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Leigh Hatts  

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity highlights

Rouen’s Unity Week poster with a ‘breaking the chains’ theme

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which ends tomorrow 25 January has seen many services and gatherings where Christians have prayed for and talked about unity.

New film
Last Friday a film about Chevetogne was launched at Farm Street Church in London’s Mayfair.

May They all be One  is a 52 minute documentary made by Alexia Veriter of KTOTV (French Catholic TV) telling the  story of an Orthodox-Roman Catholic monastery in Belgium dedicated to the search for unity.

The first half of the film can now be seen now  online.

Southwark
Another example of co-operation was the weekend trip to Rouen by representatives of Southwark Cathedral. The two places share several formal and historic links.  The English party had the opportunity of experiencing the French city’s Week of Prayer events.

La semaine de prière pour l’Unité Chrétienne is taken as seriously as in the UK or America where there are many more divisions.

This year Rouen’s main gathering was at the Protestant St Eloi Church. Here Anglican, Calvinist, Lutheran and Roman Catholic church members shared a service.

English Anglican Michael Rawson, Southwark Sub Dean, carried the Bible in procession and speakers included the Archbishop of Rouen who sat in the front row as an equal with other church ministers.

On Sunday Canon Rawson and Rouen’s Protestant minister James Lowe both took part in the Solemn Mass at Rouen Cathedral.

Rome

The Week of Prayer ends tomorrow Thursday 25 January with a focus on St Paul Outside the Walls Church in Rome where Pope Frances, joined by representatives of many denominations, will preside at Vespers. St Paul’s is the Rome church dedicated as a centre for promoting Christian unity.

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