Pope Francis concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

On Saturday, Pope Francis presided over evening Vespers at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls Basilica where he was joined by members of the many different Christian Churches present here in Rome.

The celebration, which lands on the Feast of Saint Paul, marks the closing of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which has been exploring the theme, taken from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Has Christ been divided?”

Saturday’s celebrations coincide with the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 25, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7227
Categories: News • In this article: Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 25 janvier 2014 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=7227
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Pope Francis: Jesus wants united Christians

On Sunday and before the Angelus, the Pope recalled the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and its theme, “Give me a drink”, the sentence uttered by Jesus to the Samaritan woman.

He told the faithful gathered that the “desire for unity” of the disciples of Jesus is part of our “thirst not only material for water, but above all our thirst for a full life, free from the slavery of evil and death.”

He went on to say that “Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises because it is he who gives to the Holy Spirit, the ‘living water’ that quenches our restless hearts, hungry for life, love, freedom, peace, thirsty for God.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8006
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Christian unity, peace, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 25 janvier 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8006
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, peace, Pope Francis, WPCU

A Uniting Church of Australia view of the journey to Christian unity

At the conclusion of the week of prayer for Christian Unity on Sunday, ministers and congregations from many different denominations gathered with Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls for Vespers marking the feast of the conversion of the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Among those taking part for the first time was Reverend Tara Curlewis, former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia. An ordained minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, she’s also worked closely with the World Council of Churches and until recently co-chaired Australia’s National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews.

She talked to Philippa Hitchen about her own ministry and about the goal of the wider ecumenical movement today…
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 26, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7998
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 26 janvier 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=7998
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU

Kenneth Kearon: On Building an Ecumenical Barn

Anglican Bishop Kenneth Kearon used the image of constructing a barn to reflect upon the ecumenical movement during this year’s De Margerie Series on Christian Reconciliation and Unity, held in conjunction with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Saskatoon.

In addition to a public lecture “On Building an Ecumenical Barn,” held at St. Thomas More College Jan. 21, the 2016 De Margerie series also included two workshops – one for clergy and ministry leaders Jan. 22, and another on Jan. 23 for the general public, entitled “Being Church in the World Today.”

Dr. Terry Downey, president of St. Thomas More College opened the public lecture at STM with words of welcome. Held in conjunction with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the De Margerie series is jointly sponsored by STM, the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. This year’s lecture was available for the first time on live-streamed video (and is now posted on the diocese’s YouTube channel).

Nicholas Jesson, ecumenical officer for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, noted that the De Margerie series is named for local ecumenical pioneer, Rev. Bernard de Margerie, one of the founders of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism in Saskatoon and its first director. De Margerie is also the author of In God’s Reconciling Grace, a book of prayers about Christian unity, reflecting his conviction that prayer and conversion must be at the heart of the ecumenical movement.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 21, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8948
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican Communion, De Margerie Series, ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 21 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8948
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican Communion, De Margerie Series, ecumenism, WPCU

Pope Francis apologises for treatment of non-Catholic Christians

Pope Francis has apologised for behaviour towards Christians from non-Roman Catholic churches that “has not reflected Gospel values.” The Pope made his comments during a Vespers service in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome last night attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See, Archbishop Sir David Moxon.

The service was held to mark the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and was also attended by Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the end of the service the Pope invited Metropolitan Gennadios and Archbishop David to join him in blessing the congregation.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9251
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 26 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9251
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Unexpected blessing

Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, was invited to share the blessing with Pope Francis and Archbishop Gennadios of the Ecumenical Patriarchate during a service to mark the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Here, Archbishop David reflects on the unprecedented moment.

Last night Archbishop Gennadios and I were invited by Pope Francis to share in the giving of the Pontifical Blessing.

This took place in front of the 3000-strong congregation at the Papal Basilica of St Paul’s outside the Walls, the venue for the final day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Rome. We were called to the side of the Papal Throne and he said “let’s share this together”. He received his papal pastoral staff, began the prayer and raised his hand. Archbishop Gennadios (the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch) and I raised our hands also. It was incredibly moving to be part of what (I think) was an unprecedented invitation, which said far more even than the words which were actually recited.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9249
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Anglican Centre in Rome, David Moxon, Rome, WPCU Transmis : 26 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9249
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Anglican Centre in Rome, David Moxon, Rome, WPCU

Pope Francis: Homily for Christian Unity Vespers

“I am the least of the Apostles … because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace in me was not without effect.” That’s how the Apostle Paul sums up the significance of his conversion. Coming after his dramatic encounter with the Risen Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, it is not primarily a moral conversion but rather an transforming experience of the grace of Christ, and at the same time, a call to the new mission of announcing to everyone the Jesus that he previously persecuted by persecuting the disciples of Christ. At that moment, in fact, Paul understands that there is a real and transcendent union between the eternally living Christ and his followers: Jesus lives and is present in them and they live in him. The vocation to be an Apostle is founded not on Paul’s human merits, which he considers to be ‘the least’ and ‘unworthy’, but rather on the infinite goodness of God who chose him and entrusted him with his ministry.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9254
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Pope Francis, Sermon, WPCU Transmis : 26 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9254
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, Sermon, WPCU

The sweet song of Christian unity

Our Lord and his apostles used many figures of speech to describe the Church. From our beloved St. Paul: “We are God’s fellow labourers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9). “You are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27). Or Jesus’ words: “Fear not, little flock” (Luke 12:32a). “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5a).

Many of us have admired a well-ordered cathedral, such as St. Paul’s, London, or All Saints, Nairobi. We recognise — almost unconsciously — the beauty of the human person, of a pastoral scene or vineyard. No wonder they make fitting images for the Church, the heavenly Jerusalem, a city “at unity with itself” (Ps. 122:3).

Our experience of the Church’s unity tends to fall short of these glorious figures. We see “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions” (see Gal. 5:19-21).

In recognition of this, Anglicans have turned to other images over the past 14 years: among them, “walking together in synodality,” “walking apart,” or even “walking at a distance.” This language proves useful, vividly illustrating different degrees or intensities of communion: some choose to be close; some go their own way; some wander onto the wrong path.

Through such images, we see how harmony, order, and unity are gifts received, but also unwrapped and used. A field must be cultivated, a building maintained, a vine pruned.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 18, 2017 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9621
Categories: ACNS, Opinion • In this article: Anglican, WPCU Transmis : 18 janvier 2017 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9621
Catégorie : ACNS, Opinion • Dans cet article : Anglican, WPCU

Unity Week: Cardinal Koch celebrates a “truly ecumenical year”

As we mark the annual week of prayer for Christian Unity, Catholics have much to celebrate because 2016 was “truly an ecumenical year”. That’s the view of Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who accompanied Pope Francis on all his ecumenical journeys throughout the past year.

The cardinal was reflecting on the theme for this week of prayer which is centred on a verse from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Reconciliation: the love of Christ compels us’. Members of the Council of Christian Churches in Germany were asked to prepare material on this theme which is set in the context of this year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Cardinal Koch says the leitmotif for this week of prayer is reconciliation, proposed by Christians in Germany, where the Reformation began. While we have much gratitude for the Reformation and the rediscovery of all that is in common between Lutherans and Catholics, he says, we must also recognise the painful history of the last 500 years. Though Luther did not want to divide the Church, he notes the “horrible confessional wars” that followed the Reformation “transformed Europe into a red sea of blood”. We must acknowledge both of these pages, he says, working for repentance and reconciliation, but also showing gratitude for the gifts of the Reformation.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 18, 2017 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9619
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Kurt Koch, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, WPCU Transmis : 18 janvier 2017 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9619
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Kurt Koch, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, WPCU