Religious leaders from China, Russia, the Middle East, and the Vatican are converging in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 17–18 for the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The gathering brings together some of the world’s most diverse spiritual voices at a moment of heightened global tensions. This year’s congress will focus on the theme “Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future.”

The congress is convened by the government of Kazakhstan under the patronage of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who will formally open the gathering. Organizers also expect Pope Leo XIV to send a special message, following the tradition of papal support for the congress.

For the Vatican, it marks the first major interfaith event under Pope Leo XIV and the debut of an entirely new papal delegation. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, newly-appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, will deliver a keynote at the plenary session and read the final declaration at the closing ceremony.

He is joined by Father Laurent Basanese, SJ, secretary for Religious Relations with Muslims. The French Jesuit, known for his expertise in Christian-Muslim dialogue, will contribute to a working group, attend the secretariat meeting, and address the Forum of Young Religious Leaders.

“Since its founding, it has become a privileged space for promoting peace and mutual understanding among religions and cultures,” Basanese told CNA.

The Vatican delegation also includes Father Vincenzo Marinelli, deputy apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, and Professor Tiziano Onesti, president of the Vatican’s pediatric hospital Bambino Gesù, who will lead medical cooperation talks with Kazakh institutions.

One notable first this year is the participation of the Sovereign Order of Malta. Representing the order will be Pasquale Ferrara, diplomatic adviser to the order’s advisory council, who will take part in the congress on Sept. 18.

One of the most anticipated figures in Astana is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, whose participation has been officially confirmed. He last attended the congress in 2012. His presence raises the prospect of the highest-level Vatican-Moscow encounter since the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this summer, Pope Leo received Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk in Rome, and Metropolitan Anthony will return to the Eternal City on Sept. 14 for an ecumenical commemoration of the new martyrs at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

Four days later, Patriarch Kirill will preside over a prayer service in Astana’s Assumption Cathedral for the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan. The twin commemorations — one in Rome, the other in Astana — underscore how the memory of Christian martyrdom is providing common ground for dialogue.

Another high-profile participant is Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar. In 2019, he co-signed with Pope Francis the historic Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, which inspired the United Nations to establish Feb. 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity just days before the congress.

Rome hosted the World Meeting on Human Fraternity on Sept. 12–13, where Pope Leo XIV greeted participants on Friday.

Basanese told CNA that for him the gathering in Astana is more than symbolic: “Interreligious dialogue, which often requires inexhaustible patience, cannot be reduced to superficial consensus or a sterile ‘diplomacy of smiles.’ In reality it is central to the Church’s mission. In 2025 we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that the Church ‘rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.’ Dialogue does not mean giving up the truth but bearing witness with respect, listening, and charity.”

The congress was first convened in 2003 on the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first President Nursultan Nazarbayev, inspired by the interreligious meeting at Assisi in 1986 and strengthened by Pope John Paul II’s visit to Kazakhstan in 2001. Since then, it has been held every three years in Astana, bringing together leaders of major religions to foster peace and mutual understanding. The Holy See has participated since the beginning, and Pope Francis himself attended the previous congress in 2022.

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Originally published on Catholic News Agency.