As part of a continuing effort to promote interfaith understanding, Georgetown will host a prestigious conference of diverse religious leaders next week.
The 2006 International Prayer for Peace, sponsored by Georgetown, the Catholic University of America, the Archdiocese of Washington and the Community of Sant’Egidio, marks the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s interfaith summit for peace in Assisi. The event will feature 120 leaders and scholars from many different religions, and it is the first Prayer for Peace to be held in the United States.
The community of Sant’Egidio, an international organization of Catholic laypeople founded in 1968, holds the conference annually. The association played a role in the resolution of the Mozambique Civil War and currently is working for peace in Algeria, the Balkans and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Jacques Arsenault (COL ‘01), a Georgetown media relations officer, believes that the University’s dedication to inter-religious understanding will provide an excellent site for dialogue.
“With Georgetown’s unique religious identity and location in Washington, D.C., and in the international arena, the Community of Sant’Egidio felt that Georgetown would be [an] ideal host,” Arsenault said
Claudio Betti, a spokesperson for Sant’Egidio, encouraged students to become involved in the conference.
“We are not trying to unify different religions into a common faith, but instead respect the differences of each religion and find the necessary tools for speech. All students should attend the roundtables, which will supplement their curriculum,” Betti urged.
