An ecumenical prayer vigil was held on Friday, March 20, 2026, in the Church of Santa Lucia of Gonfalone in the centre of Rome. The purpose of the meeting was to pray together in unity for the gift of peace in the turbulent time the world is facing and remember the many needs of the world.
The event was organised as a response to the recent joint call for renewed efforts towards the ‘gift of peace’ – signed and released by the Secretary Generals of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches and World Methodist Council on Thursday, March 5.
This unified vigil came around the one-month anniversary of the pastoral letter issued by the Most Revd Hosam Naoum (the Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), in which he invited urgent and unceasing prayer from the Church as the conflict in the Middle East expanded and intensified.
In recent days, the Rt Revd Sean Semple, the Bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, has also issued filmed and written messages urging peace in the region.
The vigil was organised by the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome, the Reformed Churches Ecumenical Office in Rome, and the Taizé Community. The Holy See was represented by Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
The service included an introduction by the Revd Tara Curlewis from the Reformed Churches Ecumenical Office and Brother Matthew from the Taizé Community. Prayers were offered for an end to armed conflict and war, the safe deliverance of all those in war zones, and peace in our world.
Further prayers were led by Flavio Pace, from the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the Revd Matthew Laferty, from the Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome, and Sr Dr Elizabeth Anderson from the Anglican Centre. Archbishop Pace, Ms Curlewis and Mr Laferty were joined in the final blessing by the Revd Dr Peter Adenekan, from the Anglican Centre.
Intercessions from members of the congregation were made in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese and the Lord’s Prayer was said by each person present in their preferred language. Prayers were accompanied throughout the service by musicians from local churches.
About the Anglican Centre in Rome
The Anglican Centre in Rome is the permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome. It is the living reality of the Anglican Communion’s commitment to the full visible unity of the Church, working collaboratively with all Christians for justice and peace in the world. It is also the base of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the Holy See, who is also the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome – the Rt Revd Anthony Ball. He liaises between Pope Leo and the Archbishop of Canterbury and works with the Anglican Communion and Vatican bodies on joint projects for education, ecumenism and shared mission.