In a letter sent to a gathering in his home city of Chicago, Pope Leo says that “when people of different religious traditions come together in prayer, it has the power to change the course of history.”
Vatican News
Pope Leo sent a message on Saturday to the International Encounter for Peace and Reconciliation taking place at Loyola University in Chicago.
He began by telling participants that he was pleased they were continuing with the ‘Building Bridges Initiative’ begun in 2022 by Pope Francis, before saying he wanted to stress three particular points.
Firstly, the Pope emphasised, true peace is “not simply the absence of conflict, but rather is God’s gift.” Peace is not “imposed with violence and deception”, Pope Leo said, but rather is to be found in the person of Jesus, who “is with us always, until the end of the age”.
Secondly, Pope Leo said, in order for such concord to be achieved, what is needed is “the engagement and commitment of the international community for the sake of the common good”. This includes, he emphasised, “interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together institutions, organizations, scientists and leaders in various fields”.
The role of prayer
Finally, the Pope emphasised, peace is a “constant journey of reconciliation”: with God, with ourselves, with others, and with creation.
We can be tempted, the Pope noted, to believe that an era free of conflict is unattainable. However, he said, it is important to remember the role of prayer in bringing about peace: “When people of different religious traditions come together in prayer, it has the power to change the course of history.”
Pope Leo brought his message to an end by reiterating his encouragement to participants, and assuring them of his blessings.
The event
The International Encounter in Chicago is gathering students, professors, and specialists from various countries across the Americas, aiming to propose concrete pathways to build peace in the region.
Organized by Loyola University Chicago together with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (PCAL) as part of Pope Francis’s 2022 “Building Bridges Initiative,” the meeting is presided over by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago.
Messages are expected from Pope Leo, Archbishop Filippo Iannone (Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America), Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça (Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education), Nathalie Becquart (Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops), and Bishop Lizardo Estrada (Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, CELAM).
Participants are engaged in five thematic areas: Peace and the Church; Peace, Law, and Migration; Peace and Economics; Culture and Art Inspiring Peace; and Peace, Truth, and Justice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
The event will conclude with remarks by Emilce Cuda, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
