wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Roman Catholic Church & WCC: Growing collaboration

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World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153   +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org 
For immediate release - 15/10/2004

 WEEK OF PRAYER 2005:
 GROWING COLLABORATION BETWEEN WCC AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

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 at:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop2005contents.html 

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153  +41 79 507 6363
	 media@wcc-coe.org 

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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.