BAPS Delegation Participates in Vatican Interfaith Conference and Meets Pope Leo XIV, Rome, Italy
150+ delegates • 8-member BAPS delegation • 2-day interfaith conference • 5 Dharmic faith traditions
Religious leaders, scholars, academics and representatives of Europe’s Dharmic faith communities gathered in Rome on 23 and 24 June 2026 for an international interfaith conference exploring how dialogue and collaboration can strengthen fraternity and contribute to more peaceful and cohesive societies.
Titled ‘Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs in Europe: Building Fraternity through Dialogue and Collaboration’, the two-day conference was held at the Angelicum – Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome. It was convened by the Catholic Church’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in partnership with a wide coalition of organisations representing different faith traditions and communities.
More than 150 religious leaders, scholars, academics and faith representatives from across Europe participated in the conference, together with senior officials of the Holy See.
The programme featured keynote addresses, panel discussions and interreligious dialogue sessions. Academics explored the opportunities and challenges of religious pluralism in contemporary Europe, while faith leaders shared practical experiences of fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and collaboration within their communities.
Opening the conference, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, emphasised that fraternity remains a concrete and lived reality even amid the wars, divisions and hatred affecting the world today.
Throughout the conference, participants reaffirmed that genuine dialogue requires people to remain firmly rooted in their own faith traditions while engaging openly and respectfully with others. They also emphasised the importance of translating dialogue into practical collaboration that promotes peace, harmony and the common good.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, was represented by a delegation of eight members, including two swamis. The delegation joined fellow participants in exploring ways that people of different faiths can strengthen mutual understanding, respect and cooperation.
During the opening session, Paramtattvadas Swami was invited to honour Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad by presenting him with a traditional shawl.
On 24 June, the conference concluded with all participants joining His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s traditional Wednesday General Audience in St Peter’s Square. Within this setting, BAPS representatives were received for a special audience with His Holiness.
During the audience, the BAPS representatives recalled the historic meeting between His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and His Holiness Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on 7 April 1984. A photograph commemorating that landmark meeting was presented to Pope Leo XIV, highlighting more than four decades of dialogue and mutual respect between BAPS and the Catholic Church.
The representatives also presented a recent photograph of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, together with two gifts and a message of love, peace, harmony and respect.
The first gift was a mala, or Hindu rosary, symbolising the belief that although people of different faiths may pray in different ways, they are united by one Divine thread. The gift also echoed Pope Leo XIV’s episcopal motto, ‘In illo Uno unum’ – ‘In the One, we are one’ – reflecting humanity’s shared search for God, peace and the common good.
The second gift was a traditional diya, or sacred lamp. It represented the Hindu belief that the light of love, peace and harmony triumphs over the darkness of hatred, violence and discord.
Reflecting on the conference and the audience with Pope Leo XIV, Paramtattvadas Swami said, “These two days have reminded us that dialogue is not simply about listening to one another; it is about walking together in friendship and serving society together. We were deeply honoured to convey the blessings and heartfelt message of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”
The exchange of the gifts expressed a shared aspiration that faith should always be a source of peace, compassion and harmony.
The BAPS delegation’s participation in the conference and audience with Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed BAPS’s longstanding commitment to working alongside people of all faiths to promote peace, harmony, mutual respect and selfless service.