From Rome to Faisalabad, prayer for Christian unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has ended around the world. Pope Francis together with the Anglican Primate Welby gave a group of bishops the mandate to "witness together to the unity willed by God by spreading mercy and peace". The joint celebrations in Pakistan and Bangladesh: "If we are not united among ourselves, how can we bring others to Christ?".

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - "All efforts towards full unity are called to follow the same path as Paul, to put aside the centrality of our ideas to seek the voice of the Lord and leave initiative and space to Him".

The centrality of prayer, "the first task of our journey", was the heart of Pope Francis' reflection yesterday in the ecumenical celebration of vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls which concluded the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

This year, the rite was also accompanied by a gesture: the mandate that - together with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - the pontiff conferred on a group of Catholic and Anglican bishops of the International Commission for Unity and Mission.

Together they were sent to bear witness to the unity desired by God for his Church in their respective regions, going forward together "to spread God's mercy and peace in a needy world".

An echo of this same spirit has already resonated in the way in which many dioceses in Asia have experienced the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in recent days. Particularly significant, in this regard, was the experience lived in Faisalabad, Pakistan, one of the realities of the world where Christians have found themselves in recent months living together the dramatic experience of violence against Christians.

On the occasion of the ecumenical event, programs were organized in various cities and parishes of the diocese of Faisalabad around the evangelical command "You shall love your neighbor as yourself", suggested throughout the world as a theme.

The first, presided over by the vicar general Fr. Abid Tanvir, was held on January 18 in the Catholic cathedral and was attended by around 50 priests and bishops of different denominations, who appreciated the effort of the Catholic Church to bring all denominations together on one platform for unity.

Leaders of the Church of Pakistan, the Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army, the Baptist Church and other small denominations were present during the initiatives.

Other events took place in the Sahiwal district, in the cities of Gojra and Okara and in the Presbyterian Church of Faisalabad. The last program was held at Holy Rosary Church, Warispura.

Speaking to the participants, Fr. Tanvir said, "I am very happy that we are all together and pray to God for unity and brotherhood. This is a good gesture to show that despite belonging to different denominations, we are united in Christ and spread the Gospel message among the others".

Pastor Emrick Joseph, of the Presbyterian Church, added: "It is very important to accept each other and be united to spread the message of peace, love and harmony. If we are divided and do not allow ourselves to sit together, how can we guide other people towards the good path of Christianity? Let us pray to God for this brotherhood between us and ask him for more strength, love and harmony".

The Dominican Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi commented, “Love has no boundaries, it is like birds that can perch on any tree. Let us also accept each other, allowing others to come into our homes and sing the hymns of peace and harmony together."

Even in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was lived with fervor: 550 Catholics and Protestants participated in an ecumenical prayer in the Catholic church of Tejgaon, in the presence of the apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh, Archbishop Kevin Randall, and Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze. The prayer was organized by the Dialogue Commission of the Archdiocese of Dhaka.

Fr. Kakon Luke Corraya, president of the Commission for Dialogue, explained that the Week of Christian Unity is celebrated every year with Protestants, who always respond positively.

"It creates an opportunity to connect with unknown people. Even if we have no enmity with Protestants, sitting together, talking together and praying together strengthens us as Christians," said Fr. Corraya.

Rev. Alvin Proshad Vhokto, president of the Dhaka Pastors' Fellowship and pastor of the Joarsahara Baptist Church, also participated in the ecumenical prayer in Tejgaon. He praised the Catholic Church's initiative to organize these events, underlining the common faith in Jesus Christ among Christians. Vhokto emphasized the importance of unity, saying, “If we become more united, we can preach the Gospel more forcefully and more people will learn about Jesus Christ.”

(Sumon Corraya contributed)