Members of a Belfast based interfaith festival met Pope Leo XIV in Rome last week during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The 4 Corners Festival committee, board and wider community travelled to Italy ahead of the opening of their 2026 series of events later this week.
Each year the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed by churches across the world. The week focuses on prayer and action for unity rather than division among Christian traditions.
During their meeting with Pope Leo XIV, members of the delegation introduced him to the work of the 4 Corners Festival and its commitment to peace and reconciliation in Belfast. They presented him with the 4 Corners Festival 2026 programme along with artwork inspired by the city, and spoke about their efforts to encourage connection, understanding and hope across communities.
Pope Leo XIV offered the group a blessing and encouraged them in their work, saying: “Work all together for peace.”
The significance of the encounter and the wider Rome visit for the festival was reflected on by Father Martin Magill of St John’s Parish, Falls Road and Rev Steve Stockman of Fitzroy Presbyterian, University Street.
Father Martin said: “As well as meeting some inspirational speakers many of those who took part in our Rome visit spoke of the conversations they had with one another. Again and again I heard comments on the opportunity they had to build relationships and to get to know one another”.
Rev Steve Stockman explained the visit to Rome and meeting with Pope Leo XIV is a great example of the importance of the work of the 4 Corners Festival in bringing people from across the city and from a range of faith communities together.
He explained: “To be able to share with Pope Leo the work of the Festival with a group of 26 people who cross our Belfast corners in faith and geography was a powerful witness on a world stage of the importance of grassroots peace building. Even more powerful that we were living out the Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity as we did so.”
The Rome visit comes as the 4 Corners Festival prepares to open in Belfast, running from 30 January to 8 February with the theme Journey.
The annual festival, which has been running for 14 years, was conceived as a way to inspire people from across Belfast to transform the city for the peace and wellbeing of all. The festival encourages people to step beyond the physical and psychological corners of the city through events that bring new places, new perspectives and new connections.
The delegation travelling to Rome reflected the diversity that underpins the festival. Participants came from a range of Christian denominations and backgrounds, with different spiritual journeys and experiences, united by a shared commitment to listening, learning and continuing the journey together.
While in Rome, the delegation was welcomed at the Irish Embassy and met both the Irish and British Ambassadors to the Holy See. Discussions centred on unity, shared stories and working together across differences, including reflections on peacebuilding experiences in a global context, including time spent in South Sudan.
Another highlight of the visit was a meeting with Irish priest Fr Martin Browne OSB, from the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity. During the meeting, Fr Browne shared his experience of ecumenical work in Rome and his involvement in King Charles’ recent visit to the Vatican, where the King prayed with Pope Leo XIV.
Fr Browne also arranged for the delegation to attend ecumenical Vespers with Pope Leo XIV at St Paul’s Outside the Walls.
Speaking about how the experience in Rome connects to the festival’s ongoing work in Belfast and its focus on reconciliation, Shannon Goodwin, committee member of the festival, said: “Being in Rome during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was a powerful reminder that the work we do in Belfast is part of a much bigger journey. Meeting Pope Leo and sharing the story of the 4 Corners Festival affirmed the importance of creating spaces where people can listen deeply to one another, cross boundaries and walk together with hope. What we experienced in Rome strengthens our commitment to continue this work of reconciliation at home, one conversation and one connection at a time.”
The 4 Corners Festival opens on 30 January with a full programme of public events across the city, concluding on Sunday 8 February.
All events are free to attend, though booking is required. Full programme details and tickets are available at 4cornersfestival.com