A week of prayer for the unity of Christians will begin tomorrow all over Europe. This year, the Ecumenical Council of the Churches and the Papal Council for the Unity of Christians have entrusted the Churches of Ireland back from a long history of conflicts and violence to propose a teological-pastoral subject and reflection: the words of Matthew, 18,20: “If two or three gather to call my name, I am amidst them". "We encourage all Christians writes the Irish group to gather and pray, and try, through mutual love, to understand each other beyond all differences. So we can become even more powerful signs of reconciliation and testimony of the presence of Christ’s healing love". Again this year, France offers a wide range of initiatives: an unusual one is that of the parish churches of the Parisian district of Batignolles-Epinettes, which proposes to the local Christian communities (Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran), "a week-end of spiritual heritage" to discover the places of worship and the life of the different communities. Ecumenical events in several languages (English, French, German and Dutch) will take place in Luxembourg, where the Week will end with an ecumenical celebration at the headquarters of the European Parliament.
