Rijeka, Croatia, 27 October 2026

Peaceful Rain, a new international and interreligious peace initiative, was officially launched on Tuesday at the Archdiocese of Rijeka, bringing together representatives of different Christian traditions, the Islamic community, international Church networks and human rights institutions.

The presentation featured Archbishop Mate Uzinić of Rijeka, Metropolitan Grigorije Durić of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who joined via video link, and Mufti Aziz Hasanović, President of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Croatia. The event was moderated by Croatian Radio and Television journalist Morana Kasapović.

The initiative emerged from the Mediterranean Theological Meetings held in Lovran in July 2026 under the theme “Prophesying Peace Amid the Noise of War: Peacemaking in an Age of Militarism.”

At its heart is the Mediterranean Covenant for Peace, a document containing ten commitments to nonviolence, dialogue, reconciliation, solidarity, social justice and concrete peacebuilding action. Although born out of interreligious dialogue, the Covenant is open to everyone, regardless of religious belief, nationality or worldview.

Archbishop Uzinić stressed that the initiative is intended to go beyond declarations and encourage personal responsibility. “None of us can resolve the world’s major conflicts on our own. Nor will this initiative stop wars by itself. But that does not absolve us of responsibility for the one drop of peace that each of us can offer,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of religious communities working together, particularly in a region still marked by the consequences of war and division. “Where our religious and national identities have sometimes been used to deepen divisions, we want to show that faithfulness to one’s own faith does not mean distancing oneself from others,” Archbishop Uzinić said.

Cardinal Radcliffe: “I really like the name Peaceful Rain”

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe joined the presentation live from Assisi, where events were marking the 40th anniversary of the historic interreligious gathering for peace convened by Pope John Paul II on 27 October 1986.

Recalling his participation in the Mediterranean Theological Meetings, Cardinal Radcliffe welcomed the new initiative and reflected on the symbolism of its name. “I really like the name of this initiative, Peaceful Rain,” he said, according to the interpretation provided during the event. He noted that in many African languages the same word is used for rain, water and prosperity, underlining that water brings life. He encouraged participants not to underestimate small gestures of peace, recalling that even seemingly insignificant actions can bear unexpected fruit.

The Cardinal also stressed that genuine peacebuilding must begin within ourselves, with the willingness to confront the conflicts present in our own hearts.

Religious Leaders Call for Courage, Dialogue and Responsibility

Metropolitan Grigorije offered a deeply personal testimony, recalling his experience of war, during which he buried more than a hundred young people and cared for approximately 300 children who had lost one or both parents. “I believe there is no greater courage in this world than fighting for peace,” he said. He warned that wars do not begin suddenly but are prepared through manipulation and the demonisation of others, calling on religious communities to become active agents of reconciliation.

Mufti Aziz Hasanović highlighted the responsibility of religious leaders in a time of growing intolerance and division. “In the times in which we live, to remain silent means to identify with evil,” he said, expressing strong support for the initiative and warning against the political instrumentalisation of religion.

Fr Alexis Leproux, Secretary General of the Ecclesial Coordination of the Mediterranean, emphasised the responsibility of religious communities to work together for peace. “War always means a failure of dialogue, a failure of listening,” he warned. Highlighting the potential of existing Mediterranean networks to support the international development of Peaceful Rain, he called for the Mediterranean to become “a true laboratory of hospitality and fraternity.”

Melani Ivančević, a deaconess of the Evangelical Church, spoke about personal responsibility and women’s contribution to peacebuilding, while Croatia’s Ombudswoman, Tena Šimonović Einwalter, highlighted the need to combat hate speech, discrimination and violence, including in digital spaces. She expressed her support for the initiative and willingness to cooperate.

From an “Ecosystem of Fire” to an “Ecosystem of Peace”

Hrvoje Katušić, a member of the organising team, presented the initiative’s website and interactive world map. He explained that regions affected by armed conflict are marked in red, symbolising the “ecosystem of fire” associated with war and militarism, which leave destruction and devastation behind.

Peaceful Rain proposes a different response: rain and water as symbols of life, renewal and the “ecosystem of peace.” “Peaceful Rain is an attempt to respond to the fire of conflict with rain, with water, which belongs to the ecosystem of peace,” Katušić explained.

Each peacebuilding activity registered on the interactive map represents another symbolic drop, demonstrating how individual actions can contribute to a broader international movement.

More than 140 Signatories – Everyone Is Invited to Join

More than 140 people from Croatia and other countries have already signed the Mediterranean Covenant for Peace, including three cardinals, prominent religious representatives, theologians and public figures.

The website https://peacefulrain.org, available in 15 languages, enables visitors to read and sign the Covenant, explore the interactive map and register their own peacebuilding activities.

A special invitation has been extended to individuals, schools, religious communities, associations and other organisations to organise activities around 4 February 2027, the International Day of Human Fraternity.

These may include meetings, educational workshops, cultural events, interreligious encounters, volunteer initiatives and other concrete actions that promote dialogue and reconciliation.

The organisers invite all people of goodwill, whether religious or not, to visit peacefulrain.org, consider signing the Mediterranean Covenant for Peace and contribute their own action to the growing international network.

The message from Rijeka is simple: peace is not only something to hope or pray for, but something each of us can help build through everyday choices and concrete actions.