XI. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
- 2001
- 2002 Worship
- 2003 Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer
- The initial draft of this text was produced by an ecumenical group of biblical scholars, priests, pastors and lay persons in Argentina.
- 2004
- The initial draft for the Week of Prayer 2004 material came from Christians who live and make their witness in the ancient city of Aleppo, Syria.
- 2005
- 2006 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity material
- 2007 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity material
- 2008
- 2009 Worship and background material
- Jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2009 is rooted in the experience of the churches in Korea. In their context of national division the churches have turned for inspiration to the prophet Ezekiel, who also lived in a tragically divided nation and longed for the unity of his people.
- 2010 Worship and background material
- You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24 : 48 (NRSV)
- 2011 Worship and background material
- Annual brochure for the Week of prayer for Christian unity jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
- 2012 Worship and background material
- Annual brochure for the Week of prayer for Christian unity jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
- 2013 Worship and background material
- Annual brochure for the Week of prayer for Christian unity jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
- 2014
- Brochure for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2014 jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
- 2015
- Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2015
- 2016
- The calling shared by all the baptized to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord forms the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for 2016. Inspired by two verses from the First Letter of St Peter, members of different churches in Latvia prepared the resources for the week.
- 2017
- It was in the context of the Reformation Anniversary that the Council of Churches in Germany took up the work of creating the resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017. It quickly became clear that the materials for this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity would need to have two accents: on the one hand, there should be a celebration of God’s love and grace, the “justification of humanity through grace alone”, reflecting the main concern of the churches marked by Martin Luther’s Reformation. On the other hand, the materials should also recognize the pain of the subsequent deep divisions which afflicted the Church, openly name the guilt, and offer an opportunity to take steps toward reconciliation. Ultimately it was Pope Francis’ 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”) which provided the theme for this year, when it used the quote: “The Love of Christ Compels Us” (Paragraph 9). With this scripture (2 Cor 5:14), taken in the context of the entire fifth chapter of the second letter to the Corinthians, the German committee formulated the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017.
- 2018
- The Churches of the Caribbean were chosen to draft the material for the 2018 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The contemporary Caribbean is deeply marked by the dehumanizing project of colonial exploitation. Very regrettably, during five hundred years of colonialism and enslavement, Christian missionary activity in the region, with the exception of a few outstanding examples, was closely tied to this dehumanizing system and in many ways rationalized it and reinforced it. Whereas those who brought the Bible to this region used the scriptures to justify their subjugation of a people in bondage, in the hands of the enslaved, it became an inspiration, an assurance that God was on their side, and that God would lead them into freedom. Today Caribbean Christians of many different traditions see the hand of God active in the ending of enslavement. It is a uniting experience of the saving action of God which brings freedom. For this reason the choice of the song of Moses and Miriam (Ex 15:1-21), as the motif of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2018 was considered a most appropriate one.
- Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2019
- The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2019 has been prepared by Christians from Indonesia. With a population of 265 million, 86% of whom are reckoned to be Muslim, Indonesia is well known as having the largest Muslim population of any country. However, about 10% of Indonesians are Christian from various traditions. In terms of both population and the vast extension of the country Indonesia is the biggest nation in South East Asia.
- Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020
- Worship and background material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021
- The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2021 was prepared by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp. The theme that was chosen, “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit”, is based on John 15:1-17 and expresses Grandchamp Community’s vocation to prayer, reconciliation and unity in the church and the human family.
