Santa Maria Di Lecua: Young people from different countries, cultures and religious backgrounds are gathering in southern Italy this week for an international meeting focused on peace, dialogue and friendship across the Mediterranean.
The five day gathering is taking place in Santa Maria di Leuca in Italy’s Puglia region from August 10 to 14. It marks the eleventh edition of the Carta di Leuca, an annual initiative that brings young people together to reflect on the challenges facing the Mediterranean and to explore practical ways of building peace.
This year’s meeting is being held under the theme “A Mediterranean of peace for a world at peace: Beauty, Art and Peace.” The programme combines prayer, discussion, workshops, cultural encounters and a pilgrimage, giving participants opportunities to listen to one another and reflect on how peaceful relationships can be built in communities affected by division and conflict.
The Carta di Leuca was established in 2016 with the aim of bringing together young people from different shores of the Mediterranean. The organisers hope the annual gathering can help participants move beyond discussion and develop concrete commitments to peace.
Young people from Cyprus and Jerusalem are among those taking part this year. Italian participants involved with Caritas and other partner organisations are also attending. The programme is open to people between the ages of 18 and 35, creating a space where young adults can share their experiences and perspectives on peace and coexistence.
A major focus of this year’s programme is the healing of relationships that have been damaged by conflict, division and misunderstanding. During the first three days, volunteers will lead a series of workshops addressing subjects such as wounded relationships, the value of differences, welcoming others, healing painful memories and rebuilding hope.
The organisers see these discussions as an important part of the wider purpose of the gathering. Rather than simply speaking about peace as an idea, participants are being encouraged to consider how it can be practised in personal relationships and communities.
The young people will also spend time with local communities during the gathering. One of the important moments will be a walk along the final kilometres of the Via Francigena towards the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Finibus Terrae. The sanctuary has traditionally been seen as a meeting point between East and West, giving the pilgrimage a particular significance for an event centred on dialogue among Mediterranean peoples.
The conversations and reflections during the five days will contribute to the preparation of the Carta di Leuca 2026. The document will contain the commitments and hopes that emerge from the meeting and will be signed by participants at the conclusion of the gathering.
The initiative is also closely connected to the spiritual legacy of Venerable Don Tonino Bello, the former Bishop of Molfetta Ruvo Giovinazzo Terlizzi. His ministry placed strong emphasis on peace, nonviolence, solidarity with people living in poverty and the importance of building bridges between communities.
A significant moment in this year’s programme will come with the arrival of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on August 13. His presence is expected to give particular importance to the gathering, especially as young people from Jerusalem are among those participating.
During his visit, Cardinal Pizzaballa is scheduled to visit Cardinal Panico Hospital and the Casa di Betania hospice in Tricase. He will also celebrate Mass during his visit to the region.
Later, the cardinal will meet the young participants as they reach the Basilica of Santa Maria di Finibus Terrae. He will then travel to Alessano, where he will pray at the tomb of Don Tonino Bello.
That same tomb will become the centre of a night prayer vigil involving the participants during the night of August 13 and 14. After the vigil, the young people will begin their pilgrimage towards the sanctuary in Leuca.
The 2026 Carta di Leuca will be formally proclaimed at 7am on August 14. Cardinal Pizzaballa will preside over the concluding Mass in the square outside the basilica.
For the young people taking part, the gathering offers more than a religious or cultural meeting. It is an opportunity to encounter people from different backgrounds, listen to experiences shaped by conflict and difference, and consider how a culture of peace can be built through everyday relationships.
At a time when several parts of the Mediterranean region continue to face war, displacement, political tensions and social divisions, the organisers hope the gathering will give young people a stronger voice in the search for peace.
The Carta di Leuca 2026 is therefore intended not only as a moment of prayer and reflection, but also as an invitation to young people to become active participants in creating a more peaceful Mediterranean and, through it, a more peaceful world.