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IT TAKES COURAGE FOR PEACE: THE SUMMIT OF PRAYER IN THE VATICAN WITH THE POPE FRANCIS, SIMON PERES, ABU MAZEN AND PATRIARCH BARTOLOMEO I

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Città del Vaticano  ||  08 June 2014
Iniziative (EN) - Maison de la Paix (EN)

A "summit of prayer," a step towards the long-awaited reconciliation. The eyes of the world are the Vatican Gardens where Pope Francesco has joined together with the presidents of Israel and Palestine, Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen, in order to invoke the end of inter-religious conflict. With them also the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartolomeo I. "I call upon all people of good will to join us in praying for peace in the Middle East # weprayforpeace" wrote the Pope in a tweet to ask everyone to join them in prayer. With this initiative, which raises the dialogue at a time when international diplomats are stalled, Francis carries out the project to involve faiths in peace-building, which was initiated by Pope Wojtyla and continued by Ratzinger.
An important contribution to interreligious dialogue and the role of civil society for peace between Israel and Palestine has been carried out since 1991 by the Fondazione Mediterraneo: This action has been publicly recognized by the Presidents Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas during their visits to Mediterranean Foundation: last, that of President Abu Mazen April 28, 2013.
The President Michele Capasso on the sidelines of the summit in Rome participated in prayer meetings and exchanges with Israeli and Palestinian representatives.