VATICAN (SE): Christians across the globe are marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed from January 18 to 25.
Kurt Cardinal Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, spoke to Vatican News about the significance of the Christian mission to pursue unity.
When asked about Pope Leo XIV’s appeal for unity and a commitment to world peace to work “hand in hand,” Cardinal Koch emphasised the vital role of Christian Churches in fostering unity.
“Ecumenism can assist society if it does not mirror society’s discord, but is rather itself a sign of unity,” the cardinal explained.
In a world full of opposing currents, Christians are challenged to live “in one Spirit” despite diversity.
“If Christianity itself is a divided heap, then it cannot offer society very much,” Cardinal Koch said, warning of the repercussions of division within the faith, according to Vatican News.
This year’s texts for the Week of Prayer were prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, based on St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”
Cardinal Koch described the choice of this text as highly symbolic.
“It is a passionate appeal by St. Paul for unity,” the cardinal said. “When you consider that Paul wrote this letter from prison, we see how serious it is for him. In prison you don’t occupy yourself with trivialities.”
Looking ahead to the 500th anniversary of the Confessio Augustana [Augsburg Confession] in 2030, he dismissed the idea of setting fixed timetables for ecumenical progress.
“In ecumenism, I do not name deadlines. The deadlines are set by the Holy Spirit, not by us,” the cardinal remarked.
However, Cardinal Koch added that the year 2030 remains an important “point for reflection” to reconsider how divisions might be overcome.
He referenced theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg, who saw the division of the Church as a “failure” of the Reformation, noting that Martin Luther had sought the renewal of all Christianity.
“Jesus wanted one Church, not a variety of Churches,” the cardinal asserted.
In conclusion, he underscored the enduring relevance of the Council of Nicaea, which was recently commemorated on its 1,700th anniversary.
Unity, Cardinal Koch affirmed, can only be found in the common faith of Christians. “The challenge of Nicaea remains relevant.”
