IN A “polarised” and “divided” world, “the Church’s mission to make known its unity feels ever more urgent and important”, the Bishop of in Europe, Dr Robert Innes, has said.
He was speaking last week before the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU), which began on Sunday. This year’s theme, “One Body One Spirit”, was inspired by Ephesians 4.4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”
In his statement, Dr Innes wrote: “In a world which is polarised and divided, the Church’s mission to make known its unity feels ever more urgent and important.” He reflected on King Charles’s visit to Rome to worship with the Pope in the Sistine Chapel (News, 24 October 2025).
“Their visible togetherness was something everyone could see and understand,” he said. “The enacted togetherness between the Pope and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England helps the world see that what unites us is much more than what divides us. It gives all of us hope and helps all of us believe.”
The World Council of Churches’ prayers and reflections were prepared by the inter-church relations department of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Armenian Catholic, and Evangelical Churches. The resources, which include a reading plan, prayers, and reflective questions, draw upon historic traditions of Armenian Christianity.
Resources are available to download from the WCC’s website, or read on YouVersion’s free Bible App. The translations offered are in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic, but “churches are invited to translate the text in additional languages and contextualize or adapt it for their own use,” the WCC said.
The WCC’s programme executive for spiritual life and faith and order, the Revd Dr Mikie Roberts, said last week: “In many corners of our world, hope is fast fading in the face of unprecedented suffering.
“It is in such times that our collective prayers for Christian unity can serve as a beacon of hope to many. When Christians are united in prayer, we also acknowledge the oneness in our calling to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ.”
On Tuesday, Cardinal Vincent Nichols marked WPCU at solemn pontifical vespers in Westminster Cathedral. The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams gave an address. The Archbishop of Canterbury-elect, the Archbishop of York, and Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe were also in attendance.
Westminster Cathedral Choir and clergy will sing a joint evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday.
Resources can be found at: oikoumene.org
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