VATICAN CITY, 18 JAN 2012 (VIS) – The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins today, was the theme of Benedict XVI’s general audience celebrated this morning in the Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father explained how this initiative has been held annually for more than a century and brings together Christians from Churches and ecclesial communities, who “invoke that extraordinary gift for which the Lord Jesus prayed during the Last Supper: … ‘That they may all be one'”. Continue reading “Invoking the gift of unity among Christians”
Tag: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Week of prayer for Christian unity begins tomorrow
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2012 (VIS) – The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is due to begin tomorrow, 18 January, under the theme “We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The Week is promoted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), a worldwide fellowship of 349 Churches seeking unity, common witness and Christian service. The Catholic Church participates in this ecumenical initiative, despite not being a member of the WCC. Continue reading “Week of prayer for Christian unity begins tomorrow”
Sermon for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
A friend of Bridgefolk recommends a sermon preached at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva on January 18 on the occasion of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Click here to read.
Excerpt:
The insight of our ecumenical pioneers in Edinburgh Missionary Conference in 1910 is that witness to the things of Christ’s resurrection will only be effective if Christians are united with one another, be it the churches Acting Together in Haiti this week and in the coming years, the churches responding to human division and unjust structures, the churches responding to the environmental crises, the churches responding to war and violence, the churches responding to cynicism and despair with the good news of the Gospel. In all these things, we bear witness to the Risen Christ, together.
Resources for prayer for Christian unity
Click here for Resources for The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and throughout the year, jointly prepared and published by The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity coincides with response to Haiti
“This week we join Christians of all denominations and traditions in celebrating the Week of Christian Unity,” wrote Joetta Schlabach, Bridgefolk participant and pastor of Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis, to her congregation this week. “Certainly the tragedy in Haiti is drawing people of all faiths—and many who do not profess faith—to join in a unified response of compassion and aid. Let us pray that some of the hostilities and misunderstandings between faith communities will diminish as people join hands in service.”
For more on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010, including links to a joint statement by World Council of Churches and Vatican bodies reflecting on the occasion, visit http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3193.
Meanwhile, as many people wonder how to respond to the tragedy of earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and how to insure that aid reaches Haitians through reliable channels, Mennonites and Catholics can turn to their churches’ well-respected relief and development agencies. Here are links to the most prominent examples:
Mennonite Central Committee: http://mcc.org
Catholic Relief Services: http://crs.org