The preparation of the 2005 edition of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has led to a new stage in collaboration between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church.

For the first time, the text that will inspire the Week of Prayer has not only been jointly prepared but also published jointly by the WCC Faith and Order commission and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Calling it a “further, small step in the direction of Christian unity,” WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and the secretary of the Pontifical Council Bishop Brian Farrell suggested in the foreword that the joint publication of the liturgical resources will, hopefully, usher in the “birth of a new era of collaboration” between the two bodies.

The theme proposed for the Week in 2005 is “Christ, the One Foundation of the Church,” a reference to 1 Corinthians 3:1-23.

On this occasion, the texts were prepared by members of the theological committee of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally celebrated from 18-25 January. In the Southern Hemisphere, other dates are sometimes chosen, for example, around Pentecost.

The full text of the materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2005 is available by clicking here.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.