GAFCON, a conservative Anglican movement that claims to represent the majority of Anglicans worldwide, particularly in the Global South, is moving toward a formal reordering of global Anglican leadership following its October renunciation of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s authority.
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‘We believe in One God’ is the title of a new publication by the Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council, detailing progress made over the past six decades towards full visible unity between the two Christian world communions.

Printed by the Vatican Publishing House as part of an ecumenical series, the volume draws together the results of 11 reports produced by the Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission (MERCIC) since their formal dialogue began back in 1967. These reports, named after the cities in which they were presented to the World Methodist Conference, explore topics such as baptism, holiness, Scripture and tradition, Eucharist, nature and mission of the church and the call to visible communion.
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Religious organisations urge Ottawa to consult them before redefining the limits of protected expression for religious groups.

Christian, Muslim and Jewish organisations are responding to a proposal to eliminate a religious exemption to Canada’s federal hate crimes legislation.

In September, the government introduced Bill C-9, the Combating Hate Act, which would introduce offences for publicly displaying symbols such as the swastika, impeding access to places of worship or other social centres, or committing offences motivated by hate.
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Like the followers of many other faith traditions, Christians maintain that God is mystery, beyond all human words and knowing. Yet, Christians also believe their encounter with God in the person of Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit has given them a special revelation about who God is. Central to Christian faith is the belief that in Jesus of Nazareth, God (the Word of God) becomes human. Here is a radical statement, proclaimed in John’s Gospel: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) This is the doctrine of the incarnation, from the Latin in carne “into flesh.” This is what we, Christians, are to live and proclaim as good news.
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A report presenting the results of the Commission’s work has been released. It rules out admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders, but says that it is not currently possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.”

“The status quaestionis of historical research and theological investigation, as well as their mutual implications, rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In light of Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium, this assessment is strongly maintained, although it does not at present allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated, as is the case with priestly ordination.”
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A Vatican commission studying the possibility of female deacons reported that the current state of historical and theological research “excludes the possibility of proceeding” toward admitting women to the diaconate, a conclusion that slows momentum on one of the church’s most debated questions while stopping short of a definitive no.

In a letter sharing the results of its work with Pope Leo XIV and released by the Vatican Dec. 4, the commission reported a 7-1 vote in favour of a statement concluding that the church cannot currently move toward admitting women to the third degree of holy orders, the diaconate.
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In December, even as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, Jews and Catholics celebrate the holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas. Advent candles and Hanukkah lamps are to be found throughout Canada, their respective symbolisms mirrored in other winter solstice festivals, both ancient and modern, that find spiritual meaning in the calendar’s gradual turn towards light.
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The Public Health Agency of Canada has reached out to Canadian faith groups, asking them to share information about measles with their members.

The agency made its request to the Canadian Council of Churches, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, and the Canadian Multifaith Federation, three organisations that represent a wide range of faith groups.

The agency’s request followed a roundtable with faith leaders hosted by the Public Health Agency of Canada on Sept. 16.
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Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople called on Christians of the East and West to finally agree on a common date for Easter.

During a meeting at the patriarchal palace on 29 November, the two leaders — who met to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — said the anniversary should inspire “new and courageous steps on the path toward unity,” including finding that common date.
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A month after attending the Vatican’s Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies (Oct. 24–26), Canadian lay leaders involved in the Church’s synodality movement hosted a webinar to reflect on the event and discuss next steps in the synodal journey.

The Nov. 25 virtual event, called “Pilgrims of Hope: From Waterloo to Rome” by Concerned Lay Catholics, highlighted that much of the Vatican summit’s discussions echoed those from the “Journey of Encounter: Pilgrims of Hope Embracing Synodality” event held in June at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario.
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Although the ancient city of Nicaea lies in ruins and the geographic centre of Christianity has shifted West, Pope Leo XIV and Christian leaders gathered at an archaeological site in Türkiye to celebrate the enduring faith set out in the Nicene Creed.

Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople hosted the ecumenical prayer service and the common recitation of the Creed Nov. 28 at Iznik, site of the ancient Nicaea, about 80 miles southeast of Istanbul.
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On the eve of the feast of Saint Andrew the First-called Apostle, brother of the Apostle Peter and patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we, Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, give heartfelt thanks to God, our merciful Father, for the gift of this fraternal meeting. Following the example of our venerable predecessors, and heeding the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, we continue to walk with firm determination on the path of dialogue, in love and truth (cf. Eph 4:15), towards the hoped-for restoration of full communion between our sister Churches. Aware that Christian unity is not merely the result of human efforts, but a gift that comes from on high, we invite all the members of our Churches – clergy, monastics, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful – earnestly to seek the fulfilment of the prayer that Jesus Christ addressed to the Father: “that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you… so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21).
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Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople met at the patriarchal seat in the ancient Phanar quarter on Saturday (Nov. 29) to sign a joint declaration affirming their commitment to achieving communion between the two churches.

“We continue to walk with firm determination on the path of dialogue, in love and truth, towards the hoped-for restoration of full communion between our sister Churches,” the declaration read.
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Seventeen centuries after bishops from East and West convened in Nicaea to craft the creed that defined Christianity, Pope Leo XIV returned to the ancient site with an appeal to “overcome the scandal of the divisions” that continue to fracture Christians today.

Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — the centrepiece of his trip to Türkiye and Lebanon — the pope called on Christians the world over “to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life.”

On his second day in Türkiye, he prayed alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, on the shore of Lake Iznik — where the council that established a common creed for Christians convened 1,700 years ago.
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In an historic commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, faith leaders gathered in Nicaea—modern-day Iznik, Türkiye – on 28 November to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the church.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay joined His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV for an ecumenical prayer service.
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At the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s journey to Türkiye this weekend will be a pilgrimage to Iznik, a small city about 140 km south of Istanbul. Iznik is better known to Church history by its Greek name, Nicaea. That’s where, 1700 years ago, the First Ecumenical Council was held. This Friday, Pope Leo is gathering with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other Christian leaders for an ecumenical prayer service to celebrate the landmark anniversary.
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The fourth session of the current series of Informal Conversations between the Salvation Army and the Catholic Church took place at Casa La Salle, Rome, from 21 to 24 November 2025. Following the first set of conversations from 2007 to 2012, the general theme for the current series of conversations is Discipleship for Mission. The previous meeting in the current series took place at Sunbury Court near London in November 2024.
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The Quebec government will be expanding its secularism rules across public institutions in a new bill that is expected to be tabled Thursday.

Various media outlets in the province confirmed the contents of the new bill, which includes a ban on prayer rooms in universities and CEGEPs, restricting the offering of religious-based meals and banning religious symbols in communications by public institutions.
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The return of 62 Indigenous artifacts to the Canadian bishops, held at the Vatican for more than 100 years, is “a milestone in the long journey of reconciliation and healing,” said Archbishop Richard Smith of Vancouver.

In an interview with America Magazine, the archbishop underlined that the repatriation occurred during the Jubilee of Hope.
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The foundation of sacramental marriage is the unity of the spouses, a bond so intense and grace-filled that it is exclusive and indissoluble, said a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The document, “‘Una Caro’ (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage as an Exclusive Union and Mutual Belonging,” was released today […] by the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV approved its contents Nov. 21 and authorized its publication.
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Responding to recent questions raised by African bishops concerned about the practice of polygamy, the Vatican issued a sweeping defence of monogamy Tuesday, Nov. 25.

The 40-page doctrinal note “Una Caro (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy: Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage as an Exclusive Union and Mutual Belonging,” was issued […] by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It offers a far-reaching theological, biblical, and cultural reflection on the Catholic Church’s teaching that marriage is a “unique and exclusive” union between one man and one woman.
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Members of the International Lutheran Orthodox Commission on Theological Dialogue met at the Strasbourg Institute for Ecumenical Research last week to continue their reflections on the topics of ‘Synodality and Primacy’, examining the way that authority and decision making has been exercised in the church over the centuries.

The second preparatory meeting of the 19^th Session of the Commission took place from 16 to 18 November, chaired by Bishop Johann Schneider of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and by Metropolitan Kyrillos of Krini from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It follows on from a plenary meeting hosted by the Orthodox Church in Cyprus in May this year.
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When Christians recite the Creed, it should prompt an examination of conscience about what they truly believe and what kind of example of faith in God they give to others, Pope Leo XIV wrote.

“Wars have been fought, and people have been killed, persecuted and discriminated against in the name of God,” he wrote. “Instead of proclaiming a merciful God, a vengeful God has been presented who instills terror and punishes.”
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Pope Leo XIV fulfilled a promise made by the late Pope Francis to return to Canada’s Indigenous communities artifacts — including an Inuit kayak, masks, moccasins, and etchings — that have been held by the Vatican for more than 100 years.

The pope gave 62 artifacts to the leaders of the Canadian bishops’ conference Nov. 15, the Vatican and the bishops’ conference said in a joint statement.

The bishops “will proceed, as soon as possible, to transfer these artifacts to the National Indigenous Organizations,” which will ensure they are “reunited with their communities of origin,” said a separate statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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In planning next year’s Leadership Gathering, the United Methodist Church’s bishops “are building something unprecedented in United Methodist life.”

That’s how Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. described the gathering of United Methodist lay and clergy leaders selected by the bishops. The international meeting, scheduled for Oct. 20-24, 2026, at Knox United Church in Calgary, Alberta, will have no decision-making authority.

“Why are we doing this?” Saenz explained. “This gathering is a sacred space — a space designed for us to imagine possibilities — not to make decisions.”
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In Rome, on November 4—the memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo—the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Mater Populi Fidelis, a doctrinal note that feels like a gentle breeze amid the stormy seas of ecumenical dialogue. More fully titled Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation, this document is not just another Vatican pronouncement; it is a thoughtful, Scripture-soaked reflection that reins in exuberant Marian devotions while anchoring them firmly in the mystery of Christ. For some within the broader Christian family, especially Anglicans, this note arrives as a welcome affirmation. It conveys a balanced reverence for the Blessed Virgin, reminding us that ecumenism is not about compromise but about rediscovering shared truths.
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It is “not appropriate” to refer to the Virgin Mary as “Co-redemptrix” because it obscures Christ’s exclusive role in the work of redemption, according to a new Vatican document.

“This title risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith,” the document says. “When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
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While praising devotion to Mary, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly rejected moves to formally proclaim Mary as “co-redemptrix” or “co-mediatrix.”

In a lengthy doctrinal note titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the dicastery said the title co-redemptrix or co-redeemer “carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ” in salvation.

And, regarding the title co-mediatrix or co-mediator, it said that Mary, “the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received.”
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In his book, Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity, Daniel Boyarin presents the parting of the ways as two sibling traditions born from the same mother (that is, second Temple Judaism, in all its diversity) and gradually developing apart over a long and complicated historical and cultural process, almost the way different languages emerge from their root mother – French and Italian from Latin, for instance, though intervening languages like Provencal, Occitan, or Romansch complicate a simplistic either/or picture.
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“Sixty years ago”, with the publication of Nostra aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions, “a seed of hope for interreligious dialogue was planted,” Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday evening. “Today, your presence bears witness that this seed has grown into a mighty tree, its branches reaching far and wide, offering shelter and bearing the rich fruits of understanding, friendship, cooperation and peace.”

The Holy Father was addressing his remarks to representatives of world religions, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, and Vatican and Church officials committed to interreligious dialogue, who had gathered in the Paul VI Hall to celebrate the anniversary of the Council’s historic Declaration.
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Vatican II’s Declaration Nostra Aetate does not delve into Christological understanding in a direct way. But through its affirmations of continued covenantal inclusion on the part of Jews and Judaism, it undercuts a central base for classical Christianity. How can the restored covenantal inclusion for Jews be proclaimed side-by-side with the longstanding belief in Christ’s salvific work?

…

In recent years we have witnessed a movement in scholarly circles to reorient the image of Paul. That effort has led to a focus on the compatibility of Pauline teaching with the tenets of Second Temple Judaism. Hence, any Christology rooted simplistically in a “law-gospel” or “flesh-spirit” dichotomy can no longer stand the test of scholarly inquiry relative to Paul. While the new scholarship may present Pauline teachings on the significance of Jesus the Christ with different shadings, there is a building consensus that earlier portrayals of Paul’s vision in this regard have seriously distorted his intent.
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“Where now for visible unity?” was the theme of the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order meeting in Egypt from 24 to 28 October and on the final day of the gathering, a panel of theologians from different regions and contexts reflected on the topic of “Living Visible Unity.”

“This conference invites us to ponder how the churches might respond afresh to Christ’s prayer ‘that they may all be one,’ amid new historical and contextual realities and in the continuing shadow of coloniality, whose enduring logics still shape our theologies, identities, and ecclesial relations,” said Rev. Dr Teddy Sakupapa, an ordained minister in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in South Africa.
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Rabbi David Seed and Catholic Biblical scholar Murray Watson are friends and colleagues. They are also members of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Toronto [CJDT], one of Canada’s oldest interfaith organizations, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Over the course of three weeks in late September and early October (which included the Jewish High Holy Days), the two friends exchanged messages in a back-and-forth conversation about the significance of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. The ground-breaking Vatican II declaration on non-Christian religions was approved by Pope Paul VI and more than 2200 bishops on October 28, 1965. The document that eventually became Nostra Aetate started out as a document about Catholic teaching on Jews and Judaism. In its final form, kept its special place for Judaism and the Jewish people, denouncing antisemitism and violence against Jews, stressing the many areas of commonality between Jews and Christians, and summoning Catholics to engage in learning, dialogue, and cooperation with the Jewish community. It is the shortest of Vatican II’s 16 documents, but one of the most theologically significant; it has been the catalyst for a dramatic transformation in Catholic-Jewish relations, and has helped to inspire similar documents from other Christian communities.
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In the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Cortile San Damaso, the red carpets were laid out with great precision. All was prepared for the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla for their State Visit to the Holy See.

The events of that day are well known: a private meeting with Pope Leo with an exchange of gifts, a ceremony of prayer in the magnificent Sistine Chapel, a time of further discussion, then another wondrous ceremony in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, and finally a formal reception, and the planting of a tree, in the Beda College.

I was privileged to have front row seats in the two liturgical events, making it a day I shall never forget.
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Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate the Jubilee of the Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, we are invited to contemplate and rediscover the mystery of the Church. She is not merely a religious institution, nor is she simply identified with hierarchies and structures. The Second Vatican Council reminds us that the Church is the visible sign of the union between God and humanity, where God intends to bring us all together into one family of brothers and sisters and make us his people: a people made up of beloved children, all united in the one embrace of his love.
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Since 1999, the Bridgefolk movement has brought together peace-minded Catholics and sacramentally minded Mennonites from the U.S. and Canada for an annual gathering. In July, approximately 30 Bridgefolk participants met at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg for worship, connection and keynote presentations by Jennifer Otto and Father John Klassen on “Anabaptism at 500: Ecumenical Dialogue in an Age of Polarization.”
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In a world that is divided and where churches are also divided, the quest for visible unity is more relevant than ever, according to Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich, moderator of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

“We need to strive for unity and the visible unity of the churches and of Christians,” she said in advance of the WCC’s Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, meeting from 24 to 28 October at the Logos Papal Center of the Coptic Orthodox Church at Wadi El Natrun in Egypt.
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“We believe.” These are the first words of the original Nicene Creed, written 1,700 years ago at the Council of Nicaea. This ecumenical council in 325 AD produced a summary statement of Christian belief that has been professed by Christians around the world ever since. Both for its longevity and its universal appeal, the Nicene Creed stands apart from every other statement of Christian belief. It also has a profound ecumenical significance, which I explored in January’s One Body article, Do You Believe This?

At the end of November, Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit Nicaea with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew. Each year, the pope and patriarch send delegations to the other to celebrate their patronal feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul in Rome on June 29 and St. Andrew in Constantinople (Istanbul) on November 30. This year, in the modern city of Iznik, where Nicaea once was, the two leaders will together commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council. They will also commend the church to continue in the dialogue of life and love begun at the end of the Second Vatican Council.
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A number of years ago, at a local dialogue meeting of Catholics and Mennonites in Edmonton, we considered together that section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that pertains specifically to the “one-ness” of the Church (#811-822).

I remember in particular a great discussion that ensued around CCC #815. It delineates the “bonds of communion” which, for Catholics, mark and hold Christians in unity with one another within the Body of Christ. That paragraph reads:

What are these bonds of unity? Above all, charity “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” But the unity of the pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of communion:

• profession of one faith received from the Apostles;
• common celebration of divine worship, especially the sacraments;
• apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders, maintaining the fraternal concord of God’s family.

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This year, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of The United Church of Canada (UCC). It is a uniquely Canadian church, formed in part in response to the desire to minister effectively to the many small Christian communities scattered across the sparsely populated prairie provinces. The UCC has been committed to the search for Christian unity from the time of its foundation, something it has clearly expressed in its fifty year dialogue with the Canadian Roman Catholic Church.

Following an exchange of correspondence between the UCC General Council and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in the fall of 1974, the Roman Catholic/United Church Dialogue held its first meeting in November 1975. Appointed by the UCC’s Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations Committee and the CCCB’s Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism, dialogue participants are committed to improving relationships between the two churches, and to countering misinformation, stereotypes, and prejudices. It explores pastoral, theological, and ethical issues, including those that have traditionally prevented full unity.  In consultation with its two sponsoring bodies, the group determines its agenda, reports periodically on the dialogue and seeks ways of communicating what it has learned from the dialogue.
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A planning meeting for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order and the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute 2025 (GETI) was convened in St Bishoy Monastery in Egypt, 28-29 June. The hybrid gathering focused on logistics, a stewards programme, communications, church and cultural visits, and budget.

The cohost for the conference is the Coptic Orthodox Church, marking the first time such a conference is hosted by an Oriental Orthodox church.

The Sixth World Conference for Faith and Order, being hosted at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, will be held in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, from 24-28 October with the theme “Where now for visible unity?”

This will be the sixth such conference in a century, with previous gatherings held in 1927 (Lausanne, Switzerland), 1937 (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1952 (Lund, Sweden), 1963 (Montreal, Canada),1993 (Santiago, Spain) and 2025 (Wadi El Natrun, Egypt).
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The Rt. Rev. Shane Parker, Bishop of Ottawa, was elected the 15^th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada on June 26, 2025, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario, during the 44^th session of the General Synod.

Primate-elect Parker has served as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa since 2020. Prior to that, he was dean of the Diocese of Ottawa and rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa for two decades. He has a master’s degree in sociology from Carleton University, as well as an honorary doctorate from Saint Paul University, where he has served as a part-time professor of pastoral ministry and chairs its Anglican Studies Advisory Committee.
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The Christian Reformed Church’s Indigenous Christian Fellowship (ICF) in Regina, Sask., is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Elkerton as its new director, effective July 21, 2025. Elkerton will replace Bert Adema, who is retiring after 32 years of service.

“This appointment marks a pivotal moment for the Indigenous Christian Fellowship,” said Albert Postma, the CRCNA’s executive director-Canada. “Joe’s diverse background and his clear sense of calling to this specific role truly excite us. We believe his leadership will bring vibrant new energy and direction as we continue to grow and serve the community in Regina.”
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In a statement, the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee commemorated 80 years of the United Nations, particularly its founding principle of multilateral cooperation.

“The Pact for the Future, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2024, lays out some important directions and needed reforms,” notes the statement. “But even deeper and more fundamental reform will be required, including of the Security Council itself, in order to restore the organization’s credibility and to address the historic exclusion of nations still under colonial domination at the time of the 1945 San Francisco Conference.”
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Long-time Bridgefolk participants remember the booming voice of the late Ivan Kauffman celebrating historic moments that have marked the development of closer relationships between Mennonites, Roman Catholics, and other divided Christians: “It’s a miracle!”

Kauffman would almost shout it. But he had a solidly empirical definition for miracles to match his exuberance: “Things that everybody agreed could not happen, but that happened anyway.”

If Kauffman could have been in Zurich, Switzerland on 29 May 2025, we would surely have heard his booming voice again. Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement that began in January of 1525, its spiritual descendants in Mennonite, Amish, Hutterite, and related churches gathered at the city’s Grossmünster cathedral there at the invitation of Mennonite World Conference (MWC).
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Between 2014 and 2024, the proportion of students of European descent at Montreal Diocesan Theological College (often abbreviated as Dio) went from about 60 per cent to 25 per cent, says the Rev. Jesse Zink, the school’s principal.

“We have been moving in a direction that’s much more diverse along lines of immigration status, country of origin, racial, and ethnic identity. And I would just say, I think this is wonderful,” he says. “I was teaching a three-hour class last week. We took a break, and I noticed that students were having little side conversations during our break, and there was one that was happening in English, and there was one that was happening in French, and there was one that was happening in Swahili.”
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June 10, 2025 marks 100 years since 8,000 people gathered in the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto to formally inaugurate, with declarations and worship, The United Church of Canada. Members of the United Church today will easily acknowledge that its history is an ecumenical history, and they remember and celebrate its important contributions to the ongoing search for Christian unity and interfaith cooperation. Reflecting on this history in today’s world of increasingly violent division, fear, and distrust of difference, celebrations also bring questions: what is the continuing ecumenical call to a church committed to “Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, and Daring Justice?”

I offer here a review of that ecumenical history: the beginnings and subsequent life and witness of the United Church, an overview of the church’s ecumenical witness today, and some questions and challenges arising as the church enters the next phase of its life in the world.
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“Several concrete solutions have been proposed that, while respecting the principle of Nicaea, would allow Christians to celebrate together the ‘Feast of Feasts,’” the Holy Father said.

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said the Catholic Church is open to establishing a common date of Easter among all Christian churches, echoing one of the aims of the Council of Nicaea that met 1,700 years ago.

The Pope spoke to participants of the symposium “Nicaea and the Church of the Third Millennium: Towards Catholic-Orthodox Unity,” which took place this week at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

The Holy Father called the 325 Council of Nicaea “foundational for the common journey that Catholics and Orthodox have undertaken together since the Second Vatican Council.”
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The Commission on Faith and Witness of The Canadian Council of Churches invites you to explore Towards Wellbeing: Mental Wholeness in Church, Person, and Community — a new ecumenical study guide designed for faith communities.

Developed through rich dialogue among 14 Christian traditions in Canada, this resource offers

• deep scriptural and theological grounding in the Christian understanding of the human person
• practical insights for ministry, pastoral care, and community life
• engaging questions for small group discussion and personal reflection

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La Commission Foi et Témoignage du Conseil canadien des Églises vous invite à découvrir Atteindre le bien-être : l’intégrité mentale pour soi, la communauté et l’Église, un nouveau guide d’étude œcuménique conçu pour les communautés croyantes.

Née d’un dialogue de qualité entre 14 traditions chrétiennes au Canada, cette ressource offre

• un ancrage scripturaire et théologique profond dans la conception chrétienne de la personne humaine,
• des idées pratiques pour le ministère, la pastorale et la vie communautaire,
• des questions engageantes pour les échanges en petits groupes et la réflexion personnelle.

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