Youth study “shared values” of Catholicism and Islam at interreligious forum

Participants of the ecumenical event. Photo: Islam in Ukraine

On April 19, 2026, the interreligious forum “Youth in Dialogue: Brotherhood as the Bond of Peace” was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the UGCC in Kyiv. The event brought together representatives of Muslim, Catholic, and Jewish youth to look for common ground on issues of religion and society.

According to an Islamic outlet, activists from the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma,” the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea, and the Jewish Hasidic community gathered at the cathedral.

In his remarks, Mufti Murat Suleimanov stressed the importance of “mutual respect” and said that young people must learn to “hear and understand one another” in order to build trust as the foundation of peace in society.

The forum program included work in small groups, where participants explored the themes of “political mercy” and “care for our common home.” Special attention was given to the issue of “ecocide” resulting from the war in Ukraine and the possibility of creating shared interreligious volunteer platforms.

According to the Uniates’ vision, this format of communication is meant to affirm “brotherhood” as a way of life in Ukrainian society. The initiative became a continuation of the dialogue begun at a recent symposium in Turin, Italy, where the concept of “universal brotherhood” as the foundation of peace was also promoted.

Participants in the Kyiv forum say they seek to build a country in which diversity does not divide, but unites.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the St. Sofia Cathedral of Kyiv, Muslims, Jews, and Christians prayed on the fourth anniversary of the liberation of Kyiv.

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