The meeting in Assisi in 1986
Assisi: Pope Leo XIV will visit Assisi on October 27 for an interreligious prayer for peace marking 40 years since Pope St John Paul II brought representatives of different religions together in the Italian city for a historic World Day of Prayer for Peace.
The 2026 Assisi gathering will take place from October 25 to 27 under the theme “Disarmed and Disarming Peace”. The event will bring together 384 representatives of religions, cultures and institutions from 53 countries, with discussions focusing on peace, conflicts, prayer, migration, disarmament, young people, the media and other issues affecting communities around the world.
Pope St John Paul II held the first World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi on October 27, 1986. It was the first time that representatives of different world religions had been invited by a Pope to pray together for peace.
The meeting went on to inspire the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay organisation that has continued to promote the “Spirit of Assisi” through annual gatherings in Europe and other parts of the world.
Pope Leo’s participation this year has been welcomed by Felice Accrocca, the local bishop of Assisi. He said the Pope’s presence alongside other religious leaders could strengthen their common effort against violence.
The 2026 gathering was presented on October 6 at the headquarters of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication. Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant’Egidio, said the original Assisi meeting created a new approach to interreligious dialogue that has become increasingly important over the past four decades.
Impagliazzo described the present world as affected by fear, division, nationalism and racism. He said the message of Assisi is that spiritual unity among people of different religions is important for building a sense of shared human fraternity.
The event will include 155 speakers taking part in 24 thematic forums. The discussions will cover a wide range of subjects, including peace and prayer, the economy, armed conflicts, children and young people, media, migration, disarmament, Christian unity, dialogue across the Mediterranean, poverty and contemporary martyrs.
Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Assisi on the final day, October 27. He will join the Christian community in the Lower Basilica for a special prayer for peace. Patriarch Bartholomew will also take part, with both religious leaders offering a meditation during the prayer.
The gathering continues a tradition that has brought religious leaders together in Assisi for decades. Pope Francis attended the 30th anniversary meeting in 2016.
At the conclusion of this year’s event, Pope Leo is expected to address those gathered in the piazza outside the Basilica of Saint Francis with a message focused on peace.