Methodist partner PROCMURA granted private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican
The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa, a partner of the Methodist Church, met Pope Leo XIV in Rome to reaffirm their shared commitment to interfaith peacebuilding across the continent.
Analysis
On 25 March 2026, a delegation from PROCMURA — the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa — was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The meeting, reported by the Methodist Church on 28 March, marked a significant moment in the global effort to build peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims across the African continent.
PROCMURA is a partner of the Methodist Church of Britain (MCB), and its work spans some of the most complex and volatile interfaith environments in the world. In northern Togo, northern Cameroon, and northern Kenya — regions where religious and ethnic tensions have historically fuelled violence — PROCMURA's community-based programmes have helped build genuine trust and reconciliation between communities.
Pope Leo XIV recognised PROCMURA's longstanding contribution, noting that 'in a world marked by division and religious tension, such efforts demonstrate that people of different faiths can, indeed, live and work together in peace and harmony irrespective of their religious differences.' He affirmed the Catholic Church's openness to 'what is true and holy' in other religions, and encouraged continued dialogue rooted in 'openness, humility, and a shared responsibility to build communities rooted in fraternity.'
The Revd Dr Andrew Ashdown, who attended as both Partnership Coordinator for Africa and Elected Chair of European Partners of PROCMURA, described the visit as 'a huge privilege.' He spoke of witnessing first-hand the 'transformative impact' of PROCMURA's work: 'nurturing reconciliation, building peaceful coexistence where previously there was violence and radicalisation, and addressing some of the complex social challenges that contribute to social and religious violence.'
For the Methodist Church, the Vatican audience is a reminder that the quest for peace between faiths is not the preserve of any single tradition — and that the most effective peacebuilding often happens not in grand diplomatic forums, but in the patient, relational work of communities learning to be neighbours.