Texts for 2023 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity is pleased to publish the materials prepared for the Week of Prayer of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023. The original project was drafted by the Minnesota Council of Churches (USA) on the theme: “Do good, seek justice” (Isaiah 1:17).

The context from which these materials were first drafted is the aftermath of the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd and the trial of the police officer responsible for his death. As the Christian communities of Minnesota sought to respond to the anguish of these events they also recognised their own historical complicity in perpetuating divisions which have contributed to racial injustice. The Church is called to be the sign and instrument of the unity God desires for the whole of His creation (cf. Lumen gentium, 1) but the division between Christians weakens the Church’s effectiveness. Christians must repent of their divisions and work together in order to be a source of reconciliation and unity in the world.

Due to COVID‒19 restrictions, the local writing group was unable to host the international commission sponsored by the World Council of Churches and this Dicastery. Instead three members from the writing group travelled to the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey (Switzerland) where they met with the commission from 19‒23 September 2021.

This Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity is grateful to all those who have contributed to the elaboration of these texts.