XIV to send message to interreligious prayer meeting in Assisi

Pope Leo XIV will not attend the prayer meeting in Assisi on Tuesday on the advice of his doctors following his surgery earlier this month, according to the Holy See Press Office. It would have been the pontiff’s second visit to Assisi this year, following his August visit for the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting.

Instead, the prayer meeting will feature a special message of peace from the pope as well as remarks from Patriarch Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. The patriarch and other world religious leaders will gather to pray for peace in the Lower Basilica in Assisi on Tuesday.

According to Vatican News, the interreligious meeting will mark 40 years after St. John Paul II invited world religious leaders to the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi for a historic Day of Prayer for Peace.

For Leo, the milestone anniversary is far more than a historical commemoration; it serves as a vital blueprint for addressing todayʼs fractured world. Emphasizing what he calls a “disarmed and disarming peace,” the pope consistently insists that true security cannot be built on military force or political maneuvering alone. Drawing on the Franciscan legacy of nonviolence and care for creation, he urges faith leaders across the globe to disarm their hearts and harness prayer as a transformative force for international reconciliation.

Interreligious center

A central pillar of Pope Leo XIV’s vision for interreligious dialogue is turning symbolic encounters into lasting structural realities. This commitment was realized in Assisi with the official opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope in August, when the pontiff met with Rabbi Alon Gotten Gottestein.

Conceived as a permanent interreligious center in the heart of the city, the House translates 40 years of periodic gatherings into an active, daily practice. Designed to serve as a living sanctuary, it provides a dedicated space where believers of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other traditions can gather under one roof. The House, which enjoyed backing from Pope Francis and Pope Leo, features cross-cultural forums, peace education programs, and spaces for quiet reflection, ensuring that dialogue between traditions remains a continuous, structured pursuit rather than an occasional event.

In his addresses, the pontiff frequently stresses that genuine dialogue does not mean diluting theological identities, but rather uniting on common moral ground to tackle shared human crises — including poverty, war, and ecological degradation.

By anchoring his pontificate in these efforts, Pope Leo XIV has revitalized the legacy begun in 1986. Supported by his active leadership and embodied by the new Global House of Friendship and Hope, Assisi reaffirms its standing as a world capital of peace, offering a clear message that building a reconciled world is a shared journey faith leaders must walk together.