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Gallagher: Religions Can Foster Peace Amid Global Tensions
Archbishop Gallagher urges religions to contribute to peace by respecting human dignity and rejecting faith-based division in a fractured world.
In brief
Archbishop Gallagher urges religions to contribute to peace by respecting human dignity and rejecting faith-based division in a fractured world. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher emphasizes religious communities' role in easing global tensions and promoting peace without reducing faith to a tool of division…
Archbishop Gallagher at Rome Conference
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, spoke at Rome’s Religions and Diplomacy conference on 29 September 2026.
“Archbishop Gallagher highlighted religious communities’ ability to speak to consciences and ease tensions between peoples, while warning against turning faith into a banner of division.”
Conference Focus on Religious Peace
The three-day gathering at Palazzo San Calisto, organized by Carità Politica to mark its thirtieth anniversary, concludes on 30 September 2026.
“The association presented a document committing it to cultural exchanges and joint action to revive dialogue and bring peoples closer together.”
Religious Freedom as Key to Peace
Archbishop Gallagher stressed that religious freedom is the litmus test of respect for all human rights, as it is both their synthesis and keystone.
“Freedom of religion or belief is the litmus test of respect for all other human rights, because it is both their synthesis and their keystone.”
Religions Must Not Be Reduced to Division
Archbishop Gallagher warned against reducing religious affiliation to a banner that distinguishes groups, stressing that religion must not become a tally of those on one side.
“Religious affiliation must not be reduced to a banner that distinguishes us from them. There can never be an absolute identification between ethnicity or a people, on the one hand, and religious affiliation, on the other.”
Religious Communities’ Peace Contributions
Religious communities contribute to peace by speaking to consciences and preventing radicalization, despite not being subjects of international law.
“They have the ability to speak to consciences, something immensely valuable.”
Religious Freedom Protects All Rights
Violations of religious freedom treat faith as a private matter, but public profession of faith must be guaranteed to ensure societies remain free.
“Religious freedom is not a privilege of believers.”
Cardinal Reina on Disarming Language
Cardinal Baldo Reina emphasized disarming language by removing God from war logic and rejecting religious legitimacy for hatred.
“Disarming certainly means laying down weapons, but first and foremost freeing international relations from the conviction that force is the ultimate and decisive measure of relations between peoples.”
Negotiation as Responsibility
Cardinal Reina stated negotiation is not a form of weakness but an exercise in responsibility, distinguishing mediation from moral equidistance.
“Negotiation is an exercise in responsibility, not a form of weakness.”
Rome as Peace Laboratory
Rome must continue learning from global and religious traditions to create a space for peaceful coexistence and dialogue.
“Rome itself must continue to learn: from the world, from sister Churches, from other religious traditions, from peoples, migrants, the poor and all who continue to call for peace and justice.”
Global Health Cooperation
Professor Carlo Torti highlighted the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation’s Africa project supporting 40 countries through health initiatives with Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Health knows no borders. The fundamental challenge is to build bonds and create community.”
Ambassadors’ Perspectives
Angola’s and Türkiye’s ambassadors emphasized the importance of religious traditions in promoting human dignity and peaceful coexistence.
“Human dignity comes before our political identities. Diplomacy is the art of recognizing the existence of the other.”
What Happens Next
Religious leaders will convene in the coming months to implement commitments for peace and dialogue, as the conference concludes on 30 September 2026.
“The association plans to convene religious leaders in the coming months to put these commitments into practice.”
The headline
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher emphasizes religious communities' role in easing global tensions and promoting peace without reducing faith to a tool of division.
