IULM hosts Custos of Holy Land for dialogue on peace
Meeting with Father Francis Ielpo on February 23 reflects on the contribution of faith, dialogue and solidarity in today's world.
On February 23 at 4:30 p.m. in Sala dei 146, IULM University will welcome Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, for a meeting entitled St. Francis and the East: meeting with the Custos of the Holy Land. The event is part of the schedule of the initiatives for the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, promoted by the Athenaeum with the intention of looking at the Franciscan witness as an inspiration of peace, dialogue and encounter between cultures
The meeting will be an opportunity to explore issues affecting the Middle East and the role that institutions can play in promoting peace and coexistence among peoples.
Father Francesco Ielpo: witness of dialogue and custody
Father Francis Ielpo was recently appointed Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion, a role confirmed by the Pope on June 24, 2025, with a mission to care for the Holy Places and to be close to Christian and non-Christian communities in the lands where the Christian faith was formed.
In his new commitment to the Holy Land, Father Ielpo experiences on a daily basis a complex reality, where faith, identity and political tensions are often dramatically intertwined, confirming a millennia-old Franciscan presence in the region, committed not only to the protection of the Holy Places, but above all to the promotion of dialogue, welcome and solidarity.
IULM University reaffirms its commitment to daily activities that nurture paths of peace through concrete and continuous engagement.
Download the meeting poster here