Meeting to prepare materials for 2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
From 25 to 29 September, an international committee jointly sponsored by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches met in Rome, at Casa San Giuseppe di Cluny, which, since 2016, has been administered by the Chemin Neuf Community (CCN), whose members make a special commitment to Christian unity.
The materials for the 2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity were drafted by an ecumenical team from Burkina Faso facilitated by the local Chemin Neuf Community on the theme “You shall love the Lord your God ... and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Brothers and sisters from the Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, Protestant Churches, ecumenical bodies and the CCN in Burkina Faso collaborated generously in drafting the prayers and reflections, experiencing their work together as a real path of ecumenical conversion.
Burkina Faso is currently experiencing a serious security crisis and considerable political instability. The invitation to work together on the texts for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024 challenged the different churches in Burkina Faso to walk, pray and work together in mutual love during this difficult period for their country. In doing so, they recognised that the love of Christ that unites all Christians is stronger than their divisions.
Unfortunately, the four members of the local group who were expected to take part in the meeting in Rome were unable to attend in‒person due to a strike of flight controllers in Africa but were connected via zoom.
The meeting was chaired jointly by the World Council of Churches programme executive for Spiritual Life and for Faith and Order, Revd Dr Mikie Roberts, and Fr Anthony Currer from the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
Participants in international committee
Revd Fr Martin Browne, OSB |
Glenstal Abbey, Ireland |
Revd Peter Colwell |
Deputy General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland |
Revd Anthony Currer |
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity |
Revd Fr Miguel Desjardins, CCN |
Director of National Service for Christian Unity, Bishop’s Conference of France |
Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi |
Programme Executive of the Faith and Order Secretariat, World Council of Churches |
Sr Leticia Candelario Lopez |
Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, Singapore |
Revd Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus |
Director of Faith and Order Commission, World Council of Churches |
Revd Father James Puglisi, SA |
Friar of the Atonement, Centro pro Unione, Rome |
Revd Dr Mikie Roberts |
Programme Executive for Spiritual Life and for Faith and Order, World Council of Churches |
Rev. Dr Jochen Wagner |
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Deutschland |
Dr Clare Watkins |
University of Roehampton |
Participants from Burkina Faso unable to attend in-person
Mr Ezechiel Amadou Hebie |
Member of Chemin Neuf Community – Responsible for Burkina Faso |
Revd David Ilboudo |
Ecumenical officer, Parish Priest of Sainte Trinité de Zagtouli, Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |
Ms Wondenda Florence Ilboudo |
Non‒Catholic member of Chemin Neuf Community in Burkina Faso |
Pastor Tegwende Leonard Kinda |
Executive Secretary, Association of Evangelical Reformed Churches in Burkina Faso |
Photo: The international committee at Casa San Giuseppe di Cluny, Rome.
Glenstal Abbey, Irlande |
Glenstal Abbey, Irlande |
Glenstal Abbey, Irlande |
Glenstal Abbey, Irlande |
Glenstal Abbey, Irlande |
Directeur du Service national pour l’unité des chrétiens, Conférence des Évêques de France |
Directeur du Service national pour l’unité des chrétiens, Conférence des Évêques de France |
Directeur du Service national pour l’unité des chrétiens, Conférence des Évêques de France |
Directeur de Foi et Constitution, Conseil œcuménique des Églises |
Directeur de Foi et Constitution, Conseil œcuménique des Églises |
Frère de l'Atonement, Centro pro Unione, Rome |
Frère de l'Atonement, Centro pro Unione, Rome |