In a world ravaged by the Third World War fought piecemeal, a two-day international conference in the Vatican explores the role of religious actors in peacemaking.

Taking place on 10–11 July 2025, the event, entitled “The Religious Dimensions of Peacemaking”, is organised by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) in collaboration with the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

Among the speakers is Professor Josefina Echavarría, Director of the Peace Accords Matrix project at the University of Notre Dame. Speaking to Vatican News, she described the event as “an opportunity to explore how faith-based values and religious leadership contribute both to the negotiation of peace and the healing of societies fractured by war.”

Faith as a source of legitimacy and reconciliation

Professor Echavarría explained that religious leaders often bring moral authority and legitimacy to peace processes, particularly in contexts where trust between opposing parties is fragile or non-existent.

Echavarría, who is Colombian, also draws on her own experience of living in a conflict-torn country and embarking on a peace process.  “In Colombia, for example,” she said, “the Catholic Church, through Caritas Colombia and other organisations, has played a crucial role in mediating crises during the implementation of the 2016 peace accord.”

Regarding her work at the Peace Accords Matrix project, she explained that  “we merge peace research with the practice of peace building, with peace negotiations and with accompanying civil society on the ground in the process of transitioning from war to peace and also hopefully contributing to reconciliation.“

And drawing on examples such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and the work of the Sant’Egidio Community in Mozambique, she pointed out that spiritual figures are often uniquely positioned to facilitate dialogue and healing after years of violence.

“After war, people don’t just need security, they need dignity, inclusion, and hope. And very often, those needs are best addressed by actors who speak to the heart and the conscience,” she explained.

“It's very difficult to establish communication, but it's also very difficult to establish trust. And what we find very often is that religious actors in peace building tend to have the possibility to bring a lot of different conflict parties together.”

A platform for dialogue and collaboration

The conference will explore a range of themes: the role of Holy See diplomacy; secular mediation in conflicts with religious dimensions; and the importance of interfaith initiatives. According to the organisers, it is not intended to produce a final document but to spark ongoing collaboration among academic institutions, religious communities, and peace practitioners.

“This is hopefully the beginning of a long-term partnership,” Professor Echavarría said, noting the participation of mediators from diverse contexts including Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

Education, empowerment, long-term transformation

Professor Echavarría highlighted the importance of peace education, not only in schools but in informal settings where communication, mediation, and empathy can be cultivated.

“There’s a technical side to peacemaking,” she explained, “from how to facilitate negotiations to how to accompany victims. But there’s also a human side: how we train our gaze to see the vulnerable, how we build trust, how we empower people to choose new paths.”

In a world where civilian populations are increasingly caught in the crossfire of modern conflicts, she said, it is essential to include victims in peace processes and ensure their voices are heard.

“We must make sure that peace agreements don’t only end today’s wars, but prevent tomorrow’s.”

Papal appeals for peace

Asked about the impact of the Pope’s appeals for peace, Professor Echavarría affirmed their importance, both for those engaged in armed conflict and those seeking healing.

“[The Pope’s] voice reaches millions: combatants, victims, and peacebuilders alike. It’s a call to conscience and to courage,” she noted.

“We need to move from crisis mode to creative collaboration,” she said. “And this conference is a step in that direction,” Echavarría added, highlighting the crucial need for collaboration.

And reiterating that “we can’t continue responding in crisis mode, in a survival mode to this situation,” she said, “We need to go a step further; to think together on how to move forward and build bridges.”

“I think that we are reaching that point, and I believe this conference is an example of that.”