Focolare movement lives out commitment to Christian unity

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday will lead Vespers with members of other Christian Churches in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls to mark the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. During this annual celebration, Churches around the world hold joint worship services, bible studies and other encounters aimed at promoting greater understanding and closer cooperation among members of the different denominations.

The theme for this year’s celebration, jointly published by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order, is drawn from the first letter of Peter: ‘Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord’.

The Focolare movement throughout the world has a particular commitment to the search for unity and reconciliation among the divided Christian churches. Founded in northern Italy by lay woman Chiara Lubich at the end of the Second World War, its members actively foster and support the ecumenical endeavor, through direct experiences of living, working and worshipping together.

To find out more Philippa Hitchen spoke with Lesley Ellison, a longtime Anglican member of the Focolare community in the United Kingdom….

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