Catholic and Anglican leaders launch week of prayer for social action

(Vatican Radio) English Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby are launching a joint initiative on Sunday to encourage Catholics and Anglicans to pray and work together in service of the poorest and most vulnerable people in their parishes.

On April 6^th the Catholic and Anglican Church leaders will visit a project in London run by the Catholic Worker Movement, while on Palm Sunday April 13^th, they will travel together to Kent on England’s South coast to visit a family care centre supported by the diocese of Canterbury.

Throughout the week, Catholics and Anglicans are encouraged to pray together and to share information about similar initiatives or ecumenical efforts in parishes and dioceses around the country. More details and prayer resources are available on both the website of the Catholic bishops conference of England and Wales and that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

To find out more, Philippa Hitchen talked to Cardinal Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster:


Listen:

It started when we had a roundtable discussion about Pope Francis' 'Joy of the Gospel' and the way in which that document brings together a deepened radical renewal of our life in Christ and an attentiveness to the social needs especially of the poorest. So out of that theme we took the title of this week of prayer which is 'Listen to God, hear the poor'....

Then we wanted to express that in some action so we have two joint events on the two Sundays and then prayer laced right throug the week.....