All articles tagged with #ecumenism
Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of Christians working and praying together to witness to humanity's suffering, highlighting the historical significance of ecumenical efforts and calling for unity, reconciliation, and peace amidst global conflicts and environmental issues during the 2025 Ecumenical Week in Stockholm.
Archbishop Justin Welby celebrated an Anglican liturgy in the Catholic Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The ceremony was included in the official calendar of activities for the week and was a gesture of fraternity between the Anglican and Catholic churches. This event follows other ecumenical activities, including a vespers with Pope Francis and a concert by an Anglican choir in St. Peter’s Basilica, all aimed at promoting Christian unity.
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, visited Rome for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, participating in an Anglican Eucharist at a Catholic basilica and being commissioned by Pope Francis to witness Christian unity alongside Catholic bishops. The joint commissioning of Anglican and Catholic bishops sparked discussion about the Catholic Church's stance on Anglican orders and the potential for change. Additionally, Anglican choral evensong was celebrated at St. Peter's Basilica, emphasizing the shared tradition of prayer between Catholics and Anglicans.
The coronation of King Charles III will feature significant ecumenical and interreligious gestures, including a procession of flags of Commonwealth nations led by the Hindu Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and a blessing pronounced by Christian leaders of various denominations, including the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster. The liturgy itself reflects the inner tension between the Protestant and Catholic traditions within Anglicanism, but the inclusion of ecumenical and interreligious elements is a tremendous achievement by the Anglican Church and the King to include the diverse elements of British society within a liturgy that is profoundly Anglican.
Pope Francis gifted two pieces of the true cross to King Charles III for his coronation, which have been inlaid into the "Cross of Wales" and will lead the procession into Westminster Abbey. The gift is seen as an ecumenical sign of goodwill, given the rocky history between the British crown and the Catholic Church. The cross will be made available for veneration to both the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales.