ASSISI -- Pope Francis climaxed the day of prayer for peace by having lunch with six-year-old Syrian war refugee Maria in this Umbrian hillside town, Tuesday.

 A range of religious representatives, including the pope, congregated to discuss the pathway to peace over lunch. Among the guests, 25 refugees were also in attendance who had travelled from Syria, Afghanistan, Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan in search of a better future.

 Despite the diverse range of religions, the group insisted that the unanimous goal is peace for all, presenting the pope with a painting which incorporates the symbols of all religions and captioned by the prayer of Saint Francis – “make me an instrument of your peace.”

 The pontiff too was clear in his message, stating, “there is no God of war, this is done by the devil.”

 One child from Syria, Maria, was excited to be present at such an occasion, laughing and skipping around the guests.

 However, she was not always so happy, as her father explained, “up until now she had only known fear.” Maria and her family were forced to flee the ongoing war in their country after all three were severely injured and their house destroyed by bombs.

 Sira, a Malian refugee, first met Pope Francis as a boy who washed feet for a living. Today he has a job as a cleaner, a residency permit and can speak a good level of Italian. A strong believer in religious coexistence and understanding, Sira said, “I believe there is not one single difference between us all, we all pray to the same God, each in our own way.”

 A range of esteemed figures were seated on the pope’s table, namely Patriarch Bartolomeo I, Patriarch Efrem II, the philosopher Zygmunt Bauman, and Angelo Chiorazzo, founder of Auxilium. Chiorazzo highlighted the importance of empathy when tackling the refugee crisis, claiming, “our job comes from the heart, you cannot just do it for the salary.”

 The lunch menu was simple and traditional, yet still considerate of all religions -- a starter of pear and rocket salad, a choice of ricotta ravioli or turkey and vegetables for the main course and finished with a fruit tart for dessert.

 SW