Christian Unity is of Utmost Importance, says Pope
In light of celebrating the nearly 100-tradition of the week of prayer for Christian Unity, Pope John Paul II on Wednesday told pilgrims that unifying the various branches of Christianity should be the goal of every catholic.
In light of celebrating the nearly 100-tradition of the week of prayer for Christian Unity, Pope John Paul II on Wednesday told pilgrims that unifying the various branches of Christianity should be the goal of every catholic.
"The pain of separation is felt with ever more intensity," the pontiff said, adding that the world awaited a "clear and unanimous" worship by all believers in Christ -- a veiled reference to the strained relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church, which traditionally persecuted all Protestants and Anglicans, has opened its doors to dialogue with various branches of Christianity. Beginning with the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Lutheran World Federation five years ago, the Catholic Church seemed to shift its focus on celebrating what is similar to other denominations rather than condemning them.
Late last year, the bishops of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church agreed to join the largest ecumenical project to launch in the history of the nation, the Christian Churches Together USA (CCT). The 2005 celebration of the Week of prayer for Christian Unity also marked a new era in dialogue for the RCC; according to the World Council of Churches which is co-heading the week, this year marks the first time the WCC and the RCC drafted and published resources for the week of prayer together.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
According to the National Council of Churches, one of the groups within the WCC, the jointly-published resources are being used around the world as “prayers and praises are being raised up in observances this week.”
“Each year's theme and text are prepared by representatives of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and World Council of Churches,” explained the NCC news service.
This year’s resources center on 1 Corinthians 3:1-23: All thins are yours…you belong to Christ and Christ, the unique foundation, belongs to God.” The theme is simply: Christ, the one foundation of the Church.
Resource materials, including reflections on the biblical text, a sample worship service and a history of the Slovakian ecumenical situation, have been prepared by the Theological Committee of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia in consultation with the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. These are available online at the Vatican website: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/weeks-prayer-doc/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20040701_week-prayer-2005_en.html
Further information is also available from the World Council of Churches and can be found online at: http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop-index.html.
