INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
In the spirit of St Francis. International Law and Fraternity
To mark the eighth centenary of the death of St Francis of Assisi (1226–2026), the Giuseppe Toniolo Institute of International Peace Law, Italian Catholic Action and the International Forum of Catholic Action are organising the international conference “Pax et Bonum 2026. In the spirit of St Francis. International law and fraternity”.
The event will take place in Rome on Sunday 7 June at Via della Conciliazione 1, in the Salone Presidenza of Italian Catholic Action from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.
Drawing on the legacy of the Saint of Assisi — whose teaching has historically been translated into a practice of interreligious dialogue and peace — the conference aims to explore the paradigm of fraternity in relation to contemporary international law from an academic perspective. The discussion will focus on three main areas: the philosophical-legal dimension, the interreligious aspect, and the impact on international relations.
The “Pax et Bonum” event took place for the first time last year on the occasion of the Jubilee of Associations and the celebration of the One Minute for Peace initiative, an initiative promoted by FIAC every year on 8 June to commemorate the meeting in the Vatican Gardens between Pope Francis and Shimon Peres, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās – Abu Mazen and Bartholomew I to pray for peace, which took place on 8 June 2014.
We have decided to continue the Pax et Bonum initiative, linking it again this year to the One Minute for Peace initiative on 8 June.
The conference concludes with a moment of prayer in the Vatican Gardens, in front of the Olive Tree of Peace planted on 8 June 2014, with the reading of the prayer for peace.
The conference will be streamed online via Zoom for participants who require simultaneous interpretation in English, French, and Spanish. Registration is required.
________________________________________________________________________________
8 June: One Minute for Peace 2026
WE WANT PEACE
an urgency, a right, a necessity.
Towards an “unarmed and disarming” peace.
