KENYA: Christian Unity Week Calls for Collaboration in Fight Against Societal Ills
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As Christians around the world join in an octave of prayer for unity, a Catholic priest has emphasized that this year’s intention of Christian Unity Week aims to strengthen collaboration and fight against societal ills.
In a statement obtained by AMECEA Online about Christian week of prayer themed “Do good: seek justice” which is an inspiration by prophet Isaiah, Fr. Innocent Maganya the chairperson of the International Ecumenical Movement-Kenya Chapter (IEM-K) stresses that followers of Christ need to stand firm on issues of justice.
“This year’s theme of prayer for Christian Unity is a call to stand together and speak with one voice against the ills of our society, especially corruption and oppression of the weak members of our society,” Fr. Maganya a member of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (MAfr.) said in his message adding, “In all humility, we must recognize that the Church did not always walk with the poor. May our celebration be an occasion for repentance and a call for action.”
In his reflection, the cleric who serves as the Director of the Institute of Inter-Religious Dialogue and Islamic Studies (IRDIS) at Tangaza University College, a Kenya-based Institute of higher learning noted that the statement shared concerning Christian unity should “serve to create more awareness of the plight of the poor among our communities and in our society at large.”
Additionally, he said, “The fight against corruption, injustice and oppression, is both a personal and collective mission.”
Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18-25th January and ecumenical partners in a particular region are invited to produce a basic liturgical text on a biblical theme which Christians use for reflection during the eight days of prayer.
Being an ecumenical activity, the text is jointly published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches (WCC), through the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order, which also accompanies the entire production process of the text
This year 2023, the Minnesota Council of Churches, based in the United States of America (USA), convened the Week of prayer for Christian unity which Fr. Maganya says “They were inspired by their past historical.”
From the theme of the week of prayer, the cleric who is a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) notes that “the prophet cries and laments of injustice among the people of God. His words towards the religious and spiritual leaders of his time are not tender at all since they did not stand on the side of the poor and the oppressed.”
“Coming together as an ecumenical body reminds us of our common Christian commitment to justice and mercy,” Fr. Maganya narrated in his statement and continued that the Lord requires his followers “To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The Christian week of prayer has a history of over 100 years and is an ecumenical Christian observance in the Christian calendar that is celebrated internationally.
