On the morning of December 6, Rotarians and Rotaractors from around the world convened at the Vatican for a gathering attended by nearly 6,000 participants. Representing District 2440, Metin Yorgancıoğlu, Chair of the Intercountry Committees Turkey–Bosnia and Herzegovina Section, participated alongside Rotaractors Alara Serdar and Şeyhmus Akın. The event, which brought together Rotarians from diverse cultures and faith traditions around shared values, became a meaningful moment of representation for the district. Realizing that there were no other attendees from Türkiye further elevated the pride of being present and representing the country on such an occasion.
Organized under the title Giubileo dei Rotariani (Day of Dialogue Between Rotary and the Vatican), the event gained significance with the attendance of Pope Leone XIV, highlighting Rotary’s influence within the global civil society sphere. The gathering served as a platform that reinforced Rotary’s commitment to peace, reconciliation, intercultural understanding, international cooperation, and community service. Pope Leone XIV’s remarks expressing his support for collaborative goodwill efforts with Rotary added even greater value to the encounter.
A reception held on the evening of December 5 provided an opportunity to meet with global Rotary leadership. During a brief yet sincere conversation with RI President Francesco Arezzo, his expression of intent to visit Türkiye in March was met with appreciation. This was followed by an enjoyable exchange with Past RI President Mark Maloney. New Year gifts were presented to both leaders on behalf of District 2440. The reception, which welcomed approximately 1,000 Rotarians and Rotaractors, offered a vibrant atmosphere where the spirit of Rotary was strongly felt.
The overall experience once again demonstrated that Rotary is a global family—one that unites people from different cultures around shared service and fellowship.