The many needs of the world in this turbulent time were remembered in prayer on Friday evening (20th March 2026) when representatives from several Christian traditions gathered for intercession, in the Church of Santa Lucia of Gonfalone in the centre of Rome. 

The prayer vigil was organised by the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Methodist Ecumenical Office 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.

Following 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 Archbishop Pace, the Revd Matthew Laferty, from the Methodist Ecumenical Office 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 in the Lord’s Prayer said in the preferred languages of those attending. Prayers were accompanied throughout the service by a beautiful arrangement of music by musicians from local churches.

The event was organised as a response to the joint call for renewed efforts towards the ‘gift of peace’ – signed and released by the General Secretaries of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and World Methodist Council on Thursday, 5th March.

In an Anglican context, this time of prayer came around the one-month anniversary of the pastoral letter issued by Archbishop Hosam Naoum – the Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East – inviting urgent and unceasing prayer from the Church as the conflict in the Middle East expanded and intensified. 

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