“We often feel powerless in the face of a world that is going up in flames. None of us has solutions. Yet one thing we can all do is pray. Prayer keeps us attentive to what is happening and also enables us to discern what we can concretely do. Because dialogue is not only between political leaders. It is something that concerns everyone”. These are the words of Brother Matthew, Prior of the Ecumenical Community of Taizé. SIR news agency met him in Rome, where he has arrived because on Saturday, 21 March, he will be received — as happens each year — by Pope Leo. We spoke with him at a time when the conflict in the Middle East is escalating and drawing in more and more countries. “For many of us in Europe”, he observes, “it is easy to say that what is happening is far removed from our daily lives. We may even have the impression that some form of ‘clean war’ could exist. But how can we remain indifferent to the suffering of people in Iran, in Lebanon, and also in Israel? I believe that the greatest danger at this time is also the indifference of the West”.
In 2024, at Christmas, I was in Lebanon. We were able to go because, after the first wave of bombings, a ceasefire had come into effect. I remember speaking with local young people. I was deeply struck to find a country where hopes are kindled and then fade away again. In such a context, it is very difficult to have confidence in any peace process, because there have been too many disappointments over the years.
And in Ukraine?
It is different there, because the war is constant. I was in Zaporizhzhia at Christmas 2025. Among the young, one sees a strong resilience, which takes concrete form in an identification with the struggle for freedom. I spoke with a 30-year-old woman. She told me: “I have spent more than a third of my life in a situation of war” (it is important to remember that the war in Ukraine began in 2014). Her three children were all born during the war. All this time lived in a constant state of aggression naturally has an enormous impact on people. The fear of being bombed stays with you forever. These are traumas that are also passed on to the next generation.
Once a truce comes and the war is over, the process of healing from the trauma will take generations. It will require attentive listening.
And in Ukraine, we already see people who are being trained for this and who have begun this work.
How can the seeds of violence, which are sown and used to justify war, be eradicated?
In this period, I have often reflected on the experience of Brother Roger, who left his native Switzerland to go to the village of Taizé. After the Second World War, there was a camp for German prisoners of war in the Taizé valley, and he obtained permission to welcome these German prisoners for Christmas. When I first arrived in Taizé, it was the 1980s, yet the trauma of the Second World War was still present. Brother Roger would always tell us: there is never a nation to blame. There are leaders who exploit a situation, but their guilt can never be attributed to an entire nation. I believe this remains fundamental today:
the seeds of violence risk being perpetuated when we demonise entire nations.
We cannot allow this to happen. It is right, in time of war, to stand close to those who suffer most. But when peace comes, we must also be ready to help those on the other side to overcome their own trauma and their sense of guilt. There are very often people striving for justice under oppressive regimes. How can we remain close to those who do not agree with what is happening? How can we be builders of bridges — as Pope Leo often says — when the time for peace comes? This is the great question.
In light of all this, what is Taizé’s commitment today?
I believe there are two things we can do: prayer and presence. Every week, we hold a regular prayer for peace, which takes place every Friday at eight o’clock, around the cross. This initiative began in 2014, following the appeal of Pope Francis for peace in the Middle East. Since then, we have continued it.
It is a prayer of silence, because we often cannot find the words to clearly express what we feel in the face of these situations. It is also a prayer of solidarity with those who are condemned to silence because of what is happening.
A great many young people take part in these prayers, which is a sign that there is a longing for peace among the young also in Western Europe. Another thing we can do is the regular visits we make to war-torn areas, where we remain for two or three weeks. This takes place not only in Ukraine, but also in Palestine, in Myanmar… The fact that someone comes from outside to visit them brings encouragement. We have no solutions to propose. Yet this does not prevent us from going and being with people. And each time we realise how much work is being carried out behind the scenes that never makes the headlines — even in cooperation among different Churches. I believe this is the role of Christians. We are called to be the leaven in the dough. Something very, very small, yet something that makes a difference.
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