“Do you believe this?”

From 11 to 15 September, we had the joy of hosting the international committee jointly sponsored by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), gathered to finalise the texts and prayers for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025. The drafting of the materials had been entrusted to our Community by the WCC and the DPCU.

The year 2025 marks the 1,700^th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, near Constantinople in 325. This commemoration provides a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the common faith of Christians, as expressed in the Creed formulated during this Council. The materials prepared for the 2025 Week of Prayer invite congregations and individuals to draw on this shared heritage and to enter more deeply into the faith that unites all Christians. It is with this in mind that the guiding biblical text for the week, John 11:17-27, was chosen. The theme for the week, “Do you believe this?” (v. 26), comes from the dialogue between Jesus and Martha when Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany following the death of their brother Lazarus. The proposed Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God during the Week of Prayer is centred on the meaning of believing and the affirmation of faith, both personal and communal, while the texts provided for reflection on each of the eight days highlight in turn key statements of the Nicene Creed.

The meeting was chaired jointly by the WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life and for Faith and Order, rev Mikie Roberts, and fr Martin Browne OSB, official of the Western Section of the DPCU.