Pope Francis set the tone of his speech on October 20 by recalling the historic Assisi Meeting desired by Saint Pope John Paul II on October 27, 1986, in which for the first time in Church history the Pope invited leaders of other religions to join him in prayer for peace for the human family. That meeting, he said, contained a prophetic seed “that by God’s grace has gradually matured through unprecedented encounters, acts of peacemaking and fresh initiatives of fraternity.” He noted that since that meeting many painful events have taken place, at times in the name of religion, but that we also acknowledge the fruitful steps undertaken since then in interreligious dialogue.