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46TH EDITION OF THE MEETING FOR FRIENDSHIP AMONG PEOPLES
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27 August 2025
6th edition of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples A delegation from the "United States of the World" and the "Fondazione Mediterraneo" participated in the "46th edition of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples".
In particular, in the ISYbank D3 Auditorium, broadcast live on askanews, Famiglia Cristiana, Rai News, Telepace Verona, Teleradiopace and Vatican News, a meeting entitled "New Saints" was held, which closed the 46th edition of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples. The panel included Paolo Asolan, professor of fundamental pastoral theology and dean of the Pontifical Pastoral Institute Redemptor Hominis (Pontifical Lateran University); Marco Cesare Giorgio, president of the Pier Giorgio Frassati Cultural Centre; His Excellency Monsignor Domenico Sorrentino, Archbishop-Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and Foligno. The meeting was moderated by Bernhard Scholz, president of the Meeting. A video interview with Antonia Salzano, mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis, was also shown, in view of his canonisation scheduled for 7 September in Rome.
"They are new saints because they were not monks or consecrated persons, but saints who lived normal lives of school, work and friendships,’ explained Secretary-General Michele Capasso, continuing: "Too often we think that holiness requires special conditions. Here, however, we discover that the extraordinary can be lived within the ordinary." The immediate reference was to Carlo Acutis, the ‘cyber-apostle of the Eucharist," the first millennial to be elevated to the honours of the altar and the first "Ambassador of the United States to the World", a title given by his mother, Antonia Salzano, who, in a video message to the meeting, said:
"Carlo brought the extraordinary into the ordinary. He is a role model because he tells us that holiness is for everyone. From childhood, he chose to be faithful to Jesus. He went to Mass every day, adored the Eucharist, and recited the rosary. But he was not out of touch with the world: he studied, played, played sports, and was friendly and ironic. Carlo taught us to value time, saying that time is a gift and should not be wasted. Every daily choice has eternal consequences. We must live seriously, without wasting our lives."
His mother recounted his infectious joy: Carlo made me laugh. Even in the face of illness, he never lost his smile. When they told him he had leukaemia, he said, "The Lord has given me an alarm clock”. He was not afraid of death, but of sin. She explained her son's worldwide fame: "Immediately after his death, prayers and graces began".
THE 75TH NATIONAL LITURGICAL WEEK IN NAPLES
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25 August 2025
The Church of Naples hosted the 75th National Liturgical Week during the Jubilee Year 2025. It was inaugurated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
At the closing ceremony, Cardinal Don Mimmo Battaglia shared with those present the greeting of Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Latin community in Gaza, which he heard before participating in the Week's proceedings.
The priest wanted to convey his spiritual closeness to the participants, emphasising the strength that the Christian community in Gaza receives from prayer:
"What I will now suffer with my children and my friends is the reality that I continue to live with my people. We truly feel the work of God, the grace of God, which continues to beat at the door of our hearts and helps us to make sense of everything we are experiencing".
Romanelli added: "Prayer is giving us courage, prayer is giving us strength, prayer is also giving us serenity. And we are feeling it coming, like a support that accompanies us in our difficulties".
Cardinal Battaglia made this appeal, recalling that "precisely in the darkness of suffering, prayer becomes light and the liturgy becomes a force that consoles and sustains".
In his concluding reflection, Battaglia gave the participants a symbolic number: 10.
"It is the number of verbs in the Magnificat, - he explained, - the song of the Mother of God that marks the true revolution in history: He has looked upon the humility of his servant, he has done great things in her, he has shown the power of his arm, he has scattered the proud, he has brought down the powerful from their thrones, he has lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, he has sent the rich away empty-handed, he has come to the aid of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy".
But the Cardinal recalled that the parable of the Good Samaritan also contains ten verbs that orient us towards action: "He saw him, he had compassion on him, he drew near, he poured oil and wine on his wounds, he lifted him onto his donkey, he took him to the inn, he cared for him, he paid for him, he promised to return, and he kept his promise.
These are the verbs of concrete love, which focus on the pain of others. Compassion is not an instinct, it is an achievement".
According to Battaglia, these two Gospel references show the way: "The number 10 brings together contemplation and action. The Magnificat invites us to contemplate the wonders of God, the Samaritan urges us to act with concrete love. This is how the Gospel continues to write new pages of history today. Go and do likewise".
In closing, Battaglia thanked Cal for choosing "Naples, for having lived this experience within the Church of Naples, inhabiting its territory. Naples thanks you from the bottom of its heart".
Some participants visited the Peace Museum and the section dedicated to Pope Francis.
CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF PIPPO BAUDO
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16 August 2025
The President, Secretary-General and all members of the "United States of the World" and the "Mediterranean Foundation" express their deepest condolences for the death of Pippo Baudo and remember his tireless fight against the Mafia and crime.
CARDINAL ZUPPI READS THE NAMES OF PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI CHILDREN KILLED IN THE CONFLICT
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14 August 2025
A delegation from the “United States of the World” and the “Mediterranean Foundation” took part in an initiative organised by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference: the reading - in a highly symbolic location, the scene of the Nazi massacre - of 12,000 names belonging to the 16 Israeli victims under the age of 12 killed by Hamas in the pogrom of 7 October 2023 and the more than 12,000 killed by the Israeli army during the almost two years of genocide in Gaza.
'Ours is an invocation,“ said Cardinal Zuppi, 'we are not entering into the merits of the case, we are facing a greater pain. The absurdity of what is happening is now evident”.
‘For this moment of prayer and reading, we have chosen the place where a tragedy took place, a place close to all those bathed in the blood of Abel,’ said Cardinal Zuppi.
More than 12,000 names were read, taking official data from Israel and Gaza.
"We want to remember each name individually to rescue them from anonymity. No one is a number; every person has a name, an identity. The suffering of children speaks volumes about the dramatic consequences of war and the need to achieve a ceasefire, to end the conflict without causing further innocent victims. As Dostoevsky wrote, “no war can ever be worth even a single child's tear”," concludes Zuppi.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi opens the relay of 12,000 names of young Israeli and Palestinian victims in the church of Casaglia in Monte Sole, the site of the 1944 massacre, with the monks of the Small Family of Annunziata.
FESTIVAL “PESCASSEROLI LEGGE”
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06 August 2025
The United States of the World and the Fondazione Mediterraneo participated in the 2025 edition of the “Pescasseroli legge” Festival, curated by Dacia Maraini.
In particular, the meeting with Monsignor Paglia and Cardinal Zuppi addressed the topic of artificial intelligence and the challenges associated with it.
YOUTH JUBILEE
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02 August 2025
A delegation of young people from various countries belonging to the networks of the "United States of the World", the "Fondazione Mediterraneo" and "Kimiyya" will participate in the Youth Jubilee: at the vigil on 2 August presided over by Pope Leo XIV and at Holy Mass on 3 August at 9 a.m.
GAZA, SHAME OF THE WORLD
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28 July 2025
On the occasion of the completion of the Shrine dedicated to Pope Francis - the "Totem for Peace" by the sculptor Molinari, inaugurated on 7 June 2025 in the Port of Naples - there was a moment of reflection with yet another heartfelt appeal by the "United States of the World" and the "Fondazione Mediterraneo" for what is happening in Gaza, where humanity has resigned, giving way to barbarity, indifference and the use of hunger as a weapon of war.
In front of the large colour image of Pope Francis placed on the Shrine and in front of the shroud of poor Alaa, who months ago saw 9 of her 10 children and her husband killed, the voices of the participants rose high towards the world's rulers to stop a massacre that is becoming a genocide with its 60,000 victims, including many innocent and defenceless children.
SIMONETTA AND EMANUELE PIRAS VISIT THE MUSEUM OF PEACE
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28 July 2025
Simonetta and Emanuele Piras, representatives of the association "Artists Network", visited the Museum of Peace and the headquarters of the United States of the World, expressing great appreciation for the site.
THE TOTEM OF PEACE, A MEMORIAL DEDICATED TO POPE FRANCIS, IS COMPLETED AND ATTRACTS VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
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27 July 2025
The memorial dedicated to Pope Francis in the port of Naples attracts visitors from all over the world. With the addition of the stunning colour panel on the rear and night-time lighting, the monumental work is now complete and reinforces its high representativeness.
Sandro Pezzoli, Andrea Zepponi and Maria Luisa visit and appreciate the uniqueness and sacredness of the site.
AT THE MUSEUM OF PEACE IN THE CHAPEL DEDICATED TO SAINT CHARBEL, THE VIDEO OF THE MARK LEFT IN NAPLES
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25 July 2025
There was great emotion at the message sent on 10 July 2025 by a dear Lebanese friend to the Peace Museum, sending images of Saint Charbel: "A powerful saint, he said, who has performed many miracles and healings and who will also leave his mark in Naples".
Two weeks later, on 24 July, during a moment of prayer in the Church of St. Ferdinand in Piazza Trieste e Trento, St. Charbel manifested himself by filling the ampoule with blessed oil: shortly before, it had been empty.
In this way, he manifested himself to the city of Naples.