His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III was a guest of honor at the Peace Prize Award Ceremony celebrated in Muenster , Germany , at the invitation of the International Order of the Knights of Malta.  The Peace Prize was awarded to H.E. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. This ceremony took place in the Friedenssaal (Peace Hall) of Muenster Town Hall on October 11, 2008. Present were the German Foreign Minister Mr. Frank Steinmeier and Muenster’s Lord Mayor Dr. Berthold Tillmann.      

From the same balcony where Annan and Steinmeier were standing, His Beatitude Gregorios III spoke to the assembled guests, saying, “Let us pray to the Lord, that one day we shall be able to build a Peace Hall like this in the Middle East .” This remark of His Beatitude, spoken in German, touched the hearts of all those present and was greeted with warm applause.

Minister Steinmeier thanked Annan for his many years of service to the international peace mission and emphasised the need for world peace to be promoted through the personal involvement of each and everyone in the service of peace.

Annan gave an account of his work and explained his vision for a global society united beyond every kind of border; whether of race, color, religion, culture, or language… His slogan had always been: “A world of peace and justice”…

The Order of the Knights of Malta is very active in Lebanon in humanitarian fields, especially in projects for handicapped children.   

For more information please visit: www.echo-muenster.de  (German language site)     V.C.