The President of the Holy See's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and the Bishops' Conference Chair of the Office for Interreligious Relations, the Most Rev Kevin McDonald, joined representatives from many of the world's major religions in London on Thursday, to offer prayers for peace and to bear witness to their longing for a more just and peaceful world.
The gathering, 'Together in Prayer for Peace', held in Westminster Cathedral Hall, took its inspiration from the 1986 Day of Prayer for Peace convened by Pope John Paul II in Assisi, Italy.
Archbishop McDonald echoed the then-Pope's words in his introduction: "Although religious leaders cannot make political decisions in favour of peace, they can, nonetheless, come together in search of the gift of peace."
At the conclusion of the prayers and reflections, everyone present at the well-attended gathering stood for the 'Pledge for Peace' - 11 commitments promoting dialogue, peace and justice among followers of the world's religions.
Pointing out that only a minority of people live by violence, Cardinal Tauran championed prayer and unity as the twin pillars of a more peaceful world:
"By praying for peace we allow God to transform and inspire us to be witnesses and bearers of peace".
The representatives were:
Mrs Annabel Knight-Djalili, Bahá'í
Lama Gelongma Zangmo, Buddhist
Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, Christian
His Holiness Nirliptananda Swami, Hindu
Mr Bakul Mehta and Dr Harshad Sanghrajka, Jain
Dr Jonathan Gorsky, Jewish
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Muslim
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Sikh
Ervad Shahyan Dastur and Ervad Rustom K Bhedwar, Zoroastrian
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