At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes all over the world exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services. The event that touches off this special experience is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18-25 January, between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul. In the southern hemisphere, where January is a vacation time, churches often find other days to celebrate it, for example around Pentecost, which is also a symbolic date for unity.
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
60 Years of Christian Unity – Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
In the field of multilateral relations, the major partner of the Catholic Church is the World Council of Churches (WCC). Founded in 1948, it is the broadest and most inclusive ecumenical organization, bringing together 350 Christian denominations including Orthodox, Lutherans, Reformed, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists as well as United and Independent churches. Altogether they represent over 500 million Christians worldwide.
The Catholic Response to “The Church: Towards a Common Vision”
On 18 October 2019, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) presented the official Catholic Response to The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV), Faith and Order Paper No.214, published in 2013. Passing through many intermediate stages, the TCTCV is the result of two decades of intense theological work prepared by Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic theologians.