Praying for Christian unity amidst violence and HIV/AIDS
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Women praying outside the protestant church.
[Joint release with the Association of Churches and Christian Communities of Geneva.]
As millions of Christians throughout the world mark the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2008, the central event in Geneva will highlight what prayer for unity means amidst situations of conflict and distress. It will culminate with an ecumenical celebration gathering members and top clerics of the main Christian confessions present in the region.
On Sunday, 20 January, a round table discussion on the topic "Praying for Christian unity amidst situations of conflict" will take place at the Ecumenical Centre at 03:00 pm.
Dominican sister Sheila Flynn, from Ireland, will share her experience of working with people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. The Rev. Pierre Wallière, from the Nazarene Church in Haiti, will speak about his work with youth in a context of violence, and the reconciliation ministry of churches in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The round table discussion, moderated by Swiss radio journalist Michel Kocher, will be open to questions from the public. (For interview requests, please see below.)
Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the exhibition "Pray without ceasing" (Priez sans cesse) in which the Association of Churches and Christian Communities of Geneva (Rassemblement des Eglises et Communautés chrétiennes de Genève) present some of the ecumenical activities in the city of Calvin. The exhibition will be open from 02:30 pm.
From 05:00 to 06:00 pm an ecumenical celebration in the chapel of the Ecumenical Centre will gather members and leaders of the main Christian confessions present in Geneva. Amongst those co-celebrating will be: Mgr. Pierre Farine, auxiliary bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, Roman Catholic Church; Rev. Philippe Reymond, moderator, Company of Pastors, Protestant Church of Geneva; Metropolitan Jérémie, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Orthodox Diocese of Switzerland; Rev. Jean-Claude Mokry, episcopal vicar for western Switzerland, Old-Catholic Church; Ms. Hélène Quélen-Mokry, president, Association of Churches and Christian Communities of Geneva; Venerable Colin Williams, general secretary, Conference of European Churches; Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary, World Council of Churches (WCC).
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally observed between 18-25 January in the northern hemisphere or around Pentecost in the southern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer is celebrated in congregations and parishes all over the world. Biblical and liturgical materials for the week are published jointly by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the WCC's Commission on Faith and Order.
For interview requests with the guest speakers, please contact:
media@wcc-coe.org +41-79-507-6363
More information on the Week of prayer for Christian unity
Rassemblement des Eglises et Communautés chrétiennes de Genève
Feature: Praying together for Christian unity throughout a century of changes