In the Swiss Church, too, the faithful united themselves with the Pope in his prayer for peace at Assisi. In Geneva the Roman Catholic Church organized an interreligious meeting for the whole diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg on Thursday, 24 January 2002. The French-speaking religious authorities chose the church of St. Nicholas of Flüe for the event, because it is the parish church of the international community. The spokesman of Msgr. Pierre Farine, auxiliary bishop of Geneva, explained: “It was an opportunity that permitted the population of Geneva to meet the international representatives who also live in their city”. Presided by Msgr. Bernard Genoud, diocesan bishop, the celebration for peace brought together the representatives of the various Christian confessions and also of the Jewish and Moslem religions, who each brought a personal testimony inspired by the theme of the World Day for Peace 2002: “No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness”. The various religious communities spoke of the actuality of peace, of the significance of justice and forgiveness within the international context of our time. François Garaï, rabbi of the liberal Israelite Community of Geneva, Hafid Ouardiri, spokesman of the Mosque of Geneva, and Isabelle Graesslé, representative of the Protestant Churches, among others, made their voice heard and joined in the prayer for peace. The universal prayer was recited in six languages to emphasize its universality. Some children, “symbol of hope and of the future”, read out a message and transmitted the sign of peace. The participants also included the delegates of various international organizations. The organizers explained that “this was a way of alerting world leaders, because future decisions are in the hands of the governments of the whole world”. Msgr. Diarmuid Martin, the Holy See’s permanent observer at the Office of the United Nations in Geneva, was also present to accompany the community of Geneva, both local and international, in the prayer for peace.
