Aachen: Sant Egidio Community hosts international meeting for peace
A large pilgrimage of peace arrived in Aachen, in the heart of Europe, yesterday, for the start of a two day international, interfaith conference on "'War and Peace: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue' . Since 1987, following the footsteps of Pope John Paul II's meeting in Assisi, every year the Community of Sant'Egidio invites representatives from different faiths in a great meeting of dialogue and prayer for peace. In a statement the Community said: "The remarkable number of participants - higher than in previous editions, with more than five hundred religious representatives, and several thousands persons who have subscribed to participate to the forums - shows how much road we have walked in these years, but it is also a 'sign of the times'. In fact, it tells how big a need there is to draw routes of cooperation and to address issues which cross different cultural and religious contexts. " There are thirty panels, with issues ranging from ecumenism to the relation between literature and peace, from the death penalty to problems connected to environment and water, from immigration to Europe's role in furthering peace. For more information visit: the Sant'Egidio website at: www.santegidio.org/