OSTIA: Pope Leo XIV visited the Bel Espoir schooner docked at the Italian port of Ostia to support young people from diverse faith backgrounds sailing the Mediterranean for peace.
Young participants from various religious traditions joyfully performed the Arabic dabke folk dance during the papal visit to their floating “school of peace.”
Spanish participant Jesus Marro expressed deep appreciation for the pope’s endorsement of their peacebuilding initiative across cultural divides.
The 30-year-old Spaniard noted the pontiff’s commitment to fostering unity through personal engagement with their project.
Since March, the historic 1944 vessel has hosted approximately 200 youth aged 19 to 35 from different cultures and religions on Mediterranean voyages.
The current journey from Naples to Marseille represents the eighth and final stop in their peace mission.
Young participants involved in community projects back home view the voyage as crucial for promoting dialogue amid growing global conflicts.
Pope Leo encouraged the youth to practice active listening in what he described as an increasingly violent and divided world.
The Catholic leader boarded the three-masted ship amid celebratory singing and inspected living quarters while sharing pastries with participants.
He emphasized that contemporary society needs hopeful actions more than empty words during his impromptu English speech.
Participants including Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Catholics and non-religious individuals bond through shared shipboard duties.
Palestinian Christian Christina Hilana described the experience as emotionally powerful given her homeland’s difficult circumstances.
The 27-year-old from near Ramallah acknowledged the pain of leaving her conflict-affected community temporarily.
Iraqi Muslim Fatima Al-Wardi confronted her fear of water to join the voyage despite never having seen the ocean before.
The 30-year-old humanitarian worker from Baghdad explained her decision by noting life’s brevity and opportunity’s importance.
She reflected on Iraq’s traumatic history of foreign intervention and sectarian violence while affirming humanity’s need for peace.
Project co-organiser Father Alexis Leproux described their daily discussions covering environment, economy, women’s roles and cultural dialogue.
The Marseille priest emphasized building what he termed a “culture of encounter” as an alternative to conflict and rivalry.
Participants continue their peacebuilding work through seminars and workshops in port cities as part of Mediterranean Encounters 2025.
Al-Wardi shared a meaningful Koranic passage about exploring different cultures and stepping beyond comfort zones. – AFP
