VATICAN CITY, JAN. 14, 2005 (Zenit.org).- “Christ, the One Foundation of the Church,” is the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, beginning next week.
This year, the preparation of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has led to a new stage in collaboration between the Holy See and the World Council of Churches.
For the first time, the text that will inspire the Week of Prayer has been published jointly by the Commission on Faith and Order of The World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The decision was announced by Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and by Samuel Kobia, secretary general of the World Council of Churches.
During these eight days, Jan. 18-25, many of the two billion Catholics worldwide will participate in prayer meetings based on a proposal written by the members of the Theological Committee of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia.
The document poses three questions: 1. What is the foundation on which the new ‘existence’ of their Churches is being built? 2. Is there a space to grow in unity as the respective confessional communities grow? 3. What are the means for strengthening the service of the Church?
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place between the feast of St. Peter, Jan. 18, and the feast of St. Paul’s conversion, Jan. 25. In the Southern Hemisphere, other dates are usually chosen due to the fact that summer vacations take place in January.
The Commission on Faith and Order of The World Council of Churches is the only entity of the World Council of Churches that has a Catholic representation.
The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of ecclesial communities, now 342, in more than 120 countries. The Catholic Church is not a member Church but works cooperatively with the WCC.
The full text of the materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and for the rest of the year may be read on the Web page) of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
