As Churches across the world come together to celebrate the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, from January 18-25, Patriarch Louis Raphaël Sako, has reminded faithful that unity is not about merging Churches into a single entity but rather embracing diversity and working together despite differences. Unity is a spiritual and practical endeavour rooted in shared faith and mutual respect, the head of Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic Church said in a pastoral statement.
The richness of diversity
The message dismisses the idea of unity as the administrative or structural merging of Churches. Each Church has a unique history, traditions, and governance that should be preserved. Instead, Cardinal Sako calls for celebrating diversity as a form of richness rather than a source of division. He advocates for dialogue and a shared vision as the path to closer relationships between Christian traditions.
Sharing a common faith
The Chaldean Patriarch highlights several foundational aspects of unity already present among Christian Churches, particularly between Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the “two lungs” of Christianity, as Pope St. John Paul II described them.
Cardinal Sako recalled that both Churches share the Creed of faith established by the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the apostolic succession and celebrate the seven Sacraments.
To read more: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-01/sako-working-together-is-sign-of-unity-churches-already-share.html
By Lisa Zengarini | VaticanNews
