Pope Leo XIV will travel to Assisi on October 27, 2026, to participate in the closing ceremony of a three-day interreligious peace gathering. The visit marks the 40th anniversary of the inaugural World Day of Prayer for Peace, first convened by St. John Paul II in 1986, OSV News reported.
The 40th Anniversary of the Assisi Meeting
From October 25 to 27, 2026, Assisi will host the 40th annual meeting in a series of peace prayers that began when St. John Paul II invited representatives of the world’s religions to pray together for the first time in history. The Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay organization, has promoted what is known as the "Spirit of Assisi" every year across Europe and beyond since that foundational meeting.
"In Assisi, a new and creative perspective for interreligious dialogue was born," said Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant’Egidio, during an October 6 press conference at the Vatican, as reported by Vatican News. "Over the past 40 years, that spirit has become a necessity in a globalized world."
Pope Leo XIV and the ‘Disarmed and Disarming Peace’
The 2026 event is titled "Disarmed and Disarming Peace," a theme derived from Pope Leo XIV’s own words and his July 21 book, Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.
The program includes 384 representatives from 53 countries participating in 24 thematic forums. These discussions will cover a wide range of global issues, including the economy, migration, the media, the status of children and young people, and the challenges faced by contemporary martyrs.
On the final day of the gathering, Pope Leo XIV will join Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in the Lower Basilica of St. Francis for a shared meditation and prayer for peace. Following this, the Pope is scheduled to deliver a public message in the piazza outside the basilica.
Local and Global Perspectives on the Gathering
Archbishop Felice Accrocca of Assisi-Nocera expressed support for the event, noting that the presence of the Pope and other religious leaders serves to "reinforce the shared journey against every form of violence," according to Vatican News.
Organizers emphasize that the gathering is a response to a world they describe as "very frightened, fearful and torn apart, prey to nationalism and racism." Impagliazzo stated that without a "spiritual unification of the world," it remains difficult for people to view one another as brothers and sisters.
Who Organizes the 2026 Assisi Meeting?
Who is organizing the 2026 Assisi meeting?
The event is promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio, which has promoted the "Spirit of Assisi" across Europe and beyond since the original 1986 meeting.
How many participants are expected to attend?
A total of 384 representatives of various religions, cultures, and institutions from 53 countries are scheduled to participate in the three-day event.
What is the significance of the meeting’s title?
The title "Disarmed and Disarming Peace" is drawn from Pope Leo XIV’s book Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, published by the Vatican Publishing House.
"If there is no spiritual unification of the world — and this is the message of Assisi and of all religions — it will be difficult for men and women to unite and to think of themselves as ‘brothers and sisters to all,’" Impagliazzo said.
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