On the occasion of his visit to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Episcopal Vicar for Formation and Mediterranean Relations in Marseille (France), Father Alexis Leproux, described the social initiative The Beautiful Hope and explained how this activity is geared towards inclusion, guaranteeing an environment without inequalities and prejudices but based on equal opportunities. Aboard a peace training ship, a crew of young people is crossing the Mediterranean, stopping in the 30 dioceses that inhabit it, in search of dialogue, understanding and humanity.
The year 2025 sees, as the fruit of communion of the dioceses bordering the Mediterranean, the initiative addressed to young people from all over the world ‘MED 25’. From this spirit of unity, an extraordinary educational project was born, aimed at fostering understanding between the different cultures and religions living in the area. In early March, a peace training ship set sail to sail the Mediterranean and will touch 30 ports on its five shores, ending its journey of hope in October. The beating heart of the voyage is 200 young people, coming from different nationalities, religions, cultures and customs but with a common goal: to promote peace, fraternity, tolerance, solidarity, and the protection of individuals and their lives.
In his interview with the Dicastery, Fr Alexis Leproux explained the project: ‘We have an interreligious and interconfessional dialogue dimension to show that we are children of the same Father and above all that we share this human dignity with all the inhabitants of our earth. We are paying special attention to the migrant population in the Mediterranean, which does not necessarily have a recognised citizenship, and we want them to participate in this journey towards the promotion of human dignity’.