The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was today among religious leaders alongside refugees to be greeted by Pope Francis in Assisi in a day of prayer for peace.
After shaking hands and chatting with dozens of participants, the Pope sat down for lunch with them in the Franciscan convent in the Umbrian hill town where St Francis was born.
The guests included 12 refugees who fled war and conflicts in Nigeria, Eritrea, Mali and Syria - which was represented by three Christians who fled the besieged city of Aleppo. Among those dining with Francis in Assisi was a 23-year-old man from Mali, who survived a voyage on a fishing boat from Libya to Sicily.
The gathering marked the 30<sup>th anniversary of the establishment of the inter-religious day of prayer by Pope John Paul II in 1986.
The closing event later today gathers all participants in Assisi's main square for speeches by the Pope, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, a representative from Islam, Judaism and Buddhism, and sees remarks from a victim of war. The participants were due to pause for a moment of silence for victims of war worldwide, and exchange a sign of peace with one another.
The theme of the meeting is 'Thirst for Peace. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue'.
The Pope was welcomed in Assisi by Welby, Father Mauro Gambetti, Custodian of the Holy Convent, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the Syro-Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Efrem II, Jewish and Muslim representatives and the Supreme Head of Tendai Buddhism.
Pope Francis was due to speak individually with Welby, among other religious leaders this afternoon. The Archbishop tweeted from the gathering that he was privileged to be chairing a panel discussion in honour of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Great privilege to chair panel at #Assisi30 honouring the Ecumenical Patriarch #PeaceIsPossible #Thirst4Peace pic.twitter.com/KFiqT9r9vu
— Justin Welby ن (@JustinWelby) 20 September 2016
Earlier this morning, during Mass at the Vatican, The Pope said that, "today, men and women of all religions, we will go to Assisi - not to make a show: simply to pray and to pray for peace." He recalled inviting to today's gathering "Catholics, Christians, believers and all men and women of good will, of any religion, to pray for peace," because, he exclaimed, "the world is at war! The world is suffering!"
