"Spirit of Assisi" lives!

Cardinal Dziwisz: The "Spirit of Assisi" lives in Cyprus The interreligious encounter that took place on the island of Cyprus carries on the "spirit of Assisi" promoted by John Paul II, said Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, for decades the personal secretary of Pope Karol Wojtyla. The interreligious encounter that took place on the island of Cyprus carries on the "spirit of Assisi" promoted by John Paul II, said Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, for decades the personal secretary of Pope Karol Wojtyla. During the inaugural ceremony of the International Congress "The Civilization of Peace: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue" the Cardinal recalled that John Paul II was convinced that the religious dimension should once again assume an important role and for this reason, on one day of 1986 the Pope confided: "A prayer of all religions for peace, that's what we need! A great clamor to God for peace". From this, he explained, came the choice of Assisi, the city of St. Francis, "as the ideal place for believers of various religions to invoke God" which then occurred on October 27, 1986. Since he did not want Assisi to be "an isolated event", Pope Wojtyla encouraged the experience to continue, and since then it has been carried on by the Community of Sant'Egidio. The Polish cardinal explained that the "spirit of Assisi" is that of peace: "Faith must unite us, especially to protect great values, and above all, peace and friendship between men and between nations. Faith in one God must never lead to conflicts and wars. This was the aim of the prayer in Assisi and this is also the aim of this encounter."

Worshippers of Self at a retreat in Assisi in 2007

Dancing Franciscans in Assisi