Archbishops of Armagh share video message for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 January), is being marked by Archbishops John McDowell and Eamon Martin, the Church of Ireland and Catholic Archbishops of Armagh and Primates of All Ireland, respectively, on the theme ‘One Body, One Spirit’.
A video message from the Primates can be viewed below.
The archbishops are calling Christians to deeper unity and active peace-making, drawing on this theme and the ancient prayer traditions of the Armenian Church. They emphasise that the Church, though diverse in culture and tradition, is meant to live as one body in Christ, united by humility, patience, love, and the bond of peace.
Linking the Armenian Church’s appeal for justice and peace with their own witness on the island of Ireland, the Primates stress that peace is both a gift and a responsibility for Christians, rooted in Christ the Prince of Peace and the work of the Holy Spirit.
In a joint message, the archbishops said: “In this year’s theme for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we focus on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter 4, which stresses the importance of unity within the Church, and urges us to live lives worthy of our calling, with humility, gentleness, patience and love.
“In verse 4 of that chapter, Paul emphasises that the followers of Christ represent one body and one spirit, united in a single hope. The metaphor, one body, one spirit, signifies the Church as a unified entity that transcends barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition, and Paul speaks of the Church being the body of Christ, to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.”
For 2026, resources for the Week of Prayer have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. This year’s theme and prayer resources can be accessed on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website AT THIS LINK.
With thanks to Janet Forbes (Archdiocese of Armagh) for videography.