As from today, Saturday 18th January 2020, Christians around the word are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which ends on Saturday 25th January. During this week, Christians belonging to different Churches unite for ecumenical prayers. The theme is “They showed us unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2), taken from the narrative of St Paul’s shipwreck in Malta and the hospitality shown by the Maltese.
This year, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is of particular significance since the prayers and reflection being used aroung the world have been prepared by Christians in Malta and Gozo.
An Ecumenical Service will be held on Friday 24 January, at 6.30pm, at St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Valletta. Anglican Bishop Robert Innes of Gibraltar-in-Europe will lead the prayer service, while Archbishop Charles Scicluna will deliver a biblical reflection. The public is invited to attend.
Moreover, an ecumenical exhibition with the theme ‘Bibles and Liturgical Books from Christian Churches in Malta: An Ecumenical Confluence’, is being organized by the Archdiocese of Malta, the Ecumenical Commission, Christians Together in Malta, and the Curatorial Studio. The exhibition will bring together books of divine texts from the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Church of Scotland, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Lutheran Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The exhibits include bibles, psalters, breviaries and other religious books ranging from the 13th to the 20th century, offering a window onto the different ways in which Christianity is lived. The exhibition will bear witness to unity in diversity among the Churches.
The exhibition is being held from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 January at the Archbishop’s Palace, Valletta. On Friday from 10.00am to 6.00pm and on Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Entrance is free and all are welcome to visit.