Ecumenical Prayer Vigil on the occasion of the Synod 2024

14 October 2024 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=5075

An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024
An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops from 2-27 October 2024 (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
During the 2024 Synod, Pope Francis leads the fraternal delegates and other Synod participants into the Vatican's Protomartyr's Square for an Ecumenical Prayer Service
During the 2024 Synod, Pope Francis leads the fraternal delegates and other Synod participants into the Vatican's Protomartyr's Square for an Ecumenical Prayer Service (11 Oct. 2024). Photo: Vatican Media
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil took place on Friday, 11 October, in the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs at the Vatican, attended by Pope Francis and participants in the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (2-27 October 2024).

In his introductory remarks, Cardinal Koch, Prefect of the DPCU, recalled that this day marked the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and also highlighted the 60th anniversary of the publication of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, and the Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio.

The prayer, organised by the DPCU and the General Secretariat of the Synod in collaboration with the Taizé Community, was inspired by these two fundamental documents that underpin the ecumenical commitment of the Catholic Church. It involved the Fraternal Delegates to the Synod and representatives from various Christian traditions in Rome.

In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the connections between synodality and Christian unity. Both, he suggested, are “unexpected gifts” of the Holy Spirit—a journey to be undertaken, a “harmony of multifaceted diversity”, all for the sake of mission. In reference to this latter aspect, he mentioned the ‘ecumenism of blood’ that continues to be experienced in our times.