Celebrations in Rome for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020

13 Jan 2020

As in other years, various celebrations and initiatives have been organized in Rome during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will conclude on Saturday 25 January with the celebration of Ecumenical Vespers presided over by Pope Francis at 5.30 pm in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

Other ecumenical events are listed below:

Friday 17 January

5.30-7.00 pm, Angelicum (Auditorium XI, Largo Angelicum 1): Public lecture by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, within the framework of the "Tillard Chair" cycle of public lectures for 2019-2020.

Saturday 18 January

5.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Evening Prayer with the Lutheran community of Rome.

6.00 pm, Pontifical Beda College (Viale di San Paolo, 18): Ecumenical celebration. Homily: Revd Daniel Pratt Morris Chapman, Minister at the Ponte Sant'Angelo Methodist Church.

Sunday 19 January

11.00 am, Baptist Church (Via delle Spighe, 6 - Centocelle): Jesus prays for the unity of the disciples, Jn 17. Worship with testimonies.

4.00 pm, Santa Brigida (Piazza Farnese): Eucharist within the context of the ecumenical pilgrimage of a Finnish delegation to Rome. Presider: Father Marco Pasinato, Diocesan Administrator of Helsinki. Homily: Bishop Teemu Laajasalo, Helsinki, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Other participants: Metropolitan Elia of Oulu, Orthodox Church of Finland; Bishop Brian Farrell and Father Augustinus Sander, OSB, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Choir: “Cantores Minores”.

4.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Public lecture of Br. Enzo Bianchi on the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

5.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Evensong with the Anglican community of Rome.

7.00 pm, Christuskirche - Evangelical Luteran Church in Rome (Via Sicilia, 70): Ecumenical Vespers. Preacher: Father Dartmann SJ (Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum). Liturgy: Rector Brandmayr and Fr Jonas. Choir of Collegium Germanicum et Hungricum and Choir of the Christuskirche.

Monday 20 January

5.30 pm, Santa Brigida (Piazza Farnese): Ecumenical Vespers. Presider: Cardinal Kurt Koch. Other partecipants: Metropolitan Elia of Oulu, Orthodox Church of Finland; Bishop Teemu Laajasalo; Father Marco Pasinato, Diocesan Administrator of Helsinki. Homily: Revd Pekka Huokuna, Director General, National Council of Churches in Finland. Choir: "Cantores Minores".

6.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Vespers with the Orthodox Romanian Diocese of Italy presided over by Bishop Siluan.

Tuesday 21 January

12.45 pm, Anglican Centre in Rome (Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Piazza del Collegio Romano 2): Eucharist. Presider: Archbishop Ian Ernest. Preacher: Mgr Juan Usma Gómez.

6.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Vespers with the Valdesian Community of Rome.

Wednesday 22 January

3.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Akathistos at the urn of Saint Timothy celebrated by the Bishop and the presbyters of the Orthodox Romanian Diocese of Italy.

6.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Vespers with the Orthodox Coptic community of Rome.

6.30 pm, Parish of Gesù di Nazareth (Via Igino Giordani, 5): Diocesan Ecumenical Vigil with Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome.

Thursday 23 January

3.00 pm, Parish of Santa Paola Romana (Via Duccio Galimberti, 9): Ecumenical celebration.

4.30 pm, Centro Pro Unione (Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 30): Afternoon prayer and reflection, Presentation by Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on The Ecumenism of Pope Francis.

5.30-7.00 pm, Angelicum (Auditorium XI, Largo Angelicum 1): Ecumenical Panel on "Ut unum sint 25 Years Later - Fruits, Challenges and Hopes" organized by the PCPCU together with the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (Switzerland).

6.00 pm, Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Vespers with the Orthodox Russian community of Rome.

Saturday 25 January

5.30 pm, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls: Ecumenical Vespers presided over by Pope Francis.

Sunday 26 January

10.45 am, Valdesian Church (Piazza Cavour): Worship with pulpit exchange with parish of Cristo Re.

4.00 pm, St. Paul's Inside the Walls Church (Via Nazionale, 16), Churches Together in Rome, English Language Unity Service. Preacher: Archbishop Ian Ernest.