Catholics Worldwide Will Unite in Praying the Rosary on October 22 | EWTN News Nightly

Catholics Worldwide Will Unite in Praying the Rosary on October 22 | EWTN News Nightly

EWTN News and EWTN

Oct 19, 2026

The Global Rosary for Peace, an international prayer initiative, will bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals to pray for peace on October 22, 2026. Father Fred Jenga, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, joins to share how many countries are participating, why the initiative is resonating globally, and why the feast day of Pope Saint John Paul II was chosen for the start of the initiative.

Welcome to the SDG Media Zone / UN Peace Circle | United Nations

Dave Hunt - The false “unity” of ECUMENISM [YT]

The German Theologian Bringing Protestants and Catholics Together

JAYSON CASPER

Evangelicals have critiqued the ecumenism of former World Evangelical Alliance head Thomas Schirrmacher.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY

JUNE 25, 2026
Image courtesy of Thomas Schirrmacher

Eleven American Pentecostal pastors sat nervously with Pope Francis at the Vatican in June 2016. The meeting, arranged by Thomas Schirrmacher, then chair of the theological commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), was an opportunity for the guests to ask the pontiff anything they wanted. Two years earlier, Francis had publicly apologized for past Catholic persecution of the charismatic movement.

At the time, the Italian Evangelical Alliance had cautioned against growing ecumenical openness where “insurmountable” doctrinal obstacles exist. The American delegation was similarly opposed to Schirrmacher’s engagement but had agreed to the meeting. No one wanted to ask the first question. Amid the awkwardness, Francis took the initiative.

He asked the delegation to pray for him.

Schirrmacher said what followed was a life-changing experience for the Pentecostals. They prayed for the pope. He prayed for them. By the end, he said, their theological concerns didn’t matter much anymore as they agreed with Schirrmacher that Francis was a genuine believer and had no intention to convert them to Catholicism.

Matters of theology and doctrine have always mattered to Schirrmacher, who turns 66 today. The German theologian has four doctoral degrees and authored more than 100 books, including a six-volume treatise on ethics. Committed to Christian unity, he served as general secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance from 2021 to 2024. Yet his life has been a lightning rod of controversy—particularly when he neared the halls of power.

Even seemingly straightforward truths, he finds, have prompted critical reaction.

“If I say, ‘God is love,’” said Schirrmacher, “it could start a global discussion.”

WCC Reference Group begins Vancouver meeting with renewed focus on Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Reference Group for the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity (PJRU) began its in-person meeting on 17 September at the Vancouver School of Theology (VST), bringing together WCC representatives, church leaders and local ecumenical partners to reflect on the pilgrimage and its role in the life of the ecumenical movement.



Participants of the Vancouver meeting gathered for a photo to express solidarity with the WCC's Thursdays in Black campaign for a world against rape and violence. Photo:
Marcelo Schneider/WCC

18 September 2026
Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity

The meeting opened with prayer and an acknowledgement of the traditional territories and Indigenous peoples, followed by welcomes from Rev. Janet Anstead, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, and Rev. Prof. Dr Richard Topping, VST president and vice-chancellor.

WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay presented his vision for a WCC-wide PJRU framework, exploring how the pilgrimage can deepen its impact across WCC programmes, commissions, regional partners and member churches.

“The pilgrimage provides an integrating framework for all objectives that we have set aside for ourselves as the council”, said Pillay. “The key question that we have to ask ourselves at all times is how our work is contributing to justice, reconciliation, and unity.”

“WCC is one fellowship with many pilgrimages. We count on the engagement and support of this Reference Group to integrate the work of the fellowship into a Pilgrimage functionality”, added Pillay.

Rev. Karin van den Broeke, co-moderator of the WCC Pilgrimage Reference Group, expressed her thankfulness for the warm companionship. “It is impressive to hear how theology in the Vancouver School of Theology is informed and transformed by walking with indigenous people, and how walking together is transforming injustices done to indigenous peoples. And this 'walking together' is exactly what the pilgrimage is about”, she added.

The day concluded with a pilgrimage encounter at VST, during which participants learned about the context and legacy of the historic WCC 6th Assembly, held in Vancouver in 1983, and received an overview of Vancouver’s ecumenical landscape and theological education.

The meeting of the Reference Group continues until 22 September, with an agenda that integrates moments of close engagement with local processes of truth and reconciliation, alongside further work on the theological and methodological foundations of the PJRU.

Source

Unity and Separation | Maranatha: The Lord Is Coming

Beware of Man Made Test - May 19 - Maranatha

Seeking unity within the worldwide Christian community

17 January 2026

Seeking unity within the worldwide Christian community





Secretary for International Ecumenical Relations Commissioner Jane Paone shares how Christian traditions across the world share and learn from each other.

What does ecumenism look like at an international level?

I represent the General in different international groups.

The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions brings together all the general secretaries of the different traditions. We share once a year about challenges and joys for the Church. Then we pray for one another. It’s a very precious moment.

I’m also on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. The Salvation Army used to be a member of the council. We chose not to be in the 1970s, but we’re always represented with adviser status, so we’re in contact with what’s happening globally. Everybody is very respectful, and there’s a lovely atmosphere.

There’s also the Global Christian Forum. This is a lovely meeting for people to share faith experiences or how the Lord has been working through our traditions. There are no theological documents to be studied; it’s just your testimony.

We’re also part of the World Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Movement.

I also have strong links with European Ecumenical Officer Commissioner Vibeke Krommenhoek (IHQ), the General’s representative to the Vatican Lieut-Colonel Andrew Morgan (Italy and Greece Territory) and Territorial Ecumenical Officer Major Paul Robinson (UK and Ireland Territory).

Pope and first female archbishop of Canterbury meet and pray together

Story by Joshua McElwee and Muvija M

Pope Leo meets Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at the Vatican, April 27, 2026. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS© Thomson Reuters

By Joshua McElwee and Muvija M

VATICAN CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday, in a symbolic encounter in Rome in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together.

Pope Leo shakes hands with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally during their meeting at the Vatican, April 27, 2026. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS© Thomson Reuters

Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world's 85 million Anglicans, was welcomed by Leo, the first American leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican's ornate Apostolic Palace.

Pope Leo holds a jar of Lambeth Palace honey he received from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, during their meeting at the Vatican, April 27, 2026. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS© Thomson Reuters

The two leaders met privately before going together to a 17th-century chapel where they recited prayers in unison.

In formal remarks, Mullally thanked Leo for his new, forceful speaking style. On a four-nation Africa tour, Leo sharply denounced war and despotism, angering U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The world needed this message at this time – thank you," she said. "It reminded us that, despite our sufferings, people long for life in all its fullness, and countless people are working each day for this vision of the common good."

Leo told Mullally that progress had been made in drawing the Catholic Church and Church of England together but lamented that "new problems have arisen in recent decades" without specifying them.

"We must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together," said the pope.

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An Ecumenism of the Trenches

Christians are called to unity, but not at the expense of truth. In a divided age, what does faithful unity actually require?

03/25/26
John Stonestreet and Timothy D Padgett



John Stonestreet

Timothy D Padgett

Download/Print PDF

According to an article in Religion Unplugged, Roman Catholic officials are considering the Augsburg Confession as a basis for Christian unity. For those not up on their Church history, this was written in 1530 by Philip Melanchthon as a joint statement for Protestant leaders in Germany. The confession was rejected by the Emperor Charles V and the Vatican hierarchy, but it remains the fundamental doctrinal statement for Lutherans around the world and serves as a template for other Protestant confessions in the last five centuries.

The Vatican praising Augsburg is kind of like Pepsi telling customers to go try a Coke. A Jesuit scholar quoted in the article even said this,

“Acknowledging the Reformation’s contributions and recognizing the Augsburg Confession as a paradigm for Christian unity would further the cause of mission and a unified Christian witness to a broken world that needs to hear the Gospel.”

Whether this move by the Vatican becomes more than just compliments, ecumenism has a complicated history. While most Christians recognize the need for greater unity, the devil is in the details. Bridge-building should never devolve into moral compromise or a denial of the Gospel.

Multitudes pray for unity around the world

From quiet utterances to radio broadcasts, from video messages to joyous celebrations, multitudes of people in churches and communities across the globe are participating in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Opening prayer service of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 at Iglesia Unida Ekyumenikal on January 19, 2026. Photo: United Methodist Church in the Philippines

22 January 2026

In the Philippines, a message brought by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines described a unity that transcends denominational boundaries, liturgical preferences, and organizational structures. “Our unity is our strongest witness,” reads the message. “And so we pray: Lord, make us one, that the world, and the Filipino people, may believe.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Ecumenical Affairs joined the National Council of Churches in the Philippines for celebrations that includes a series of services and fellowship events.

In the US, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA released a newsletter and daily videos. Releasing a new prayer daily via YouTube, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA invited all to participate in prayers offered by members of 37 communions. “May these prayers inspire us to walk faithfully in the call to be one body, united in love and purpose,” the council stated.

The Dominican Sisters of Peace—located across the US in about 22 states—used daily resources to draw people closer. “May we embrace our shared calling to live in Christ’s love and reflect His unity in a divided world,” they prayed.

In the UK and Ireland, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland organized celebrations, and distributed unique resources, including “Go and Do action points” from Christian Aid that were matched with daily reflections about the relief of poverty and advocacy of justice.

“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 extends an invitation to draw upon this shared Christian heritage and to reflect on our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide,” stated Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

The Primates of All Ireland, in a message, called Christians to deeper unity and active peace-making. They emphasised that the church, though diverse in culture and tradition, is called to live as one body in Christ, united by humility, patience, love, and the bond of peace. They called for “us to live lives worthy of our calling, with humility, gentleness, patience, and love.”

A BBC Radio 4 service brought the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to thousands of listeners. Musical worship included the singing of Psalm 133 and other hymns and anthems.



Gathering led by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines was one in the series of worship and fellowship during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from 19 to 26 January 2026. Photo:
Tondo Evangelical Church of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines


In Egypt, the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the Egyptian Council of Churches, organized the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Egypt 2026, under the auspices of the churches in Egypt.

The churches in Egypt observed the special week “not a passing occasion, but a continuous spiritual commitment and a living witness” through which the Christian churches in Egypt “affirm the continuation of their shared journey of hope, service, and witness before the world.”

In Germany, the Council of Christian Churches in Germany (ACK) hosted a joint service with the Evangelical Alliance in Nuremberg on 18 January, and on 25 January, churches will celebrate a central service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the Diocesan Church of St Sahak-St Mesrop in Cologne.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV urged people to intensify prayer for the full unity of Christians. Pope Leo added that this call to communion will accompany reflection throughout the week, which will conclude on 25 January, when the pope will preside at the celebration of Vespers in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

Pope Leo also invited the faithful to pray for Christian unity and for peace, especially in our time marked by a lack of respect for human dignity and heightened international tensions.

"Let us pray for peace at a moment in history that seems marked by a growing loss of respect for the value of human dignity and in which war has come back into fashion,” he said. “May the humanity of Jesus, who reveals the Father, help us to find paths of justice and reconciliation.”

In the Holy Land, the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem featured an initiative, “Faces of Unity,” that invited people to meet artistic and religious figures from sister churches.

"Stay tuned as we take you through the streets of Jerusalem to discover Armenian, Coptic, Lutheran, and many other expressions of the rich Christian art,” invited the museum.

Source

WCC leadership meets Pope Leo XIV

Image: Catholic Church England and Wales from flickr.com



Pastor Hal MayerSpeaker / Director

WCC leadership meets Pope Leo XIV

Wednesday March 18th, 2026


World Council of Churches: Bedford-Strohm said the meeting clearly strengthened his hope for increasing unity amongst the churches. “We wholeheartedly agreed upon the necessity to put Christ in the center to move us to visible unity,” he said. “We also agreed that a strong prophetic voice against the unscrupulous instrumentalisation of Christian faith for political purposes is needed.”

Bedford-Strohm added: “Whether it is about aggressive invasion, chasing migrants, or putting down whole groups of people, the churches must lift up the voice of the preacher of the sermon on the mount who encouraged us to practice, love, even of the enemy and advocacy for the most vulnerable in society. It was encouraging that we are united in giving this witness of love and empathy to the world in a time where division and violence seem to triumph.”

Pillay expressed gratitude for “a heart-to-heart talk with Pope Leo on very important global issues. Our conversation evolved around the need for visible Christian unity especially in this time of numerous global challenges.”

The WCC delegation outlined the WCC’s work in the area of Christian unity and discussed the importance of working with fellow Christians in giving visible expression to the prayer of Jesus that all may be one.

“We commended the Pope for his commitment to Christian unity and the collaboration and spirit in which the Vatican and WCC have been working together for many decades and reflected on what more we can do together, especially after the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council last year,” said Pillay. “We mentioned the numerous places in which the WCC is currently engaged in peace initiatives.”

The WCC delegation and Pope Leo also reflected deeply on the wars, conflicts, and violence that continue to pervade our world.

He [Gene Wu, State Representative (D-TX)] just ADMITTED what we knew ALL ALONG...

Interfaith vigil remembers immigration enforcement victims

Dozens formed a tight circle at Joe Creason Park Friday night in the cold to unite their voices in support of neighbors living in fear for their safety.

By Meredith Lea
Published: Jan. 30, 2026 at 10:32 PM EST

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Dozens of people who originally planned to meet inside St. Agnes Catholic Church instead formed a tight circle at Joe Creason Park Friday night, holding candles in the cold to unite their voices in support of neighbors living in fear for their safety.

Congressman Morgan McGarvey organized the interfaith vigil to remember people he describes as victims of brutality by federal immigration agents under the Department of Homeland Security’s command. The most recent cases, the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, are bringing people of different religious and political stripes together on this issue.

“We’ve had very high-profile deaths at the hands of federal agents, but there’s a lot of quiet terrors going on, too,” said Rev. Rachel Small Stokes of Emanuel United Church of Christ.

Rev. Kent Gilbert of Union Church in Berea said the gathering crossed demographic and political lines.

“This was every demographic. This was every political party. This was not political. This was moral,” Gilbert said.

For some attendees, like Mayra Ramos Johnson, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, the fear feels like a personal confrontation.

“Everything can happen. And, you know, I have a boy that is seven. I don’t want my son to be scared,” Johnson said. “Just the trauma that the kids can have. Just for an officer to stop you and ask you based on your looks or your accent. That’s not fair.”

The group said their words have to be backed up with action and pressure.

“We have to stand up for what’s right. We have to stand up with each other and speak out against what we’re seeing,” McGarvey said.

Johnson said unity is needed now.

“I think now is the time to get united... we all have the same purpose to, you know, improve this world, this country, this city. So, like, we just need to support each other,” she said.

Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.

Source

International Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity

2 Feb – 8 Feb 2026
Invitation Only

Launch of sixth phase of dialogue

Members of the International Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity inaugurate their sixth phase of dialogue after a lengthy preparation period.

The gathering will be hosted by the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia and will be focusing, in its first stage, on drafting a joint statement to mark the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 2030.

The document, originally designed to reconcile differences within the 16th century church, has important implications for both Lutherans and Catholics today.



Cardinal Kurt Koch led a delegation from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity to the LWF Communion Office in Geneva on 14 January for a joint staff meeting with the two dialogue partners. Photo: LWF/A. Danielsson

Time:
2 Feb – 8 Feb 2026
All day
Location:Moravske Toplice, Slovenia

Languages:English, Deutsch

Contact
Rev. Dr Dirk Lange
Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations
Contact by email

Source

Multitudes pray for unity around the world

From quiet utterances to radio broadcasts, from video messages to joyous celebrations, multitudes of people in churches and communities across the globe are participating in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

 

Available in:

Français
Deutsch
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Opening prayer service of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 at Iglesia Unida Ekyumenikal of the United Methodist Church on January 19, 2026. Photo: United Methodist Church in the Philippines

22 January 2026
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

In the Philippines, a message brought by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines described a unity that transcends denominational boundaries, liturgical preferences, and organizational structures. “Our unity is our strongest witness,” reads the message. “And so we pray: Lord, make us one, that the world, and the Filipino people, may believe.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Ecumenical Affairs joined the National Council of Churches in the Philippines for celebrations that includes a series of services and fellowship events.

In the US, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA released a newsletter and daily videos. Releasing a new prayer daily via YouTube, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA invited all to participate in prayers offered by members of 37 communions. “May these prayers inspire us to walk faithfully in the call to be one body, united in love and purpose,” the council stated.

The Dominican Sisters of Peace—located across the US in about 22 states—used daily resources to draw people closer. “May we embrace our shared calling to live in Christ’s love and reflect His unity in a divided world,” they prayed.

In the UK and Ireland, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland organized celebrations, and distributed unique resources, including “Go and Do action points” from Christian Aid that were matched with daily reflections about the relief of poverty and advocacy of justice.

“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 extends an invitation to draw upon this shared Christian heritage and to reflect on our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide,” stated Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

The Primates of All Ireland, in a message, called Christians to deeper unity and active peace-making. They emphasised that the church, though diverse in culture and tradition, is called to live as one body in Christ, united by humility, patience, love, and the bond of peace. They called for “us to live lives worthy of our calling, with humility, gentleness, patience, and love.”

A BBC Radio 4 service brought the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to thousands of listeners. Musical worship included the singing of Psalm 133 and other hymns and anthems.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Unity means support, not inferiority

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026
Church

During the week dedicated to praying for Christian unity, the director of the Ecumenical Department of the Mother of Holy Mary in the Armenian Apostolic Church speaks about how true unity means "there is no sense of inferiority."

By Augustine Asta and Kielce Gussie

One hundred and eighteen years ago, the founder of an Anglican religious community, who eventually entered the Catholic Church, introduced the practice of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Fr. Paul Wattson launched this initiative, which was blessed by Pope St. Pius X a year later.

For this 2026 edition of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the material was created by the Armenian Apostolic Church, together with local Churches in the country.

In an interview with Vatican News’ Augustine Asta, the director of the Ecumenical Department of the Mother of Holy Mary in the Armenian Apostolic Church, Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan, stressed how this is the time to “return to what is essential.”

Back to the basics

The essence of this week, Fr. Hambardzumyan noted, is “praying together and listening together to the word of God and remembering in general that we belong to one body of Christ.”

However, the director emphasized that this does not mean there is no room for diversity. Rather, it can contribute to unity.

For example, he looked at the Armenian and the various other Christian Churches, which have their own Christian identity “so immersed in their national background.”

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