To mark Lent, the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France has published a letter in which the members of the Christian communities of France Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox are urged to celebrate this period of preparation for Easter together, sharing the experience of fasting and prayer that is common to Christians of East and West. The bishops recall that in 2004, Christians throughout the world are celebrating the Resurrection of Christ on the same day, the 11th April, and that all of them began Lent in the same week, from 23 to 29 February. “We thank the Lord write the Orthodox bishops for inspiring such splendid and fruitful solidarity of faith and prayer between those who profess themselves Christians”. The Orthodox bishops make an ecumenical invitation to all the communities of France to “unite in a single path of prayer and purification”. “May this blessed time of Lent be for all the Christian spiritual families a time for renewal of faith and for authentic experience of Christian unity”.
