On 14 February 2026, to mark World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Munich hosted a Prayer Breakfast under the theme "The Goal of Religion in the 21st Century."
A total of twelve participants enriched the gathering with contributions from their respective traditions.
Speakers included a retired Roman Catholic priest, an African Evangelical pastor, a theologian, a university professor, and members of the UPF and the Family Federation for World Peace Germany, an affiliated organisation.
Above all, the question that resonated was: What future do religions or religious communities have, not only in Western Europe, where a decline in membership is being observed, and how can we shape a vibrant future? Religions have a positive goal – ultimately, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth. While this may sound truly utopian, such goals are nevertheless very important as a driving force.
The contributions repeatedly emphasized that what is important is not any particular religion, but rather the real work towards a world of peace. In this endeavour, we can all meet and support one another.
It was also emphasized, particularly by the Family Federation, that our understanding of God needs to broaden. Under a parental, that is a Father-Mother God, society and all peoples, regardless of their religious affiliation, can come together as one family.
Finally, the importance of religious freedom was also discussed, which is unfortunately severely restricted in many places by left-wing or authoritarian governments, including in South Korea, where the co-founder of UPF, Dr. Hak Ja Han, is currently imprisoned on the basis of limited evidence.
At the end, we asked ourselves what advice we could give the participants of the Munich Security Conference regarding world peace. We concluded the meeting with a prayer in the words of Dr. Sun Myung Moon, the co-founder of the UPF.