Barcelona will be the host city for the next Mediterranean meeting MED26, which will take place from June 9 to 12 and will bring together nearly 200 participants including bishops, young people, and workers involved in dialogue and solidarity initiatives in the region.
An ecclesial meeting focused on peace
According to the Church of Barcelona, the event will coincide with the visit of Pope Leo XIV to the Catalan capital and will be dedicated to reflecting on the challenges of the Mediterranean, with special attention to building peace.
In total, 60 bishops, 70 young people from various Christian denominations, and 60 people linked to social work and interreligious dialogue will participate.
The objective, the organizers explain, is to strengthen communion among the Churches of the Mediterranean, involve new generations in promoting peace, and consolidate existing collaboration networks in areas such as migrant reception, monastic life, or theological reflection.
Preparation in Rome with the Pope
The announcement of the meeting came after a meeting held on March 12 in Rome, where a delegation from the Ecclesial Coordination Office for the Mediterranean (COMED), led by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV.
That meeting also included several ecclesial leaders from various Mediterranean regions, along with young people and laypeople committed to peace initiatives.
As explained by Father Alexis Leproux, secretary of the Coordination Office, the Pope showed particular interest in initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of encounter and education for peace, in a context marked by growing conflicts and tensions in the region.
Continuity of an international initiative
MED26 is part of a series of meetings promoted in recent years in various Mediterranean cities, such as Bari (2020), Florence (2022), and Marseille (2023), with the aim of promoting dialogue between Churches and peoples.
In this edition, the Archdiocese of Barcelona reports, the role of young people will occupy a prominent place, in line with the concern to involve new generations in building peaceful coexistence in a region particularly affected by migration crises and international conflicts.
Among the recent initiatives linked to this process, the voyage of the school ship for peace Bel Espoir, which sailed the Mediterranean during 2025, stands out.