Some of the participants joining the fourth stage of the event MED25 shared their testimonials. This stage took place between the coasts of Cyprus and Lebanon from June 6th to the 21st, 2025. 35 young people.
15 different nationalities. One boat. One sea. One shared goal: to build peace in the MediterraneaTwo weeks ago, we were strangers. Today, we are a family — born aboard the Bel Espoir. Muslims joined the Catholic Mass. Catholics accompanied the Muslim prayer. We danced while a new war was beginning. We shared deep conversations under the stars, surrounded by the vastness of the Mediterranean.
In 2023, Pope Francis dreamed of a project for the Mediterranean that would bring peace and unity to its shores. The Diocese of Marseille, under the leadership of Father Alexis Leproux, embraced this vision and launched MED25 — a sailing vessel crossing the Mediterranean that set sail in March 2025 and will return in October.
The goal is to bring together young people of different nationalities, cultures, and religions aboard a single boat. Each month, 25 new young people (alongside ten crew members) depart from a different Mediterranean port to build bridges of peace. Our journey started in Cyprus and was meant to head to Lebanon. Just 20 km from the coast, we saw the missiles of the conflict. Although we were forced to abandon that destination, it did not stop us from continuing the adventure.
This journey has filled us with gratitude, joy — and above all, hope. Hope that a better world is truly possible. While a new war was erupting, we chose dialogue, friendship, and shared humanity. Now, when we look across the sea, we don’t just see waves — we see the faces of those we met, shared with, and came to love. We are no longer the same people.
This journey has changed us. Bel Espoir was not just the name of the boat — it became a living sign that peace is truly possible. A reminder that making the world one family is not just a dream, but a real and powerful reality.
- Mediterranean Sea - MissioNET©2025
- A video by Pietro Rossini, SX
