As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a Finnish delegation traveled to Rome, where the journey culminated in a meeting with Pope Francis. The 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity delved deep into the early roots of the Church and the legacy of the Council of Nicaea, which laid the foundation of Christian faith 1,700 years ago.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a global event celebrated annually from January 18–25. It is a time for common prayer and dialogue among Christians, aimed at strengthening unity across denominational boundaries. The theme for 2025, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26), invites Christians to reflect on the core of faith and the heritage of the Nicene Creed.
This year marks 1,700 years since the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The theme emphasizes the question of common faith: What does it mean in today’s diverse and global Christian community?
Ecumenical Delegation in Rome – A Message of Peace, Unity, and Hope to the World
During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a Finnish delegation embarked on an ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome in the spirit of the Nicaea Council’s anniversary. The delegation included Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of the Catholic Diocese of Helsinki, Archbishop Elia of the Finnish Orthodox Church, and Bishop Matti Salomäki of Lapua Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, along with representatives from various churches and congregations.
Among the Catholic Church representatives were Fr. Eze Nwoko from St. Ursula Parish and Fr. Marie-Augustin Laurent-Huyghues-Beaufond OP. The purpose of the journey was to strengthen the message of unity, both among the churches in Finland and within the international Christian community.
Two Finnish choirs also took part in the pilgrimage:
- Cappella Sanctae Mariae, from St. Mary’s Parish in Helsinki, under the direction of Ann-Catrin Weckström
- Vox Aurea, a Lutheran youth choir from Jyväskylä
The choirs brought the ecumenical pilgrimage message to life through their performances, including a vespers service at the chapel of the Bridgettine Sisters and at the Mass for the Feast of St. Henry at Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica.
Together on a Pilgrimage of Hope
The journey of the delegation and choirs culminated in a private audience with Pope Francis on Monday, January 20, 2025. During the audience, the Pope encouraged everyone to embark on a pilgrimage of hope throughout the Holy Year 2025:
“During this Holy Year 2025, we walk together as ‘pilgrims of hope.’ On this journey of faith, we are strengthened by the words from the Letter to the Hebrews: ‘Let us hold unwaveringly to the confession of our hope, for he who has promised is faithful.’ (Heb. 10:23). Let us walk in hope!”
The Pope also expressed deep gratitude for the choirs’ role in the journey, describing music as a powerful form of prayer:
“He who sings, prays twice.”
He compared the Nicene Creed to a sublime “musical score of faith”, reminding Christians that they are called to play together in a symphony of truth, with Jesus Christ at its center.
The pilgrimage literally ended at the heart of Christianity, when Bishop Raimo Goyarrola celebrated Mass in a chapel beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, near the tomb of St. Peter. Thus, the pilgrimage concluded where St. Peter himself arrived 2,000 years ago, as the Bishop recalled in his homily:
“At that time, St. Peter surely had one thought in his heart: to proclaim the Gospel.”
He encouraged everyone to live out this call every day—on Sundays at Mass, on Mondays at work, and wherever we may be in our daily lives.
Pray in the Spirit of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity officially concluded on Friday, January 25, 2025. The final day’s prayer texts beautifully summarize both the theme of the Ecumenical Week and the Holy Year:
“This is what hope is about. We thirst. We hunger. But we shall be satisfied. Hunger on the journey, fulfillment upon arrival. When will we be satisfied? ‘I shall be satisfied when I see your glory’… Then ‘Alleluia’ will be a reality, whereas now it is only hope.”
– Aurelius Augustine (354–430), Sermons 255:5
“You shall eat and drink at my kingdom’s table.” What will they eat if not love? Love nourishes a person more than food and drink; it is the wine that gladdens the heart of man. Blessed are those who have tasted this wine.”
– Isaac of Nineveh (7th century), Collected Works 43 (Translation: Monk Seraphim)
Aino Okinyo