[Diocese of Los Angeles] Bishop John Harvey Taylor joined local faith leaders in welcoming members of the Interreligious Forum of the Americas to St. Paul’s Commons in Los Angeles, California, on June 6 for an evening reception hosted by the Interreligious Council of Southern California (ICSoCal).

Forum participants from across the hemisphere held a two-day conference at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to engage faith-based perspectives on political, economic, immigration, climate and public health challenges, among other issues central to the international Summit of the Americas, opened June 8 in Los Angeles by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.

Addressing the reception’s 95 attendees, Maria Celina Conte, director of the Summit of the Americas Secretariat, and Kevin O’Reilly, summit coordinator, underscored opportunities for faith communities to partner with government agencies in addressing justice issues.

Offering the invocation, Taylor noted that “because God is local, hemispheric and universal, God knows no borders or limitations. God does not prefer one person or nation over any other. God desires the thriving of all, the security and safety of all, freedom and justice for all.”

International guests included Archbishop Julio E. Murray, primate of the Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America (IARCA), and Archbishop Iosif L. Bosch, primate in South America of the Greek Orthodox Church.

ICSoCal’s president, Swami Mahayogananda of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, moderated the program and drew connections between global and local priorities shared by the Interreligious Council.