{"id":702300,"date":"2026-01-17T14:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/702300\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T14:52:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:52:25","slug":"as-war-and-division-spread-europes-churches-renew-call-for-prayer-and-unity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/702300\/","title":{"rendered":"As war and division spread, Europe\u2019s churches renew call for prayer and unity"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n \"Bryan
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

By Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Jan 17, 2026 \/
\n 07:00 am<\/p>\n

The president of the Council of European Bishops\u2019 Conferences (CCEE) issued an appeal to Christians across Europe to pray for peace during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,<\/a> observed Jan. 18\u201325.<\/p>\n

In a letter addressed to Catholic bishops<\/a> across the continent, Archbishop Gintaras Gru\u0161as of Vilnius linked this call to prayer with the recent updating<\/a> of the Charta Oecumenica<\/a>, the key ecumenical charter for cooperation and unity among Christian churches in Europe, formally signed in Rome on Nov. 5, 2025. <\/p>\n

The Lithuanian prelate said that \u201cthis unity among the baptized in Christ is a powerful instrument of peace throughout the world,\u201d especially in a \u201cwar-torn world.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the Charta Oecumenica?<\/p>\n

The Charta Oecumenica was first adopted in 2001 as a roadmap for deeper cooperation among Christian communities in Europe. The 2025 revision, concluded after a three-year process led by a joint working group of the CCEE and the Conference of European Churches (CEC), reflects modern European realities concerning migration and secularization to rising societal prejudices.<\/p>\n

The CEC is a fellowship of Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican churches from the nations of Europe.<\/p>\n

The revised document encourages churches to broaden mutual understanding and to witness together the Gospel in a continent shaped by cultural diversity, secular pressures, and geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n

Gru\u0161as\u2019 appeal touches upon recent remarks by Pope Leo XIV during his audience with Christian leaders following the Charta\u2019s signing. The pope observed that Christians today \u201coften feel increasingly like a minority\u201d in some contexts and urged greater fraternity and openness \u201camid the clamor of violence and war, whose echoes resound throughout the continent.\u201d His message highlighted the urgency of ecumenical cooperation not as an abstract ideal but as a witness to peace and reconciliation.<\/p>\n

For Gru\u0161as, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not only about cohesion among churches but also about fostering peace \u201camong all parties in conflict with one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

He invited the faithful to entrust this shared intention to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Europe, and the patron saints of Europe, highlighting prayer as the foundation for spiritual and societal transformation.<\/p>\n

Mercy as a practical response to conflict<\/p>\n

The archbishop\u2019s announcement comes at a significant moment for the Church in Europe. His archdiocese is preparing to host the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 6) from June 7\u201312, an international Catholic gathering focused on the theme \u201cBuilding a City of Mercy.\u201d <\/p>\n

The congress, drawing thousands of faithful, clergy, and laypeople from around the globe, aims to deepen understanding of divine mercy and its role in addressing the spiritual and humanitarian needs of the modern world. It encourages Catholics to become \u201cbuilders of a culture of mercy\u201d in their families, communities, and societies.<\/p>\n


\n \"Bryan
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves is a UAE-born apologist and essayist currently living in Lithuania. His work focuses on Catholic social teaching, theology, human dignity, and contemporary social issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves Jan 17, 2026 \/ 07:00 am The president of the Council of European Bishops\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702301,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[211137,12341,2000,299,5187,211136],"class_list":{"0":"post-702300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-archbishop-gintaras-grusas","9":"tag-catholic-news","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115911009595108946","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}