Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025: “Do you believe this?”

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated annually from January 18-25, begins this year 2025 with the motto inspired by John 11:26: “I am the resurrection and the life…. Do you believe this?”. Prepared by the monastic community of Bose, this ecumenical week invites Christians to reflect on their common faith and rediscover their unity in Christ. This year, the celebration is enriched with the commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), a milestone in the search for unity and the shared profession of faith.

The Council of Nicaea: a living heritage

Convened at a time of cultural diversity and theological tensions, the Council of Nicaea marked a turning point by establishing a common creed, the Nicene Creed, which emphasized faith in the Trinity and in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This statement of faith, later revised at Constantinople (381 A.D.), remains a symbol of Christian unity. This year, the Week of Prayer coincides with another significant historical event: the celebration of Easter on the same date by both the Eastern and Western Churches, a gesture symbolizing the hope of a future full unity.

“Do you believe this?”: a question that challenges

The Gospel passage of John 11:17-27 is the heart of this week. In it, Jesus challenges Martha’s faith after the death of her brother Lazarus. His statement, “I am the resurrection and the life,” invites believers to go deeper.invites believers to deepen their trust in Christ, who grants life beyond death. Martha responds affirmatively, acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, a profession of faith that continues to resonate with Christians today.

This week, Christians are invited to reflect on this very question: Do we believe that the resurrection in Christ unites us despite our differences? The answer to this question is the foundation of Christian hope.

St. Augustine: teacher of unity and hope

St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential figures in Christian theology, is a model for the promotion of unity in the Church. In his writings, he emphasizes the action of the Holy Spirit as a source of charity and unity:

“This is that Spirit by which charity is diffused in our hearts so that, loving God and neighbor, we may fulfill the divine commandments” (Enarrations on the Psalms, 118, 114, 2).

Charity, according to Augustine, not only strengthens the bonds between Christians, but also impels them to seek communion with God and with one another. In another of his texts, Augustine speaks of hope as the driving force of Christian life:

“Behold, hope nurses us, nourishes us, strengthens us, and consoles us in this busy life. Living in this hope we sing Alleluia […] What a reality it will be” (Sermons, 255,5).

Christian hope, based on the resurrection of Christ, nourishes the search for unity among believers and enables them to overcome divisions and conflicts.

Ecumenical celebration: a testimony of faith

The Week of Prayer includes an ecumenical celebration of the Word of God that emphasizes both personal (“I believe”) and communal (“We believe”) profession. The Nicene Creed, recited during this celebration, symbolizes the faith shared by the different Christian confessions. Participants also exchange lighted candles, a sign of the light of Christ that illuminates and unites.

Screenshot

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and the and the Commission on Faith and Order of the Ecumenical Council of Churches are jointly developing materials to aid reflection and to prepare for the Octave celebrations.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025 is an occasion to renew faith in Christ as the source of life and unity. Inspired by the legacy of the Council of Nicaea and the teachings of St. Augustine, Christians are called to respond to Jesus’ challenge: Do you believe this?