By Flavia Cecchini & Ana Clara Giovani

From May 29th to June 2nd, the interreligious congress “One Human Family” was held at Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Dedicated to fostering dialogue, the event brought together people of various generations, cultures, and religions, with youth playing a significant co-protagonist role.

Before an audience of 500 people from diverse religious backgrounds and from every corner of the world, Jessica from Israel and Dana from Palestine engaged participants in an icebreaker. Despite the ongoing conflict in their homeland, these two young women had been working together for months to prepare for this activity. It may seem ordinary, but in times of war, it’s a profound sign of peace.

The five-day congress, organized by the Focolare Movement, featured panels, meetings, and activities centered on themes of peace and dialogue. Over 500 participants were welcomed in Castel Gandolfo, creating a mosaic of religions and traditions. Buddhists, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Baha’is, and Muslims shared moments of mutual understanding, exchange, and dialogue.

Contemporary challenges such as peaceful coexistence among communities, artificial intelligence, economy, and ecology were discussed, emphasizing the crucial role that religions and traditional faiths can play in today’s world. Both on and off the stage, people from different backgrounds formed new and deepened existing relationships, tangibly creating one human family.

Amidst the diverse audience, a group of around 50 young men and women took part in panels, prayers, and joyful moments. Buddhists from Risho KoseiKai, a lay movement from Japan, shared a prayer during a session devoted to the variety of spiritualities. A group of Christians and Muslims from Algeria, Palestine, and Italy, part of the Focolare Movement, organized and hosted a panel on the impact of artificial intelligence on relationships and religions.

Parañtap, a Hindu from Shanti Asharam, played a melodious and cheerful Raag of Indian Classical Music on the flute. At 18 years old, it was his first time attending an interfaith conference: “Earlier, I used to have this misconception that only my religion is the best since it is the only one with all the ancient scriptures and texts. But when I came to the inter-religious dialogue conference, my mind started getting a clearer picture of the essence, richness, and values each religion holds. I feel blissful to have been here because it opened the doors of my mind”.

A group of participants had a private audience with Pope Francis. Ayna, an Albanian Muslim from IDIZEM – Intercultural Center of Munich, had the opportunity to greet the Pope: “The discussions on fraternity, justice, and reconciliation were inspiring, and the sense of unity among diverse faiths was truly heartening. Meeting Pope Francis was a highlight, reinforcing the importance of interfaith dialogue and collaboration for global peace. I once again realized that dialogue now is more necessary than ever”.

The gathering of diverse faiths stood as a testament to the transformative power of unity and dialogue. The active participation of the youth highlighted their vital role in shaping the present and future of interreligious dialogue, ensuring that these efforts will continue to grow and evolve. In a world often divided by conflict, the sight of people from different religions coming together was not just symbolic but profoundly meaningful. A living sign of peace.