Homily on the 40th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi by Bishop Romeo D. Convocar

Bishop Romeo D. Convocar delivered a homily on October 27 marking the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi. He noted that the Pope was scheduled to be in Assisi for the anniversary but could not attend due to a recent operation and his current health condition.

During the homily, Bishop Convocar recalled the 1986 gathering in Assisi, where Pope John Paul II invited 160 leaders from various religions, including Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus, to pray for peace. He stated the purpose of the meeting was not to debate or claim all religions are identical, but to pray together for peace.

The Bishop referenced the example of St. Francis, who traveled to meet Sultan al-Kamil in Egypt in 1219 during the Crusades. He noted that Francis approached the Sultan unarmed to offer a greeting of peace, which led to mutual respect between the two parties without religious conversion.