On Sunday, May 17, 2026, an unusual interreligious meeting took place. What made it so special? The organizers did not hold it in a church, mosque, synagogue, or any other place of worship. They did not choose a conference room or a university either, but instead―a garden. Yet the choice makes sense, since a garden was also the setting of humanity’s first religious experience.
Sunday’s meeting stemmed from a special occasion: the commemorative year marking the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The title of the event reflected this theme: “One Home, Many Voices: An Interreligious Round Table During the Franciscan Year.” The Tevere Institute organized the event with sponsorship from Caffè Nemorense. It began at 5:30 p.m. in Rome’s Parco Virgiliano, also known as Parco Nemorense.
The Tevere Institute was founded in Rome in 2007. It serves as a center for dialogue. Its goal is to promote intercultural and interreligious research and to create opportunities for people of different backgrounds, faiths, and philosophical convictions to meet. The Institute also conducts research in important areas such as human rights, democracy, religious pluralism, and multiculturalism. It collaborates with universities in Rome, across Europe, and internationally, as well as with non-governmental organizations, particularly with Religions for Peace in Italy. Alongside academic symposia, it organizes musical, cultural, and literary events that encourage peaceful coexistence in contemporary society.
During the event, five representatives of different religions presented their reflections on aspects of the spirituality of St. Francis, placing them within the context of their own faiths. As one might expect, these reflections were intended to foster mutual spiritual understanding and closeness. The speakers highlighted what unites us, what defines our humanity, and what we collectively aspire to. They addressed themes such as religious experience, dialogue, peace, and ecology. The names of the speakers and their respective religious traditions appear on the attached poster.
Cenap AYDIN (Tevere Institute) and Arianna CAMELLINI from the Municipality of Rome moderated the discussion. Dr. Luigi DE SALVIA, President of Religions for Peace in Italy, attended as a special guest.
The outdoor meeting attracted tremendous interest. Organizers arranged chairs in front of a small improvised stage, but attendees still outnumbered them, and many passersby paused to listen, some briefly and some for longer.
At the end of the official program, I had a very pleasant personal experience: several people approached me to thank me for the Franciscan presence at the meeting.
Returning once more to the image of the garden…perhaps we should encourage the creation or restoration of gardens next to our friaries and catechism classrooms. We should create them where they don’t exist or have fallen into neglect. I mean this both literally and metaphorically.
Friar Sławomir KLEIN
General Delegate for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue (EDI)
